Without consistent feeding, sourdough starters get tired pretty quickly. We were surprised at how disappointing a sourdough bread made with even a 3-day-old starter (which we refer to as levain) turned out. There was uneven leavening, and while the loaf looked fine on the outside, the inside revealed a tight crumb with a handful of giant air pockets. These aren’t the desirable airy, voluminous holes typical of a ciabatta. Far from it. That’s why we recommend consistent daily feedings to get the most out of your levain.
However, we also understand how this is not always possible, which is why short-term levain storage is still necessary.
Short-Term Levain Storage (without Feeding)
Life happens, and being chained to a levain is no way to live. This 2- to 3-day storage method is a short-term solution that will preserve the levain for more than a day and not hinder its leavening power. You may choose to do this if, for example, you’re going away for a long weekend trip, or you own a bakery that’s closed on Monday and Tuesday each week. There are many reasons to step away from a levain for a couple of days. Use the following options to keep your levain alive: add more salt to slow down yeast activity, reduce the water content, or refrigerate it (learn more about these techniques in Modernist Bread vol. 3:61). We also detail how to bring your levain back to normal—that is, back to a schedule of waxing and waning.
USING REFRIGERATION
- Refrigerate the levain. The yeast won’t be happy at the standard temperature setting below 4.5 °C / 40 °F, but it won’t die. (Wine refrigerators allow for a warmer range.)
- After 48–72 hours, transfer the levain to a room at 21 °C / 70 °F, allowing the levain to temper and wake up.
- Wait at least 12 hours, then feed it.
- Wait another 12 hours and feed it again. By the following day, your levain should be back to normal.
What To Do with Extra Levain
Even with careful planning and levain maintenance, extra levain is typical. Unused portions of levain, such as those removed for a feeding, are often just thrown out. Sometimes a levain is forgotten or ignored for too long and the entire batch loses its leavening power and becomes useless. Over time, the amount of discarded levain can add up.
We’ve developed several techniques to deal with leftover levain, even when it’s inactive.
- Unused, freshly fed levain can be frozen in single servings and thawed before mixing. You can thaw and use it regularly for up to two weeks. After that, it will lose its leavening power. Learn how we do this in our blog Five Easy Tips for Freezing Your Sourdough Starter.
- We’ve also developed our Second Chance Sourdough method for levain that has been in the freezer for more than 2 weeks. This method allows you to make a big batch of levain and freeze it in portions for use throughout the year. For the first 2 weeks, thaw and use the portions as you would a regular levain. As storage time goes on, and the thawed levains are visibly less active, simply add 0.5% commercial yeast to boost leavening power.
You’ll be able to make richly flavored sourdough loaves without the hassle and waste that goes along with daily maintenance. You can think of these methods as ways to minimize waste—or as a rather spectacular form of instant sourdough flavoring.
Other Things to Do with Leftover Levain
What about all that starter discard? There are many uses for the portion that might otherwise end up in the compost.
- Make dough, and then freeze it. This offers a convenient way to bake bread whenever you need it. However, the dough may be sluggish and could take longer to ferment, meaning it will have a reduced volume.
- Try making crackers.
- Make pancakes from your sourdough starter, which can avoid food waste and makes extra-flavorful pancakes. It can also result in a tougher pancake texture, though.
- Use inactive levain as a flavoring agent with our Second Chance Levain recipe.
Consistency is key when managing a levain to ensure optimal performance in your sourdough baking. As we’ve explored, even a few days of neglect can alter your levain’s leavening ability, resulting in disappointing loaves with uneven textures and lackluster flavors. That’s why regular feeding schedules are recommended to maintain the vitality of your starter. However, we understand that life’s demands can sometimes interrupt these routines. Our lesson on short-term levain storage offers practical solutions to preserve your levain’s health and revive it if it’s been dormant. By following these methods, you can minimize waste and continue to enjoy delicious sourdough bread.
Further Reading
- Five Easy Tips for Freezing Your Sourdough Starter
- Second Chance Sourdough
- Second Chance Levain recipe—Modernist Bread at Home, p. 52 / Modernist Bread vol. 3:38
- Methods for Storing Levain—Modernist Bread vol. 3:61