mia748•9d ago

My neighbor told me her sourdough starter is over 20 years old

I was walking my dog yesterday and got talking with my neighbor, Mrs. Gable. She mentioned she's had the same sourdough starter since 2003, which she got from a friend in Portland. She keeps it in a blue ceramic crock in her fridge and feeds it once a week with 50 grams each of flour and water. I've only been baking for a couple years and my starters usually fizzle out after a few months. She said the key is not to stress about it and just keep a simple routine. It made me think I've been overcomplicating my own process, always trying new flours and schedules. Has anyone else kept a starter alive for a really long time, and what's your basic care plan?

3 comments

3 Comments

nancy_smith9d ago

Yeah, my grandma's starter is from the 90s and she does the same thing. She keeps it in an old mason jar in the fridge and feeds it every Friday with just plain white flour and tap water. I finally stopped messing with mine and just do that now, and it's been going strong for two years.

the_cameron9d ago

Man, that's the way to do it. I used to kill starters all the time until I stopped treating them like a science project. Like @nancy_smith said, plain flour and tap water works fine. I keep mine in a basic quart deli container in the fridge door. Every Sunday I dump out all but a spoonful, add a half cup of all-purpose and enough warm water to make a thick paste. If I forget a week, I just feed it when I remember. The less you mess with it, the tougher it gets.

the_eric9d ago

Lol it's just flour and water, not a pet. People act like it's some high maintenance thing but it's basically impossible to kill.