Hello- so my starter is almost 4 weeks old now, so still quite young I know.
The problem I’m having is it seems to take so long to double – around 10 hours (the photo is after 4 hours, there are some bubbles but it’s barely risen at all). Is this just because it’s still a young starter? Do I just need to wait it out or is there anything I can do?
For context, I’ve been feeding it in a 1:1:1 ratio using a 50/50 mix of whole wheat and bread flour every 24 hours, and I live in a warm humid place – room temperature is around 26c.
by Specialist-Fruit5766
9 Comments
Try feeding twice a day, say 9 AM and 9 PM. Make sure your flour is fresh. Optionally, use a mix of rye, whole wheat, and white flours to feed.
1:1:1 should raise up quick at 26 degrees, starter it’s not that strong yet
Are you capping it with that lid immediately? It needs to breathe. Try a linen cloth over it with an elastic.
To add strength to your starter you could try:
– feed 1:2:2 (or more) ratio
– only use whole grain when feeding (so rye or whole wheat)
– feed twice a day
Also, what water are you adding? Make sure to not use filtered water and make sure it doesn’t contain chlorine (so if you live in an area where tap water contains chlorine I’d recommend using bottled water)
Hi. You are nearly there🙂 persevere.
While whole wheat provides high nutrition and protein, it also has a high proportion of bran tiny little evil razor that chew up gluten into tiny bits. This causes decreased gluten strands and less gas retention, so the dough does not rise so much.
Having said that, it sounds like your starter has stalled. And needs to be revitalised.
Stalled starter
Hi. Your starter is still young and developing maturity. Is is vulnerable to changes in the growing medium acidity. Should it become more neutral or even a little base, it will allow the unfavourable bacteria present in the flour you feed it to develop before succumbing to the developing acidic medium.
It becomes diluted through over feeding or over hydrating. Two ways. Reducing the starter reduces the available yeast population adding water and flour further diluted population. It takes time for the population to gain enough strength to multiply and then more to multiply and continue growing. If the cycle is interrupted with remix and reduction thebthe starter is further weakened and becomes more base. It can also become diluted through over hydration.
My best advice is to mix it thoroughly. Reduce to 15 g. Then, feed 1:1:1 with a mixed flour 80 % Tipo 2 and 20% whole wheat or rye. Allow it to ferment out on the counter covered with a loose screw top. When it is falling, repeat feed process. Mix thoroughly reduce by 2/3 feed and leave out to ferment. Time the time it takes to double. Then repeat the process when it starts to fall or has fallen.
When your starter is doubling consistently over 3 or 4 feed cycles and within 4 hours, you are ready to bake.
You don’t need much starter. I keep just 45 grams in the fridge between bakes (approximately once per week). When I want to bake, I pull out the starter, let it warm, mix it thoroughly, and then feed it 1:1:1. I take out 120g for my levain, leaving me 15g to feed 1:1:1 again and put straight back in the fridge for the next bake.
Happy baking
To build strength, you want to fead it around its peak. If you double in 10 hours, plus a few more to peak, say, then you’re missing peak by like 10 hours. You either need to feed more often, and hit that peak, or increase the ratio of food and water to starter, so your one a day is closer to peak.
What is the water temperature? If you use cold water, it may lower the starter temp
Every 24 hours is too long between feedings for it to be left at room temperature. Yes its still a young starter and will likely be slow but a starter left out for 24 hours without a feeding has little vitality left. Start doing every 12 hours at most if its being left at room temp all day.
I’m going to take this opportunity to ask my noob related question. Relatively new to baking bread and absolutely brand new to sourdough. I pulled my starter out from the fridge and poured in 3/4 cup mix of 111 as suggested above as well as 3/4 cup of water. Now what? Do I leave in the fridge put leave it on the counter? How often do I feed and stir and ?