I have a question about using the starter discard. I wanted to try the sourdough crumpets that were mentioned in a recent post, so I took some of my 1:1:1 starter that I had been nurturing fairly well, just before the next feeding, and followed the recipe. The result was a thick, stodgy batter/dough with absolutely no response to the baking soda. I then watched the isolation episode with the Vermont sourdough and crumpets. I tried using the levain called for in that recipe, let it sit for 16 hours, same results. I sent in a question about that and was told it was about hydration, but there is nothing in the recipe about using any extra water or about using a liquid versus stiff starter. Does it have to do with how long the starter has been sitting since the last feeding, and if so, how long is ideal? The professional baker in the video mentioned he feeds his starter daily, so would you ever truly have any unfed starter in that case? Also, how long can you let a typical 1:1:1 starter sit out at room temperature 74° F before feeding?

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