Five Sourdough Rules That are Okay to Break

Below is a list of 5 sourdough rules that are okay to break.  From the rigid feeding schedules to the precise measuring, there are so many “rules” that make sourdough feel downright overwhelming!  Overcomplicating a simple process keeps people from getting started.  I wanted to write this article to give you permission to break some rules and break away from the rigidity of sourdough. 

When I fist started baking with sourdough, I gave up after about 3 weeks.  I literally threw away my entire starter and swore I’d never touch the stuff again.  Maintaining my starter felt like a chore, and added more stress than joy in my life. As I saw more and more people giving me permission to make sourdough fit my life, I decided to give it a shot one more time.

Sourdough Rule #1 – Feed your starter every day

Yes, you need to feed your starter.  If it’s younger, you will need to feed it more consistently; however, a well established starter isn’t going to die just because it hasn’t been fed for a day or two. 

This is the “rule” that made me give up on sourdough the first time.  I kept my little started on the shelf above my dryer and literally had an alarm on my phone to feed my starter every night.  My starter became like having another pet in the house, but one that didn’t remind me when it was time to eat.  I thought that if I forgot to feed my starter, it would die.  That’s simply not true.

Back in 2019, a 4,500 year old sourdough starter was revived from ancient Egyptian clay pots found during an archaeological expedition.  You read that right – 4,500 years old.  I don’t know exactly how long the starter was unfed, but I’m sure it had been a few thousand years.  If the microbes in that starter were able to be woken up, yours can too after a day (or 3 or 4) of not being fed.

When I forget to feed my starter for a few days I use this process to “wake it up”. 

First, I remove all but maybe 1 Tbs. of inactive starter from my jar.  Then I do a heavy feed – maybe ½ cup flour and ½ cup water.  That’s it.  Typically the starter perks right up after a day or so.  You can do a heavy feed again if you want to, but after the one heavy feed, I find that I can just feed regularly to keep things going.

Sourdough Rule #2 – Measure precise amounts to feed your starter

Another rule that I break is measuring.  I don’t ever measure when I feed my starter . Do I know my % hydration?  No.  Has that ever stopped me from baking a beautiful loaf of bread?  Nope!  I eyeball my measurements, but I look for two things:

1.  Add about 2x the amount of flour and water as you have starter.  For example – if you have ¼ cup starter you would feed it around ½ cup flour and ½ cup water.  

2. End up with something that’s a little thicker than pancake batter.  

Sourdough Rule #3 – Don’t EVER use a stainless-steel utensil to stir your starter

The thought behind this sourdough rule is that stainless steel is naturally anti-microbial and will therefore kill your starter.  I promise that it won’t!  I tend to use a tiny silicone spatula to stir my starter, but I’ve used a stainless steel spoon on many occasions, and my starter has not reacted to it at all! 

Sourdough Rule #4 – Don’t keep your starter in the fridge for more than 1 week without feeding

This sourdough rule is similar to rule #1.  Ideally you will feed your starter at certain intervals.  If life happens and you forget to feed your starter for a month in the fridge, don’t just automatically assume that it’s dead and toss it.  Use the same steps that I described above with a heavy feed.  Chances are, you can wake your starter back up after 1-2 good feedings. 

One thing you may notice after leaving your starter for too long in the fridge is a black or grey liquid at the top.  This is called hooch, and an be drained off.  I’ve actually mixed the hooch back into my starter in the past because it gives it a more sour flavor. 

Sourdough Rule #5 –  Know all the lingo and follow the recipe with precision

I wrote an entire article on sourdough lingo because I feel like it becomes a barrier to entry in the sourdough world.  You don’t need to know what a leaven or an autolyze is in order to make good bread. 

With sourdough, you need to have active starer to make your bread rise, plus flour and water.  Every recipe is different.  It’s not wrong if you choose to use a stand mixer or a stretch and fold method.  You may yield a different result in your bread, but it will still taste good! 

Have I mixed my dough and forgotten to do my stretch and folds for like 3 hours?  Yes.  Did it impact my bread?  Maybe, but if it did, the impact was so slight that no one in my family was able to tell the difference. 

For me, the beauty of sourdough is the flexibility and freedom it yields to my life.  I can bake delicious, healthy bread for my family every week without it impacting my daily life.  If I was to do this with traditional yeasted breads, I would be stuck at home babysitting my dough so it didn’t overproof.  Because of the long fermentation times required for sourdough, I can mix my dough in the morning then go to work, and my dough is ready to bake when I get home at the end of the day. 

I want that flexibility for every baker, and the overwhelm associated with “sourdough rules” should not be a barrier to making sourdough fit your lifestyle. 

What are some sourdough rules that you choose to break?