April 16, 2010 - 1:56pm
Not feeding starter prior to bread baking
In thinking about creating a rye starter, I was perusing the various threads and stumbled upon a huge mistake I've apparently been making with my AP starter: I do not feed my starter prior to baking with it. I've been taking it out of the fridge, using what I need, feeding it to replace the volume I used, letting it sit at room temp for 4 hours or so, then re-refrigerating.
That said, it has made excellent-tasting sourdough -- even more so as it has matured -- with a very well-balanced tang.
Thinking about all the factors that make great bread, my starter has performed well on every count. What could be improved by feeding my starter *before* baking? Oven spring, perhaps?
Thanks for your thoughts :)
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Hi, neoncoyote.
I've done the same many times - with starter that hadn't been fed in a week. If I do this, I use warm (80-85ºF) water to mix the dough (assuming the starter was mixed right out of the fridge).
You would have a more active starter if it had been just refreshed before mixing the dough. The dough might rise faster. It might also be less sour. However, if you are happy with how your bread behaves and tastes, you can't argue with success.
Happy baking!
David
My experiences are quite similar. If I want a nice tangy sourdough bread I avoid feeding the starter prior to preparing the dough. If I feed it immediately prior to assembling the ingredients for the dough the tanginess if clearly reduced. Feeding it a day or so ahead of time strikes a happy balance though.