Read the original post "Homemade Focaccia Bread" on A Modern Homestead. There’s nothing better than a big pan of Homemade Focaccia Bread. From its warm, yeasty aroma to its crispy outer texture and its tender crumb, this recipe invites you to savor every heavenly bite! This recipe has the exact same measurements whether you are using all-purpose einkorn or modern wheat flour. We love a good... Read More The post "Homemade Focaccia Bread" appeared first on A Modern Homestead.

At a Glance: Starting Seeds Indoors The Best Method: The most effective method involves using a sterile, soil-less seed-starting mix, maintaining a consistent soil temperature of 70 to 85°F, and providing 14 to 16 hours of strong light once sprouts appear. The Ideal Timing: Start seeds indoors in February to early March, or depending on your local last frost date. This window is critical for slow-growing herbs and warm-season vegetables. The Necessary Equipment: A resilient setup requires three core basics. You need an organic seed kit, a waterproof heat mat for soil temperature control, and reusable trays to ensure healthy root development. Have you ever stood in the produce aisle, staring at a piece of fruit, and wondered what kind of chemical spray was used to make it look so perfect? It is a frustrating feelingWe all want to feed our families wholesome food, but relying on the modern grocery store means accepting a lot of unknown, toxic ingredientsYou do not have to settle for that. You can take control of your food supply right now, long before the ground thaws. By starting seeds indoors, you are taking the first practical step toward real independence. What’s the Best Month to Start Seeds Indoors? The ideal month for indoor gardening actually depends on your local last frost date. For most of us looking forward to a summer harvest, late winter (January through March) is the golden window. To ensure your family has a productive, chemical-free garden by mid-summer, you must start seeds indoors February. Counting back 6 to 8 weeks from your spring frost date gives slow-growing plants the time they need to build a robust root system. Utilizing this crucial month means you will be harvesting your own food instead of waiting on untrustworthy experts and supply chains. What Seeds Should You Plant Indoors Knowing which varieties to sow early is a hallmark of seasonal competence. Prioritize plants with long maturity dates or those that are too delicate to handle early spring temperature swings. Here are the best candidates to prioritize for your home setup: Medicinal and Culinary Herbs: Slow growers like lavender, thyme, and oregano need a massive head start. If you’re looking for the best organic herb seed starting kit for beginners, choose heirloom, non-GMO varieties that allow for future seed saving. This is a critical skill for total self-reliance. Warm-Season Nightshades: Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants require long, warm growing seasons to produce a meaningful harvest. The Brassica Family: Broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower benefit greatly from an indoor start so they can be transplanted early before the summer heat causes them to bolt. What are the Essential Materials Required for Planting Indoors Before you start planting, learn what a seed needs to survive. Starting seeds indoors requires mimicking the natural conditions of spring. To get back to basics, here are the core requirements every beginner needs in their starter pack: A Growing Medium: Never use soil straight from the garden because it is too heavy and harbors fungi. You need a sterile, light seed-starting mix. Containers: Seeds need a place to establish roots. You need cells or pots that can hold soil and allow excess water to escape. To reduce waste and build resilient systems, invest in reusable seed-starting trays with drainage rather than flimsy, single-use plastics. A Consistent Heat Source: Seeds rely on soil temperature rather than air temperature to sprout. Finding the best heat mat for seed germination, such as a waterproof option like the VIVOSUN mat, is a practical way to wake seeds up safely without cranking up the thermostat. A Light Source: Once they break the surface, seedlings need intense light to grow strong stems. Quality Seeds: Your harvest is only as good as the genetics you start with. How to Start Seeds Indoors You can grow a safer, nutritious bounty by following these indoor gardening steps: Prep the Mix: Use a sterile seed-starting mix to ensure a toxin-free start. Pre-moisten it until it feels like a wrung-out sponge. Sow with Intent: Place your seeds in your trays. Cover them with a light dusting of mix, usually twice as deep as the seed is wide. Apply Heat: Place your tray on your heat mat. This mimics the warmth of the spring sun and triggers the germination process. Monitor Moisture: Keep the humidity dome on until you see the first green hook emerging from the soil. Let There Be Light: Once they sprout, move the tray to a bright grow light for 14 to 16 hours a day. What are Common Seed Starting Mistakes Even seasoned farmers or homesteaders still make mistakes sometimes. If you want to avoid anxiety over not being prepared for the season, watch out for these common pitfalls when starting seeds indoors: The Leggy Seedling The Mistake: Relying on weak winter sunshine from a windowsill. How to fix leggy seedling: Provide 14 to 16 hours of strong overhead light. Keep your grow lights just 2 to 3 inches above the top of the seedlings, raising the lights as the plants grow. Damping Off The Mistake: Overwatering your trays and providing poor air circulation. How to fix overwatered plants: Always use trays with drainage, allow the top of the soil to dry out slightly between waterings, and run a small oscillating fan nearby to keep the air moving. Skipping the Hardening Off Phase The Mistake: Moving your plants directly from your warm, protected kitchen straight into the harsh garden environment. How to fix: Slowly acclimate them to the outdoors over 7 to 10 days. Start by placing them outside in dappled shade for just an hour, gradually increasing their exposure to direct sun and wind each day to ensure they survive the transition. What Seeds Should You NOT Start Indoors? While starting seeds indoors is a vital skill, some plants do not transplant well and should be sown directly into the earth. Avoid planting these varieties when indoor gardening: Root Crops: Carrots, radishes, and beets hate having their roots disturbed. Fast-Growing Legumes: Beans and peas grow so fast that they often become root-bound and stressed before the weather is warm enough for transplanting. FAQs About Starting Seeds Indoors 1. How many hours of light do indoor seedlings need? For strong, resilient plants, aim for 14 to 16 hours of light. Standard windowsills rarely provide enough intensity in February. 2. Can I use regular potting soil for starting seeds? It is better to use a dedicated seed-starting mix. Regular potting soil is often too heavy and may contain pathogens that can kill delicate new sprouts. 3. When should I remove the humidity dome from my trays? Remove the dome as soon as you see the first sprouts. Keeping it on too long creates the stagnant air that leads to fungal diseases. 4. How do I know if my seedlings need fertilizer? Wait until the plant has developed its first set of true leaves. Use a weak, natural remedy to avoid burning the tender roots. 5. How long should a heat mat stay on when starting seeds indoors? Leave the mat on 24 hours a day until the seeds germinate. Once you see green sprouts, you can remove the heat, as the ambient room temperature is usually enough for the growth phase. Starting seeds indoors brings you one step closer to self-sufficiency. By investing in the right gardening tools, you ensure your family’s food supply is not left to chance.

Read the original post "Starbucks Potato Cheddar and Chive Bakes" on A Modern Homestead. Creamy, hearty, and packed with protein, these Copycat Starbucks Potato Cheddar and Chives Bakes are the perfect way to start the day. Make them in advance and freeze them for a quick breakfast that can be heated in the oven, air fryer, or toaster oven! If you’ve been around the site for more than a... Read More The post "Starbucks Potato Cheddar and Chive Bakes" appeared first on A Modern Homestead.

Come learn how to feed your sourdough starter to keep it healthy and happy! This beginner’s guide will cover the basics to maintain a sourdough starter: when and how often to feed it, where to store it, and how to feed starter by weight (grams) or by volume (cups) to get it active and ready for baking. We’ll also explore some best practices and frequently asked questions – like the best type of flour to use, the meaning of “peak activity” or “hooch”, and troubleshooting tips. By the end, you’ll feel confident and comfortable caring for your sourdough starter. Don’t worry, it’s easier than you imagine! I’ve been baking sourdough for over 10 years now, so I’ll share tons of tips to make it as simple as possible. NOTE: This post was originally published in October 2019 but has been significantly updated since. Disclosure: Homestead and Chill is reader-supported. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Need a starter? Learn how to make sourdough starter from scratch or how to make a gluten-free sourdough starter here. We also offer an easy organic dehydrated sourdough starter in our shop. It’s foolproof, reliable, and super active! What is “Feeding” a Sourdough Starter?  Feeding a sourdough starter simply means adding fresh flour and water to the starter – typically in a 1:1:1 ratio or equal parts by weight, such as 100 grams of starter, flour, and water each. In doing so, it makes the starter get active, bubbly, and rise over the next several hours. You need to feed a sourdough starter before making bread (unless you’re following a recipe that calls for “discard” or inactive starter) as well as occasional feedings to keep it alive, especially when you’re not regularly using it for baking. Most times you’ll discard a portion of the existing starter before mixing in fresh flour and water, but sometimes you won’t (explained more below). After feeding, your starter should have the consistency of thick pancake batter. Why Sourdough Starter Rises And Falls Here’s the quick science behind feeding a sourdough starter: There are beneficial lactic acid bacteria and yeast living within a starter culture. When provided fresh flour and water, they consume and ferment the carbohydrates in the flour, creating acid and carbon dioxide in the process. This causes the starter to bubble and rise, and is what makes sourdough bread rise naturally too! Yet when they run out of food, the microbes get hungry, decrease in activity (the starter deflates), and become ineffective at making bread rise. Yeast will also produce a dark liquid called “hooch”, which is harmless but a sign that your starter is hungry! If left unfed for too long, the beneficial microbes may starve and die off completely.  The Science of Sourdough. Photo courtesy of Students Discover Supplies Needed Sourdough starter Water: It’s best to feed sourdough starter using filtered, non-chlorinated water if possible. A basic carbon filter helps! I like to use warm water (not hot) to help increase activity. Flour: Most bakers feed sourdough starter with bread flour or all-purpose flour, though using half whole wheat or rye flour can boost activity and rise! We primarily use bread flour with some whole wheat at times. It’s also possible to maintain a starter using einkorn flour, or certain GF flours like brown rice flour. (See gluten-free notes below.) However, I suggest gradually transitioning to a new flour to let the starter acclimate. A glass jar or container. Store sourdough starter in a container that’s large enough for it to double or triple in size after being fed. The jar should be covered with a loose-fitting lid (e.g. finger tight) but not completely air-tight so gasses can escape. We keep our starter in a modest 1 liter (quart) flip-top glass container (gasses escape even when the lid is closed). If you plan to bake several loaves at once, consider using a larger 2 liter or half-gallon container. A kitchen scale and/or measuring cups A small silicone spatula is handy, both for mixing the starter and for cleaning up the sides of the jar Feeding a Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter We’ve successfully made a gluten-free sourdough starter using brown rice flour – which is what we usually feed it with too. However, feel free to experiment with any combination of brown rice, white rice, sweet rice, or buckwheat flours. They all work to keep the starter active and happy! However, I do not suggest feeding a gluten-free starter using a GF 1-1 baking or all-purpose flour. In my experience, the additives and gums found in those flour mixes make the starter a bit funky. Before Feeding: Warm Up Sourdough starter is most happy and active around 70-80°F. So, if you store your sourdough starter in the refrigerator like we do, you may want to let it warm up to room temperature before feeding it. It’s not required, but will help it get active and rise faster! I like to take my starter out of the fridge the night before I plan to make dough. You can also help warm up a cold starter by feeding it with warm water (not hot) and/or using a starter warming plate – which are especially handy during the colder winter months! We use ours to keep our bowl of proofing dough warm too. Cold temps can prevent a stater from rising well, so we use a warming plate to speed things up on cooler days. Before Feeding: Discard In many cases, you’ll need to discard a portion of your original starter before feeding it. This helps you get the desired amount for feeding – such as 1/2 cup or 100 grams of starter, explained below. Removing or discarding some of the “mother” culture also helps it maintain a healthy acid balance, and prevents your starter container from becoming overly full. The jar needs plenty of empty space for your starter to rise! The only time you DON’T want to discard first is when there’s only a small amount of starter left in the jar already (like if you recently used most of it in a recipe). Never get rid of your entire starter! PRO TIP: To discard, simply scoop out and remove a portion of the starter until the desired amount remains in the jar. You can put discard in the compost or trash, use it in a discard recipe, or gift it to a friend – but do NOT put it down the sink! Sourdough starter can harden in drain pipes and cause serious plumbing issues. RELATED: Don’t waste that discard! Come see the 15 Best Sourdough Discard Recipes including sourdough granola, discard crackers, our sourdough pancake recipe and more. Plus, here are 6 other clever ways to use discard – besides baking. How to Feed Sourdough Starter by Weight To feed sourdough starter by weight, simply weigh and combine equal parts of starter, flour, and water – such as 100 grams of each (or 200 grams each for a larger starter/multiple loaves). Mix thoroughly until smooth. This is considered a 1:1:1 ratio which is a great starting point for beginner’s and to get a starter active for baking. You can also experiment with other ratios such as 1:2:2 (e.g. 50 grams starter, 100 grams flour, 100 grams water) which will result in a longer, slower fermentation time – ideal for long term refrigerator storage or when you don’t want your starter to peak too quickly (such as feeding it overnight). Weight is the most precise and consistent way to feed starter, especially since various flours have different weights. Feeding Sourdough Starter by Volume (Cups) This is how I like to feed my starter. It’s quick and easy! To feed sourdough starter using volume measurements, mix together 1 part starter, 1 part water, and just under 2 parts flour (1:1:2). For example, 1/2 cup starter, 1/2 cup water, and a scant cup of flour. I’ve found that this is very close to a 1:1:1 ratio by weight. If you want to bake multiple loaves at once, simply scale up: such as 1 cup of starter, 1 cup of water, and just under 2 cups of flour. To feed, we typically mix it all up right in the starter jar. However, some bakers choose to measure everything out into a separate bowl, mix it together, and then put it back or into a fresh jar or container. Baker’s choice! Either way, I suggest to keep the sides of your starter container fairly clean (scrape with a spatula), and change it out or wash it on occasion. Built-up gunk on the sides of the jar can more easily lead to mold. PRO TIP: Over time, I’ve learned what a 1/2 cup of starter looks like in the jar (about a knuckle or 3/4-inch deep in my particular container) so now instead of measuring every time, I simply eyeball the starter volume and only measure the flour and water. It doesn’t need to be precise! Measure once, observe, and save yourself one messy step. Starting with about half a cup of starter Add 1 scant cup flour, 1/2 cup of lukewarm water, stir well to thoroughly combine, and then clean up the sides of the jar some with a silicone spatula. When to Feed Sourdough Starter There are two key times to feed sourdough starter: to get it ready and active to use in a sourdough bread recipe, or for general maintenance to keep it alive between bakes. Let’s explore both! Feeding Starter Before Baking For baking, feed your sourdough starter about 4 to 8 hours before making dough and leave it at room temperature (70 to 80°F is ideal) to rise and reach peak activity before mixing it into your bread recipe. (In my experience, gluten-free sourdough starters peak and fall more quickly than traditional wheat starter.) Peak activity is when the starter has at least doubled or tripled in sized and is no longer rising, but before it starts to fall back down. Don’t rush this step! It’s best to use starter when it has reached full peak activity or even just after (when it starts to fall back down, but hasn’t fully deflated yet) instead of mixing it into your dough too early. Note that it can take anywhere from 4 to 12 hours for a starter to fully rise and reach peak activity. The exact time depends on numerous factors including the age and strength of your starter, when it was last fed, ambient temperature, and how you store it. Warmer temperatures increase activity, and cooler temperatures slow it.  A slow, sluggish starter that hasn’t been fed recently (e.g. after several weeks or more in the fridge) will benefit from being fed twice before baking with it. To do so, let it warm to room temperature, feed it, and then let it fully rise and begin to fall again before discarding and feeding it a second time. PRO TIP: If your starter has peaked but you aren’t quite ready to use it yet (life happens!), I’ve found that you can simply put it in the refrigerator at peak and then pull it back out when you want to use it (within 12 hours). This adds some nice flexibility in your baking schedule! The starter at peak activity. The red line shows the level it was just after feeding. How Often to Feed Starter for Maintenance How often you need to feed your sourdough starter depends on where you store it, and how often you bake. If you bake weekly, that’s all the feeding it may require! Yet if you go longer between bakes, you’ll want to do some maintenance feedings too. Some serious bakers store their starter on the counter so it’s basically always ready to use. However, starter stored at room temperature must be fed daily (or even twice per day) to keep it alive! On the the other hand, most beginners and casual bakers store their sourdough starter in the refrigerator. (That’s what we do!) When it’s cold, starter activity greatly slows and essentially goes dormant, so it only needs to be fed about once every week or two to keep it perky. Truth be told, we often go several weeks (or even months) between feedings when we aren’t baking a lot… but I don’t necessarily recommend it, especially with a new starter! A healthy, established starter can tolerate a little neglect. Yet the longer you go between feedings, the more sluggish the starter will be when it comes time to bake, so you’ll need to feed it a couple times (as opposed to just once) before use. PRO TIP: To do a maintenance feeding, simply take the starter out of the refrigerator, discard a portion, feed it, and then let it sit at room temperature for just a few hours to rise slightly before putting it back in the fridge. You don’t want it to fully peak and deflate however, or you’re basically putting it away hungry again! Storing Starter in the Refrigerator vs Room Temperature Here are a few notable differences between a storing sourdough starter in the refrigerator compared to room temperature: As we already explored, storing starter at room temperature is high-maintenance and requires daily feedings, more appropriate for serious and frequent bakers. Starter that is stored in the fridge will only need to be fed once every week or two (or even less frequently), ideal for casual bakers and also when you’re away from home on vacation. Starters will develop a different flavor profile depending on where they’re stored. According to a sourdough expert I heard on NPR’s Science Friday, starter regularly stored at room temperature will have a more sweet, mild flavor while refrigerating starter encourages more complex sour and tangy notes due to increased acetic acid production. Refrigerated sourdough starter can also lead to more gut-healthy bread, as acetic acid is key in improving the digestibility of gluten and other nutrients. Hooch: A Sign Your Starter Is Hungry When a starter hasn’t been fed in a while, it will develop a layer of dark liquid called “hooch” on top. Hooch is a harmless, naturally-occurring fermentation byproduct (an alcohol) produced by yeast when it has consumed all of the available food. Hooch is very acidic and smells like vinegar or nail polish remover. When encountered, you can either pour off the hooch or simply mix it back in (especially if you like your starter on the sour side), then discard and feed your starter as usual. PRO TIP: If it’s been several months since you’ve last fed your starter, it may need to be fed differently for a few days to get back on track and rise again. Please see our guide: Is My Sourdough Starter Bad? How to Revive Old Inactive Starter to learn more! It also covers signs that a starter has gone “bad”, such as mold. An extreme example of hooch – when we left our starter unfed in the refrigerator for about 3 months during a big move. But it still came back to life after a few feedings! Again, hooch is normal and nothing to fear. As ugly as it looks, this starter was still good (no mold, the white stuff on the inside of the jar is just old crusty starter we hadn’t wiped off). Example Feeding and Baking Schedule I thought it may be helpful to share our usual baking routine. So, let’s assume we want to bake a loaf of bread on Sunday morning: Take the starter out of the refrigerator on Friday evening and let it come to room temperature overnight. (If it hasn’t been fed in several weeks, I’ll feed it once Friday night as an initial “wake up” feeding too.) Feed the starter on Saturday morning, allowing it to come to peak activity (usually 5-6 hours) Make dough using the starter on Saturday afternoon or evening – let it sit for 4 to 5 hours at room temperature to bulk ferment, stretch and fold, etc Transfer the dough to the refrigerator to cold-proof overnight, and bake on Sunday morning You’ll develop your own feeding routine and baking schedule with time! Frequently Asked Questions Why isn’t my sourdough starter rising? A number of factors can influence rise. Ensure the starter has been fed, but don’t repeatedly feed it several times in one day – which can actually weaken it! Keep the stater in a warm location (70-80F). Try feeding half white and half whole wheat or rye flour to boost activity. Be patient. What if my sourdough starter is bubbling, but not rising? If your sourdough starter is bubbling but doesn’t rise within a few hours of being fed, it may be too wet. When starter is too runny, the air bubbles easily rise up and OUT of the mixture instead of being trapped inside. To fix this, simply stir in more flour to thicken it up. Add just a couple tablespoons at a time until the desired consistency is reached: a thick pancake batter that isn’t easy to pour. What are the signs of a strong sourdough starter? A strong, healthy sourdough starter will readily double in size within a few hours after being fed, smell pleasant and tangy (slightly acidic), and have a strong web-like gluten structure when it’s stirred at peak activity. RELATED: If your sourdough starter still isn’t rising well, don’t give up! Pop over to this guide: 9 Ways to Make Sourdough Starter More Active. That concludes this lesson on feeding sourdough starter. I hope you found this article to be useful and interesting! Feel free to ask questions in the comments, and please leave a review below if you found this helpful. Now that you know how to maintain your sourdough stater, it’s time to get baking! Don’t miss these related posts: Simple No-Knead Sourdough Bread Recipe Easy Sourdough Discard Cracker Recipe Sourdough Granola Recipe (Discard or Active Starter) Easy Sourdough Focaccia Recipe 20 Best Sourdough Add-Ins and Topping Ideas Best Sourdough Starter Names: 60 Punny Ideas Did you enjoy this article? Want to hear more? Stay in touch! Sign up below to receive weekly updates on new posts from Homestead and Chill. Print How to Feed Sourdough Starter Learn how to feed your sourdough starter to keep it healthy and happy! Here are instructions on how to feed starter by weight (grams) or by volume measurements (cups) to get it active and ready for baking – plus storage tips and how often to feed for general maintenance. Keyword Feed sourdough starter, Sourdough Starter IngredientsFeeding Starter by Weight (1:1:1)100 grams sourdough starter100 grams water (room temperature or warm, and non-chlorinated filtered water recommended)100 grams flour *Note that using whole wheat or rye flour (instead of white) can help increase starter activity.Feeding Starter by Volume (1:1:2)1/2 cup sourdough starter1/2 cup water (room temperature or warm, and non-chlorinated filtered water recommended)1 cup (scant, just under a cup) flour*Scale up as needed to maintain a larger starter with the same ratios InstructionsIntroduction"Feeding" sourdough starter is simply adding fresh flour and water to an existing starter. This may be after you use some starter in a recipe (to build its volume back up), to get a starter ready to bake with, or as a maintenance feeding between bakes.The frequency depends on how you store it. Starters stored in a refrigerator can be fed once every week or two (or even monthly, once mature and established). Starters stored at room temperature must be fed daily.Some bakers combine the starter, fresh flour, and water in a bowl and then transfer it into a clean container each time. Others simply mix fresh flour and water right into the starter jar. Either way, try to keep the sides of the starter jar fairly clean, and change it out or wash it on occasion. Built-up gunk in the jar can more easily lead to mold. Before FeedingWarm up: Starter is most active at 70-80F. If store your starter in the refrigerator, allow it to warm to room temperature for several hours or overnight before feeding. You can also quickly warm up a starter by feeding with warm water (not hot) or using a warming plate. Discard a portion: scoop out and remove a portion of the starter until the desired amount remains in the jar. Compost, trash, or use it in a discard recipe – but do NOT put it down the sink! (If there's only a very small amount of starter in the jar, you don't HAVE to discard first – simply feed it.)Now, add more fresh flour and water to the remaining starter, either following the "weight" or "volume" instructions belowHow to Feed Sourdough Starter by WeightTo feed sourdough starter using weight, simply combine equal parts starter, flour, and water. For example, 100 grams of each. Or for a larger starter/multiple loaves, 200 grams of each. This is a 1:1:1 ratio, ideal for beginners or activating a starter to bake.You can also experiment with other ratios such as 1:2:2 (e.g. 50 grams starter, 100 grams flour, 100 grams water) which will result in a longer, slower fermentation time – ideal for long term refrigerator storage or if you don't want your starter to peak too quickly (such as feeding it overnight).How to Feed Sourdough Starter by Volume (Cups)To feed sourdough starter using volume measurements, simply combine 1 part sourdough starter, 1 part part water, and just under 2 parts flour. For example, 1/2 cup starter, 1/2 cup water, and just under 1 cup of flour. (This is very close to a 1:1:1 ratio by weight). To scale up for a larger starter/multiple loaves, use 1 cup starter, 1 cup water, and just under 2 cups flour.Preparing Starter to BakeFor baking, feed your starter about 4 to 8 hours before making dough. Leave it out at room temperature (70 to 80°F is ideal) to rise and reach peak activity before mixing it into your bread recipe.Peak activity is when the starter has at least doubled or tripled in sized and is no longer rising, but before it starts to fall back down. Don’t rush this step! It’s best to use starter when it has reached full peak activity or even just after (when it starts to fall back down, but hasn’t fully deflated yet) instead of mixing it into your dough too early. Note that it can take anywhere from 4 to 12 hours for a starter to reach peak activity depending on the age/strength of your starter, when it was last fed, ambient temperature, and how you store it. Warmer temperatures increase activity, cooler temperatures slow it down. A slow, sluggish starter that hasn’t been fed recently (e.g. after several weeks or longer in the fridge) will benefit from being fed twice before baking with it. To do so, let it warm to room temperature, feed it, and then let it fully rise and begin to fall again before feeding it a second time.Maintenance FeedingsTake the starter out of the refrigerator, discard a portion, feed it, and then let it sit at room temperature for just a few hours to rise slightly before putting it back in the fridge. You don’t want it to fully peak and deflate however, or you’re basically putting it away hungry again! The post How to Feed and Maintain Sourdough Starter: Best Beginner’s Guide appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

Read the original post "Easy Homemade Frozen Hash Browns" on A Modern Homestead. If you like the convenience of having frozen hash brown shreds but want to avoid the seed oils that are included in many brands, this simple process is for you! These homemade frozen hash browns are perfect for frying in a skillet, including in soups or breakfast casseroles! I love skillet hash browns – they... Read More The post "Easy Homemade Frozen Hash Browns" appeared first on A Modern Homestead.