Overfeeding a sourdough starter can be beneficial because it provides an abundance of food for the culture, which can increaseit's activity and fermentation. Just like people, your sourdough starter can be extra hungry -- especially in times where there is higher fermentation rates. This is particularly helpful when you notice that your sourdough starter isn't as active as it once was. In typical Summit Sourdough fashion our starter is known for regularly quadrupling in size with proper care and maintenance. When you overfeed a starter, theculture will multiply more quickly, leading to a stronger and more active starter.
It's important to note that overfeeding can also have negative effects on a sourdough starter if done excessively or too frequently. If the starter is overfed, it can become too acidic or develop an unpleasant odor which is the result of excess food rotting in the jar. For this exact reason, it is important to allow your starter to eat for 24hours when an overfeed is done.You should not remove starter to bake with, and you should not feed again before the 24 hours is up. This allows ample time for the starter to consume the food without risking of diluting the strength.
Reasons your Sourdough Starter Might be Sluggish
- Feeding schedule: A sourdough starter needs to be fed regularly to maintain its activity. If it is not fed often enough, the yeast and bacteria will become weak and the starter will become sluggish. I recommend you feed once every 24 - 30 hours, every 24 hours is better.
- Flour: The type and quality of flour used can also affect the activity of the sourdough starter. Using part rye flour can help to give the starter a boost becauseit contains more nutrients that theculture needs to thrive. I'll discuss how to do a proper Rye Boost in a separate post. I do not suggest a 100% Rye flour feed
- Water: Chlorinated water can kill the beneficial bacteria in the sourdough starter, so it's important to use non-chlorinated water when feeding the starter.
- Contamination: If the sourdough starter becomes contaminated with bad bacteria or mold, it can become sluggish and not produce the desired results.
To overfeed a sourdough starter, simply increase the amount of flour and water used in each feeding. For example, I suggest that Summit Sourdough is fed at a 1:1:1 ratio by weight in grams (100g starter : 100g water : 100g flour). To offer your starter an overfeed, i suggest a 50% increase in the water and flour added to the starter. An example of a proper overfeed would be:
100g starter : 150g water : 150g flour
It's important to monitor the starter's activity and adjust the feeding schedule as needed to ensure it stays healthy and active. In some rare cases, it's okay to up this to a 100% overfeed. 100g starter : 200g water : 200g flour
As a reminder, doing this too often will be detrimental to your starter. I suggest an overfeed no more than 2x per month. Otherwise, keep on your regular feeding schedule of 1:1:1 by weight in grams. If you still need more of a boost, consider a rye boost.
FAQs
If your sourdough starter won't rise anymore, reset it by putting 25 grams of starter in a jar and feed it 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of water. With this ratio, your starter should double in size in about 12-24 hours.
What to do when sourdough starter is sluggish? ›
If you're like me and have neglected your starter for a little too long — perhaps you've been out of town or simply forgot it in the back of the fridge — you can use a little whole grain flour (such as pumpernickel or whole wheat flour) to feed your starter and give it a boost.
How do you revive a sluggish sourdough starter? ›
Begin by discarding all but 1/2 cup of the old starter. Then, feed the remaining starter with fresh flour and water. The feeding ratio should ideally be 1:1:1 (starter:flour:water). Leave the mixture at room temperature until it becomes bubbly and active, which usually takes about a day.
How do you fix a weak sourdough starter? ›
Changing the feeding interval, or frequency, is the single most important tool in strengthening a starter. By simply catching your starter near its peak and refeeding at that time, you can significantly strengthen a weak starter.
How to fix runny sourdough starter? ›
If your starter is too runny, it maybe that you need to increase the ratio. A ratio of 1:2:2 can work - so you'd double the flour and water. Alternatively, if your starter is very runny, a 1:2:1 ratio could be used. This would mean that for 50g of starter, you'd feed it 100g of flour and 50g of water.
Can you add yeast to a sluggish sourdough starter? ›
Sourdough bread baking is a slow process, and even a small amount of yeast can speed it up significantly. An assist from yeast is especially helpful in the winter, when temperatures in the kitchen can dip below 70 degrees and warmth-loving sourdoughs can be especially sluggish.
Why is my sourdough starter not progressing? ›
If your sourdough starter won't rise anymore, reset it by putting 25 grams of starter in a jar and feed it 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of water. With this ratio, your starter should double in size in about 12-24 hours. If your starter has never risen before, follow a proven guide to create an active starter.
How do you feed a slow sourdough starter? ›
This way, you'll know when it's ready to use. For example, if you want to make dough at 7 PM (and your starter takes about 5 hrs to rise), feed it at 2 PM. Remove and discard half of your sourdough starter from the jar. Feed what's left in the jar with equal parts flour and water by weight (1:1:1 feeding ratio).
How do I know if I killed my sourdough starter? ›
Keep feeding your starter, and you'll see normal activity (bubbles) return in a few days. If your starter has a bit of dark liquid on top, it's not dead! It simply means it's hungry and that it's time to feed it. Unless your starter has a pink or orange hue or is beginning to mold, you probably haven't killed it yet.
How to jumpstart your sourdough starter? ›
Put 10g of your starter into a clean jar (you can discard the rest). Feed this 10g of starter with 25g of flour and 25g of water and stir in really well, remembering you want as much oxygen in the mix as possible. Cover loosely and leave for around 6 hours. By this stage you should see some bubbling starting to happen.
It is important that you stir the sourdough starter every day in the morning and in the evening. Feed the starter. Add 60 g flour and 60 g lukewarm water, stir well to combine, and let sit out for 24 hours.
How to make sourdough starter active? ›
To Activate Your Sourdough Starter:
Place starter in a vessel. I love these deli quart containers for this purpose. Add 45 g each of all-purpose flour and room-temperature water. (Note: The consistency should look like a thick batter.)
How do you revive a struggling sourdough starter? ›
Feed ¼ cup (2 ounces) starter with ½ cup (2½ ounces) all-purpose flour and ¼ cup (2 ounces) water twice daily (approximately every 12 hours) and let it sit, covered with plastic wrap, at warm room temperature.
Should sourdough starter be thick or runny? ›
Does it matter if my starter is thick or thin, you ask? Nope! Thick and thin starters are both full of wild yeasts and bacteria which is what your bread is begging for. The viscosity of your starter is really just a personal preference because thick and thin starters will both make bread.
How do you fix an underfed sourdough starter? ›
Reviving a sourdough starter that has been stored in the fridge for a longer period of time is a good idea. This can be done by feeding it equal parts flour and water, allowing it to sit at room temperature for 12 hours, and then feeding it again.
