I'd be guessing, but I doubt you've ruined it. I'd just go ahead and feed it and see how it goes from there. Depending on how much you have I'd go ahead and halve it first before I feed it in case someone else comes up with a better suggestion. So, feed it, leave it out and see how it does, if it seems to be reacting, I'd halve it again and feed again, etc until the gluten has been minimized. Just build up the smaller starter until you get back to the amount you like to work with. That's my best suggestion off the top of my head, which is quite swollen right now due to oral surgery yesterday.

I agree with coconutsl.

Thanks. I was thinking of trying that. The starter has a great flavor, so I wanted to try to save it.

I don't have enough experience to give any advice. But... best of luck!

My starter is happily bubbling along. If anything, it likes the extra gluten. I made some bread with the sponge I was making yesterday when I noticed my mistake and the bread was wonderful. I am so relived. Now I will be sure to freeze some of my starter so that I can't lose it all if something happens to it. Thanks for the suggestions.

I'm all new to this stuff - I have recipes that call for yeast and refrigeration and no yeast and sitting on the counter for a month! I'm assuming the one on the counter with no yeast is for "natural" yeast to form? This stuff doesn't go bad sitting out, not being refrigerated at all? Can it be stored at all or frozen or anything like that? I'd like to do it, but it's not realistic for me to make bread or cakes or anything multiple times per week. If I could freeze it that would work better for me but that might ruin it.

I was given something called "friendship bread" over 20 years ago, but I think it was kept in the fridge - I really can't remember tho. I was supposed to add things on certain days, then divy it up and pass some along to other people. And what I had was used to make a specific cake - the recipe came with the starter. It was like a spice cake and it had banana and pineapple in it if I remember correctly. Altho I suppose you could make bread with it. As you can see - I don't know much about it!

Lisa

I started sourdough cooking a couple of months ago so I know what you are talking about. Some recipes tell you to add active dry yeast to make a sourdough starter but traditional sourdough doesn't use dry yeast at all.

In the old days, people used only flour and water and let the mixture sit in the kitchen until it began to fermentate and used it as a leavening agent.

I used to make sourdough starter with active dry yeast. It worked too. But once I discovered the beauty of wild yeast I have never looked back. It took longer to cultivate wild yeast but the flavor is better and I really like the results.

I always keep one cup of my sourdough starter in the fridge. I believe it's all right for your starter to sit out for a long time, as long as it's covered and you don't see mold in it. However, if you allowed the starter sit in room temperature for a few days without feeding it with new flour and water, it will dry out and and you cannot use it for baking.

When I want to bake, I get out my refrigerated starter and let it sit to room temperature, then feed it with equal amount of water and flour to make a sponge. Once the mixture becomes very active (bubbly and yeasty), I use the sponge for making pancakes, waffles, cakes, even breads. Always save one cup of the sponge (before cooking) and put it back into the fridge so you won't run out.

These days, only my husband uses yeast for cooking. To me, the sourdough starter is my new best friend.