My Sourdough Starter Cache: How I Keep Discard for Weeks | The Perfect Loaf (2024)

One sleepy morning many years ago I sauntered into the kitchen, opened the fridge, and after a blast of wake-the-heck-up cold air, I saw a jar of sourdough starter I put in the day before. Due to life circumstances, I couldn’t bake with it, and in an attempt to always avoid waste, I put it in the fridge. Well, at that moment, it dawned on me that keeping a jar of discard in the fridge at all times might actually be a good idea—a sourdough starter cache to draw from when I needed it.

Mind you, I’m not a fan of using sourdough starter straight from the fridge. It’s far too cold, making it a hostile environment for the bacteria and yeasts inhabiting a culture. Over the years, I’ve tried keeping my starter in the fridge and using it for baking an easy, standard sourdough loaf that day, but the resulting bread didn’t compare to a well-fed and maintained starter with all its room temperature-vigor.

But for those days when you’re not baking long-fermented bread or pastry, sourdough starter discard from the fridge cache is perfect. You get all the flavor created through long fermentation, the convenience of having it ready in the fridge, and you avoid wasting sourdough starter to boot. Such a starter-stockpile will stay the most fresh for about two weeks, and it’s the perfect place to draw from for sourdough starter discard cookies, scones, or pie crust.

Real quick, why is a sourdough starter discard cache useful?

  1. It’s a quick place to turn for starter discard, always at the ready
  2. It helps avoid waste by saving starter that would normally be thrown away
  3. Discard has lots of flavor, might as well put it to good use
  4. It’s easy!

What is a Sourdough Starter Discard Cache?

I call this a “sourdough starter cache” as a tongue-in-cheek reference to my software engineering days. In computer science, a cache stores data that can later be quickly accessed from the fast cache instead of slower hardware memory. I see a sourdough starter cache as exactly that: Keep a jar of accumulated discard in the fridge and pull from it when you need quick access to a flavor boost in whatever you’re baking.

But also, the cache serves as a means for reducing waste. Sourdough starter discard that might have otherwise gone into the compost or trash goes into the cache, instead.

How Soon After Creating My Starter Can I Make a Discard Cache?

If you’ve just created your sourdough starter, wait until it’s reliably rising and falling each day with signs of fermentation—some rise, bubbles, a progressive sour aroma—before storing discard in your cache. Consistent signs of fermentation each day signal that your starter has a stable mix of good bacteria and yeasts.

How to Keep Sourdough Starter Discard in the Fridge

Starting with a clean jar, put a piece of tape on the side and write the date two weeks into the future (officially the “expiration date”; see explanation below). Then, every day you feed your starter, instead of putting the discard in the compost, add it to the jar, place the lid on top, and put it back into the fridge. Weigh out some discard from this jar whenever you need to use some in a sourdough starter discard recipe and put the covered jar back into the fridge.

How Long Can I Keep Sourdough Starter Discard?

Generally, I keep my sourdough discard cache for up to 2 weeks. Theoretically, you could keep it for far longer, even up to a month, but I’ve found that after this time, the mixture starts to separate, get overly acidic, and the jar sometimes gets a little funky overall.

After 2 weeks, try to use all the discard in the jar. If any is left, scrape it into your compost bin, clean the jar, and prepare it again for a new cycle.

Can I Use Sourdough Starter Discard to Make Bread?

I don’t recommend using starter discard from the fridge to make sourdough bread. Why? The discard could be sitting in the fridge for several days, up to 2 weeks, which is far too long without feeding in an environment that’s too cold. The mixture is likely overly acidic and won’t be properly balanced—in terms of bacteria and yeast populations—for leavening dough.

My Sourdough Starter Cache: How I Keep Discard for Weeks | The Perfect Loaf (3)

My Favorite Container to Hold Sourdough Starter Discard

Just like with my sourdough starter, my favorite container to keep starter discard in the fridge is a 3/4 liter glass Weck jar. I like that these jars are glass (acidic stuff in plastic is a turn-off for me) and very strong. Plus, I use them for just about anything in my kitchen anyway.

See more about why I love Weck jars and why they’re perfect for your starter and discard →

See How I Feed My Sourdough Starter

In the video below, you’ll see how I feed my sourdough starter and how the discard can be collected and saved in your starter cache.

Use Your Starter Cache: Sourdough Starter Discard Recipes

The following recipes are the perfect place to pull from your sourdough starter discard cache and use it straightaway.

Sourdough Starter Discard Scones

Sourdough Starter Discard Sugar Cookies

Whole Grain Peach, Blueberry, and Lavender Sourdough Galette

My Best Sourdough Pancakes

Sourdough Starter Discard Cake: Ciambella

Sourdough Tortillas

Sourdough Starter Discard Cache FAQs

Can I keep sourdough starter discard in the fridge?

Yes! Using a sourdough starter cache, as I like to call it, is a way to store starter discard through the week or two and use it in recipes when convenient.

Can I keep my sourdough starter discard at room temperature?

The longer the sourdough starter discard sits at room temperature, the more acidic it becomes until the mixture becomes inhospitable for microbes to function. At warm room temperature, this happens quickly compared to the cooler temperatures inside the refrigerator. I would say after 3 to 4 days, it would become overly acidic, begin to separate, and have a pungent nail polish-like aroma. Too much of a good thing.

What if I think I see mold on my starter discard cache?

If you see white fuzzy, pink, or green in your starter discard cache, you’ve kept it too long (be sure to write an expiration date on the jar!). I would throw out the entire cache and create a new one. Thankfully, this isn’t your main sourdough starter and simply just a collection of discard—no harm done.

What’s Next?

See our guide to sourdough starters to learn everything you need to know about creating, maintaining, and using your sourdough starter in your baking.

My Sourdough Starter Cache: How I Keep Discard for Weeks | The Perfect Loaf (2024)

FAQs

How long can you save sourdough starter discard? ›

You can store mature sourdough discard in the refrigerator indefinitely. As long as there is no mold, it is good to use. 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.

How do you store sourdough starter for 2 weeks? ›

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.

How do you keep sourdough discarded? ›

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.

Can you use 2 week old sourdough discard? ›

Can I Use Old Sourdough Discard? You can use old sourdough discard if it's been stored in the fridge, however, you really want to use it up within a week - 2 weeks max. It's better to use "fresh" discard in a sweet sourdough discard recipe.

Can I use month old sourdough discard? ›

I prefer to use my discard within 7 days of keeping it in the fridge, otherwise, you risk too much sour flavor! To use sourdough discard that's been stored in the fridge, place it on the counter to warm up for 2-3 hours before using.

Can sourdough starter go bad from sitting? ›

It will thrive until it runs out of food (flour and water) to eat. Then it will die. As long as you keep it fed, it will be fine. In fact, it is recommended that you keep it out of the fridge and feed it for three days before making bread.

Can you leave sourdough starter for a week? ›

The sourdough starters are quite resilient, and can be left unfed, but in the fridge, for quite a long time. The longest I've left mine was for 8wks. Lid loose. A dark watery layer, called 'hooch' (see this video) will appear on its surface, but that's absolutely normal – it doesn't mean your starter has died.

Where is the best place to leave sourdough starter? ›

If you are not planning to use it for a few days, then it should be stored in the fridge where it can be fed every 7 days or so. Store your starter on the counter, loosely covered, for more frequent baking.

Do you have to discard sourdough starter every time you feed it? ›

It would be best if you discarded some portion of your starter each time you feed it unless you want to continue to let it grow. Eventually, you need to discard the used “food” (flour and water) that's been used to sustain your starter during the last fermentation period.

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

If you didn't discard a portion of your starter each time you feed it, two things would happen: Your starter would grow to an enormous, unmanageable size. Your starter would likely become more and more inhospitable to the bacteria and yeast we want as the mixture would become ever more acidic.

Should I close the lid on my sourdough starter? ›

These questions are super common when you're making a sourdough starter from scratch - or even reactivating a starter you've purchased. Ideally, your sourdough starter should be loosely covered with a lid or paper towel to keep out bugs (like fruit flies) and other debris.

When should you throw out a sourdough discard? ›

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.

Can I feed my sourdough without discarding? ›

If your recipe calls for more than 227g (about 1 cup) of starter, feed it without discarding until you've reached the amount you need (plus 113g to keep and feed again).

Can you save discarded sourdough starter? ›

If you need your starter to take a nap or be babysat, just stick it in the fridge! I have kept my inactive starter or “discard” in the fridge for six months and brought her back to life in three feedings. Make sure you store it in a locking lid jar, that is essential!

Can you use day 1 sourdough discard? ›

Remember, you can't use the discard from your homemade sourdough starter for the first 7 days. You can use sourdough discard in all kinds of sourdough discard recipes, including these no wait sourdough recipes, overnight sourdough discard recipes and sourdough discard recipes that use up a lot of discard.

How do I know if my 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 happens if I leave my sourdough starter too long? ›

Flour and water are food for your sourdough starter. Sourdough starter goes flat when it's been left too long for that temperature and it runs out of food.

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