Learn all about how to freeze sourdough starter in this easy guide! This is an easy way to preserve your sourdough starter for later use and long-term storage.

Can you freeze sourdough starter? Yes, absolutely! Freezing your sourdough starter is an excellent way to pause your baking routine without losing all your hard work. It’s a simple preservation method using supplies you already have on hand.

Whether you’re taking a break, heading out of town, or just want a backup, freezing your starter lets you safely store it for months and easily revive it when you’re ready to bake again.

Why Freeze Sourdough Starter?

Sourdough starter is a fermented mixture of flour and water that uses wild yeast and good, lactic acid bacteria from the environment. To learn more about sourdough starter and how to make and when head to Sourdough Starter Recipe: A Step-by-Step Daily Guide.

For sourdough bakers, having fresh sourdough starter to use is important. Whether you want to make Simple Sourdough Bread Recipe, Cinnamon Sugar Sourdough Bread, or use your leftover discard to make Homemade Sourdough Discard Bagels, having a mature sourdough starter is important.

That’s why it’s such a good idea to have a frozen stash of sourdough starter for just in case. Life happens and sometimes you forget about your starter, or maybe it goes bad, or your jar breaks. This ensures that you don’t have to start the process over again to make your own.

It’s so easy to freeze some of your starter to have on hand for those “just in case” moments. Preserving sourdough start this way takes just a few minutes and offers peace of mind.

Shop Sourdough Supplies

When Is the Best Time to Freeze Your Starter?

You will want to wait until your sourdough starter is a bit older before freezing it to keep as a backup starter. At least wait until you’ve baked with it a few times and it is a few weeks old. Do not freeze immature starter or you won’t have the best results.

The best time to freeze your starter will be after you have fed it and when it’s at its peak. This make take 2-4 hours depending on how warm your kitchen is. You can also freeze sourdough discard, but it may take a few feedings to perk up to optimal strength.

To ensure this preservation method works, you will want to make sure your sourdough starter is making good sourdough bread. The best way to know this is… by making bread! A healthy starter makes it easy to have a good revival once you are ready to use your frozen starter.

Create your own Active Sourdough Starter

Supplies You’ll Need to Freeze Your Sourdough Starter

An awesome perk to this preservation method is that you probably already have everything on hand that you need. It just take a few supplies, an active starter, and time in the freezer.

• A clean, glass jar
• Ice cube trays, silicone molds, silicone ice cube tray, or even silicone muffin cups
• Freezer bags for long term storage. You can also use any freezer-safe container.
• Marker for writing date of freezing

Try more Sourdough Recipes, like these Homemade Sourdough Discard Bagels

How to Freeze Sourdough Starter: Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Feed your starter and wait until it’s at its peak. Do this before freezing.
Step 2: Make sure your ice cub trays or silicone molds are clean and dry.
Step 3: Carefully portion into small freezer-safe containers or silicone trays. I like to have a tray or baking sheet underneath my ice cube tray just in case it spills in the freezer. This will depend on your freezer space.
Step 4: Wait 8-12 hours to make sure it’s completely frozen.
Step 5: Pop your frozen starter out of the tray or mold and store in a labeled, freezer-safe bag.

Sourdough Tip: Once you thaw your sourdough starter, you can continue using the jar you thawed and fed it in to create more starter. Continue feeding into a new jar to mkae your levain, but then feed what's left in your old jar to create more starter.

How Long Can You Freeze Sourdough Starter?

You can use frozen sourdough starter safely for up to 6–12 months in a freezer bag. The optimal time frame to use your frozen start is 3–6 months. Make sure you store in the coldest part of your freezer to keep the cold temperatures steady.

There are some signs to check for, such as freezer burn and signs of damage. If your frozen starter looks like it has freezer burn (ice crystals forming) or happens to thaw and refreeze again, it’s best to go ahead and throw it out and try and freeze another batch.

How to Thaw and Revive Frozen Sourdough Starter

Thawing and reviving your frozen starter is so simple and only requires a few steps.

Step 1: Pop out a cube or portion, place in a mason jar. Place in fridge overnight or thaw at room temperature. I chose to thaw mine at room temperature to speed up the process.

Step 2: Once it is thawed, give your starter a gentle stir.

Step 3: Feed with equal parts flour and warm water. I did 50 g of filtered water and 50 g flour. Mix it up well and cover with a loose lid and set it in a warm spot.

Step 4: Let your starter sit at room temperature for 4–12 hours depending on the temperature of your home.

Step 5: Now, continue regular feedings daily for 2–3 days until it shows signs of activity, which is very bubbly and doubling. This will all despond on how string your starter was before you froze it. Once it looks up to optimal strength, you can bak with it!

There are a few things to look out for when when thawing your sourdough starter.

• Does it smells “off”? If it smells rancid, do not use.
• If it doesn’t start showing signs of bubbles in the first 24 hours, I would assume it is not going to reactivate.
• If a layer of “hooch” (a black liquid) starts forming, go ahead and pour it off, feed, and mix well.

Tips for Freezing Success

Here’s a few simple tips that will aid in your success with freezing (and thawing) your sourdough starter.

• Freeze small portions to revive only what you need. I like to use ice cubes trays for this. This is actually a big perk of freezing because it allows you to thaw exactly the amount you need to build up a stong levain which leads to less waste.
• I like to use a good all purpose flour, like King Arthur flour, when reviving. This will greatly strengthen your starter and get it growing faster.
• Don’t refreeze a starter once thawed. This can lead to a weakened starter.
• Keep a backup in two places if possible. I like to keep my original in my refrigerator and these frozen backups in my freezer (of course).

Try this delicious Homemade Sourdough Bread Recipe

FAQs About Freezing Sourdough Starter 

1. Can I bake directly after thawing?

It honestly will not be enough starter to bake with right after thawing. It will need to have a few good feedings to get up to peak activity and to get to the amount of starter needed to bake bread.

2. Will freezing change the flavor of my sourdough?

If you store it correctly in the freezer, it should not change flavor. Store in an airtight container or a freezer safe bag to ensure freshness.

3. Should I discard after thawing?

I thaw the frozen portion, stir and feed it 50 grams water and 50 grams flour. The next day, you will discard all but 10 grams of starter before doing another round of feeding. This is a great way to stretched it before baking.

Final Thoughts on Freezing Sourdough Starter

Freezing sourdough starter is such a simple way and great option to have a back up stash of your sourdough starter. It’s an easy form of preservation, and you will be able to use your starter quickly after thawing.

The freezing process is very simple and quick, compared to dried sourdough starter and the lengthy process that can be. This is a convenient way of keeping your starter alive, incase of accidents or when you want to take a beak from baking for a ling time.

All in all, freezing sourdough starter is good news for bakers with a busy schedule or those needing a short break. Whether you’re working with a mature starter or just have some excess starter on hand, freezing in small pieces is one of the best methods for long-term storage. It’s a good option when life gets busy or real life happens, but you still want to preserve your beloved starter.

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