You definitely want to wake it up before you use it, it needs to be warm. Depending on how much you saved you can take it out, give it a feeding and some warm water and let it start working, it will grow and foam, take what you need for your bread and put the rest in the fridge or if you have a fair amount take part of it and put the rest back for later and feed what you took. It will take a couple three hours to really wake up. Experiment as experience will help.

I take mine out and feed it the night before I want to use. I take what I need and the rest goes back into the frig until I want it again. I do feed routinely even if not in immediate demand.......usually once a week but sometimes that extends if I forget:-)

Thank you, Patriciae and Gardengal! I was hoping I could use it right away, but a few hours of waiting isn't so bad, especially if I take it out at night to use in the morning as suggested.

It's been two weeks since I put it in the fridge and I've fed it twice in that time, once per week. It seems like it wants to be fed more frequently, as it has that liquidy stuff on top after a week has gone by. I started the starter with wheat flour, but have been feeding it with bread flour. For yesterday's feeding I used half bread and half AP flour. I'm a cheapskate and use grocery store brand flour, but it seems to work just fine. The King Arthur flour is more than twice the cost! :-)

How did you make your starter?

I followed the directions on the King Arthur flour website and started with a cup of wheat flour and a half cup of water. Then I fed it once a day (after discarding about half) for a few days and then started the twice daily discards and feedings. It was ready to go on day 12.

Unless used daily, it will always separate a bit and have a layer of liquid on top. No worries!! And when I first got my starter many years ago, I didn't realize that I should feed it more often than I did and sometimes let it go a month or more. No worries. It will be just fine until that liquid layer turns a weird blackish gray color. Then you got trouble!!

btw, I have only used regular old AP flour when I've fed mine. I have never noticed any problems.

It is really not that exotic or fussy and you don't need to stress over it. Just keep it away from metal.......

https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/sourdough-starter-recipe

I poured off the liquid before I discarded and fed, i hope that's okay? It has only gotten the liquid in the fridge, I think because it wants more feedings, but once a week is enough for me. I almost gave up when I was feeding it twice a day, it was so demanding! But, I'm glad I didn't.

Good to know it can go longer than a week between feedings...I don't want to have to take it on vacation with me! ;-)

Gardengal, what happens if it comes in contact with metal?

It is only when you are getting the starter going that you need to feed so often. And I never pour off any liquid but just stir it back in before adding the feeding flour and water.

The starter is an acid and acids reacts with metal. Making or storing the starter in metal can create some off taste and will discolor the starter. Metal bowls or utensils can also delay the activation of the starter. But once the starter is up and running, you should be OK using typical metal kitchenware and certainly anything stainless steel. Just don't store it in metal.

My pet sourdough might not be as strong as others. I find it works best if I take my refrigerated starter (I usually save back about 50 grams in an empty glass jar), leave it on the counter to warm to room temp, then feed it with 50 grams flour and 50 grams water. I do that twice a day for 2 or 3 days, gradually increasing the "fed" amount to whatever quantity the recipe calls for, plus 50 grams to save for next time. Save all the discards and make gardengal's sourdough waffles when you have enough!!! :-)

Wait, sourdough waffles??! I must go search for this recipe!

Bread making is a new hobby of mine and I've gained five pounds since Christmas "testing" recipes, ugh! At least there's still snow on the ground and I can hide under my puffy jacket.

I keep my starter in the fridge. It simple to keep and you do not have to keep a lot.

If I were making the recipe below then the night before I'd make the cup I needed for the bake.

https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/rustic-sourdough-bread-recipe

If you check out books by Peter Reinhart (has multiple) or Jeffery Hamelman (Bread) they usually have this step written into the formula.

If it's been awhile (a month) since I've refreshed my starter I'll refresh and then pull off what I need to build for the bake.

Patriciae, I'm going off topic to tell you that your comment about the kitchen crisis made me laugh. We both like to cook and often have kitchen crises when one of us barges in because there is some dish they just have to make "right now" when the other is using the kitchen. Of course, I'm not the one who causes this problem. ;-)

I'm coming into this late and sleepy, so please forgive me if I misread something.

If you have an underfed starter, it will smell boozy and may have gray liquid on top. That's alcohol, and part of die off. It's harmless. Grannies used to drink it for a short of free booze. You can stir it back in or pour it off., but definitely feed your starter more often. Once it's well established it can go a long time in the fridge, but if it even smells boozy rather than sweet, keep it out and feed it twice a day until the booziness goes away to keep it strong and the yeast healthy.

If you have water on top, or starchy water, rather than booze, which is almost unheard of but could happen, you just have more hydration than the flour can absorb. You can hydrate less or use a more absorbent flour, or compensate with a little less water in your loaf. I don't like the slurry texture at 100% hydration, though I never got loose water from it. I keep my whole wheat starter at 80% and my white starter at 70%.

Re the original question, what Gardengal said is standard practice. So too is making a pre-ferment with the starter and some of the flour and water from the recipe. That's after feeding the starter. What that does for you is allow the yeast to multiply without tackling the whole of a loaf of bread. It strengthens the final rise as well.

BUT, you can use your starter right out of the fridge if you really want to, and skip the pre-ferment. The starter won't be active until it warms up, and the amount of flour around it could shock it a bit, but it will eventually rise if you leave it alone in a warmish place. It might take a few days, but it will rise.

Baking with sourdough starter is not fast, especially if you;'re not baking daily from a warm active starter. Patience, and letting the dough rise in its own time, is key.

Good information here, I always learn something new. Gardengal, I hope you don't mind me sharing your recipe:

Sourdough waffles:

Refresh the starter the night before by adding 2 1/2 cups AP flour
and 2 cups lukewarm water. Mix together well and leave overnight in a
warm place (I put mine in the microwave, covered with a tea towel, and
close the door). Be sure not to use any metal mixing bowls or utensils!

The next morning, remove 1 cup of the refreshed starter and replace
in crock for future use. With the remaining sourdough, add 3Tbsp sugar,
4Tbsp salad/vegetable oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 beaten egg
and 1/4 cup milk. Blend well but do not over mix.

Pour 1 cup of batter into center of heated iron and cook according to
iron instructions. This makes at least 3 sheets of 4, 4" square waffles
for me.

I use melted butter instead of oil. Any leftovers freeze well and toast up easily. This recipe is the reason I never throw out any discard amounts. The waffles rise based on the baking soda reaction, not the sourdough's yeast activity. Highly recommended!

Not at all!! These are a family favorite and I have never met anyone who didn't like them. The only waffles I eat! And yes, I make an entire batch for just me these days, eat my fill and freeze the rest. They make Eggos taste like sawdust :-)

The GF side of the family is jealous. But gluten free sourdough escapes my culinary imagination. Is it even possible??

"Hey Google"

"Remind me every Sunday Morning to feed my sourdough starter"

Hehehe

Dawn, DH retired and my kitchen became our kitchen and it has been a.....how do I put this tactfully? Lets say learning curve. I am using the soft approach. I just don't cook. I am a very good cook.