Keeping a rye starter alive through a two-week trip
Before a two-week holiday I split my rye starter three ways to see which method would bring it back fastest.
1. Stiff feed in the fridge
One part starter, five parts rye flour, two and a half parts water, pressed into a jar and closed. After 15 days it had a grey liquid on top and smelled like nail polish, but two feeds at room temperature brought it back to doubling in about six hours.
2. Dried flakes
Spread thin on baking paper, dried for two days, broken into flakes. This is the most reliable long-term backup, but revival took four days of feeding before it was strong enough to bake with.
3. Frozen
A spoonful in a small bag in the freezer. It came back, but slowly and unevenly — three days before it was predictable again.
Verdict
For trips up to three weeks, the stiff fridge feed is the least effort. I keep a jar of dried flakes in the cupboard anyway, just in case.