Pro tip: it took me 11 days to figure out my sourdough starter was too warm, not dead

Margaret Flores · 2026-09-30T21:00:03.726588+00:00

So back in January I killed my starter. Or I thought I did. It had been my baby for almost 2 years, fed it twice a day like clockwork out of a jar my mom gave me from her kitchen in Amarillo. After about a week it went flat, no bubbles, smelled like old socks, and I panicked. I dumped half of it, bought new flour, started feeding it every 12 hours instead of 24, moved it to three different spots in my kitchen, and nothing worked. I was about ready to pitch the whole thing and start over when my neighbor Doris, who has been baking since the 70s, poked her head over the fence and asked why I had my jar sitting on top of the fridge. Turns out my kitchen counter right by the oven was running about 82 degrees and cooking the poor thing every time I preheated. I moved it to the back bedroom where it stays around 68, fed it once a day like normal, and it bubbled up in 36 hours. Eleven days of stress over a temperature problem. If your starter goes quiet, check the thermometer before you check the flour. Where do you all keep yours through the winter?

📢Hub Chatter

Loading…

Pro tip: it took me 11 days to figure out my sourdough starter was too warm, not dead | Bakers - Hub Chatter