I have a starter that I just started on Sunday and I am on day 4 and I seek to have lost all bubbles and no growth activity since day 2 ?
it’s runny in it constancy and has no body or bubbles.
what have I done wrong and can I salvage what I have or should I start over?
It sounds perfectly on track. Don't panic and start feeding it more. Just stick with once a day until it starts expanding. Runny its what it becomes when the pH drops low enough to activate yeast (and gluten-destroying enzymes). You're very close.
Thank you for the reply, can you tell me I’m on day 4 and it seems like it might have gotten a little cold in the kitchen last night and I’m having trouble getting the starter to bubble, what should I do? I can turn the light on in the oven to warm it up but that be a poor choice can you advise?
Do you have a thermometer so you can monitor the temperature? 78F is a good target. Hot water in a cup inside the microwave can be a good solution. A warm pack inside a cooler works well too. Get creative. Some adjustment may be necessary to get it just right, but it doesn't have to be perfect. Anywhere in the 70's will work.
placed in microwave with warm water. It helped a bit but still seems like it stopped growing. Now I’m seeing pink liquid forming on the top again. I’m on day 5 should I feed again? Should I feed more? All recommendations welcome.
Happy Easter everyone
1. When was the last feed?
2. How many feeds has it had since the day 2 expansion?
3. What are you feeding it with?
Modest feeds no more than once per day with whole grain flour are best until it starts expanding again. It can take 3 feeds to flush out the inhibiting substances left behind by the bacteria that grew on day 2.
1. When was the last feed? Yesterday
2. How many feeds has it had since the day 2 expansion? 2
3. What are you feeding it with? All purpose unbleached bread flour, I can’t find anything else.
Should I stop and wait until I some whole wheat flour?
and then let it sit for 48-72 hours, making sure to stir it and scrape down the sides every day so it doesn't turn moldy. You're in the same boat right now as jenche2012, and likely several others. See:
Working but how long before ready - if it doesn't come right up, you may have to go to the last page and scroll down to it.
Also read about the four phases in the OP at the top.
Hello would it be ok to add some active yeast to this to jump start it?
If you have it, that might get you up and running so you can bake some sourdough bread :)
My store has flours of all kinds back on the shelves again. The Pillsbury and Gold Medal brands are still sold out, but King Arthur and Hudson Cream are back, as is the store brand. And I think Bob's Red Mill was there all along, because it is kept in another place where not as many would notice it. Hopefully flours are making their way back into other parts of the country/world, and yours as well.
My best,
dw
I have been going through a similar thing with the last 3 starters which I have ended up throwing out. I have been making sourdough bread for a few years now (along with biga and Poolish). Whatever I have done it just hasn’t been ‘taking’, and it either goes off/turns pink/smells of vinegar. I have all but decided to stick with biga and Poolish loaves because of this. I persevered for up to 10 days but failed miserably. I’ve also tried different flours to no avail. It’s so weird as I have created so many different starters previously.