Homer

June 30, 2015 at 10:13pm

I thought I would pass this along for those who worry about sluggish starter. I was so concerned about a batch that was just bubbling, but not growing, that I started a second batch. I kept the first one going, just in case. So, after several days they both bubbled and smelled sour, but did not raise. Both batches were in 1 quart canning jars. I put rubber bands around the jar to mark the starting point, The best I got was about 1/4 inch above the starting point after 24 hours. It dawned on me that my feeding was too thin, which might allow the bubbles to escape instead of puffing up the dough. So, after nursing this bubbling broth for about 8 days, I decided to feed only to the point of a rather wet biscuit dough. That's when one quart jars were just not big enough. My starter (both jars) did not double, they both quadrupled in only 10 to 12 hours. I had plastic "keeper" lids on the jars (not tight), but the dough pushed the lids up and ran down the outside of the jar. It was interesting to see that thick starter become rather liquid, like the pancake batter people have mentioned. This stuff is so active that, if left alone after being stirred down, they would still double again in less than an hour without feeding. So, if you are worried about sluggish starter, you may need to adjust your flour/water feeding proportions. If done right, it is amazing.
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