Barb at King Arthur

May 29, 2020 at 1:49pm

In reply to by Nicole (not verified)

Hi Nicole, sourdough starters do ferment more quickly when fed with whole grain flours like whole wheat or whole rye, so it's not surprising that you're seeing a slower rise when you switched to AP flour. Cooler temperatures will also slow things down. Whole grain flours also absorb more liquid than AP flour, so this may be part of the reason your starter seems to be a bit more watery. It's also fairly common for the starter to get a little sluggish when you change up its feeding routine, so the organisms in your starter may still be adjusting to the change in flour. So, all the behavior changes you've noted are normal, and don't necessarily indicate a problem with your starter, or a reason to change things up. As long as your room temperature is somewhere in the 70-80°F range, your starter should be fine. I would observe it's behavior and try to feed it when it reaches its peak of rising, or just as it begins to fall, which helps keep yeast activity strong. I hope this helps! Let us know how it goes. 

Barb

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