October 23, 2006 - 6:35pm
Cheesy Starter?
Hey everyone, I'm new to the site. I didn't know that there was a place to fuel my baking addiction!
Well I have a concern about a starter that I just started on Saturday. I am using Peter Reinhart's method from BBA, but using only unbleached bread flour, instead of the rye since I want a pure white starter. So my "Seed Culture" is on Day Three, and I got home today to check my starter, and it had an odor somewhat similar to that of Parmesan cheese...
I fed it and decided to come check on here if there's anything that I should be worried about. Thanks.
Share
Unless you see weird colors or fuzzy stuff growing on it, you're probably OK. Just keep feeding it and give it more time.
BTW, starting with rye or whole wheat for the first couple of days shouldn't stop you from making a white starter. Rye and whole wheat ferment more easily than white flour, so it gives the starter a "jump-start." But after day three you can start adding white flour. After a few feedings, it's almost entirely white.