Baking with a Sourdough Starter

If you’re refreshing your starter in order to bake make sure you reserve a small amount, even just 20–25g (¾–1 oz), so that you can refresh it for future bakes. The quantity of starter specified in the recipes in the book is often more than is needed. This is because some volume is lost during fermentation and some will stick to the jar, the spoon and your hands – it’s always better to have slightly more than you need. A little extra also allows you to retain a small portion to maintain and keep alive for another bake. Take care not to use it all in the dough and you can develop a system for the longevity of your starter. I usually have some in the fridge and some on the work surface so that if one were to be lost, the other remains.