Does my Starter need a Life Preserver?

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HappyTeapot on 2 May 2020 at 12:32

Hello Fresh Loafers,

Newbie quarantine baker here. 

I have a small nameless starter that is almost a month old. I feed it twice/day - 1:1:1.  It gets 10g APF and 10g Whole Wheat.  My kitchen runs from 62-70 degrees and I give it filtered water that has been sitting out for days that is typically 68-71 degrees.  I keep it in a cabinet above the Fridge and that is about 68-70 degrees too.

Now, I have done the float test a few times.  Sometimes the starter floats for a few seconds then, sinks.  Other times, it just sinks.  If it floats, is it supposed to stay floating?

Is there any chance I can bake with it at all?  If not, how do I fix my issues?

Also, since my started is semi-small, how do I grow it to equal enough starter/levain for a recipe?  In all of my research, this still baffles me.

Thank you all for your guidance!

Lets see if you can use your starter to make bread.

  1. Weigh your starter. Then put it in a straight-sided jar or glass or something.
  2. Put in the same weight of water, and the same weight of flour (That's what you meant by 1:1:1, right? Not a volume measurement but a weight measurement?)
  3. Mix it all up with a butter knife.
  4. Mark the height of the starter in the jar with a rubber band or a sharpie on the outside of the glass.
  5. Put a loose lid on it.
  6. Observe. 

Does it get very bubbly and double in volume over the course of the day? Does it smell tart and fresh, like sour apple? If so, it will raise bread!

Put a bowl on your scale and zero it. Scrape your bubbly starter into the bowl. How much does it weigh? If less than 100 grams, feed it again without discarding. For example, if it weighs 75 grams, add 75 grams of water and 75 grams of flour. Repeat all the steps. Now you have 225 grams of starter! 

You need about 100 to 130 grams of starter to raise a loaf of bread (it should weigh around 20 to 25% the weight of the dry flour in your bread dough recipe.) Take out what you need (not right after feeding, but after it has doubled in volume.) Mix it into your recipe, and see how it does. Remember to feed your starter at the same time you remove some to make bread. 

That's it!  Ask again if you have questions...you didn't describe your starter so it's hard to know if it's very active or not. 

Thank you so much Seaside.  You are super kind to lay this out.  It is super helpful!

Ok, my starter:

- in a glass mason jar

- weighs approximately 60g before I feed it.  I feed it 10g APF, 10g whole wheat, 20g water, 20g starter.  I do measure by weight. 

- It definitely doubles or triples in size.  I use a rubber band to mark it.

- It is bubbly on the sides but rarely do the bubbles pop through the surface.

After 12 hrs, it rises 2x or 3x starting level.  Sometimes it is stiff and sometimes it is loose.  When I do the water test, sometimes it floats for 3-5 secs then sinks, and sometimes it just sinks.  This baffles to me.  If it sinks, can it raise dough? 

Your explanation of increasing the amount of starter is so clear.  Thank you! 

I guess it won't hurt to bake some bread to test it out.  I made a starter discard loaf last night (with yeast) and the crumb is dense but there are air pockets.

By chance, can you recommend a recipe for one loaf?  There are so many out there.  I notice that a lot of recipes make 2 loaves and I do not have that much flour left.

Thank you again for all of your help!  I think you have saved me and my starter!

The differences you see between the more and less active behavior may have to do with temperature fluctuations in your kitchen. Maybe put it in the oven with the light on and the door cracked open (test to make sure it's not too hot first.) Some people use a heating pad under a folded cloth, or put the starter jar and a cup of freshly-boiled water (still in the cup) together in a small insulated cooler. Something to help it stay warm. 

For a simple one-loaf sourdough bread recipe I would give the recipe in the King Arthur onlin eguide to baking sourdough bread a try. It's part of a series with info about developing a starter, too, so you can look at that if you want. https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/guides/sourdough/bake

Thank you Seaside and MiniOven.  I typed out a response days ago and realized, I never pressed send.  Sorry for the delay.

Our temps are fluctuating so much it is hard to keep things regular.  Also, the light in my oven died and I am not fixing it any time soon.  I do have a heating pad and I believe a cooler but I have to check.  These are great suggestions!  Thank you!

I did check out KAF's sourdough but hadn't made up my mind to use their recipe.  With your endorsement, I will! 

I think I will bake this weekend just to see what I get.  Will try to get my starter super active with all of the helpful suggestions.

Thank you all again!  Wish me luck!