Sourdough maintainance with minimum starter
I have recently started a new sourdough starter that is approximately 1.5 months old and rises in 6 hours and falls in 12 hours.
I have been keeping my sourdough discard for baking other things but it still turns out to be a lot more that I can handle while feeding 20grams of starter 75 grams of flour and water each.
I do not really want to put my sourdough in a fridge since the sourdough that I discarded all a year ago, which I kept in the fridge was not getting stronger.
I now wonder if I can feed 5 grams of mother starter 25 grams of flour and water each. However, I see that even when I feed 10 grams of starter 40-40 grams flour and water it does not rise and fall as properly. So I am confused if I can do the 5 gram fed with 25-25 flour and water it with an electronic scale.
I would appreciate any help. If needed my room temp is 21-24°C
Im actually not to sure. I was told to add a 1/2tsp of sugar when feeding with equal amounts warm water and flour.
You can definitely feed 5:20:20 (very close to 20:75:75). It should rise and fall in the same time. However, you may need to go to a smaller container to see the exact same rise. A 100% hydration starter doesn’t have a ton of structural strength and may not support itself if the amount of starter is small in a wide container.
Many folks on TFL feed in those quantities (including me 😁)
Related to this: I use similar quantities. I use a small jar where my starter fills up about a quarter just after feeding. Then I can see that it's healthy and ready to go if it's nearing the top of the jar.
The only downside is that it would be hard to feed the starter in the jar, which some folks like to do. I take the carryover amount out of the jar and put it in a bowl, remove the rest from the jar, feed the carryover amount, and then put it back.
Thanks, I think a small jar which can help me see the rise and fall might work. I'll try it.
I use the little 1/2 pint canning jars like you’d use for making jam. Try to find one that has smooth sides versus all the prism-like patterns some of them have. Much easier to see what’s going on and keep it clean.
for me. I keep 5 grams of my stock and save the discard for pancakes. I feed the 5 grams with 15 grams each of water and flour. It peaks in about 10 hours in our 65F kitchen, and thrives on just two feedings a day. It peaks faster if I use my proofing box to keep it warmer. I keep it, unfed, in the fridge between bakes, sometimes for as much as a couple of months, but start "waking it up" a couple of days before a bake.
Large quantities are not necessary, and I've settled on the 5:15:15 for many years now after moving away from where you are. You should have no trouble with your 5:25:25, and based on my own experience you could go lower than that even. But: Save those discards and try the pancakes!
Happy Baking
OldWoodenSpoon
Thank you so much for your response :)
I recently started a “new” starter. I keep it at a 50 % hydration in a 65F basement. it triples overnight and drops after about 36 hrs.
My refresh is 50g starter, 25g water, and 75g flour. Once tripled overnight can be kept in fridge.
I ferment with an airlock.
I do 3/12/12 g (starter/flour/water) for my starter refreshes. I use little plastic pots that contained takeaway sauces - much better than glass as they reach proofing box temperature a lot quicker.
Just bear in mind that you need at least a 0.1g scale to weigh these small quantities. The inaccuracy with a 1g scale when weighing 3g could be 33-50%.
Lance
Nice. That's a very economical starter maintenance regimen.
I maintain my stiff rye starter using Hamelman's method. I feed it every day and lives on the counter. I vary it slightly according to the seasons.
"These days I bake once every week or two, and I only maintain the rye culture. I feed it daily. Here's how: 10 g ripe culture, 16 g water, 20 g whole rye flour. Pretty straightforward, right? However, I do make slight adjustments as the seasons come and go. For instance, this time of year--hot and humid in Vermont--I may start with just 7 or 8 grams of ripe culture to slow it down a bit. And I make it just slightly firmer during the hot months, as a firmer culture ripens more slowly than a looser one. And for that reason, I may increase the water weight by a gram or two in the winter to encourage full ripening ."
I found his complete instructions in Bread 3rd Ed.
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