I'm not new to bread baking but new to trying to make my own starter. Boy oh boy am I having questions! I figured up and have been working on this one starter batch for close to a month. I finally read to use pineapple juice rather than water, and whole wheat or rye flour, and at least the starter does rise now. Trying to buy whole wheat flour in this pandemic is next to impossible, as you all probably know.
So I have fed my starter this morning, and if it rises, I would like to make bread today, or by tomorrow. Is it ready to bake with at the peak of its rise? Or on its way to the top? After it starts to recede?
I have thoroughly confused myself by reading so many different recipes and approaches to baking.
I have made my sponge by using equal parts sponge, flour and water, by weight.
I hope I can re-locate a recipe that is appropriate for the very spongy sponge to make the actual bread. I'll probably have lots of questions, and will try not to be a pest. Thanks for adding me to the forum.
Hi! Although you can find lots of differing opinions, I believe you generally want to try to catch the starter when it has peaked, which can be figured out through observation during multiple pre-bake feeds. This depends on a lot of variables, such as the consistency of your starter (wet or thick, depending on ratios of starter/flour/water), temp of your kitchen, type of flours used for feeds, etc. That being said, there are no hard and fast rules to get overly worried about...you will probably be able to make a fine loaf if you 'miss' the peak or are a bit early. The starter will be happy to grow either in a small jar or added to a large dough. What is more important is knowing when the bulk ferment is ready, knowing how to shape the loaf well, and final proof. It sounds like you have an interesting recipe that uses both a starter and sponge (biga/poolish?). If you are just starting out, following a simple recipe and repeating it over and over is your best bet as far as learning. Good luck with everything!
Welcome. The best is at the peak or just before but really anytime after it doubles it is going to work. Sometimes if the timing is not right for you to use it when it is ready, you can put it in the fridge after it has doubled and use it to make bread the next day if it has not fallen too far.
The starter and your dough will be more reliable if you are mindful of the temperature and keep it in the upper 70's
Thank you both for the welcoming words. I guess I misspoke when I called the starter a sponge. It looks sponge-like, so...I'm a literal thinker, lol.
I did use the starter at its peak, approximately. The recipe I am using calls for a very slow rise, part of the time in the fridge, and it is driving me crazy. I see bubbles in the dough, but do not see any perceptible rise from yesterday at this time. Without posting the recipe here, it wouldn't make much sense to ask for help, so I won't right now. I'm gonna see this thing through, then regroup. I still have the very nice starter, cooling its heels in the fridge, so I may be here asking for the easiest sourdough recipe next week.