How to Store Sourdough Starter for Days, Weeks, or Months

It is time to learn how to store a sourdough starter when you have an active and thriving starter. Nothing complicated, but it is important information to know, whether you plan to bake every day, take a week off, or even pause for several months.

This guide will help you learn how to keep your starter in good shape when storing it on the counter, in the fridge, or drying it for long-term storage. You will also learn how to revive it when you are ready to bake again.

Remember, these tips are for a mature sourdough starter at least six to eight weeks old. If your starter is still young, it needs more time to develop before it is ready for storage.

About 80% of sourdough success comes from a strong, healthy starter. It's the key to great bread.

The best way to store sourdough starter

How you store your starter depends on how often you bake.

• If you bake multiple times a week, keep your starter at room temperature on the counter and feed it daily.
• If you bake less often, store your starter in the refrigerator to slow its activity and reduce the frequency of feeding.
• For long-term storage, you can dry or crumble the starter into flour for extended preservation.
• For a backup: dehydrate sourdough starter and store it for up to a year.

Here is a quick guide to storage times based on how often you plan on baking:

Baking frequency	Storage suggestion
Every 1-3 days	Store on the counter
Once a week to once a month	Store in the fridge
Once in 3-6 months	Dry or crumble into flour

How to store sourdough starter on the counter

Keeping your starter on the counter is best if you bake every day or several times a week. Feed it regularly to keep it active and ready for use. Read my ultimate guide on how to feed sourdough starter.

I hope feeding your starter daily doesn't sound overwhelming. It only takes about five minutes to maintain.

If you feed your starter two times a day (morning and evening) and need to skip the night feeding, you can make a couple of adjustments for fermentation activity in the morning:

• Use cooler water to slow fermentation.
• Lower the hydration of your starter by using 30% less water than usual, making it thicker.
• Decrease the amount of starter carried over by 50%. For example, use 10 grams instead of 20 grams for feeding.

These small changes help maintain your starter without needing constant attention.

NOTE: Don't change the amount of flour used while making the above adjustments.

How to store your starter in the fridge

You can store sourdough starter in the refrigerator.

But first and foremost, it is important to understand that refrigeration at 37.4-39°F (3-4°C) slows down the fermentation process of your starter. So, it may take some time for the starter to activate and be ready for use.

In terms of maintenance, keeping your starter in the fridge means less frequent feedings and, therefore, less flour consumption. This method is for you if you don't bake often or want to reduce your flour usage.

How often should you feed your starter? If you plan to keep your starter refrigerated, some bakers, like Alex Duarte Ribeiro at @padocadoalex, recommend feeding it every three days. However, you can stick with discarding and feeding it once a week to keep it active and healthy.

If you feed your starter at a 1:2:1 ratio (one part starter, two parts flour, and one part water), you can stretch the feeding interval to 2 weeks, but ideally avoid going more than 3 weeks without feeding.

This is the recommended maximum. Full disclosure: I left my starter on this feeding ratio for a month, and it survived!

Here is how to prepare your starter for refrigeration:

• Feed your starter as usual (I use a 1:3:3, sometimes 1:4:4 ratio twice a day), and cover it with a loose lid.

• Let it sit at room temperature for about two hours to start fermenting.

• Tighten the lid, label the container, and put it in the refrigerator; somewhere, it will go unnoticed (and no one will be tempted to throw it out).

When storing your starter in the fridge, leave room for expansion. The gases produced during fermentation can cause pressure buildup.

Remember to label your container with the date you placed it in the fridge so you know when to take it out for feeding.

How to crumble sourdough starter into the flour

Another long-term storage option is to mix your starter with flour until it forms small, dry pieces.

• Combine one spoonful of the active starter with enough flour to form a crumbly mixture. Use a spatula to mix until slightly combined.

• Use your hands to break the mixture into small pea-sized fragments. This process may take a few minutes, and more flour can be added.

• Allow the mixture to air dry in the bowl for 1-2 hours before sealing it.

• Store the dried crumbles in a jar, away from light and moisture.

This method ensures a long shelf life and is easy to revive when needed.

How to dry sourdough starter

Drying your sourdough starter is an excellent method for long-term storage. Here is how to do it:

• Spread the starter into a thin layer on parchment paper when it is at its peak activity and let it dry completely.

• Once dry, break it into small pieces.

• Fold the parchment and crush the flakes into smaller pieces using a rolling pin.

• Store the dried pieces in an airtight container in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight. Read more about how to dehydrate the starter effectively.

This method has allowed me to keep my starter dormant for months, with some lasting over two years without issues. It is also the primary method for preparing your starter for sale.

For step-by-step photographed instructions, refer to my detailed guide on how to dehydrate sourdough starter.

How to revive your starter

You can easily reactivate your starter when you are ready to bake again.

• From the fridge: allow it to sit on the counter for a few hours to reach room temperature. Then, let it rise to finish its fermentation cycle and reach its peak. (Do you remember that you only fed your starter and let it rise for two hours?) After that, maintain your regular feeding schedule.

The number of feedings depends on the duration of refrigeration. If it has been in the fridge for a week, let it rise to reach its peak, then use it to make the levain.

After 1-2 weeks in the fridge, let it rise to reach its peak and feed it at least 2, preferably 3, times before baking.

If stored for over two weeks but less than six months, multiple feedings are required to reactivate the starter. After six months, the old starter must be revived.

• From flour crumbles: Add 50 g of fresh flour and filtered water to make a pancake-like batter consistency (don't discard anything). Stir it with a spatula and leave it in a warm spot for 12-24 hours.

• From dried flakes: Mix the flakes with warm water and let them soak for 2-3 hours. Then, add flour to create a paste. Let it rest to revive the microbial activity. Once reactivated, begin the feeding process, adjusting the hydration level if necessary. Read about how to rehydrate sourdough starter in 5 days.

Observe the starter's activity and continue the usual feeding schedule to restore optimal fermentation levels.

The great debate: Room temperature vs. refrigeration

If you have heard that keeping your sourdough starter at room temperature and feeding it once or twice daily makes it stronger, there is plenty of truth to that.

Professional bakeries typically maintain their starters at room temperature without refrigeration because it is ideal for keeping the starter active and ready to bake.

I feed my starter twice a day and keep it at about 75°F (24°C) using a Brod & Taylor Sourdough Home, spending roughly 5 minutes each feeding. I try to avoid refrigeration except when traveling.

It is generally understood that prolonged refrigeration of your starter increases its acidity over time, much like cold-retarded dough in the fridge, because the starter becomes dormant and more acidic during this rest.

But what about the "hybrid" method, with keeping the starter on the countertop until it peaks in the morning, then refrigerating until the next morning? Does this affect the strength of the starter?

Recent testing by Tom Cucuzza compared two methods: one starter kept at room temperature and fed twice daily, and a "hybrid" starter fed once daily at room temperature, then refrigerated overnight until the next day.

The results showed that intermittent refrigeration at peak didn't reduce yeast activity but did cause a slight increase in acidity over time. However, you can correct any rise in acidity from refrigeration with a couple of feedings at room temperature.

So, while twice-daily feedings at room temperature remain the gold standard for peak starter health, refrigeration offers a practical and flexible option.

If you don't bake daily or want to reduce feedings without compromising your starter's strength, the hybrid method will work for you.

FAQ

Q: Can you place the sourdough starter in the fridge once fed?

You can refrigerate the sourdough starter after feeding, but it is recommended to allow the fermentation process to begin. Leave it on the counter for about 1-2 hours before placing it in the fridge.

Q: How much starter should you keep in the fridge?

Storing a small amount (between 10 and 50 grams) in the fridge is enough for most weekly bakes.

Q: How long can you leave the starter in the fridge?

For short breaks, such as up to two to three weeks, your starter will be fine without feeding. Some bakers have even stored theirs for several months and successfully brought them back to life.

Let's talk sourdough

What's your go-to method for storing your sourdough starter? Have you noticed a difference in your bread when you store your starter at room temperature versus in the fridge?