Barb at King Arthur

July 28, 2020 at 11:37am

In reply to by Cherry (not verified)

Hi Cherry, the rise you saw on day 2 was likely caused by a type of bacteria that gives off carbon dioxide. While fairly common, the presence of this type of bacteria seems to be related to a subsequent delay in the wild yeast kicking in. While definitely not ideal, this isn't an insurmountable problem and eventually sourdough starters have a way of working things out, given enough time and patience. In order to see the kind of doubling behavior we describe, it's helpful to store your starter in an appropriately sized glass jar that is taller than it is wide, and allows for about an inch of starter depth, right after feeding. While starters can be kept in any food safe container, it can be harder to see the starter rise when it's stored in a wide bowl or Tupperware container. 

If you're not a particularly patient person there are a few alternatives you could consider. One is to start over with a feeding routine that is meant to nip this bacteria in the bud, and thereby allow the yeast to join the party in a more timely fashion. Microbiologist and sourdough baker, Debra Wink, developed this method , and you can read more about it here

A second option is to modify your feeding routine in a way that increases the acidity of your starter (which seems to help pave the way for the wild yeast to kick in). Debra Wink also suggested this modified feeding routine as a way to combat stuck starter syndrome (my term): 

1. Feed once a day. 

2. Feed with whole wheat or whole rye flour. 

3. Feed with a ratio of 2 parts starter : 1 part water : 1 part wholegrain flour (by weight). 

Once your starter begins to rise predictably then it's important to resume twice a day feedings (which will further promote yeast activity). 

The tricky part of adopting this alternative routine is that I suspect your warmer temperatures are probably already making your starter fairly acidic, even with your reduced percentage of starter (the thin consistency of your starter is an indication of this). And since you're already feeding with whole wheat flour, it may not be necessary or helpful to change things up quite so drastically. It wouldn't hurt to try a 1:1:1 ratio (by weight), stick to the whole wheat flour, by still keep the twice a day feedings. 

As soon as your starter begins to rise predictably, pay attention to when the starter rises to its peak. At this point you may need to adopt a feeding routine that involves an even smaller portion of starter relative to water/flour fed. Ideally you want to replenish (feed) your starter when it's at its peak of rising, or just beginning to fall. Allowing the starter to collapse significantly between feedings tends to lead to sluggish yeast behavior. In warmer conditions your starter is more likely to peak early, and collapse long before the 12 hour mark. In this case, feeding your starter a relatively larger meal of water and flour can help slow down fermentation and allow you to line up your twice a day feedings closer to the peak. Once your starter is rising predictably, you might want to try a 1:4:4 ratio (starter:water:flour, by weight). For your starter amount this would look like: 14g starter +56g water + 56g flour. 

Once you've achieved a mature, stable starter, then taking advantage of refrigerating your starter when you're not planning to bake will definitely make your life easier, although it will still be helpful to give it a day or two of twice a day feedings at room temperature prior to baking bread. When you plan to refrigerate your starter give it a feeding and let it sit out at room temperature until it begins bubbling before storing it in the refrigerator. When maintaining your starter at room temperature it won't hurt now and then to stick it in the refrigerator if it's peaked and you're not able to feed it right then.  

You may also want to consider gradually transitioning to feeding with unbleached all-purpose flour, which doesn't ferment quite as quickly as wholegrain flours and may make for a starter that is a bit easier to maintain in your climate. 

I hope this helps! I know I threw a lot of information at you, so let me know if you have further questions. 

Barb

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