Forgot your starter in the fridge? Here is how to revive it.

It happens: the jar ends up behind the jam and weeks go by. Most neglected starters are completely salvageable. Expect it to be sour, separated and sleepy, and give it a few steady, warm days.

By Morgan Reid, author of Sourdough Starter Rescue

What you'll find in the jar

Usually layers: liquid hooch on top, dense paste below, maybe a pale film. It smells sharp or boozy, and one feeding won't get it rising. That's expected. The culture isn't dead; it's underfed and too acidic. The job is to dilute the acid and rebuild the yeast.

One exception: fuzzy, brightly colored, or hairy growth is mold. In that case, discard it and start fresh.

Day 1: skim, move, and feed twice at 1:3:3

1. Pour off the hooch. If there's a thin, matte white film that wipes away cleanly, skim that off too.
2. Take 20 g from the clean center without scraping the sides, and put it in a freshly washed, well-rinsed jar. Mark the level with a rubber band.
3. Feed 1:3:3: 20 g starter, 60 g room-temperature water and 60 g flour, with 15 to 30 g of that flour as whole wheat or rye. Mix to thick pancake batter, cover loosely and keep it at 75 to 80°F (24 to 27°C).
4. Feed again about 12 hours later, or when it peaks and starts to level, whichever comes first. If it hasn't risen at all by 12 hours, feed anyway to keep lowering the acidity.

Days 2 to 4: 1:2:2, twice a day

Switch to 1:2:2 twice daily (20 g starter, 40 g water, 40 g flour) and keep it warm. Go back to mostly white flour, adding up to 25% whole wheat or rye only if it's still sleepy. Feed at or just after the peak, typically every 10 to 14 hours.

Log how long each feed takes to peak. A healthy rescue gets faster day by day: perhaps 12 hours on day 1, 8 to 10 hours on day 2, and 6 to 8 hours by day 4. If it spreads flat and the bubbles pop quickly, it's too thin, so add 5 to 10% more flour next time.

Days 5 to 7: until it doubles in 4 to 8 hours

Keep giving it one or two warm feeds a day. You're aiming for a reliable double in 4 to 8 hours, a mild yogurt-like smell, and no fresh hooch between feeds. When it hits that window two days in a row, it's ready to bake with.

If it's still slow after day 4

• Try a single 100% rye feed, then go back to white flour.
• Check the basics: 75 to 80°F at the jar, chlorine-free water, and a loose cover.
• If it smells strongly of vinegar or nail polish, do one larger refresh (1:5:5) with white flour, then return to 1:2:2.
• Skip sugar or honey. They stress the culture and mask the real problem.

The most common mistakes are expecting one feed to undo weeks of neglect, and keeping the jar cold during the rescue. Warm it up and stick with it.

Before it goes back in the fridge

Feed it well and let it rise partway (30 to 50%) before chilling, so it goes into the cold strong rather than starving. In the fridge, feed it weekly or every other week. When you want to bake, take it out a day or two early and give it 2 or 3 warm feeds.

Sourdough Starter Rescue

The full guide: a 7-day plan to revive a dead or failing starter, plus a fix for every symptom, from hooch and mold to a starter that won't rise.

Read it on Amazon →

How long does it take to revive a sourdough starter from the fridge?

Usually about a week of warm, steady feeds. Bubbles often return by day 2 or 3, and it should double reliably by day 4 or 5.

Is a starter that's been in the fridge for weeks dead?

Usually not. It's underfed and very acidic. Pour off the hooch, keep a small clean seed, and feed it warm on a steady schedule.