Instructions: After you put a live starter in the fridge it will separate into two components. The gray looking liquid on top is the alcohol which was formed in the fermentation process. It was called "hooch" by the miners in Alaska and the Yukon and some miners were known to drink the stuff after their supply of whiskey ran out and they had nothing else alcoholic to drink. The white stuff on the bottom is the residue of the flour after the protein has been fermented out.

All you have to do is stir your starter up real good and combine a small portion of of it with flour and water. Allow it to ferment at about 85 degrees until it is all bubbly and sour smelling and your starter is ready to bake with again.

The method I use is as follows:
Stir the old starter up real good and place one tablespoon of it in a small bowl along with 1/2 cup of 85 degree water and 1/2 cup of flour. Beat vigorously to incorporate lots of air. After about 7 or 8 hours it should be bubbling real good so double it. In other words, add 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of flour beating again as before. After about 7 or 8 hours it should be bubbling again so once more double it by adding 1 cup of water and 1 cup of flour. Just keep on doubling your starter until you have enough to bake with.

I usually start preparing the starter a day ahead of my baking day so the last fermenting will take place over night and I can bake first thing in the morning using the 2 cups of starter that were produced. I then take one tablespoon of starter from the new batch and place it in a small jar along with 1/2 cup of 85 degree water and 1/2 cup of flour. Beat it well and allow that to ferment for 8 hours then chuck the jar of new starter in the fridge. After a few days it will separate as you have already discovered but it is still good. An alternate to this last step could be to just make a little more starter than you actually need for your baking, measure out the amount you need in your recipe and save the rest for your next project.

By the way, I never keep the old starter after using it to create a new batch for baking. I just keep producing new starter. I know this method sounds a little involved and time consuming, but it guarantees you the freshest and most vigorous starter possible every time you bake and thats really crucial to successful sourdough baking.

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.