That week my sourdough starter went totally wild and overflowed 3 times

I left it out on the counter during a heatwave in July and it literally pushed the lid off the jar and spilled all over my kitchen at 2am. Has anyone else had a starter get that active and what do you do to calm it down?

3 comments

3 Comments

paul28629d ago

Honestly, is it really that big of a deal? Sourdough gets active, it spills, you clean it up. Tbh, just stick it in the fridge next time and it'll calm right down. Ngl, sounds like you're making it more dramatic than it is.

averymartin29d ago

You know the other thing nobody talks about with sourdough explosions? The temperature of your kitchen matters way more than people give it credit for. I had a batch go nuts last summer during a heatwave, like literally pushing the lid off my jar overnight, and it was because my counter was sitting at like 78 degrees. Fridge is a bandaid fix but if you're keeping it on the counter, you gotta watch for those warm spots near the stove or where the sun hits. Also check your flour type, some whole wheat blends ferment way faster than all-purpose and can catch you off guard. It's not dramatic, it's just physics you know.

webb.ben29d ago

Right, because nothing says "fun hobby" like being woken up at 2am by what sounds like a small animal trying to escape a mason jar. Been there, cleaned that sticky mess off the ceiling. My kitchen looked like a flour-based crime scene. The fridge works, but I've found that a smaller jar and a tighter disciprine about feeding it less often during a heatwave is the real move. Otherwise you're just signing up for late night bio-hazard containment drills.