When I first started baking sourdough bread (wow, over two years ago!) I had feeding several more people and baking several times a week. These days I generally just need one baking a week, so have been slacking off on keeping up with my starter.
Using the scientific method I have found that I only need to feed it once a week. The science part is where I forget to feed it for a whole week, then feed it and it still works. That's an experiment! And I'm passing my knowledge along to you. Keep it in the fridge, go all week without touching it, then feed it the day before you want to mix up your poolish (Sunday nights, around here, just when you're starting to think ahead for the week). I actually hate the word poolish but there it is. It's the thing after the starter, before the bread. It gets started the night before.
Wow, it sounds complicated, but it's not.
I've just started a sourdough again, after killing original sourdough a few months ago. So far I still haven't got into a proper routine with it but it is great fun experimenting and trying different recipes.
ReplyDeleteOur weekly Tartine bread is all thanks to you. I read your original post and decided to stop longing for sourdough and get busy. I did the same experiment you did and got the same results. So there's some hard-core science for you!
ReplyDeleteI just did a poolishy sort of thing last Sunday - interesting, and I've still got some of the stuff in the fridge, too. For me, it's definitely an experiment, like you said.
ReplyDeleteLisateresa
oh! "poolish" - I was calling it a "sponge." I've been making sourdough bread for years now, only feeding it once a week.
ReplyDeleteI need to get in a rhythm with baking sourdough again. I found it hard to juggle with my work schedule but I know it can be done.
ReplyDeleteI never heard the term Poolish, though I bake with sourdough. I actually like the word, it's kind of fun to say!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, my equally scientific method indicates that my starter can actually live and work quite nicely with as long as 2 weeks between feedings. I rarely go that long, even though my household is only me and my husband, simply because we love so many things baked with sourdough - pancakes, coffee cake, biscuits, english muffins, as well as bread, of course!