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Too much gluten forming in sourdough starter

schollen's picture
schollen

Too much gluten forming in sourdough starter

Hi,

I have recently found that my sourdough starter kept at 100% hydration has much more gluten development than it has in the past. After i feed it and let it sit for 4-8 hours, it is much lumpier than it has been in the past and it looks like there has been a lot of gluten development. I think it is affecting my sourdough pancakes (https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018025-sourdough-pancake-or-waffle-batter). I put together the sponge the night before with minimum stirring, and the next morning it comes out lumpy and stringy from all the gluten, which doesnt lend towards the fluffiest pancakes.

When i feed it i try to minimize stirring, only enough just to combine. I often dont really pay attention to how much I am feeding it, normally enough flour and water to make enough starter for whatever bread i am making next. Sometimes there is virtually no starter left in the jar when i go to feed it, can this make a difference?

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

Scott

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

"... i try to minimize stirring, only enough just to combine."

Why minimise stirring?  Stirring encourages yeast growth.  It sounds like stirring isn't enough to combine.  Try this...  add the water first to the starter culture that is going to be fed breaking the lumps of starter to a milky liquid.  Then add the flour spoon by spoon stirring in between.  Try also adding less flour for a higher hydration, one that resembles the pancake batter more than a soft dough, it may blend easier into the end batter.  

No starter left in the jar, other than what is stuck to the jar, is a very small amount compared to a tablespoon of starter.  I would suggest feeding an "empty jar"  only a tablespoon of water and one of flour and give it a few hours fermenting before adding more water and flour.  

Fermentation eventually breaks down the gluten in the starter and if the starter is stirred smooth but hasn't fermented very long, it can be lumpy. (watch the starter, not the clock)  I might be concerned the starter was overfed and not ready to use if it was very lumpy before using.  It also doesn't sound like 100% hydration and most likely lower as the flour is absorbing water unevenly.  Or the starter is fed with a flour with high gluten, try using a lower gluten flour for feeding.  

All things equal, the more culture in the ratio of starter to flour, the sooner it ferments. A large feeding takes longer to peak but will increase the yeast count when it finally does peak.   

I hope this helps...   :)

 

schollen's picture
schollen

Thanks for the quick response and great tips, i have only been baking a year so there is still much to learn. I live in Australia, and it has been getting cooler here lately as winter approaches. So its probably an over feeding and recent chill that has led to an unripe and lumpy starter. Ill try more mixing, and tacking on a few more hours to my starters fermentation time and see if that helps. 

Thanks again!