Refrigeration is useful for less frequent baking. Drying a healthy, established starter can provide a separate backup. Neither is a promise of indefinite survival or a way to make contaminated starter safe.
Keep the maintenance record
Label the container with its last feed and method. Use a complete refrigerator-maintenance procedure, including its feeding schedule. The previous recommendation to leave every starter for weeks or months between feeds was too broad.
Make a dry backup deliberately
Follow a documented drying method for a healthy starter. Store only when fully dry, protect it from moisture and label the batch. Do not heat it aggressively to accelerate drying without a validated method. Keep a working starter until the backup process is understood.
Revival is an observation process
Allow the prescribed rehydration and feeding steps. Look for repeatable activity across feeds before planning bread. Do not promise a fixed recovery time after freezing, drying or prolonged neglect. Dispose of contaminated material rather than attempting to rehabilitate it.
Read the linked method for its exact drying and rehydration quantities. This page is a decision guide, not a substitute formula.
Sources & scope
Source-based explanation and editorial checklists by SourdoughStart, operated by Tag Ad Limited. AI-assisted article revised 2026-10-12. Source links are not endorsements.
Revision note: prepared for the new reference-led edition. Suggest a correction.