Doubling Your Starter
It's best to do this with a starter that is at least 3 months old, that doesn't mean it can't be done with a younger starter, you will simply get better more consistant results faster if you are doubling a more mature starter.
In order to double your starter you will either:
Be skipping a week of bread, if so bake a recipe the week before that makes a larger batch than you need and freeze the extra bread to use in the coming gap week.
OR
36-48 hrs after feeding your main starter, pour off 1 cup to make a sponge for your chosen recipe and feed your starter a second time. Put your starter away after another 24 hours have passed.
You will also need to prepare a second sterilized mason jar in advance.
- Pour the usual 1 cup off the top of your cold starter, this should include both ripe liquid and solid starter
- Place your 1 cup pour off into a 4 cup bowl
- Add 3/4 cup water and stir to combine
- Add 1 cup Flour and stir to combine
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap, label with the time completed and "new starter"
- Feed your main starter as usual, be careful to label as "main starter"
- Leave both starters at room temp for 24hrs
- Carefully pour your new starter into it's mason jar, being careful to label accordingly (You can name them, an original starter is commonly referred to as the "mother" or use starting dates or simply call them 1 and 2 but it will be important to be able to know which is which)
- Refrigerate both the usual 4-7 days before use
Congratulations! You have you now have two starters!
If you are planning to bake with them on seperate days of the week use the new (young) starter first and let the more mature "Mom" starter wait the extra couple of days until a new baking day. Young starters are hungry and will exhaust their feed more quickly even when slowed by refrigeration.