I am making Italian bread and it calls for a sponge starter, which I made and is sitting rising on my counter.

The recipe gives me a recipe for sponge starter and it makes a ton of starter, then only calls for 1 1/2 cups of it in the recipe.

My question is this: Can you store the extra sponge starter and use it later? If so, how do you store it and for how long can you store it?

I guess if I can't store it, I will have to use it all up. But each recipe that uses 1 1/2 cups of starter makes 3 loaves of Italian bread, so if I have to use it all up, I am going to have at least a dozen loaves!!!! I guess if it comes to that, I will make it all and give it away to neighbors! I just don't want to waste it!

Any suggestions?

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Sarah