Well, let me tell you, you don’t need no fancy thingamajig to keep that sourdough starter alive and kickin’. Some folks, they talk about grams and cups. Like we all got time for that. Feeding sourdough starter without scale, that’s what I do. It ain’t hard, I tell ya.
My grandma, bless her soul, she never used no scale. She just knew. And I learned from her. Just like I learned how to cook the food without any book, you know what I mean. I see someone ask me how to feed a sourdough starter, I will tell her just the same thing.
You just need that starter, some flour, and some water. That’s the holy trinity of sourdough, I reckon. You don’t need to measure nothing. You don’t need to buy a scale. Just use your eyes and your hands. God gave ’em to ya for a reason, right?
First, you take that starter outta the fridge. Let it sit on the counter for a bit. Warm it up some. It’s like wakin’ up a sleepy little critter. Gotta be gentle. Now when you feed it, just keep some in the jar and put the rest in another one.
Then, you get your flour. Any kinda flour will do, really. I use what I got. Sometimes it’s white, sometimes it’s wheat. Don’t matter too much. Just scoop some out with a spoon. Not a heaping spoonful, just a regular one. Like you’re feedin’ a baby bird. A big baby bird, ha!
- Get your starter.
- Get your flour.
- Get your water.
- Mix ’em up!
Now, the water. You want it lukewarm. Not hot, not cold. Just like bathwater for a little one. You pour some in with the flour. Just a little at a time. You don’t want it too runny, you don’t want it too thick. You gotta stir it up real good. Make sure all the flour is wet. No dry clumps allowed! It should be like a thick paste. Or like porridge, maybe. You know, the kind you eat on a cold mornin’.
Once you got that paste, you add a little bit of your starter to it. Just a spoonful or so. Mix it all together. Make sure it’s all incorporated. You want that starter to get all happy and bubbly. That’s how you know it’s workin’. It will become an active starter.
Then, you put the lid back on the jar. Not too tight, though. You want it to breathe a little. Just like us, it needs air! Then you just let it sit there on the counter. That’s the best way to feed sourdough starter, I think.
Now, some folks, they say you gotta feed it every day. I don’t always do that. Sometimes I forget. Sometimes I’m busy. Life happens, you know? But that starter, it’s pretty tough. It can handle a little neglect. Just like us old folks, we’re tougher than we look!
If you forget to feed it for a day or two, don’t worry. Just feed it when you remember. It’ll perk right back up. It might be a little sluggish at first, but it’ll come around. Just give it some time. And if it looks a little funny, or smells a little sour, that’s okay too. That’s just the starter doin’ its thing. It can make some delicious sourdough bread.
Now, about that leftover starter. The part you didn’t use. Don’t you throw that away! That’s good stuff. You can put it in a separate jar, put a lid on it, and stick it in the fridge. That’s where it’ll keep until you’re ready to use it again. It’s like puttin’ it to sleep. It will be your backup sourdough starter.
When you wanna bake again, just take it out of the fridge, let it warm up, and feed it like I told ya. It’s a never-endin’ cycle. Just like life, I reckon. You feed it, it feeds you. You keep it going by using some flour and water. It is the easiest way to maintain sourdough starter.
Some folks, they make it all complicated. They talk about hydration and ratios and all that fancy stuff. But it ain’t gotta be that way. Just keep it simple. Use your common sense. That’s what I always say. And don’t be afraid to experiment a little. You might just surprise yourself.
So, there you have it. That’s how you feed a sourdough starter without a scale. It ain’t rocket science. It’s just good old-fashioned common sense. And a little bit of love. That’s the secret ingredient, I think. A little bit of love goes a long way. In baking, and in life. Trust me, I know how to maintain a healthy sourdough starter.
So go on, give it a try. Don’t be scared. You got this. And if you mess it up, so what? You can always start again. That’s the beauty of sourdough. It’s always forgivin’. Just like your grandma. Always there for ya, no matter what. Now go on and bake somethin’ good! This is how you feed sourdough starter without measuring.
