I have just found out that my starter is not healthy since it made my first loaf turn out like pancake batter. Can I save proteolytic sourdough starter and if yes, how do I do that?
Read through the posts that follow Debra Wink's Pineapple Juice Solution,Part 1. Another Fresh Loafian was faced with the same problem you have and the conversation between he and Debra is quite informative.
Truth be told, this can be (and typically is) caused by many other things - excessive water, weak flour, insufficient gluten development, incorrect fermentation time and so on. Basically, if you mix a stiff starter and it rises with a well-deveoped porous structure it's probably not proteolytic.
Read through the posts that follow Debra Wink's Pineapple Juice Solution,Part 1. Another Fresh Loafian was faced with the same problem you have and the conversation between he and Debra is quite informative.
Paul
Truth be told, this can be (and typically is) caused by many other things - excessive water, weak flour, insufficient gluten development, incorrect fermentation time and so on. Basically, if you mix a stiff starter and it rises with a well-deveoped porous structure it's probably not proteolytic.
Hi April, since you mentioned it was your first bread, are you sure your starter is not active and healthy?
Any healthy starter is capable of producing a dough that turn soupy, slack, and sloppy, if that dough is grossly over fermented.
Please post closeup images of your mature starter.
Danny