Starter

[aaronatthedoublef]

I think my starter is ready or close. How do I know for sure? It bubbles and puffs up and I stir it up a couple of times a day. It is better midday and later in the day as our house warms up. It's pretty quiet over night. It's amazing what a few degrees in either direction can do.

Are there guidelines for converting a regular recipe to use my starter or I can just begin with some of the many out there. Looking at some recipes on KAF and Serious Eats they use a 1-to-1 ration for flour to starter.

Thanks

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• This topic was modified 4 years, 7 months ago by aaronatthedoublef.

[BakerAunt]

I have a starter that gets refrigerated. I wake it up by letting it sit out on the counter, where it begins to develop bubbles throughout, then I stir it and use it, then feed it. So, it's not unusual that yours is more active when warmer.

Most directions for starters say to feed the starter, and when it gets bubbly, stir and use. I've always assumed with those starters that they then need to be fed again. I've done some of the KAF recipes that use a bit of starter to get a sponge going, and those seem to work best when my starter has been fed and has had time to get active--bubbling and rising up. (See Jeffery's Rye bread recipe.)

You could start by making a sponge with a cup of the sourdough and some water and flour and letting it sit and get bubbly for about 8 hours before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.

In terms of amount of flour, it depends on how thick your starter is. Mine tends to be "thick liquidy" if that makes any sense. I've found that I need to add about 1/4 cup of flour per cup of starter to KAF recipes.

I usually put a bit of yeast into my sourdoughs, but I've been thinking of trying a straight sourdough and seeing what happens.

If you want, Aaron, I can post the long loaf sourdough recipe that I use. I put it in one of those pans that has the holes in it (has space for two but I usually make one). It comes from Sunset magazine, sometime in the 1980s. It includes a sponge--for sourer flavor--or not for milder.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 7 months ago by BakerAunt.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Thanks BA. The recipe would be great!

This morning it sort of looked as if my starter had separated and had a small pool of liquid on top so I stirred it and it began to bubble again (our kitchen is around 63 most nights). I then fed it and I think I'll try and use it tomorrow.

There are a bunch of recipes I want to try. I am not sure how my family will react.

[Mike Nolan]

In starter terminology, that liquid is called 'hooch' and is is considered a good thing, but it is a sign that your starter needs to be fed. Most people recommend pouring it off before feeding. Hooch has alcohol in it, but I don't know what proof it is, and I'm not aware of anything you can do with it, if your brewing friends used a refractometer, you could try measuring the amount of alcohol in it. (I'm tempted to order one for testing vinegars.)

My new rye starter is doing very well, I feed it in the evening and by morning it has generally doubled. Neither this rye starter nor the previous one ever generated any hooch, though.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Oh... Well, I just stirred it in. Then I fed it about an hour later.

Next time I'll pour it off. But after reading here and on the BBGA forums that I want my pH to be acidic, I can see why alcohol should be poured off. Maybe if it happens again I'll save it (there wasn't very much) and see if someone will measure it for me.

Thanks

[Mike Nolan]

I measured my rye starter with my pH meter the other day, it came in around 4.7, as I recall, I think 4.0 is the target. I may measure it again the next time I feed it. (The meter works well, but cleaning it afterwards is a bit of work.)

[BakerAunt]

I've always stirred the clear liquid back in after the starter develops its bubbles. I use it, then feed it. If I let the starter go too long, it can develop more than a little clear liquid on top, and that usually means for me that I will need to feed it a couple of times in succession to get it back to normal. I still used the discard in pancakes, crackers, etc.

Maybe I should consider pouring off the liquid.

I'll see about posting that recipe in the next couple of days, Aaron.

[Joan Simpson]

I stir my hooch back in also,after mine has been refrigerated for a while it'll form the hooch and you can smell the alcohol.One of the ways I've read to tell if it's ready for baking is to test a tablespoonful in a cup of water,if it floats it's ready,that's what I do and I don't need any yeast for it to work.

Aaron another thing I read was never pour starter down your sink as it will stop it up ...as they say.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 7 months ago by Joan Simpson.

[Mike Nolan]

My new rye starter is reading a pH below 3.7 now, so I think it's fully developed. Now I need to figure out what to try it on.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Thanks Joan. Once I start using it I think my starter will prove way to valuable to dump any out. Which raises the question how much starter do you all make? The recipes I'm looking at call for 4-8 ounces. I am making my starter in a quart Mason jar because we have a bunch lying around. But I could see using a couple cups a week so would I need something bigger?

Thanks

[BakerAunt]

Aaaron,, most breads require about 1 cup of starter. My cracker recipe, since I always double it (might as well, since my husband is a Snack-a-saurus), requires 2 cups. It's also great for pancakes and waffles--and I suspect you make a lot of those when they are on the menu.

I use a glass jar with a silicone or rubber seal and a metal clasp that holds it completely shut. I had started with a small jar, but you need room for the starter to rise and fall. I moved to one that probably has about 3 1/2 cups.

A peculiarity of my starter is that the directions said to feed it by volume not weight. However, I stopped never feeding it the equal amounts of milk and flour that I remove because it increased too much in bulk. These days, if I take out 2 cups, I feed it 1 1/2 cups flour and 1 1/2 cups milk. That keeps about the same amount. However, that is my starter; you will get to know what your starter needs.

I'd say start with the quart mason jar and see how much you use it. You can always divide it, feed it, and keep a second starter in another mason jar on the go if you need it or else get a bigger jar. You might even want to temporarily increase it for a recipe that takes a lot, then go back to a smaller jar.

[Mike Nolan]

Most of the Ginsberg recipes use just a small amount of rye starter, often less than an ounce, to inoculate an overnight sponge. As a result, the starter I"m keeping is fairly small, under 8 ounces right after feeding.

[BakerAunt]

I should have reiterated that my starter is a thick liquid, so I usually need more. However, many of the KAF recipes call for a cup of starter, so I had not though too much about it. They do, however, have some that like Ginsberg's recipes call for just a small amount.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Thanks everyone. BA, I've never made sourdough pancakes or waffles but I have yeasted ones. No one liked them. It might be worth a try again.

[BakerAunt]

Pancakes and waffles are a great use.

I posted the sourdough bread recipe that I use in the Recipe section. Now I'm thinking that I need to bake it again--and maybe add some whole grains....

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