Sourdough Starter Not Rising? 9 Ways to Strengthen Starter
If your sourdough starter is not rising well, try these 9 ways to strengthen sourdough starter and make it more active - including temperature, the best type of flour and water to use, feeding schedules, hydration ratio, and more.
Equipment
- heating pad or proofing box (optional)
Ingredients
- existing sourdough starter
- whole wheat flour, bread flour, or rye flour
Instructions
- Keep sourdough starter warm. Starter is most active at 75-85F. Find a warm location in your kitchen/house, use warm water during feeding, consider using a heating pad or proofing box, and monitor the temperature with a thermometer. If your schedule allows, let refrigerated starter warm up to room temp before feeding.
- Feed with different flour. Flour with more protein and nutrients make sourdough starter more active, so consider feeding your starter with bread flour, whole wheat flour, rye flour (or a combination of these) to increase fermentation activity and rise.
- Thicken the starter (lower hydration ratio). A very runny starter may bubble but not rise at all. Try adding more flour, stirring in one tablespoon or two at a time until the desired thicker consistency is reached. (It should be smooth and easy to stir like a wet dough, but not runny and pourable like pancake batter). Or, make a proper "stiff starter" by feeding with a 2:2:1 ratio of flour, starter and water (e.g. 100 grams flour, 100 grams stater, 50-60 grams water) - which is a 50 to 60% hydration. Standard starter is usually fed a 1:1:1 ratio (100 grams of each) and is 100% hydration.
- Add oxygen. Occasionally stir refrigerated starter between feedings, and stir more vigorously during feeding/mixing to introduce air. Loosely cover the starter container after feeding rather than using an air-tight lid.
- Feed several times before baking. If your starter has been in the fridge, try feeding it at least 2 or 3 times before baking with it. However, allow it to fully rise and start to deflate again between feedings.
- Feed more often. To maintain a readily-active starter, it’s best to feed it at least once per week if stored in the refrigerator and daily (if not 2 or 3 times daily) if stored at room temperature.
- 7) Store starter at room temperature. Room temp starter is often more active than refrigerated starter, but it must be fed daily.
- Use filtered water (unchlorinated water) to feed your sourdough starter, but also avoid distilled water.
- Start fresh. If all else fails, start with a new, healthy, established starter culture - like the 5-star organic sourdough starter we offer here!
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