Just noticed my sourdough starter took 4 hours longer to peak this winter than it did back in August

Started tracking the room temp last month and turns out my kitchen dropped from 78 to 64 degrees, which explains why I was getting dense loaves for three months straight; has anyone else had to adjust their feeding schedule for colder weather?

2 comments

2 Comments

shanel131mo ago

My first sourdough attempt this winter turned out so dense I actually used a slice as a doorstop for a week. Turns out my kitchen temp dropped to 62 and my starter was basically hibernating while I kept feeding it like it was summer. Did warming up the counter with a microwave trick work for anyone?

sage_morgan751mo ago

and if you stick that microwave trick in a cooler with a warm water bottle it creates a mini proofing box that holds the heat way better than just leaving the microwave door shut. I did that all last winter with my starter and it kept it right at 78 degrees without drying out the top.