Tried a new sourdough starter during my vacation in Portland and it exploded everywhere

Last month I was in Portland for a week and decided to finally try making a sourdough starter from scratch. I left it on the counter in my Airbnb and it literally blew the lid off the jar on day 3. The kitchen had dough goo on the ceiling and walls. I spent like 2 hours cleaning it up and my host was not happy. Now I always use a bigger jar with a loose lid no matter what recipe says. Has anyone else had a starter go crazy like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

janac592mo agoTop Commenter

Hold your horses here because I gotta disagree with almost everything you just said. Using a loose lid is exactly how you end up with a dried out crusty mess that kills your starter before it even gets going. The whole point of a tight seal is to keep moisture IN so the yeast can do its thing without getting all draggy and stiff. Your jar blew up because you filled it too full, not because of the lid. I have been doing this for three years now with a tiny 4 ounce jar and a screw on lid and I've NEVER had a blow up. Maybe you should just use a smaller jar next time instead of blaming the recipe. That host shouldn't have been upset either, it is what happens when you try new things in a temporary space.

johnthompson2mo ago

I mean, I've had the exact opposite experience with my starter over the past five years - loose lid keeps things breathing without drying out, and I've never had a jar break on me. Maybe it's just me but filling a jar halfway is more about avoiding mess than the lid being the problem.

taraw1619d ago

Did you ever read that thing from the King Arthur Flour blog where they tested different jar setups? I came across it a few months back and they basically said a loose lid is fine as long as you don't let it dry out. I've been using a wide mouth mason jar with the lid just resting on top for about a year now and it works great. Never had a blow up or a crusty mess. I think you just got unlucky with that particular starter being super active. But honestly, a smaller jar is a good idea too. That way even if it does double in size fast, it won't hit the lid so hard.