Sourdough starters are remarkably tough and hard to kill, but it is not impossible. If you are wondering whether your sourdough starter is still alive, and suitable for bread making, read the descriptions below of how your starter will look at different stages of health:
- Healthy Starter: This starter will have a smooth consistency, be full of bubbles and make a great loaf of bread. Once proofed (fed) you will see a frothy layer of bubbles on top of the starter, and when you stir the starter you will see that it is full of gas bubbles and very active.
- Barely Living Starter: You will see some bubbles in the starter, but it will not have the frothy layer of bubbles that you see with healthy starters, nor will you see lots of bubbles within the bulk of the starter. You will also see hooch on the surface (usually mostly clear, possibly with a slightly gray or yellow tinge). If you try to use it to make bread, it will have a very slow first rise (up to six hours or more), and will likely not rise a second time. You should not use this starter to make bread, although it is suitable for sourdough pancakes and other similar recipes. This sourdough starter just needs a little T.L.C. to get it back into shape, and then you will be able to make bread with it again.
- Flat Starter: With a flat starter, there will be little or no bubbles at all in the starter, but you have reason to suspect that it is still alive. It may be that you know that you have neglected this starter and not feed it for quite a while, and as a result it appears nearly dead. Often the starter will be quite sour. You may be able to revive this starter.
- Dead Starter: You will see no bubbles in the starter at all. If the starter has been subjected to temperatures in excess of 100 degrees Farenheit, then it is likely dead, and you will need to grow a new starter. You may, however, want to use a bit of this starter in your new starter (especially if you had a fondness for the strain), as their may be some remnants of the original yeast that can be revived.
How to Revive a Flat or Barely Living Starter:
- Take 1 cup of starter and mix with 1 cup of warm water and 1 1/2 cups of white all-purpose or bread flour. Stir and then let proof for 12 hours at approximately 85 degrees (it is important to do this at approximately this temperature to have the best results).
- After 12 hours, examine the starter to see how it looks. If it still has few bubbles, or has hooch, no frothy layer, or a gelatinous consistency, stir it well and place in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
- After 12 hours, remove it from the refrigerator and repeat step one again.
For more information on how to create, maintain and bake beautiful bread, return to the Sourdough Starter website.
