Unpopular take: my mentor was wrong about sourdough starter

At a class in Portland 2 years ago, this old baker told me to keep my starter in the fridge and feed it once a week. I did that for months and got flat, boring loaves every time. Started feeding it daily at room temp and now it doubles in 4 hours - why do so many pros push the cold method?

2 comments

2 Comments

pat_park15d ago

I had almost the exact same experience. Started with a fridge starter because some blog said it was the "professional" way, and my loaves were sad little pancakes with no oven spring. Switched to feeding it twice a day at room temp, keeping it on my kitchen counter, and now it's a total beast. The fridge method just slows down the fermentation so much that the yeast never gets strong or active enough for a good rise. For me, having that daily routine with my starter made all the difference, and I'll never go back to the cold storage method.

caseys3016d ago

I read somewhere cold starters are just more convenient for pro bakers who bake daily.