How to store sourdough discard and starter » the practical kitchen (2024)

I was recently gifted my very first sourdough starter. I read your post on how to feed and discard starter, and I'm looking at buying a nice container for my sourdough starter to live in. But I don't want to waste my sourdough discard. What kind of container should I be using to store sourdough discard?

Signed,
New starter, how dis-card?

This is a great question! As with all things sourdough, there is no one "right" way to store sourdough starter and discard. There are a lot of different methods for feeding and storing sourdough starter. The kind of container you use for storing your sourdough starter (and discard) in will depend on how often you use it, how much you feed it, where you store it, and how much you like to keep on hand.

I am an extremely casual sourdough baker. I use my starter maybe once a month to make bread. I mostly use unfed sourdough starter (aka "discard" starter) in recipes to add that nice tangy sourdough flavor. Whenever I feed my starter, I don't throw out the discard. I store the discard in the fridge until I have enough to bake with. When baking with unfed/discard starter, I don't need to worry about the starter being at its "peak." I can use it right out of the container without feeding it. Even if it's been in the fridge.

So, before I answer your question, here's what I'll be going over in this post:

Jump to:
  • Sourdough Starter vs. Sourdough Discard
  • How to Store Sourdough Starter
  • How to Store Sourdough Discard
  • Sourdough Discard is Best Stored in the Fridge
  • Sourdough Starter and Discard Storage FAQ
  • 💬 Comments

Sourdough Starter vs. Sourdough Discard

Sourdough starter and sourdough discard are the same thing. The discard is just the sourdough starter you're not currently feeding or baking with. It's called discard because it often gets "discarded" during feeding. If you don't "discard" some starter during feeding your starter will just grow and grow and grow until you're staring in a remake of The Blob.

BUT! You can also use that discard for baking. Some people will use it right away, in which case it'll still be pretty active. Other people prefer to store their sourdough discard until they have enough to bake with.

No matter what, it's still technically sourdough starter; At any point you can take a portion of the discard out, feed it in a new clean container, and have nice bubbly sourdough starter for making bread.

But if you want to keep your active starter for bread making and your sourdough discard separate, or you just feel wasteful discarding discard, you can hang on to it and use it in a discard recipe.

How to store sourdough discard and starter » the practical kitchen (1)

How to Store Sourdough Starter

Sourdough starter is wild yeast and bacterial culture made from flour and water, which means it's pretty much always in the process of fermenting . As the flour starches break down and become sugars, the wild yeast eats the sugars and produces gas and alcohol (aka "hooch").

When mixed with additional flour and water and kneaded to develop gluten, this gas helps your bread dough rise. But on its own, that gas needs somewhere to go. That's why it's always important to feed your sourdough starter in a container with a good lid that will keep bugs out, but that will still let air escape.

A good container for sourdough starter:

  • Is made from a non-porous material (like glazed ceramic or glass) so that bacteria doesn't get trapped in the walls
  • Has a loose fitting or permeable lid that lets gas out but won't let bugs in
  • Is easy to clean and a spatula can easily reach into all the corners so bacteria and soap residue and stuff don't get trapped and grow mold

I do NOT recommend storing your sourdough starter or discard in a jar with an airtight lid that clamps closed unless you're using your starter more than once a week. Those need to be "burped" (opened) regularly to let gas out.

Sourdough starter can be stored at room temperature or in the fridge. If you're feeding and making bread with your starter regularly (once a week or so) you can leave it out at room temperature. If you're going away for a bit or if you don't use it that often (once a month or less), store it in the fridge. You'll just need to take it out a few days before you plan to use it and feed it a few times to wake it up again.

Just like bread rises faster in warm temps and slower in cold ones, sourdough starter is the same. Decide if your starter should live at room temp or in the fridge based on how quickly it feeds, how often you need to use it, and the temperature in your kitchen!

How to Store Sourdough Discard

Remember how I said sourdough starter and sourdough discard are the same thing? YEP. The best way to store sourdough is discard exactly the same way you store sourdough starter: in a non-porous, easy to clean container with a loose-fitting lid that will let gas escape but won't let bugs in.

Some good options are:

Sourdough discard is basically just any starter you're left with after baking or feeding your starter. Fresh sourdough discard will be very bubbly and active. But, if you're storing your discard for later use, it will not not be very active, it might have some hooch floating on top, etc.

How to store sourdough discard and starter » the practical kitchen (2)

When you feed your sourdough starter to get it ready to use in another recipe, you can feed the remaining discard so it becomes your new, active starter. Or, you can choose to collect and store the discard for baking (a small amount of discard is perfect for making sourdough discard scallion pancakes or soft sourdough beer pretzels). If you want to store the discard for later, instead of discarding it, I recommend just stirring it back to your main sourdough container.

You should be feeding your starter for baking in a new, clean container, so your main sourdough container really is your sourdough discard container! See? I told you they were the same thing.

If you're still confused, let me explain what I usually do: I take the starter I'm feeding out of my main sourdough container (meaning what's left in the container is technically my "discard") and feed it in a clean bowl or small jar.

Since I usually need to feed my sourdough starter a few times in a row to build up its strength, I keep feeding it in a clean container at room temperature, and add any discard from each feeding back to my main sourdough crock, which I keep in the fridge.

You can read more about this method in my post "how to maintain a small sourdough starter."

Depending on what method you use for feeding, you might have a lot of discard or a little discard from each feeding. If you follow the Tartine bread method for using and feeding your starter, you'll have very little — if any — sourdough discard. If you follow King Arthur Baking's sourdough instructions, you'll end up with a lot of discard, so it's definitely worth not letting that go to waste!

Sourdough Discard is Best Stored in the Fridge

Because sourdough discard is not as active as the starter you're feeding to use for bread making, and because you don't need it to be super bubbly and active, it's safest to keep it somewhere dark and cool where you don't have to worry about temperature fluctuations.

The cold temperature of the fridge also slows yeast activity so that the discard doesn't produce quite as much gas. But you'll still want a lid that lets air escape so those gasses don't build up over time!

How to store sourdough discard and starter » the practical kitchen (3)

Note: The flavor of your starter will change slightly depending on what temperature it's stored at. If it lives primarily in the fridge, it will develop bacteria that thrive in cold temps and vice versa for a starter kept primarily at room temperature.

Sourdough Starter and Discard Storage FAQ

What's the best sourdough container for storing sourdough starter and discard?

IMO, there is no "best." The most important thing to look for in a sourdough container is that the lid is not airtight and allows the gas produced by the starter as it feeds to escape. Other than that, it really is up to you. If you want some specific recommendations, I have a list of my favorite sourdough containers here.

What happens if I store my sourdough starter in a jar with an airtight lid?

Sourdough starter produces gas as it ferments. If you store it in a jar with an airtight lid and aren't opening the jar regularly to let that gas out, pressure will build up inside the jar or container and can cause it to crack or explode. Yikes!

What kind of container should I feed my sourdough starter in?

You can use any bowl, jar, or container as long as its clean. Something with clear, straight sides is helpful so you can easily see when your starter has doubled in size is ideal. These glass sourdough starter jars from Challenger Breadware are designed specifically for feeding starter — with plenty of line markers on the side to to make it easy for you to track the rise and fall of your starter.

Do I need to feed my sourdough starter in a separate container? Can't I just feed it in the container I keep it in?

Depending on what feeding method you use, you don't need a separate container, but I find it makes it a LOT easier. It's also more sanitary, less likely to result in mold growth, and gives you more control over the feeding process.

I left my sourdough discard out at room temperature for a few days. Is it okay?

As long as your kitchen isn't too warm (I'd say 78°F or higher) your starter/discard will be fine stored at room temperature for at least a few days without feeding. The flavor will get more acidic the longer it sits.

Too long at room temperature without feeding and you risk your sourdough discard starting to grow mold (usually fuzzy) or bad bacteria (red, orange or pink streaks). If that happens, you need to throw it out. (King Arthur Baking has some good sourdough troubleshooting visuals here.)

How long can you keep sourdough discard?

I've kept mine in the fridge for up to 3-4 weeks without feeding and used it in sourdough discard recipes and it was just fine. As long as it's not growing mold or bad bacteria, it's safe to use. It won't give you any rise, but it will add flavor!

Remember: Sourdough starter and sourdough discard are pretty resilient! As long as your sourdough discard isn't growing mold or bad bacteria, you can take a small portion out and feed it several days in a row to get it back to being a bubbly, strong, active sourdough starter.

Have a question about storing sourdough discard? Leave a comment below!

For more of my product roundups, reviews, and gift guides click here. For a master list of my favorite kitchen tools click here.

Cooking TipsSourdough

How to store sourdough discard and starter » the practical kitchen (2024)

FAQs

How do I store my sourdough starter discard? ›

Store it for future baking: You can store sourdough discard in an airtight container in the refrigerator for future baking with sourdough discard recipes. When you're ready to use it, let the discard come to room temperature before using it to bake. I will keep sourdough discard in the fridge for about one week.

How long does sourdough discard stay good in the fridge? ›

Sourdough discard only lasts a day or two at room temperature. As such, it is best to keep your discard in the fridge, where it will last for up to one week. Of course, you can only rely on it lasting that long if you store it correctly.

Should sourdough starter go in the fridge or counter? ›

Storing Your Sourdough Starter In The Refrigerator

This reduction in hydration helps the starter hold up extremely well in the fridge.

Do you have to use sourdough discard right away? ›

You can store sourdough discard in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It's fine to leave it on the counter for up 24 hours, however if you aren't planning to use it straight away it's always better to store it in the fridge. You can continue to add sourdough starter from different days to the same jar.

What container do you store sourdough starter in? ›

I've found glass canning-style jars to work very well for sourdough. A glass jar doesn't absorb smells or flavors like other containers do, glass allows unhindered viewing of your starter, and it stores easily, offering a variety of shapes, sizes, lids and covers.

Should sourdough starter be airtight? ›

You'll want to cover your sourdough starter, but only to stop things from falling into it and to keep it from forming a skin on top and drying out. Otherwise, remember that your starter is alive and needs to breathe a little bit. A lid is fine, so long as it's not completely air-tight.

Can you store sourdough discards in Tupperware? ›

Sourdough discard should be stored in the refrigerator. Every time I discard some of my starter, I'll add it to a sourdough crock I have sitting in my fridge. I like the look of the crock, but you can use any Tupperware with a lid to store discard.

What happens if I forgot to discard the starter before feeding? ›

If you don't get rid of the excess, eventually you'll have more starter than your feedings can sustain. After a few days, your daily 1/4 cup flour and water won't be enough to sustain your entire jar of starter, and your starter will be slow and sluggish, not much better than discard itself.

How long can sourdough starter be unrefrigerated? ›

Mature sourdough starter aged more than 6 months old should be able to survive unfed on the counter for around 3-4 days without any risk of mold. The caveat here is if the temperature is very hot, this timeframe would be reduced. A mature sourdough starter will survive unfed in the fridge for months.

How to tell if sourdough starter is bad? ›

Typical signs of food spoilage and mold include pink, orange, or green colors, white fuzzy spots, or sometimes areas that are darker with white areas on top. If you see any of these signs, I would recommend throwing your starter away and creating a new one.

What size jar is best for sourdough starter? ›

What Size Jar is Best For a Sourdough Starter? No single-sized jar is best for every baker because it depends on how much sourdough starter they regularly need for baking. However, for most people, a 3/4 liter (28.7 fluid ounces) jar is perfect as it can store both a small sourdough starter or a large one.

How do you store sourdough starter between uses? ›

Store your starter in the fridge with a fitted lid on in between uses. Your starter stays happily dormant in the fridge, you will see just how magic it is when you take it out of the fridge and it looks sludgy and dull, and then it comes up to room temperature and you feed it and it bounces back.

How should I store sourdough discard? ›

Sourdough Discard is Best Stored in the Fridge

Because sourdough discard is not as active as the starter you're feeding to use for bread making, and because you don't need it to be super bubbly and active, it's safest to keep it somewhere dark and cool where you don't have to worry about temperature fluctuations.

Can you keep adding to sourdough discard in the fridge? ›

It may develop a grayish liquid on top called “hooch” which can be poured off before use or stirred in. If you stir it in, the flavor will become more sour. You can continue to add more discard to the jar just pour it in and give it a stir before placing it back in the fridge covered.

Can I leave sourdough discard out overnight? ›

Room temperature sourdough discard should be used, refrigerated, or thrown away after 36-48 hours. Sourdough discard can be kept in the fridge for weeks, BUT it continues to get sourer as time passes.

What to do with a lot of sourdough discard? ›

What to do with sourdough discard? Don't throw it away! Instead, use it to make delicious and nutritious treats like pancakes, waffles, muffins, and bread. Sourdough discard is a great source of natural yeast and flavor, and can add a unique tangy taste to your baked goods.

What to do with sourdough starter after taking it out of the fridge? ›

Take your starter from the fridge and let it come up to room temperature. Feed it with 30g of strong white flour + 30g of water, stir it well, and allow it to become fully active and ready to use, this can take 2-6 hours depending on the room temperature.

How long can you keep sourdough starter in the fridge without feeding? ›

A starter stored in the fridge can be fed once a week. If you plan to use it often, you can store it for up to two months without feeding. When you want to use the starter again, remove it from the fridge for a few hours, then feed it every 12 hours for 36 hours before you make bread with it.

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