starter rising, but when I try to float a small spoonful in water, it sinks. The starter is two weeks old. It’s a 1/2 and 1/2 WW starter. And, it might be my newbie imagination....it seems to have a pink hue. I read this is bad. Why is it not floating?
I’m really sorry to take up space with these newbie questions. But I want to do it correctly. I am really appreciative of any advice.
Thank you very much
You’ll get better advise from the more experienced, but I recognize this “problem”. Your starter is just too young. Keep feeding it. It also looks too liquidy. I’ve had much better success with a tighter starter than that appears.
I found that my starter got better and better over the months and somehow ferments quicker. Not sure if this is the starter or if there is wild yeast living in my kitchen or what.
Is this your starter? or your build for making bread? It is a key difference.
1) Your starter is what you keep feeding every day (or longer periods if you are away) to maintain your culture of yeast and bacteria. You discard 80-90% of it each day and add water and flour. I usually keep about 100-200g going. And I use the discard in muffins or pancakes if I can.
2) Your levain is what you build from your starter for a particular bake.
I keep a 100% hydration starter going. When I want to bake I take maybe a tablespoon (ish) of starter and then build a levain for my bake. The small amount of starter in the build helps ensure a fresh more lactic levain instead of acetic. The build is done at room temperature. If I need 350g levain I add enough water and flour to get to 350 plus about 50 g more to then keep as my starter. The left over starter is discarded or put into muffins.
I do the levain build usually the night before a morning bake or early morning before an evening bake. It is usually frothy and ready in the morning and quite young so not acetic but more lactic which is what you want. You don't want a strong vinegar (acetic acid) smell. I no longer do the float test as when it is frothy I know it will float. I guess I do the float test when I mix however as I add 1) the water then 2) the required weight of levain, 3) disperse the levain in the water, 4) the flour, 5) mix until shaggy, 6) autolyse, 7) add salt 8) final mix, 9) primary ferment, 10) proof, 11) bake, 12) eat. This is how Chad Robertson does it in Tartine Bread and I find it easy. There is some debate whether you should have the yeast in the autolyse but honestly I don't find it makes a difference.
HINT: put an elastic band around your build after mixing it up to mark the volume before fermentation starts. You can easily then see how much volume growth you get and you will get an idea of when it is ready based on just this and the consistency. My consistency is jelly like when it is ready.
After mixing my bread recipe I take the left over levain and add flour and water to take it to about 200g total weight and put it in the fridge (I only bake about once a week). I then take it out of the fridge about a day before I bake and leave it on the counter, feed it, and then build again. The warmer counter part helps keep the acetic acid levels lower.
I would just keep going with feeding your starter daily - and use smaller amounts as you don't need to have a huge amount of starter as some people say. Do a build before going to bed to the desired hydration for your reciped and test it in the morning - leave it on the counter not in the fridge.
Hope this provides some insight
I agree that a thicker starter might benefit you. It most likely dissolves into water. Also, WW will add a pinkish/tan hue. It is called "red wheat" for a reason.
Keep going! You have the start of a starter. The yeast poopulation needs to increase.