My sourdough starter went completely flat right before a big bake

I was prepping for a 30-loaf order for the downtown Portland farmer's market last Thursday. Opened the tub and my starter, 'Bubbles', was just a lifeless, acidic-smelling paste. I panicked and fed it a 1:1:1 ratio of starter, whole wheat flour, and warm water, then stuck it in my oven with just the light on. It took almost 8 hours to show any signs of life. Has anyone else had a starter crash that hard, and what's your emergency revival method?

3 comments

3 Comments

hannahw301mo ago

Thought starters were bulletproof until mine died.

ryan_ellis14d ago

Mine crapped out after 6 months, complete bummer.

ray1891mo ago

Did you ever check if it was plugged in all the way? Mine acted dead once but the cable was just loose.