Hi Rhonda, it sounds to me like your starter might be a bit too stiff and dry to show the kind or rising behavior we talk about in our starter recipe. You might want to try our method for a few days, which involves feeding equal parts by weight of starter, water and flour. The quantity of starter you maintain doesn't have to be large, and you'll save on flour if you reduce the size a bit. Just be sure your starter isn't spread out too thin in a wide bowl or Tupperware container. For our starter feeding routine a quart sized wide mouth canning jar that is taller than it is wide works well, but we also have a smaller starter recipe that fits nicely in an 8 ounce canning jar. It's also fine to cover your starter container a little more securely with plastic wrap or a loose fitting lid so the surface doesn't dry out. I would feed once a day until the starter begins rising again, and then switch to twice a day feedings. Once your starter is doubling predictably and has a pleasant aroma, then you can consider your starter mature and ready to use in sourdough bread recipes.
June 25, 2022 at 9:53am
In reply to Hello, I am a first time… by Rhonda McCollum (not verified)
Hi Rhonda, it sounds to me like your starter might be a bit too stiff and dry to show the kind or rising behavior we talk about in our starter recipe. You might want to try our method for a few days, which involves feeding equal parts by weight of starter, water and flour. The quantity of starter you maintain doesn't have to be large, and you'll save on flour if you reduce the size a bit. Just be sure your starter isn't spread out too thin in a wide bowl or Tupperware container. For our starter feeding routine a quart sized wide mouth canning jar that is taller than it is wide works well, but we also have a smaller starter recipe that fits nicely in an 8 ounce canning jar. It's also fine to cover your starter container a little more securely with plastic wrap or a loose fitting lid so the surface doesn't dry out. I would feed once a day until the starter begins rising again, and then switch to twice a day feedings. Once your starter is doubling predictably and has a pleasant aroma, then you can consider your starter mature and ready to use in sourdough bread recipes.