April 12, 2020 - 11:39pm
Refrigerated too soon
First timer here! Took 10 days to get my starter bubbly and I refrigerated. I then put some in the refrigerator (after feeding then wait 2 hours) and some to bake. Bread was flat! I’m sure the starter was not mature enough. :( My question is: can I further develop my refrigerated starter? I tried already and after 24 hours (2 feedings and in oven with light on) I only see a few bubbles. No rise. Smells good though.
I would hate to start over after 10 days but I’m afraid I killed it because of the premature refrigeration or oven light! Advice please???
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When you say "bread was flat", did it rise at all during bulk fermentation or after shaping? Especially at the beginning, you need to pay attention to the dough and not to the clock. As for the starter, what ratio are you feeding. With a newish starter you need to avoid overfeeding because that can dilute the acidity you worked so hard to build up. To revive, I suggest feeding 1:1:1 (if your starter is at 100% hydration). If it is at some other hydration level, then feed so you double the amount of liquid, with the correct amount of flour.
I don’t know what stage but the end result did have some rise. But little. I’ve always fed 1:1:1 and trying to revive it again but after 36 hours 3*12hrs no rise. Some bubbles. I guess I am feeding too often?
picture of my flat-ish bread
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picture of my refrigerated starter after feeding 36 hours (3*12 hours)
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I'm not an expert so take it with a grain of salt:
It make take some more time and feedings to get it to a good active state, but it should happen. If you have some whole wheat flour on hand you might jump-start it a bit with that. I would say bring it out of the fridge and feed it twice a day for at least several days. Roughly what temperature is it at when it's not in the fridge? Is it liquid or thick?
To look at it from another angle -- you said the bread was flat. I think some standard questions for that are:
I followed 2 different recipes (king authur and perfect loaf) both breads came out fiat after baking. The original starter (before refrigeration) never grew in size so I’m convinced it’s the lack of mature fermentation. The original starter passed the float test but another site said the starter should double within 6 hours (did not, I just baked after float test). Is there hope for my poor undeveloped refrigerated starter?? (I just posted photos in my response to Jeremy)
> Is there hope for my poor undeveloped refrigerated starter??
Yeah there definitely is. It may just need more time and care. It took two weeks at room temperature and adjustment of the flour:water ratio before my starter began doubling in size. Then it became a BEAST! It's doubling 6-8 hours after feeding.
If it seems liquidy, try doing a little less water when you feed it. (E.g., it's relatively humid where I live, and mine does well with about 36g water to 40g flour.) Try to feed it 2-3 times a day. And try to be patient and give it some time.
If you're not sure about your micro-organisms, feeding with whole wheat flour (if you have it) should allay any concerns there. WW flour ferments faster, so you may also see a boost in activity with that.
I appreciate the encouragement! I’m confused though. I am hearing not to over feed (1x per day) and another says (2-3x per day). The texture is like pancake batter. Advice?
Its cold here in South Africa so I’m using the oven light method.
How often you have to feed your starter depends on how fast it's growing, which depends on temperature, and somewhat on ratio of food to starter. For me if I don't feed my starter at least twice a day it collapses a bit and takes a little work to rejuvenate. Mine's at about 21-23 C (70-73 F) most of the time. I discard half or a little more starter each time, and always feed with the same amount of flour/water.
Pancake batter is pretty good, but maybe still a little thin to see doubling. You could try doing a little less water on your next couple feedings and see if that helps.
You said your starter smells good, so the pH is probably low enough for the right kind of growth. If you're worried about overfeeding you could try something close to a 2:1:1 ratio for a bit.
If it's easy to put a thermometer in the oven to get a temperature reading that might give you more info.
Thanks for all the advice. I can’t buy a thermometer in lockdown unfortunately but I’ll try what you advise... 2:1:1, 2-3x feedings, some rye in place of white flour! It’s only been 2 days post refrigeration so really hoping I don’t have to start over!
It's almost always easier to rejuvenate or restore a starter than to start over, I think. Two days out of the fridge isn't very long. Yes, we're all just experimenting :) Good luck!
I found a meat thermometer and the reading in the oven with light on was 94! Yikes I think that’s the reason. I hope I didn’t kill it. :(
Good work, that could be the main issue. Fridge to 94 is a bit much. It shouldn't have killed everything, but it's not ideal temperature for starter. My starter has done fine in the 68-79 range. You can do some more research on it, but I've read it's best not to go much above 80.
What's room temperature like in your place? You might try testing the temperature in some different rooms and different spots -- on top of the fridge, on the stove, next to your TV, etc. Just keep it out of sunlight, these guys don't do well in UV light.
You probably didn’t kill it, but most people who use their ovens with the light on for proofing or for making their starts/levains, usually use something to prop the door open a bit. I used to use a wooden spoon to prop the door open.
Benny