My experience with starters varies according to whether (or not) the recipe calls for yeast to boost the leavening. After having a sluggish starter that took weeks before it finally started to double, I now have a vigorous starter that doubles in volume in about 2-4 hours after being taken out of the fridge and given its first feeding. I have been successful with the Rustic Sourdough recipe using the lower amount of yeast. For my latest batch of Rustic Sourdough, I didn't want to bake right away, so I let the dough rise for about 45 minutes at 75 degrees and then put the dough in the fridge to slow down the rise. Even in the fridge, the dough has risen like gangbusters! (I have had to deflate it a couple of times because I'm not quite ready for the final shaping, rise, and baking.) I look forward to seeing how the flavor turns out with the slower rise. If I were baking a loaf with just starter and no yeast, however, I'd probably take the extra time to do multiple feedings before baking.
March 25, 2018 at 10:13am