May 17, 2020 - 10:07am
Starter only floats half of it
Hi Bakers! I am a newbie, have created maybe 7 loaves of sourdough french bread, and I am wondering - does the starter have to float completely? Some of it floats, and then some goes to the bottom. Comments?
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Float test does not really work all that well and was totally unknown until a few years ago when some entrerprising writer put it in their book.
I agree with the above comment. I have never used the float test, especially not for every bake with a well-established starter. If my starter shows that it is happy (doubling or tripling in about 6-8 hours, has lots of airy bubbles, smells nice and is a little 'gelatinous' when I first mix the water into it when I'm ready to feed or bake with it), then I know it is active, healthy and ready to make bread. I wouldn't waste your time on doing a float test since it sounds like you have had successful bakes up to now. If you were having issues and suspected your starter wasn't healthy, perhaps some more investigation might be in order. Otherwise, I wouldn't worry about whether it floats or not and save yourself some hassle.
Hi there, Hope you don't mind me joining in the convo. what does it mean if your starter doesn't double within 6-8 hrs. More like 12-24 hrs. at about 20 c usually
Hiya! I think everyone has different rise times for their starters, since there are so many different variables involved, like room temp, type of flour(s) used, health of a starter, kept in fridge or on counter, etc. I guess what is most important is if it does what it needs to do and provides bakes you are satisfied with!
This site has a lot of helpful information: https://www.theperfectloaf.com/frequently-asked-sourdough-starter-questions/
i guess i'm hoping for more predictability because i've had many nights when i'm having to make the dough at 12am because that's when it has peaked. then i stay up til 2am doing stretch and folds. Lol
It does not mean much without knowing feeding ratios.
YOu're right . i forgot about the ratios. this time, i fed it whole wheat. i think the ratio was something like 50:80:80
Yeah, 5:8:8 does sound like a 5-6 hour starter, particularly with WW. Do you feed it straigth out of the fridge?
yes i did feed it straight out of the fridge this time..
It probably could use a feeding or two then.