Hi all
I am on a mission to master the sourdough loaf at home; it is not easy to come by except for in restaurants around here, so I have found myself hopefully a new hobby.
I know there is A LOT of similar posts here, so apologies for this... but I am just seeking a bit of hope and clarification really. I am not a baker, a decent cook but definitely not a baker so I am a bit out of my depth, but we all have to start somewhere!
I started my starter 8 days ago now, and not much is happening. About 4 days ago I thought and read that the cold is probably affecting it, so I have made a conscious effort to keep it warm. Hot water bottles etc. but there isn't really any change.
It has a few bubbles on top, and isn't particularly stinky but doesn't smell of flour anymore. I fed it yesterday @ 1:1:1 (20g) but unsure whether to keep feeding it once a day, or more? Or is it even ready for a feed?
There is just NO RISE, and the tutorial I was following (FULLPROOFBAKING) had a 3/4x rise on day four. This is a 30% Rye Flour, 70% Strong White Bread flour mix.
I am trying to be patient.
Any tips ?
Thank you so much for your help! I can't wait to be back with pictures of my first actual loaf!
so far sounds good. One tip, don't make the hot water bottle warmer than what you can tolerate on bare skin, like on your stomach. Four days is pretty darn quick and it usually takes a few days longer. Believe me, you will know when it rises. Just hang in there. :)
thank you so much; that's so reassuring! Should I stick with a 1:1:1 feed once a day until I get a big rise?
Might want to have a look at
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/10856/pineapple-juice-solution-part-1. Would also look at part 2. Debra Wink is a microbiologist and knows more about this than anyone else I've read on US bread forums.
If there is no action in 8 days total, time for a do over. Try Debra Wink's approach. When you say cold, how cold? Anything in the 65-70°F range should be fine. Might do better atop the refrigerator or in the furnace room. Yeast die off at > 105°F and don't reproduce or metabolize much < 50°F.
I was greatly reassured when a generous sour-dough baker kindly provided me with some of her starter. I compared growth rate of my starter (using the method described in the pointer above) with hers and used it to place my starter's growth rate in context.