Discard Management & Long-Term Starter Care
Chapter 10

Recommended Setup for You (Going Forward)

Here's what I'd actually do once you hit Day 14:

  1. Bake your first loaf following the original guide.
  2. Make a dried starter backup the same day (Method 1 above). Set it and forget it.
  3. Switch your active starter to Mode B (fridge, weekly feeds, 25 g working size).
  4. Keep a small jar of discard in the fridge for crackers, pancakes, etc., refreshed weekly.

This setup gives you:

  • ~5 minutes/week of maintenance instead of daily commitment
  • Almost no waste
  • An indestructible backup in the cupboard
  • Bread-ready starter on demand with 1–2 days of warm-up feeds