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Sourdough Feeding Schedule: Adjustment Needed

Ogi the Yogi's picture
Ogi the Yogi

Sourdough Feeding Schedule: Adjustment Needed

Hi everyone I try and keep around 150 grams of starter at 100% hydration. I live in Texas where is it always hot. I want to be able to feed my starter only once a day. Can anyone suggest how much I should feed my rye 100% starter? Right now my feeding schedule is 50 gram of starter + 50 grams of rye flour and 50 gram water. I also did 20 grams of rye starter to 80 grams flour and water, this was taking a little too long. Can someone walk me through the process of making adjustments to feeding while keeping same hydration! 

In Hamelman's pg. 432 he gives the example of changing 12 oz. culture + 12 oz flour + 12 oz water to 6 oz. starter to 13 oz flour to 13 oz water without mentioning the change in the relationship. 

Can someone explain with some examples how to make this adjustment, using grams please! 

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman
Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

 I also did 20 grams of rye starter to 80 grams flour and water, this was taking a little too long.

This is my favourite mix (approx.) for my rye starter.  When set out in warm weather I would use perhaps one to ten instead of one to four ratios.  The starter will be more active in warm weather and go thru more flour between feedings.  100% hydration makes for active feeding too.   If you want to keep the starter at room temp, you will have to thicken it up to slow down fermentation.  In other words... switching to a firm starter.   

Start out with 20g of starter and feed it enough flour to make a stiff but still sticking together dough ball.  Weigh it to find out how much flour is added.  Roll the dough ball into rye flour to dust it and place into a clean jar, cover.  Now wait and watch it to determine when it is peaked.  Cracks will occur as it swells, the ball will loose it's shape and aromas will come to life.  When pinholes about the size of peppercorns appear between the cracks, it is fully mature and maybe a bit over.  Good so.  I think you will recognise it when it is ready to use.  Keep track of the time it took to get that far.  You may want to take progressive photos.   With the next feeding you can adjust the hydration to extend the fermenting time or shorten it.  

(The ball or balls can also be made smaller and stuck into the refrigerator after a few hours and allowed to mature at an even slower rate. Dust well with flour and keep covered.  Dusting lets you see any expansion and helps form a protective dry skin around the starter)  

The next feeding may include adding some water but keep roughly at the same hydration as the first "ball."  I tend to double the weight of the starter with water and then add flour until it feels right.  If you can stretch out the feedings to 24 hours, then you've got your secret hot weather feeding schedule.  :)  

To use,  mash up or cut up or just add water to the starter for the right consistency and then use as a 100% starter or use part or all to build a levain. 

 The first time you switch a starter to being "firm" it usually takes a long time, could take more than a day or two if the kitchen it cool.  But with progressive repetitive feedings, strength will improve and the time it take to "peak" will decrease.  Let the starter tell you when to feed it.  Don't rush it.   Oh, and keep some of the 100% hydration stater as back up in the fridge... just in case.  :)