How I Keep My Sourdough Starter (Without Babysitting It)

I like sourdough, but I don’t like feeding a starter every day “just because.” This is the simple, low-maintenance way I keep my starter healthy and ready to bake when I need it.

Where I Keep My Starter

I keep my starter in a mason jar in the fridge. The cold slows everything way down, so it can sit there happily without constant feedings. I’ve left it this way for months at a time, and it recovers every time. If you see any gray liquid (hooch) on top, just stir it back into the starter — it’s totally normal.

This isn’t the starter I bake with directly — it’s more like a backup culture that I pull from when I want to bake.

Waking It Back Up (Small on Purpose)

When I’m ready to bake, I only take a tiny amount from the fridge starter — usually about 4 grams — and put it in a clean jar.

While I’m reviving it, I keep things small to avoid wasting flour. I feed it at a 1 : 10 : 10 ratio:

  • 4 g starter
  • 40 g flour
  • 40 g water

I feed it once a day for at least two days. Sometimes it needs a third day, especially if it’s been in the fridge for a while.

I always use bottled water for feedings. It just removes any guesswork with chlorine or treated water and helps the starter bounce back faster.

After a couple of days, it should be rising predictably, smelling clean and slightly tangy, and looking like something you actually want to bake with.

Scaling Up for a Recipe

Once the starter is active again, I simply increase the feeding ratio to make however much starter the recipe needs.

Same idea, just bigger numbers.

For example, if a recipe needs more starter, I’ll keep the same ratio and scale it up to match the amount I need, rather than maintaining a large starter all the time.

After Baking: Reset the Fridge Starter

When I’m done baking, I don’t keep the old fridge starter around.

Instead:

  • I discard the original fridge starter
  • I replace it with freshly fed discard from the active starter I just used

That way, the starter going back into the fridge is freshly fed, healthy, and coming off an active fermentation — not something that’s been sitting neglected for weeks.

Why I Like This Method

  • Easy to pause with no daily feedings
  • Very little waste
  • Easy to scale up or down
  • Always baking with a strong starter
  • A clean, reliable starter waiting in the fridge

It keeps sourdough simple and flexible, which means I bake more and stress less.