Sourdough in the Winter—Tips and Tricks
Why Does A Sourdough Starter Need to stay warm?
Sourdough starter requires a warm temperature to ensure that the wild yeast stay active and the fermentation process occurs. Sourdough yeast will hibernate and become inactive if the ambient temperature is too cold. This means your sourdough starter will not rise and double and thus your sourdough loaves will also be flat and dense.
A sourdough starter requires a warm ambient temperature rather than direct heat. Direct heat will cause your sourdough starter to cook and eventually kill the sourdough starter.
It doesn't matter whether you're using all purpose flour, bread flour or even rice flour to make your sourdough starter, the temperature is of utmost importance. Using different flours can also help to strengthen your sourdough starter, but as a general rule, the right temperature has more of an effect than the type of flour.
What Is The Ideal Temperature For Sourdough Starter
For the healthiest sourdough starter, you want to keep it in an ambient temperature between 75F to 82F which we know can be difficult in a Midwest winter.
Temperatures outside of this range won't necessarily kill your sourdough starter, but they can result in a sourdough starter that is under or over active.
Remember, the health and activity of your sourdough starter directly affects the quality of the bread you bake from it.
How To Measure Temperature Of Sourdough Starter
If you are having issues with your sourdough starter, or just because you're curious, it can be a beneficial exercise to measure the internal temp of your sourdough starter.
There are several ways to do this including:
using stick on thermometer strips on the side of your jar.
using a thermometer to measure internal temperature.
using a jar with a built in thermometer
My top 7 Ways To Keep Your Starter Warm and happy
Now we know that keeping our sourdough starter warm is so important, it's time to understand how we can do this regularly.
In the summer time, your starter might be happy just sitting on the kitchen counter. But in the winter, it might just need some extra help.
1) Oven with light on
Keeping your sourdough starter in the oven can be a risk because it's an easy way to cook it if you (or someone else) turns the oven on without realizing your starter is in there. I recommend putting a post it or something over your oven buttons, to signal there’s something inside. Keeping your sourdough starter in the oven with just the light on can create a warm, stable environment for your starter to thrive.
This trick is perhaps better with older ovens that have a light bulb, just click it on and it provides a low heat that can help kick start your starter. Or you can always add a mug of boiling water to a lower shelf. That will help too!
2) Warm Water
If your sourdough starter needs some extra warmth, simply feeding it with warm water and sitting it in some warm water can help to increase its overall temperature.
Feeding your starter with warm water is enough to give the wild yeast and good bacteria in your starter jar a helping hand.
3) Heating Pad
These heating pads have been created to keep dough and sourdough starters warm. They are often labeled as suitable for kombucha and home brew, but they are also suitable for keeping a sourdough starter warm.
4) Up High
Hot air rises, which means that generally temperature will be warmer towards the ceiling of your home. Keeping your sourdough starter up higher can help to keep it warm. Think of places like the top of the fridge, above the tv, a shelf with a little space. They are all great, warm spots to keep your sourdough starter happy.
5) Microwave
Using your microwave to keep your sourdough starter warm is really easy. Most of the time, you can just pop your sourdough starter jar in the microwave and then leave the door ajar to keep the light on. This should generate enough warmth to maintain an active sourdough starter. However, if your sourdough starter doesn't rise in the microwave, adding a mug of hot water is also a good idea.
6) Next To The Kettle or Stove
If you boil your kettle regularly, keeping your sourdough starter next to the kettle can generate enough warmth to keep it happy.
7) Crock Pot
If you are really struggling to find a warm spot for your sourdough starter, placing the jar inside your slow cooker can work well. Instead of turning it on, I recommend placing a mug of boiling water in the pot along with your jar and placing the lid on. Don’t actually turn it on, just let the mug of boiling water do the trick.
I hope these tips help get your starter active and flourishing this winter!
-CB