Told my sourdough starter is a waste of time, I disagree

I was at a coffee shop last Tuesday and this guy goes on about how sourdough is just a trend and not worth the effort. He said everyone should just use commercial yeast because it's faster and more consistent. That rubbed me the wrong way because I've been maintaining my starter for 8 months now and it's not even that hard. Sure, you have to feed it every week or so, but the flavor you get from a mature starter is way better than anything from a packet. Plus, I've saved like $30 on yeast over the months by using my discard for crackers and pancakes. Has anyone else dealt with people trashing sourdough when they've never actually tried it?

2 comments

2 Comments

tara_jones944d ago

My starter is named Greg and he's been sitting in my fridge for 14 months now, so I get the defensive instinct. Honestly, the weekly feeding ritual feels less like a chore and more like keeping a very low-maintenance pet that occasionally gives me really good crackers. People who call it a trend probably just haven't tasted proper sourdough pancakes yet.

charlie_ellis4d ago

14 months is a good run, I'm at about 9 with mine (Bartholomew, if we're naming). But idk, I've been wondering lately if we're all just fooling ourselves with the whole 'low maintenance pet' thing. My real question is, how often do you actually feed him once he's been in the fridge that long? I mean, do you pull it out every week like clockwork, or has it basically become a science experiment that you only wake up when you need it? I've seen people go months without feeding theirs and then just revive it with a couple good feeds, but that feels a little sketchy to me. Maybe it's just my anxiety but I'd worry about mold or off flavors building up over time, you know?