Hi Ovy, in general I try to stick to the type of starter called for in the recipe, and convert my starter, if necessary, prior to making the recipe. The rational here is that most recipe authors have a reason they prefer one type of starter over the other, and the recipe will be most faithfully and successfully followed if the starter is replicated. That being said, if you want to try to substitute your stiff starter into a recipe calling for a liquid starter I would take into account both the amount of starter called for in the recipe and the difference in hydration. A very small amount of starter that is added to an overnight levain (as in our Pain Au Levain recipe) can likely be substituted 1:1 with no difficulties. However, in a recipe that calls for a cup (8 ounces) or more of starter, I would substitute 6 ounces stiff starter for every 8 ounces of liquid sourdough starter called for in the recipe, replacing the remaining 2 ounces with water. Remember that a stiff starter will need to be torn into small pieces and soaked for a bit in the liquid from the recipe before mixing. This will help dissolve the starter and make it easier to incorporate. Barb

• Reply