Leaving a sourdough starter alone for two weeks
Before our summer holiday I worried more about the starter than about the plants. Nobody wanted to babysit a jar of flour paste, so it had to survive on its own.
What I did before leaving
- Fed it a stiffer mix than usual, with less water, so it would ferment more slowly.
- Let it sit at room temperature for an hour, then put it at the back of the fridge.
- Kept a spoonful dried on baking paper as a backup, crumbled into a small jar.
What I found when I came back
A layer of grey liquid on top and a smell somewhere between vinegar and nail polish. That looks alarming but is normal for a hungry starter. I poured off the liquid, kept a small spoonful from underneath and threw the rest away.
Bringing it back
Two feeds a day at room temperature. The first day nothing much happened. By the third day it was doubling again and smelled like bread instead of a chemistry lab. The first loaf afterwards was a little flat; the second was back to normal.
The dried backup was never needed, but I keep a jar anyway. It costs nothing.