Hi Michelle, the fact that you're seeing predictable rising is great news, so don't get too hung up on the "doubling" behavior. Consistently feeding your starter when it's at its peak, or just as its beginning to fall is exactly what you need to do to keep yeast activity vigorous. You are already doing that, so why not try baking some bread with your starter when it's at its peak—you might just discover you're already where you need to be.
Keep in mind as you tweak the ratio of ingredients in your starter that whole wheat flour will ferment more quickly than white flour, so you may find you need to feed more frequently with this type of flour. Also, a whole grain starter tends to promote more flavor, but isn't likely to contribute as much rising power as a white flour starter. I don't like telling folks that it's necessary to feed your starter more than twice a day at room temperature, so ultimately you may want to return to the 1:2:2 or 1:3:3 ratio during the summer months, but this is between you and your starter. If your starter is rising predictably and is able to contribute to a good rise in your sourdough bread baking, then you're good to go, even it it isn't quite doubling!
June 3, 2020 at 11:43am
In reply to Hi Barb, thank you for all… by Michelle Rene (not verified)
Hi Michelle, the fact that you're seeing predictable rising is great news, so don't get too hung up on the "doubling" behavior. Consistently feeding your starter when it's at its peak, or just as its beginning to fall is exactly what you need to do to keep yeast activity vigorous. You are already doing that, so why not try baking some bread with your starter when it's at its peak—you might just discover you're already where you need to be.
Consider following along with our Sourdough Baking Guide, and baking our Naturally Leavened Sourdough Bread recipe.
Keep in mind as you tweak the ratio of ingredients in your starter that whole wheat flour will ferment more quickly than white flour, so you may find you need to feed more frequently with this type of flour. Also, a whole grain starter tends to promote more flavor, but isn't likely to contribute as much rising power as a white flour starter. I don't like telling folks that it's necessary to feed your starter more than twice a day at room temperature, so ultimately you may want to return to the 1:2:2 or 1:3:3 ratio during the summer months, but this is between you and your starter. If your starter is rising predictably and is able to contribute to a good rise in your sourdough bread baking, then you're good to go, even it it isn't quite doubling!
I hope this helps! Let us know how it goes.
Barb