Patience is a virtue, but one I sadly lack. I'm now on Day 7 and my starter has just a few bubbles on top but I've seen no evidence of expansion. I used whole wheat flour on Day 1 as recommended. I've followed the recipe exactly and my hydration seems OK. I weigh everything on a digital scale. On Day 6 I decided to experiment. I split my starter into thirds (4 oz each). To one I added 4 oz of unbleached APF + 4 oz water. To the second I added 4 oz of whole wheat flour +water and to the second I added 4 oz of KA Rye (not the Pumpernickel). I fed the first 12 hours later with APF and the other two their respective flours. Then this morning I fed each of them with APF., Five hours later there are a few bubbles on the original (seven to be exact), three on the whole wheat and one on the rye. I was hoping for more and that I would get a boost from adding either whole wheat or rye. Am I being too impatient? I also freeze my flours, except the APF which I use frequently enough to keep at room temperature. Instant yeast stores well in the freezer, so I would assume any natural yeast would also remain viable. Am I correct? I'm using filtered cold water from the refrigerator and warming it to 90 - 100 degrees F in the microwave oven. Any suggestions?
December 6, 2018 at 1:21pm