Finding a Work-Around For My "Lazy" Sourdough Starter

I've been working on my sourdough starter for the past month. It had been sitting in the fridge for a couple of years untouched. When I pulled it out of the fridge, it took several attempts to get a good rise on a loaf of bread. 

Our house is so chilly in winter that the starter just could not get itself revved up. Perhaps a little mid-winter laziness is affecting the starter.  

Finally, about a little over a week ago, I stumbled upon something that helped boost my dough's rising ability. I doubled the amount of starter I used in each batch of bread. To do so, I also had to reduce the water called for in the recipe. The bonus is by using so much starter in each loaf, I didn't have discard starter to try and use up.

My starter is still not what I'd call robust. It doesn't overflow the jar after feedings. It just bubbles.  That could be due to room temperature this time of year in our house. But I did find a way to make it work.

I had to get the starter back in good shape so I could store it in the fridge again for a couple of weeks. This coming Monday I have the last of my dental procedures. I may or may not remember to feed a starter for a couple of days. 

This is the same starter I made in 2020 when I ran out of yeast. It takes some work to get a starter going from scratch (just flour and water). I wanted to keep this one alive for future batches. So I wanted it back in the fridge where it can remain dormant and not need feeding.

It never ceases to amaze me how sourdough bread can rise without added yeast. They are simply a combination of starter, water, flour, salt, and sugar -- nothing else.

For the next couple of weeks, we'll eat yeasted bread. I can make 3 loaves at a time, and it's softer and easier for me to chew while my mouth heals.

How Do You Make Your Meatloaf?

Meatloaf is one of those great meat-based, budget entrees. It uses some of the cheaper cuts of meat and can be stretched with fillers like grains and veggies/aromatics. One pound of ground meat can be stretched to feed 5 or 6 people. While many of us use ground beef, ground game meat or farmed poultry or pork can also be used. Some recipes call for a mix of ground pork and ground beef in the same loaf. Vegetarian recipes might not be exactly "meat"loaf, but a bean-based loaf is also a possibility. My point? Meatloaf is budget-friendly and versatile.

As I was preparing a meatloaf for my family last night, I was thinking about all of the variations that folks do when making their meatloaves. My mother always used a slice or two of bread soaked in milk added to onions, herbs, salt and pepper, an egg, and ground beef. She spread the top of the meatloaf with ketchup before baking, and the loaf was baked in a bread pan.

My own meatloaf is a bit more basic. I soak a torn slice of bread in water, add diced onion and minced garlic, plus whatever herbs sound good (usually thyme, oregano, and rosemary) with the ground beef. If I feel like adding a bit of vegetable to the loaf, I add a spoonful of tomato paste or pumpkin puree to the mixture. Overall, my own meatloaf is pretty basic -- no egg, no glaze or topping. But it does taste meaty, and that's what I like. I bake mine formed into a loaf on a baking sheet with raised edges. I like how the sides get a bit crispy as well as the top when baked on a sheet. I sometimes make a gravy with the drippings and lots of aromatics. This is particularly tasty when I serve mashed potatoes on the side. Mmmm -- meatloaf and potatoes covered in gravy.

So, how about you? What do you add to your meatloaf? Do you add oats, bread crumbs, cracker crumbs, or other grains? Do you use an egg in your loaf? What flavorings do you use? And do you like to spread the top with a glaze of some sort, like ketchup? Do you bake yours in a bread pan (loaf-shaped) or do you form it on a baking sheet? Do you ever make a gravy with the drippings? And why do you choose what you do?

I like hearing how others do basic things like making meatloaf, as I sometimes get ideas and inspiration to try something different. Share in the comments how you make your meatloaf?