Wild yeast of burden
Howdy! I love this website. I have been reading, printing and studying on the starter issue. On July 1 I went on safari for the wild yeast of burden...and i think i got one, however, as it is day 13, my starter seems rather sluggish. I did the grapefruit juice starter starting with and maintaining a relatively small amount so i am not losing much when "changing the baby". I am doing about a 1:1:1: ratio(by weight) but maybe after reading these posts i should be doing the 1:2:2..(starter, water, dough). I have NEVER seen a great rise..it is still sitting on the counter. hooch developed around days 5 and 6 and then i increased the flour by weight instead of volume. It bubbles, but not alot...pancake batter consistency. So the questions would be:
Do I change the ratio of starter/water/flour (using half white whole wheat and half ap at moment) to 1:2:2?
Should i go back to adding rye in the starter???
How much longer until i can refrigerate (it is pretty warm here right now..my house/kitchen is running in the low 80 degree range.ugh!) said starter? I have never had a rotten smell or any growth which either tells me i have nothing or something?
Anything i can do to kick the little beasty into high gear..i am so anxious to try a sourdough loaf with my new little buddy.
Any suggestions on maintaining...there seem to be quite a few opinions out there, simplest is best for me...i just bought a scale (for this reason) so go easy on me! Thanks!!!!
When I changed from 1:1 water:flour to 3:5 I noticed an immediate difference in how my starter behaved. Where before it rarely did more than bubble and 'fizz' a bit, it now routinely doubles or triples in size.
When I want to use it in recipes that call for a 100% hydration starter it is easy enough to add a small chunk of the firm starter to a 100% hydration mixture. A few feedings at 100% hydration and the new one keeps the activity of its parent.
to 5 times the amount of water and flour by weight, mark it and see how it rises. If it surprises you, increase it for a recipe and use your little buddy. No need to change flours on him.
Maintain the starter at 1:2:2 twice a day, but know you can increase easily when needed. By keeping it out and feeding twice a day at this early stage, the flavor will develop faster than if you keep it slow perking in the refrigerator.
Mini
Hi Mini!
is the ratio 1:2:2 really OK for feeding twice a day? I find that even at 1:5:5 (or 1:4:5) the starter begins to fall after 8 hours (and even much earlier now when the temperatues are about 30°C). Or am I confused and the feeding ratio doesn´t have any impact on the time of development?
zdenka
I did your test last evening...after mixing it all up (i did use a tsp) i had a little less than 1/4 cup and it did rise to just over 1/2 (more than doubled but not quite triple). So it is working...guess i should be feeding it twice a day though like you said. It is so hot i don't bake every day..maybe once a week. I think i will use that for zuchini bread just to see what happens...when i put it in a quick bread, do i just cut back a little on the water and flour or is that really negligible at this point...i hate throwing any down the sink (but i have a septic system so the yeast isn't going to waste just contributing to the activity somewhere else). Just add it to the recipe..it was quite thick and i don't think it will really cause a problem with that type of bread...has anyone else tried that?
What a great place to get answers! Thanks Fresh Loaf and contributors!!!!
Thanks Gman, Mini for the info. I did notice that it had risen yesterday..not a lot but some. I would really like to keep a smaller sample and feed a smaller sample so is one tsp TOO small or should i do a tablespoon with the same ratio and maintain that...or was that just for the "test", you want me to keep a larger amount???....it has a sour taste (sniffer is shot after years of sinus trouble)so i do think it is doing "something". i was hoping i could get by with one feeding a day at room temp but will try anything once...it seems healthy enough...
If it shoots up, then you should be feeding more. If you are feeding once a day, you should be using a higher ratio of flour to starter just so the starter doesn't go hungry.
You can use a tablespoon if you like but a teaspoon (rounded) is enough.
Mini