Anyone who uses sourdough starter knows it: it's not just an ingredient, but something living, which must be cared for and nurtured over time. In fact, once created, it's not enough to just leave it there in the fridge, but it needs a so-called refreshment, which helps yeast and bacteria thrive and gives bread, pizza, or any leavened product you want to make an incredible aroma and flavor. Refreshing sourdough starter is very simple: below we've provided a short guide that will help you with both solid and liquid sourdough starter (known as licoli).
What is a Refreshment and What Is It For?
Before delving into the various rules and proportions to follow, let's briefly explain what refreshment is for and why it's so important. To understand this, it's necessary, once again, to understand what sourdough is: it's a mixture of water and flour, left to mature and ferment spontaneously. During the rest period, the dough is "attacked"—or, better yet, colonized—by microorganisms contained both in the raw material and in the surrounding environment, giving rise to a fermentation process in which yeasts and bacteria contribute both to leavening and to the development of particular aromas and fragrances. Refreshment serves precisely to nourish and keep these microorganisms alive and to encourage the growth of new ones that can replace those that have become weakened or less active.
Depending on the type of yeast used, the refreshment process also varies slightly: sourdough starter can be either solid or liquid, and as the name suggests, the former has a lower percentage of water than the latter, which is instead composed of equal parts water and flour and must therefore maintain this proportion.
How to Refresh a Solid Sourdough Starter
Let's start with the solid sourdough starter, the most common but also the one that requires the most care: this type of sourdough starter, if stored in the refrigerator, generally needs to be refreshed a couple of times a week following a very simple procedure. First, remove the top part, the so-called excess, which is usually dry, and remove the core; then add the same amount of flour and about 45-50% water: the ratio will be 1:1:0.5, so 1 part yeast, 1 part flour and a half water. In practice, if you have 100 grams of yeast, add 100 grams of flour and 45-50 grams of water: for the latter, adjust the amount based on the consistency of the dough, keeping in mind that it should be smooth, compact, and homogeneous. Once you have achieved the desired consistency, shape it into a ball, place it in its container, make a cut on the surface, and close the container. At this point, leave it at room temperature, to allow the leavening to activate, for 3 to 5 hours, then place it in the fridge.
How to Refresh a Liquid Sourdough Starter
As for the licoli, the procedure isn't much different: what changes are mainly the proportions. In this case, in fact, the ratio is 1:1:1, so the same amount of yeast, flour, and water. So, weigh the amount of licoli you have available and, for example, if you have 100 grams, add 100 grams of flour and 100 grams of water. At this point, mix until you obtain a more liquid and sticky consistency than that of solid yeast, then place it in the container, leave it at room temperature for a while, and finally store in the refrigerator.
Compared to solid sourdough, however, licoli can be refreshed even after several days: in fact, thanks to its greater hydration, it ferments more quickly and remains stable for longer. For this reason, it can be refreshed every 5-7 days, even up to 10.
What to Watch Out For
At this point, it's important to open a small parenthesis on the two ingredients that make up sourdough starter: water and flour. Although they are among the most common and simple elements on the face of the planet, there are some details to pay particular attention to. As for the water, it's best not to have it excessively hot, because it could damage the yeast and bacteria present. Conversely, if it's too cold, it could slow down the fermentation process. For this reason, the ideal temperature is between 71/22 and 78°F/26°C.
As for flour, however, there isn't just one type to use: it depends a lot on the result you want to achieve. Several studies have shown that, depending on the type of flour, the lactic acid bacteria within the yeast can also change , giving the final product different flavor profiles. In any case, it's advisable to always use the same type of flour: if you decide to use, for example, type 0 flour, it's best to stick with the same type (and possibly the same brand) even for refreshments, so as to obtain a more stable result.
Bonus Tip: Give It a Bath
We've figured out how and when to refresh sourdough starter, which, as we know, produces lactic and acetic notes due to fermentation. However, it can happen that our starter is too acidic or has lost some of its strength: well, in this case, all is not lost. There is, in fact, a very simple way to get your sourdough starter beautiful, active, and strengthened again: we're talking about soaking, a sort of washing that serves precisely to rebalance the microflora, reduce residual acidity, and make the yeast more stable. The procedure is very simple: just place the starter in a container with a liter of water, at about 68-71°F/20-22°C, and a teaspoon of sugar. Let the dough soak for 15-20 minutes, then squeeze it well and proceed with the refreshment as usual.
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