Hi Harry, We have some stiff starter insight for you, courtesy of Laurie, one of our expert bread bakers on the hotline: A stiff starter that is healthy is actually not super sour, but a complex and occasionally fruity-smelling culture. The idea is to have the yeast super healthy. Chilling the starter for some days will leave it dormant and will be less likely to help bread rise. Retarding the boule is one way to develop flavor, (which you did), and that’s the way most bakeries make a slightly more sour loaf.

One thing you may want to consider is adding a bit of rye flour to your starter. Rye tends to sour a bit faster and you could use 50% dark rye- or actually, even all rye- to make a slightly more earthy loaf. An all-rye starter tends not to double, but to go from a very stiff mixture to a looser one as it rises, and should have some bubbles and a puffiness to it. It adds complexity to the dough.

If you're looking for complexity in flavor, you might try this recipe for Harpoon Miche, which uses two preferments. If you're looking for something with a prominent sour flavor profile, try our Extra-Tangy Sourdough Bread recipe. I hope that helps! Kye@KAF

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