Did someone say flaws? Yes, we did, and they are in your sourdough starter! Just like fruit that attracts fruit flies, sourdough starter can attract the same type of insects. But what are these sourdough bugs called and how do we get rid of them? Well, stick around for the full stretch!
Table of Contents
What is a sourdough starter?
A sourdough starter is a live culture of wild yeasts and bacteria that feed on the flour and water mixture in your glass jar. Fresh flour and water are added twice a day to provide the live culture with fresh food.
When creating a sourdough starter, the process of catching and raising wild organisms can take some time, but once established and with regular food, they are there to stay.
Once the engine is ready for it I bake bread with doughwild and natural yeasts will act like natural yeasts in the sense that they will help the bread rise as it releases carbon dioxide.
The great thing about sourdough recipes is that you don't need commercial yeast to make the bread rise.
Why are fruit flies attracted to sourdough starters?
Sincerely, fruit flies are attracted for any type of food source, such as ripe fruit, garbage in your kitchen drain, and of course, your sourdough starter.
Like ripe or rotting fruit, the beginning of your dough is constantly fermenting, which makes it a very tasty food source for fruit flies.
Fruit flies seemingly appear out of nowhere. However, they are always around, hidden in your home. Normally, they tend to hang out in the kitchen, near the drain or fruit bowl, desperately waiting for the fruit to rot.
And once you've got the sourdough starter into the kitchen, fruit flies will immediately surround it, dipping their toes in every chance they get!
How to protect your engine from fruit flies?
There are many ways to keep sourdough starter protected from fruit flies, and these include:
- Keeping your motor covered
- Putting the starter in another container
- Saving it somewhere else
- Setting a trap for fruit flies
- Make sure your kitchen is free of other food sources
Cover your starter
Maybe you made one fruit bread with sourdough and suddenly noticed the flies.
The best way to protect your starter from fruit flies is to make sure it is the container is covered at all times.
There are a number of ways to cover your engine depending on whether you want to allow some air into your engine or not.
If your starter is fairly young, then it's best to let it breathe. Cover the starter with a coffee filter or paper towel and secure this with an elastic band or thick string.
You can also use your jar lid, just make sure you don't screw it on too tight!
Save the starter somewhere else
To protect the starter from fruit flies, place the jar in a microwave or yogurt maker. Cover it with a lid or close the microwave door, and that should keep your starter fly free.
Moreover, you can always use one dough proofer to keep your starter away from fruit flies. This allows your starter to ferment smoothly without pesky fruit flies jumping around.
If there's nothing else you can think of, then try placing the jar in a large zip lock bag, making sure the top is sealed so fruit flies can't get to it.
Of course, a baked sourdough starter it can be refrigerated, effectively out of reach.
Set up a fruit fly trap
Setting up a fruit fly trap is a great way to get rid of these pests once and for all.
You can easily make a trap by pouring apple cider vinegar on a plate and then putting a layer of dish soap on top of it. Fruit flies will swarm in the vinegar, but will be trapped in the soapy water.
Remove other food sources
To eliminate fruit flies from your kitchen, simply make sure there are no food sources that are attracting these flies to your kitchen. Of course, this is a challenge in itself, since the kitchen is literally where the food is supposed to reside.
However, if you want to keep ripe bananas (for you banana bread with sourdoughmaybe), you can always consider refrigerating them or freezing them for smoothies and desserts.
Be sure to wash and clean all fruits and vegetables you bring into your home and store them away from the kitchen counter.
Make sure your drains are clean and free of debris, you can also spray baking soda and vinegar, followed by plenty of hot water, at least once a week to keep drains fresh and fruit free of flies.
These techniques will also keep your kitchen clean of other pesky insects like ants.
Sourdough mistakes
Throughout your sourdough journey, you will encounter many insects, including the occasional fruit fly. The above troubleshooting tips will help you overcome even the smallest problems surrounding the active starter.
Here is how to get rid of other bugs in your home.
Frequently asked questions
Why are there worms in a sourdough starter?
Fruit flies can lay their larvae in a sourdough starter, meaning your engine will end up with little worms, therefore smelling terrible. Use an airtight lid or cover your starter jar with a cloth to keep fruit flies out.
How do you feed a sour bug?
To feed your sourdough bug, add 50g of purified water and 50g of all-purpose flour. Then mix, cover and let rest on the counter at room temperature.
Should I Pour Hooch?
Yes, absolutely. WHEREAS hook it is completely harmless, it should be poured and discarded before mixing and feeding the starter.
