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I think everyone is wrong about sourdough starters needing to be kept in the fridge

Visited a bakery in Portland last month and the owner laughed when I told him I refrigerate my starter. He keeps his on the counter for years and feeds it once a day at room temp. Tried it for three weeks now and my bread actually has way more tang and rises better. Has anyone else ditched the cold storage method and seen better results?
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faith_king
faith_king27d ago
Read an article from a food lab that said room temp starters develop more flavor.
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emma_dixon70
Yeah, that's mostly true but it depends on the strain. Some lactobacillus strains actually prefer slightly cooler temps (like 68-70F) and can stall out if it gets too warm, which would kill flavor development instead of helping it.
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seanjackson
My buddy Mike tried that food lab method with a 72-74F starter and his sourdough turned out like wet cardboard. He switched to a cooler 68F one and finally got that tangy flavor he was chasing. You ever experiment with temps like that or just stick with whatever works?
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