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Questions about preferment for SD starter

EllaInKitchen's picture
EllaInKitchen

Questions about preferment for SD starter

I started to make sourdough bread a few weeks ago, and I have found my bread too sour especially after it's put there for over 1 days.

I searched around and i see lots of suggestions like avoiding overnight bulk ferment, feeding the SDS more frequently and with higher ratio of fresh flour and water, raising the % of SDS in the whole bread ( ~20%) so that it ferments fast..etc. 

I will try those methods but i have another question: Would preferment make SD bread more sour?

I like preferment because:

  • it makes the gluten develop much easier when i mix SD into the flour
  • It makes my schedule easier during weekday
  • It adds flavor to the bread ( i don't feel much diff but it's said so)

O the other side, I don't like preferment because:

  • If I don't use preferment method I can use more SD starter in the dough 20%) so that I don't need to throw away A LOT of SD starter. But when I use this method, i only need very very small portion of SD starter and I need to throw away a lot of them.
  • I'm afraid it will make sourdough bread more sour(to be confirmed)

I might keep using preferment if it doesn't make my bread more sour.

I see most people keep a lot of SD starter, but I feel I only need 10-20g all the time if I always use prefermt ( my bread is usually around 400-600G only). Is it okay to keep such small amount of SD starter? Would it make it less active?

 

 

EllaInKitchen's picture
EllaInKitchen

I understand the rest but why 'Keep your starter with less wholegrains' helps as well?  i heard people recommend using wholegrains/whole wheat because it makes SD STARTER more active, so that it takes less time for bulk ferment and that makes bread less sour

So seems i can keep preferment as long as I use other methods to make the bread less sour

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

the starter often, keep it at 72 F, use it when it it is fresh rather than peaking and make white breads with little whole grains in them.  Do not retard the dough or the starter or the levain built from it.   This is the basis if Tartine an Forkish whte breads where they want to avoid so at all costs,  They are in SFSD style bread business and known their customers do not like sour bread and cater to their tastes. 

Do the opposite foe sour breads.