The $5 sourdough starter I almost threw out ended up being my best bake ever

I bought this cheap dried sourdough starter off Facebook Marketplace last month for like $5. I mean, I was super skeptical because everyone online acts like you need to get one from some fancy bakery in San Francisco or whatever. The first batch of bread I made with it was pretty flat and dense, honestly almost tossed the whole thing. But I kept feeding it for two weeks and tried again with a longer proof time like 12 hours instead of 6. The crust came out super crunchy and the inside was soft with those nice air pockets. Now I'm wondering if most starter success is more about how you treat it than where it came from. Has anyone else had a cheap starter turn out way better than expected?

2 comments

2 Comments

hugoj121mo ago

Wait Facebook Marketplace sells starter now? I had no idea that was even a thing. I've always just gotten mine from friends or made it from scratch. I gotta say though your story is wild because I've had the exact opposite experience. I bought some hyped up starter from a famous bakery and it was flat as a pancake no matter what I did. Ended up tossing it after a month.

morgan.rose1mo ago

That part about the hyped bakery starter failing is interesting. Did you try any different feeding schedules or proofing times before you tossed it? I'm curious if that starter was actually bad or if it just needed a different routine.