Sourdough Starter: Clarifying Confusing Information

[J13]

Day 11: smaller jar didn’t help. I think my starter hates me. I had such plans for it when it was just an active little 3 day starter—it would grow into a starter that would inflate and deflate and smell all sourdoughy...and once it matured, ah, the bread we’d make! We’d do such wonderful things together....but it just sits like a lump in its jar, ignoring me and playing video games. Did I overfeed it?

 

[Becky]

I used this guide for mine, and it worked really well:

https://www.ilovecooking.ie/features/sourdough-bread-masterclass-with-patrick-ryan/

I used organic wholemeal rye flour for mine. As I understand it, the spores come largely from the flour which is why I used organic.

I've only made one starter though, so maybe I just had beginner's luck!

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Day 11: smaller jar didn’t help. I think my starter hates me. I had such plans for it when it was just an active little 3 day starter—it would grow into a starter that would inflate and deflate and smell all sourdoughy...and once it matured, ah, the bread we’d make! We’d do such wonderful things together....but it just sits like a lump in its jar, ignoring me and playing video games. Did I overfeed it?

I didn’t want to say anything at the time, but the starter schedule with all the changes to ratios and flours sounded completely and unnecessarily complicated. Its not you. It’s whoever came up with that starter.

Perfect Loaf...

 

[J13]

I didn’t want to say anything at the time, but the starter schedule with all the changes to ratios and flours sounded completely and unnecessarily complicated. Its not you. It’s whoever came up with that starter.

Perfect Loaf...

Well, to be fair, it started out very regular with the same feeding ratio over and over again. The lack of activity happened before any changes....can I save what I have or do I need to start over?

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Well, to be fair, it started out very regular with the same feeding ratio over and over again. The lack of activity happened before any changes....can I save what I have or do I need to start over?

Yes, but then all of those changes. That was very strange; I’ve never seen a starter go from simple to complex. Starter is very simple. Flour and water. The fact that your starter is doing nothing at this point is not a good sign. I would start over.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Well, to be fair, it started out very regular with the same feeding ratio over and over again. The lack of activity happened before any changes....can I save what I have or do I need to start over?

You don’t have to change the composition of the flours once the yeast develops. You only need to change the flours for a reason, such as gluten levels or flavor profiles. Changing the flours in an underdeveloped starter can be tricky. So a cookbook shouldn’t take a beginner through those complex steps. They just need to get a starter up and running.

Since the starter is not showing signs of life it might be a good idea to start over. .

 

[J13]

You don’t have to change the composition of the flours once the yeast develops. You only need to change the flours for a reason, such as gluten levels or flavor profiles. Changing the flours in an underdeveloped starter can be tricky. So a cookbook shouldn’t take a beginner through those complex steps. They just need to get a starter up and running.

Since the starter is not showing signs of life it might be a good idea to start over. .

Okay. Back to the drawing board....

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Okay. Back to the drawing board....

Don’t be disheartened, bread is the most complex of all baked good. And we’ve all killed starters. I’ve killed more starters than I can count. But you will bring one to life @J13, I guarantee it!

 

[J13]

Don’t be disheartened, bread is the most complex of all baked good. And we’ve all killed starters. I’ve killed more starters than I can count. But you will bring one to life @J13, I guarantee it!

Thanks for the encouragement! And I think for Starter 2.0 I’ll start a new thread

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Thanks for the encouragement! And I think for Starter 2.0 I’ll start a new thread

You will get there