The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Cleaning Chemicals?

limpy's picture
limpy

Cleaning Chemicals?

I'm just 5 days into my first sour dough bread starter, and while I felt I was seeing progress and signs of yeast

action on day 2 and 3, it seemed to stop around day 3. Today I woke up and realized that day 3 was cleaning

day (staying at my sister's). The housecleaner sprays a lot of household cleaner around cleaning the surfaces

in the kitchen. Could I have killed anything by leaving the starter in the kitchen during the cleaning?

I'm on day 5 and it's just not making any progress now at all. Should I start over?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

RoundhayBaker's picture
RoundhayBaker

...It sounds like you're describing the moment in every starter's growth when it becomes quiet. Be patient, keep feeding it and it should all come good. Unless a load of bleach was poured into the starter - and you are keeping a loose lid on it, right? - it is pretty hard to kill it off, there's so much life in there. Take a look at any good guide to building starters, here are two:

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2012/04/05/creating-your-own-sourdough-starter-the-path-to-great-bread/

http://www.shipton-mill.com/baking/recipes/sourdough-starter-or-leaven.htm

..let alone all the fantastic advice in posts on this forum - and I think you'll be reassured. 

Don't give up!