Hamelman mentions this as a technique to slow down the levain culture during warmer humid months. That describes my part of the country. I don’t want to slow down my starter, but I’d like more time to use my pre-ferment. It’s usually ready in 3-5 hours. By 10-12 hours it’s pretty mature and getting sour. I’d like to make it the night before, and still have time to autolyze longer in the morning, say 14-15 hours before using it. Has anyone tried it, and if so, how much salt did you add?
this post. http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/57019/why-dont-we-normally-include-salt-when-making-starter
Interesting. Thanks for that.. I will look into the German technique mentioned in the thread, as it sounds more like what I'm after than salting the starter itself. If the salt % disproportionately slows down the lactobacillus vs the yeast, I could theoretically end up with a less acidic, more active pre-ferment this way, which would suit my tastes very well.