Finally got my sourdough starter to double in size after a cold week

I've been trying to keep a starter alive for about three years now, with a lot of failed attempts. Last week, my kitchen was especially cold and I almost gave up on the jar in my fridge. I fed it with 50 grams of rye flour and warm water, left it on top of the oven while I baked something else, and checked it six hours later. It had actually doubled for the first time ever. The loaf I made with it yesterday had the best air pockets I've seen. Has anyone else found that a little extra warmth was the key thing they were missing?

3 comments

3 Comments

kai_brown232mo ago

That's awesome, congrats on the good loaf. Honestly, warmth is a total game changer. My place is drafty too, and I had the same problem for months. I ended up putting my starter on a cheap heating pad set on low, like the kind for sore muscles, and it went crazy. It's kind of wild how a few degrees can make or break the whole thing.

logan6322mo ago

Three years of trying and it was just the oven warmth that did it, that's incredible. I would have lost my mind long before that. Using a heating pad like kai_brown23 mentioned is genius, I never would have thought of that. It makes total sense though, my kitchen counter is like an ice box half the year. I'm going to try the warm spot trick next time I bake, because my starter is so sluggish. This gives me a lot of hope.

the_thomas2mo ago

Remember reading a blog post where someone said their starter only worked near their water heater, lol. That extra warmth really is the secret. Like @kai_brown23 said, a few degrees changes everything. My own starter was dead until I stuck it in the microwave with the light on. Went from a sad pancake batter to bubbling over the jar in like a day. It's crazy how something so simple can be the missing piece after years of trying.