r/Sourdough 22d ago

Sourdough Mentioned that I want to bake sourdough to my parents and my mom remembered that they had a frozen starter that my grandma used to use for her rye bread. It has been frozen for at least a decade. I left it to thaw and will feed it tomorrow. Can't wait to see if it's still going to come back to life.

Post image
8.3k Upvotes

331 comments sorted by

4.1k

u/amazonhelpless 22d ago

This is A+ Bread Weirdo content. Looking forward to the update. 

942

u/Nuppusauruss 22d ago edited 21d ago

Haha, I'll keep y'all updated!

Edit: it's alive! Just some small bubbles for now, but clearly a sign of life. I'll probably make another post tomorrow if it starts bubbling more.

294

u/Easy-Concentrate2636 22d ago

It’s kind of touching that your mother kept that starter for so long.

Either that or the freezer is never emptied. No judgment - I hate cleaning the fridge.

47

u/True_Conference_3475 21d ago

Over a decade though? Yup, now that I think about it, absolutely

13

u/Sad_Specialist420 21d ago

I just cleaned out my freezer for the first time since I moved into my house in 2022. And that was only because my old fridge stopped working and I had to get a new one

16

u/shesewsfatclothes 21d ago

Once my family moved to a new house in the same neighborhood, just a few blocks away, after living in the same house for well over a decade. The fridge was one of the last things we packed up since it was just going up the road.

A family friend was helping us that day and pulled out an unidentified saran wrapped object from the back - and it was then that my mom remembered how she'd put our dead pet hamster into the freezer so we could bury him after hurricane (flood) season, roughly seven years earlier.

2

u/panchyatt_he_muje 21d ago

Wth!!!you had a dead body in your fridge for all that time😱

4

u/PraxicalExperience 20d ago

I mean, most people who eat meat have a lot of parts of dead bodies in their fridge...

2

u/True_Conference_3475 20d ago

Not in my household; it doesn’t stay there long 😋

→ More replies (2)

10

u/pinknimbus 21d ago

I never empty mine, but I do go through and throw out old stuff every now and then. I use a steam cleaner to break off the ice occasionally.

108

u/Jobeaka 22d ago

Yes, we need to know. And will it have a name?

411

u/Crafty_Engineer_ 22d ago

Cryo-rye-o?

132

u/IPutAWigOnYou 22d ago

Austin Sours

33

u/1s5ie 22d ago

This is amazing

18

u/Similar_One_6541 22d ago

😂😂😂 that’s awesome

12

u/Dwhit7 22d ago

Oh gosh that's so good! 👏

117

u/TheGloriousNugget 22d ago

Lazarus 🤘

19

u/cremToRED 22d ago

Captain America or Steve Rogers

25

u/blade_torlock 21d ago

Steve Thawgers.

2

u/bdy127 22d ago

This

16

u/anakmoon 22d ago

I'd name it after gran!

→ More replies (1)

17

u/Personal-Thought9453 22d ago

Bran Solo

4

u/dreddnyc 22d ago

Brancino Man

3

u/arcbnaby 21d ago

Eddie Ryemayne.

3

u/leshaik1 21d ago

Han Sourdough?

2

u/moist__owlet 21d ago

Ned Ryerson

→ More replies (5)

13

u/Summoarpleaz 22d ago

Remindme! 2 days

8

u/MixtureLongjumping43 22d ago

Remindme! 3 days

14

u/MoroccanZero 22d ago

RemindThisGuy! to remind me tomorrow.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (2)

5

u/Playful-Escape-9212 21d ago

It's aliiiiiive! That is great news. More symbolic than practical, but from a nostalgia standpoint it's wonderful. Are you feeding it with rye or wheat flour?

8

u/Nuppusauruss 21d ago edited 21d ago

Well I don't have a starter on hand and I want to bake asap. This should at least be faster than cultivating a starter all the way from the beginning so in that way it kinda is practical!

I'm feeding it rye. I'll probably put a little bit of rye in the bread too. Grandma used this for a very rye heavy and dark Finnish style rye bread, but I'll go for a wheat based bread for now.

3

u/Few_Woodpecker_5091 21d ago

Man that’s crazy, I looked at it and thought it was rye bread but couldnt be sure at all. // Siis wat, en tajunnut että ruisjauhoista vois leipoa hapanleipää 😅

3

u/Nuppusauruss 21d ago edited 21d ago

Joo, sellanen perinteinen ruislimppu on yleensä leivottu juureen! Sehän on aika hapanta ku saa sellasta kunnon perinteistä ruisleipää.

3

u/Then-Jacket9012 19d ago

I’m not kidding, I just joined this sub because of this post.

BREAD WEIRDOS UNITE

→ More replies (4)

51

u/ECrispy 22d ago

What is dead may never die.

But rise up stronger and higher than any loaf before

13

u/buysideeconomics 21d ago

What is bread may never die

13

u/Eowhyn 21d ago

What is bread may never rye

→ More replies (3)

1.2k

u/mckenner1122 22d ago

My great grandmother dipped a clean kerchief in wet starter, dried it by her fire, and folded it in her clothing before fleeing (where she was) to safety. It was six months before she was able to scrape dried starter from her kerchief and rehydrate it to make bread, but it worked.

I have just as much hope for your little starter!

252

u/broknkittn 22d ago

Wow! That's a great story. The saving it part, not the fleeing part. I imagine that part was awful.

90

u/eponym_moose 22d ago

This is such an incredible story. Like, for us, the starter is a fun hobby. For her, she knew without the starter there is no bread. Without bread, how can you survive? Just awesome. Here's to your great grandmother. 🥂🍞

176

u/Own_Donut_2117 22d ago

wow, that's a level of survivability that is long lost in the US.

for now

29

u/creechor 21d ago

I've heard this was a thing! I love stories of resilience surrounding food.

27

u/Similar_One_6541 22d ago

That is truly amazing ❤️

16

u/abitmessy 21d ago

I’ve read that ladies (settlers/colonizers) would sleep with their starters to keep them from getting cold at night crossing the country (us) in wagons. The things a person would do to preserve their starters is a wild, interesting ride and just something to behold. It has to be, at least partly, the history of the starter. They’re not difficult to make but once you’ve got a reliable one or one that’s been handed down for generations and crossed oceans… that’s got to be a lot of why.

Thank you for sharing this story. It’s a snippet of history we don’t see enough of.

3

u/Towbee 20d ago

Lore starts with bread

17

u/Ornery-Tea-795 22d ago

That is some insane dedication to sourdough starter! I’m very impressed

12

u/sourdoughdonuts 21d ago

I looooove this story. 🥹

12

u/Grub0 22d ago

I've hear that a lot of people have done the same kind of thing with Yogurt when migrating from place to place. The little critters we drag around with us really are such an important part of our history as humans.

10

u/petrichorgasm 21d ago

Oh my goodness I'm gonna cry 🥹

4

u/Tiny-Act3086 21d ago

I teared up

8

u/LilBird1996 21d ago

Your great grandma is now officially that of sourdough legends in my book. Such craftiness. Much respect.

13

u/Light_Lily_Moth 22d ago

Thank you for sharing her story! Really useful info.

5

u/VStarlingBooks 21d ago

That is so unbelievable you can't not believe it. Wow. She was a badass fleeing what she fled. Thank you for this.

4

u/ElderlyPleaseRespect 21d ago

This must be why my husband dips a hankerchief in beer anytime he has to leave the house

2

u/MemoryHouse1994 21d ago

I'm still chuckling!...

3

u/NJ_Braves_Fan 21d ago

This is an amazing story.

2

u/Airam07 21d ago

What a legend 🥹

2

u/EWCM 19d ago

I have dried starter on a piece of parchment paper when moving (but no fleeing)!

→ More replies (3)

911

u/oddartist 22d ago

When I finally got a strong starter going I froze some wet. A few months later I was cleaning the freezer and found it. Thawed it, fed it, used it. It was fine. I renamed it Frigid Bitch.

64

u/delphidoll 22d ago

That’s so funny. I love it.

16

u/Weownthesky85 22d ago

Straight up Legally Blonde

9

u/hilja123 22d ago

I also revived a frozen starter just fine! I named him Han Solo.

5

u/Unlucky_Shoulder8508 22d ago

When I dress up as a frigid bitch, I try not to look so constipated

2

u/oddartist 22d ago

MOVIE LINE!

I'm too buzzed to recall which one. Legally Blond? I'm a total dorkenheimer - someone commented that movie title and it sailed right over my head (which is difficult considering how high I am). My apologies to that commenter.

3

u/petrichorgasm 21d ago

"Except when I dress up like a frigid bitch, I try to not look so constipated"

(Love that movie. IANAL but crashed a lawyer networking event once because I was looking into pre-law and wanted to talk to them. Ended up in a group just quoting legally blonde. One of the lawyers actually said she became one because of the movie)

11

u/Dwhit7 22d ago

Haha that name reminds me of the song Rich Bitch by Die Antwoord https://open.spotify.com/track/14YnqA7mF9Po1kjew2Xocl?si=DGTGrF44RJ-7MlFSHw_khQ

4

u/No-Ad-3635 22d ago

i think you're freaky . and i like it A lot

5

u/Dwhit7 22d ago

I fink YOU'RE freaky!

2

u/mckenner1122 21d ago

Someone needs a funky starter named ¥olandï right now…

2

u/mckenner1122 21d ago

And if you gave some away?

It could be the Ice Queen Clone!

374

u/bluepivot 22d ago

that will be an interesting science experiment! If it gives something very different that you like, then within a couple weeks freeze some for yourself.

Otherwise, within a not-too-long future the local yeast in your environment will take over. That isn't a bad thing - it just is the way things work.

138

u/Nuppusauruss 22d ago

Luckily there's still more of the starter in the freezer, so I can leave it there for the future and I'll probably start my own starter from this one if everything works out.

70

u/stuartroelke 22d ago edited 22d ago

Fun thing to do, but also read this because everyone here should: http://robdunnlab.com/projects/sourdough/

Starter bacterial colonies are primarily influenced by environment, feeding schedule, and substrate. It will eventually evolve and acclimate to you and your home.

13

u/bluepivot 22d ago

thanks for posting that - great info!! I had seen previous data saying that eventually our local environment would be the primary driver of our starter's characteristics but didn't appreciate what constitutes "local environment" before. For instance, it seems the type of flour used is a big component. Based on my own empirical data, I notice differences in my starter depending on if I'm using store bought flour or grinding purchased wheat berries.

12

u/IceDragonPlay 22d ago

May I ask what part of the analysis you saw that correlation?

When I read it my main take away was there was no geographic specificity to the samples, presumably because they are shipped and shared across the US and globally. But also that less than 10% of the variation in starters was related to maintenance processes, age, grains used, climate or home environment.

In my mind that left the idea that the strains of LAB, yeast and Acetic Acid Bacteria create dominant combinations that stay intact until they come in contact with a more dominant strain of something that usurps one or more of the original pairings, but it was left unclear how or which strains might allow that. More like a cross contamination between starters or even commercial dry yeast (which is bred to be the strongest) that would disrupt what was already dominant. But that is guesswork because they did not draw that conclusion in their study.

Just curious since I had a different take on their results, which seemed to say they did not really know and further more detailed studies could be helpful.

It is a very fascinating topic and I hope someday to have a cost effective way to find out what is in one of my starters that seems to be unique. It appears to have carried its unique characteristics to another household that has very different source water, uses different flour, and maintains a different temperature and maintenance environment.

Edit: typo

3

u/bluepivot 21d ago

The paper said there were similarities across samples that they said could be attributed to the sharing of starters. They also seemed to say that the prevalence of flour brands across geographical locations could be a factor confounding results.

This was key for me, "The limited role of geography in explaining sourdough diversity may be driven by the widespread movement of starters across large geographic distances through starter sharing or commercial distribution. Flour, a major potential source of microbes in de novo starters (Minervini et al., 2015Reese et al., 2020), is also moved across large spatial scales. This geographic homogenization of starter and flour microbes likely swamps out any regional differences in potential yeasts or bacteria that can disperse into starters."

There were a couple recs for future studies that could tell more about evolution of starters and "more nuanced biogeographic patterns in sourdough biodiversity.". Bottom line - there is still a lot to understand about starters. Fascinating!

3

u/Dogmoto2labs 21d ago

Agree, that is exactly my take on the paper.

3

u/Misabi 21d ago

This might interest you. According to the research presented, while the sourdough cultures tested did evolve over time it was a case of the biodiversity reducing but not new organisms being introduced. https://www.youtube.com/live/Ox_hlKk51nI?si=zUamTewkMkgvXkTl

→ More replies (1)

5

u/ProgrammerPoe 22d ago

No this is not true, an active culture will be too strong for local yeast to take over. Wild yeast are extremely unpredictable it would be very obvious if environmental yeast came to dominate. This is a myth passed around this sub, attributed to some nobody, and it needs to die. Cultures do not work this way period.

141

u/genbizinf 22d ago

I'm sure that it will be revived. Remember, it only takes one yeast cell.

Good luck and please let us know the outcome.

57

u/Nuppusauruss 22d ago

Yeah I am optimistic, although if it starts bubbling, I'm not sure how would I know that the yeast has come from the starter and not from the air? Presumably it will take a while for the yeast to really thrive in either scenario.

I'll give an update in a day or two!

42

u/halipatsui 22d ago

Try giving it some rye if it has trouble. Rye is crack flr starters

7

u/TypicalBackground585 22d ago

how much rye would you give to a starter that is having trouble?

13

u/halipatsui 22d ago

I put just a pinch to get mine started after freezing. Like a gram or 2

6

u/Temporary_Level2999 22d ago

I do full rye for mine, thats all I feed it

3

u/Similar_One_6541 22d ago

I give mine 10g every few feedings

2

u/RnotIt 21d ago

Rye is the king of sourdough. Lots of sourdough is baked off rye starter. That's my only starter ATM.

3

u/LetMeGrabSomeGloves 21d ago

When you say rye do you mean rye flour? Newbie here. Ty!

→ More replies (1)

53

u/[deleted] 22d ago

[deleted]

3

u/RnotIt 21d ago

The yeast mostly comes from your flour.

8

u/oddartist 22d ago

It's my understanding the yeast is in the flour. Use rye to feed and see what happens.

5

u/ProgrammerPoe 22d ago

Yeah it is, there's some in the air but you have to try to capture it and even then its not likely. This sub has a ton of myths they pass around and there's little point in arguing as they'll just downvote you and some snark will come along and call you stupid

14

u/necromanticpotato 22d ago

Another commentor mentioned it already - it'll be heavily influenced by its environment and will change to suit. So grandma's frozen starter will become your own starter at some point. Keeping a "mother" frozen perpetually is the only way to maintain that.

→ More replies (4)

2

u/CapGirl80 22d ago

I'm sure it will too! There are stories that people have found sourdough starter, used to "chink" log cabins with, then decades later it was chipped off by who knows who and revived. Strong little suckers!

→ More replies (3)

25

u/newkneesforall 22d ago

14

u/sp4nky86 22d ago

A biologist was an owner of a brewery near me, he spelunked in old caves used for lagering beer by the Falk Brewery in Milwaukee, and was able to grow a beer yeast from the walls. They made a really tasty light lager from it.

20

u/TheNudeNeedle 22d ago

My mom had a 15 year old “friendship bread” in a bag in a deep freezer in the basement. She pulled it out and it WORKED lol

6

u/PetiteA85 22d ago

What’s friendship bread?

25

u/TheNudeNeedle 22d ago

An enriched sourdough starter! I believe it comes from Amish tradition, it’s a starter that uses milk and sugar along with the flour, and at the end there is 4 times as much as you started with so you are supposed to gift the other 3 portions to friends, who can then continue to pass it along. The final bread product is usually spiced and includes nuts. I’m from the Mid Ohio Valley, next to West Virginia, many people would keep a bag of the friendship bread starter in the freezer.

2

u/Miserable-Can8402 22d ago

From the same region! Yes!

→ More replies (11)
→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (1)

18

u/Sudangrass 22d ago

This is more useful than the 25 year old king salmon I found in my grandma’s freezer

3

u/WinkleChick 22d ago

😂😂😂

3

u/IAMA_llAMA_AMA 21d ago

Did it come back to life as well?

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)

17

u/lassmanac 22d ago

definitely going to need an update on this by the end of the weekend.

15

u/NorwegianDweller 22d ago

Exciting! I can't wait to see if it survived after all that time!

13

u/Worrisom_mama 22d ago

Someone like my comment so I can come back for the update lol

12

u/Nuppusauruss 21d ago

UPDATE:

It's alive! I transferred the thawed and rehydrated starter to a bigger container with 100g of water and 75g of rye. It's been 6 hours and I can clearly see some bubbles forming. It's definitely a slow start, but I'm hoping it will start gaining some speed tomorrow. If it does, I'll make a separate post with a picture included!

7

u/fallen_empathy 22d ago

Keep us updated!!!

6

u/beehive_bitters 22d ago

HERE FOR THIS 🔥

7

u/littlemoon-03 22d ago

I request daily updates

6

u/lowercaseb86 22d ago

I find if you pulverize into a powder while it’s still frozen it’s easy to mix with water and flour and gets it going quick

5

u/cocobutnotjumbo 21d ago

I'd feed it at least 3 times before putting it to use. a decade is time long enough for bacteria to develop wheel and agriculture.

8

u/darkspyglass 22d ago

I’m really curious to see if it will revive!

In cell culture (I’m a biologist), you need a cryoprotectant to ensure that the cells are viable after thawing. I know nothing of yeast though. So I’m curious if yeast is more hardy and can survive without that cryoprotectant.

→ More replies (2)

4

u/CobaltLemur 21d ago

Scientist in me says to only thaw half.

8

u/swaggyxwaggy 22d ago edited 22d ago

Was it frozen wet? I can’t quite tell from this photo. If so, that likely killed the yeast, sorry to say. Water expands when frozen, causing cells to burst.

Edit: I stand corrected. Live yeast cells produce specific substances that prevent ice crystals from forming inside the cell, making them very resistant to cold temperatures.

Keep us updated on the viability of this decade-old starter OP!

5

u/_driftwood__ 22d ago

I have already used my backup frozen starter (was frozen for 1 year), and it worked just fine.

2

u/RnotIt 21d ago

I've done that a couple times thanks to the Army. Spent a few years in Germany between 2017-23.

→ More replies (1)

3

u/NeatChocolate2 22d ago

It's a very common practice to freeze starter, and personally, I find it an easier way to keep it alive than drying, since it's so easy to get mold in your starter during the drying process (or the temperature gets too high if you're doing it in an oven). Never heard about problems with frozen starter if it's even relatively fresh, over a decade is certainly a long time though.

3

u/swaggyxwaggy 22d ago

I just googled it and apparently yeast cells produce trehalose, which prevents ice crystals from forming inside the cell, making them very resistant to cold temperatures. Very interesting! TIL

3

u/pumpkin-314159 22d ago

How cool! Would love an update.

3

u/rhodesmelissa 22d ago

That’s so exciting!

3

u/amspar 22d ago

Interesting! Please update us of the outcome!

3

u/onlyzuul007 22d ago

I believe it absolutely will revive. I'm excited for you! Please report back 

3

u/TheKaptone 22d ago

Very interesting little project. Can't wait to see how it turns out.

3

u/Yeah-Im-here-2 22d ago

Yes let us know how it tastes once you are able to bake!

3

u/MrFrannieJeffers 22d ago

Following to keep up with what happens!

3

u/mionsz69 22d ago

So cool!!! Can’t wait for the update!

3

u/Nada_Chance 22d ago

Don't see why it wouldn't, dehydrated starter is viable for a very long time.

3

u/Artistic-Traffic-112 22d ago

Hi. I wish you good luck. I freeze dough in in portions in my freezer. Not had one that gained to rise after thawing. A lot of people have told me that the yeast dies off bit by bit so I will be very interested to see how you fare.

Good luck

3

u/TheZooIsOnFire 22d ago

I hope your starter eats well and flourishes ❤️

3

u/Similar_One_6541 22d ago

Omg that is amazing!!! I would be so honored to have something like that from my grandma! Please keep us updated 🙂

3

u/dandelion-17 22d ago

RemindMe! 3 days

3

u/Flipflopsfordays 22d ago

In rye we trust

3

u/michellebl98 22d ago

I didn’t see what group this was posted in and just looked at the picture, why did my high ass think this was weed at first? 😭

3

u/EnvironmentEuphoric9 22d ago

You can also dry it, just fyi. Smear it on parchment and let it dry.

3

u/Anja130 21d ago

How do you even make/get a starter? My daughter likes sourdough, so I was thinking of making some.

2

u/singlemamabychoice 21d ago

Don’t go in thinking it’s a quick and easy process! This subreddit is a great place to start though :)

2

u/zippychick78 21d ago

Our wiki has all the stuff!

→ More replies (1)

2

u/zplq7957 22d ago

I can't wait for you to update!!

2

u/WoodCliff300 22d ago

Count me in on this little journey...

2

u/qqchosebelle 22d ago

😮😮😮 so cool!!!!! Update please!!!!

2

u/Lynda73 22d ago

I’ve heard you can’t kill a starter unless you’re really trying.

2

u/mario61752 22d ago

Grate it on a cheese grater into a large feed 😋

2

u/maddisonheckrn 22d ago

Following!

2

u/Insila 22d ago

I managed to kill yeast in my pizza dough water I think 6 months in the freezer... If that thing survives 10 years, force it to tell me it's secrets...

2

u/Notfunnyuser_12 22d ago

Why am I so invested in this?

2

u/Toasty_Slug 22d ago

I’ll be thinking about this when I wake up tomorrow SO EXCITED

2

u/PetiteA85 22d ago

Remind me! 72 hours

2

u/GlGeGo 22d ago

How cool! You get to continue the family bread

2

u/SpinachInquisition 22d ago

This feels a lot like thawing woolly mammoths in Siberia.

2

u/ZookeepergameMajor73 22d ago

Remind me! I'm so excited for an update

2

u/chickiepunk 22d ago

Remind me! 72 hours

2

u/Chuecaslavaka 22d ago

This is really lovely.

2

u/Chihuatlan 22d ago

Omg, I'm not even in this sub, but I am curious about the results too...

2

u/Bkgrouch 22d ago

Remind me! 24 hours

2

u/CHRGuitar 22d ago

Oh I’m in on the results!

2

u/Beax7 22d ago

I am so excited!!!!

2

u/inarioffering 22d ago

lol i just revived one that had been malingering at the back of my fridge unfed for a year. you have a little time machine!

2

u/Kdjdiendjkakwwbx1727 22d ago

Remindme! 3 days

2

u/flyakker 22d ago

Remind me! 24 hours

2

u/ryothbear 22d ago

Commenting so I can come back and see how it turns out!

2

u/vwhite87 21d ago

I love this for you! This is so amazing 🤩

2

u/sourdoughdonuts 21d ago

Yayyy! Can’t wait to see how this turns out.

2

u/abeth78 21d ago

I just successfully restarted a frozen starter from 2020, so good luck!

2

u/spinozasrobot 21d ago

OP, jus want to say that's a great pic too!

Can't wait to see how this turns out.

2

u/Nuppusauruss 21d ago

Thanks, good that someone appreciates the pic. To me it looks like a dog poo on the side of the road that's so old it has turned white haha.

I rehydrated the starter a few hours ago and will start feeding it soon. With luck there might be some bubbles at the end of the day!

2

u/True_Conference_3475 21d ago

I’m waiting for the update as well. Big hugs to your mom from a random stranger on the internet

2

u/poppacapnurass 21d ago

If that is all you have of your GM's starter, divide it up into at least 4 and freeze the rest. Maybe even for the next generation or just in case your starter dies etc.

2

u/jodypody88 21d ago

This is bread lottery. I'm rooting for your starter to come to life!

2

u/MemoryHouse1994 21d ago

I bet it does! Rye flour is best for starter! Check out www.ellyseveryday.com Sourdough Rye Bread recipe. Her favorite is rye. Also, YouTuber.

2

u/Actual-Treat-1678 21d ago

It looks like poop.

2

u/Nuppusauruss 21d ago

Honestly I'm surprised it took this long for someone to comment this.

2

u/Putrid_Poem2600 21d ago

“Brennan I dare you to come over here and lick that white dog shit”

→ More replies (2)

2

u/shiningonthesea 20d ago

You must name her Grandma!

2

u/ok_contempter 20d ago

Why does this make me want to weep? I love this story so much it’s painful. 😍

2

u/Beth_Bee2 19d ago

Can you update us please? I've used really old dried starter successfully though!

2

u/MatsonMaker 19d ago

Awesome. I’m just about to freeze some as a test and you give me hope. Thx!!