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+#### Keeping Starter on the Counter
+
+NOTE: This method works well for those who bake sourdough bread
+muliple times during the week, and who also like making other baked
+goods with leftover starter. In this chapter, a stiff starter (60
+percent hydration) is discussed, but these techniques will work just
+as well for a wet starter (100% hydration). This personal account was
+written by JMonkey.
+
+This is how I maintain my own starter, which I created in 2005. I'm a
+telecommuter who works from home, and I bake bread for the family two
+to three times a week. Occasionally, I'll make a loaf with commercial
+yeast, but typically, I make sourdoughs. Also, on the weekend, I like
+to make sourdough English muffins and sourdough waffles.
+
+Keeping my starter in the fridge meant I was constantly trying to
+remember when I needed to take the stuff out to rev it up for bread,
+and I'd often realize too late that I didn't have enough starter for
+the muffins or waffles.
+
+After some tinkering, I finally decided to keep the starter on the
+counter and feed it once or twice a day, which means I've always got
+at least enough active starter for my overnight whole grain sourdough,
+and, if I'll need more for a daytime sourdough, I've got enough to
+seed a bigger amount that can ripen while I sleep. The regimen that I
+now follow also has the advantage of not wasting anything, because I
+use all the extra starter stored in the fridge to make all the waffles
+and English muffins I want. Since both of these recipes derive most of
+their rise from the interaction of acids and baking soda, using
+week-old starter from the fridge has enough oomph for leavening and
+flavor, given that it's gotten pretty acidic already.
+
+Anyway, I'm not saying this is *the* way to maintain a starter - it's
+just what works for me at this time in my life.
+
+I usually feed it twice a day, once in the morning and once again
+before bed. Sometimes I forget, though, and only feed it once a day,
+but it doesn't seem to mind much. I keep it at 60% hydration, which is
+pretty stiff, but I find it's less messy and stands up a bit better
+that the wet stuff would to a missed feeding here and there, due to my
+forgetful nature. Here's how I feed it (it's a 1-3-5 ratio for
+starter-water-flour by weight).
+
+In the morning, it hasn't risen much, but it feels puffy, and when I
+break it open, it's clearly aerated inside. Sometimes, it actually
+blows the lid off the plastic container.
+
+It weighs about 45 grams, so I take 5 grams of it (about the size of a
+small marble) and put the rest in my fridge bowl. These leftovers will
+find their way into waffles or English muffins later in the week.
+
+Then I add 15 grams (1 Tbs) of water and mush it up until it's soft
+and the water has turned somewhat milky in color.
+
+Then I add 25 grams (2 heaping Tbs or 2 Tbs + 1 tsp) of whole wheat
+flour.
+
+(If you're maintaining a wet starter, simply increase the water to 25
+grams)
+
+Finally, I mix it all up with a spoon, take it out and knead it a bit
+in my hands, which consists of folding it over on itself four or five
+times. I then roll it into a ball, snap on the lid and let it work.
+
+That's it. I've found it's not that much of a hassle to feed it twice
+a day and is much less annoying than realizing I can't make a
+sourdough because I forgot to take my starter out of the fridge and
+feed it.