Any Home Bakers Here?

[BigBlueHen53]

A question for those experienced with sourdough starter. Should I continue my current routine while waiting for it to be "bread ready"? (I've been following melissaknorris.com but not clear on this part)

I began a new starter (my first) just over 2 weeks ago.
- First 7-9 days, I fed it twice per day and discarded half once per day.
- Then I switched to feeding once per day, no discard.... at least until the jar got too full. Then I discarded all but about 1/4 cup and continued with once per day feeding.

So I've read that it can take from 3-6 weeks before a new starter is strong enough to make bread (not in a loaf pan). That the starter should double in size after a feeding when it is bread ready.

I was feeding 1/4 cup flour per feeding but had upped it to 1/2 cup per feeding. Not sure if it makes a difference or not. I read that multiple smaller feedings will make it more sour than fewer larger feedings. I'm not keen on too sour, so that's why I was upping to 1/2 cup. Am I overthinking this? Should I continue with 1/2 cup feeding (jar fills up faster) or go back to 1/4 cup?

I haven't seen any doubling in size, or even close to that.

Here is my starter this morning before feeding. I haven't fed it yet as I wait for a reply here. The rubber band shows the level after yesterday's feeding. (Last pic is just to show the size/capacity of my mason jar. It's not one of those huge ones I see some people use.)
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Are you giving it water as well as flour? In what proportions? I can only tell you how I feed mine. @ronott1 is our resident expert!

I've found that a digital scale is best for weighing the flour and water. But I've also measured those components after weighing them, so now sometimes I "cheat." I feed my starter 100g of warm water and 100g bread flour. I've found that it comes out to ABOUT half a cup water and ABOUT a cup of flour. I've also discovered that my starter is more forgiving than I used to think, back when I was diligently weighing down to the gram like a mad scientist.

When do I feed? Well, when I think I need to bake bread, I take my starter out of the fridge in the morning and set it out on the counter to get to room temp. Before I go to bed, I feed it. I know it's going to burble and grow during the night and fall back down. It's going to be all happy, like a '69 Camaro sitting in the driveway, idling, ready to go somewhere. So in the morning I start my recipe. Giving it some flour, water and salt is like feeding it again, and vrooom, off we go! I'll have a completed loaf around dinner time or a little later. Ron does it differently so he has bread about mid-morning.

By the way, that's not a pink streak in your starter, is it? Pink's not good. Maybe it's just the graphics on my phone that makes it look pink, it could just be a shadow.

Also, are you sure your starter isn't doubling while you're not looking and then falling back down? It will do that. Maybe you're just missing the peak activity.

 

[MotherofOrpies]

I found out starter likes freshly milled flour much better than store bought. I usually take it out of the fridge, pour luke warm water ( anything above 39 C kills it) one tablespoon amount of starter ( you can use anything from 50-100 ml) and stir well with a wooden or plastic spoon ( metal also kills it) then stir in the same amount of flour (50-100g) and wait a few hours, til it has doubled, then into the fridge again. It is always better to only use some of the starter and at least 3 times the amount of fresh water/flour mixture, or else it starts getting too sour..if you really want to give your starter a boost, you can stir a teaspoon of honey ( real one!! ) into it

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Yes, the "same amount of water and flour" - by weight, not by volume.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I found out starter likes freshly milled flour much better than store bought. I usually take it out of the fridge, pour luke warm water ( anything above 39 C kills it) on a tablespoon amount of starter ( you can use anything from 50-100 ml) and stir well with a wooden or plastic spoon ( metal also kills it) then stir in the same amount of flour (50-100g) and wait a few hours, til it has doubled, then into the fridge again. It is always better to only use some of the starter and at least 3 times the amount of fresh water/flour mixture, or else it starts getting too sour..if you really want to give your starter a boost, you can stir a teaspoon of honey ( real one!! ) into it

Oh, I didn't know I could add honey, thanks for that! Makes sense! I will def do that with My Precious, my half whole wheat starter, she's much slower than Frodo, my white one (bread flour). I use the whole wheat one for my pizza crusts, they are delicious!

 

[ronott1]

The best thing to do for keeping a starter active is to use the starter often.

I do not add honey but have added potato flour. Sourdough get it's sugar from breaking down flour so honey is not needed for it's sugar content.

There might be other things in honey that helps though.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

The best thing to do for keeping a starter active is to use the starter often.

I do not add honey but have added potato flour. Sourdough get it's sugar from breaking down flour so honey is not needed for it's sugar content.

There might be other things in honey that helps though.

Can I use mashed potato flakes, Ron?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Can I use mashed potato flakes, Ron?

And, er, how much? Like a tsp, a Tbsp, or more?

 

[BullChick]

I needed to bake a chocolate cake for a neighbor. That turned into two cakes. Then I was asked to make biscuits. Then…
Biscuits, country gravy, two cakes, chicken salad, stuffed peppers, three smoothies and a batch of scones later, I am ready for bed.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Morning Home Bakers need to feed the starter.
Better half is his Birthday today.
Sourdough pizza bacon and pepperoni.

 

[jnicholes]

@ronott1 I’m very pleased to say that your starter is starting to rise in the jar. It took a couple of days, but it’s really starting to takeoff now. I’ve been feeding it half a cup of flour and water every morning, by weight.

I actually have a second starter that I got off of eBay. According to the seller, it was over 100 years old. I figured I’d give it a try. I actually made bread with it this morning, and it turned out really delicious. It’s rising in its jar also.

I just got to figure out names for the starters now.

Jared