Barb at King Arthur

April 14, 2020 at 10:49am

In reply to by Rico Altman-Merino (not verified)

Hi Rico, I apologize for the delay in responding to your question, and appreciate your willingness to read through the comments! I doubt the initial lag in feeding that occurred is still affecting your starter, especially if you've been feeding regularly and consistently for 2-3 weeks. If you happened to see mold or a pink/orange tinge on your starter after the 5 day gap in feeding, then I probably would have told you to start fresh, but I trust there were no such warning signs. Currently it sounds like your smaller starter is weighing in at 35 grams? You might consider switching to our smaller starter recipe, which is maintained at 60g, with a 1:1:1 ratio and twice a day feedings. I suggest this not because your starter routine is necessarily problematic, but because I know this amount fits nicely in an 8-ounce mason jelly jar, and will easily display the doubling in size that has eluded you, if your starter is capable of performing in this way. I think it's worth a try, at least. Once your starter is rising predictably, then you can incorporate some refrigeration, and build/revive your starter at room temperature prior to baking, as recommended in this article. This method can save a considerable amount of flour. As far as water temperature goes, I think anything in the 70-80ºF range is fine. For my mature starters I mostly use room temperature water, which is generally around 70 degrees. I hope this helps! Let us know how it goes. 

Barb

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