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My new starter maintnenace for even less fuss

Anonymous baker's picture
Anonymous baker (not verified)

My new starter maintnenace for even less fuss

Got a new approach to my starter maintenance for even less fuss. I'll either build a stiff levain (like a dough) but build a little extra and just return the excess to the fridge or pinch off a little ball of dough after the bulk ferment. When it comes to baking the next time i'll build it back up, making sure for a little excess, and repeat. I figure that even at the mature levain stage or after the bulk ferment it will last for a week.

Sort of old dough style (even though old dough refers to a preferment with yeast) I'll just use it sourdough style by retaining a small ball of dough each time, either from the levain or bulk ferment stage. from that i'll build the next levain to the dough requirements and so on.

One con I can think of is not remembering to do so but other then that it seems like a neat and manageable way. I can also think it'll be very flavoursome.

Any thoughts on this?

Ford's picture
Ford

The method is not only OK, but recommended by many bakers.  I used a similar technique, though I have 100% hydration.  I also keep some dried starter in case of a catastrophe.

Ford

Lechem's picture
Lechem (not verified)
"The method is not only OK, but recommended by many bakers"

Well if that's the case I'm definitely happy with that. And good idea about keeping some in storage in case of a starter mishap.

Thank you Ford.

jimbtv's picture
jimbtv

I have been trying something Trevor Wilson printed in a comment a while back. He discussed a 1:2:4 stiff levain that is 1 part mother, 2 parts water and 4 parts flour. He mixes this all together and lets it peak over several hours, then refrigerates it for use over the next several days. It sounds pretty similar to your new techniques.

Not ever being able to leave things alone I have modified the process to 1:2:0.5:3, which translates to 50 g. mother, 100 g. water, 5 g. medium rye and 150 g. all-purpose flour. I added the rye for... well... just because, and I dropped the AP flour to make the final product a bit more pliable. I have been using the technique for weeks and it has proven both reliable and much easier to maintain.

 

Jim

Lechem's picture
Lechem (not verified)

But haven't read many of his comments and advice on starter maintenance. Thanks for the advice Jim and i'll look that up.

Always modify to suit your needs. My maintenance does change according to my needs hence my "new" starter maintenance. 

I'm all about finding ways where starter maintenance is not only easy but a pleasure to maintain. I have chosen this way as i'll not have to build a levain and maintain my starter. It's done one and the same time. And it's never too far off from its last refreshment.  

pmccool's picture
pmccool

Having had one instance of baking all of the levain, rather than reserving a portion for future use, I'll never go back to that practice again.  Instead, I do my maintenance feeds for the starter separately from the build feeds for the levain.  Each can go its separate, and appropriate, way and I'm not stuck with creating a new starter or reviving a archived version. 

It's your starter and your call how to deal with it.  I don't care to be one brain burp away from disaster when it isn't necessary.

Paul

Lechem's picture
Lechem (not verified)

When I pinch off a little dough to retain, and it comes to building it up again, I could keep just a few grams back until it comes to retaining more from the next batch. Should all go without hitch I could then discard this very small piece. 

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

SFSD bakers of old and still used by Boudin since 1849.  I have never heard of it being used for or with yeast though but I suppose it could be but why I do not know since you can have a yeast bread from nothing to coming out of the oven in just a few hours.

Happy old doughing Abe.

Lechem's picture
Lechem (not verified)

I meant pate fermentee. Which I suppose is rather like a Biga. Not taken from a previous bake (but don't see why it can't be maintained that way) but rather a piece of dough is made with yeast and refrigerated for a day or two. Perhaps it was a bad comparison. Or I may be getting confused. 

I hear that old dough makes for a wonderful tasteful bread. My pane cafone turned out so tasty with two stiff Levain builds that it got me thinking about propagating my starter this way. A piece of old dough which is then built up like the cafone recipe with two Levain builds, each one a bit bigger, before building it into the final dough. Then taking a piece of that and so on.  

bread1965's picture
bread1965

I've become pretty lax with 'charlie'.. i don't bother feeding him anymore, I'll take some dough for my levain build, make it stiff and add it to charlie.. take some next time for the next build.. i was making it stiff with 1:5:4 - charlie: flour:water.. or even 1:5:3.. let it sit on the counter for an hour or two and put it in the fridge.. he's pretty indestructible.. no matter what I do, there's little that seems to go wrong.. even if I don't bake for weeks on end, and even then I only bake once a week at most.. a week ago the top seemed a bit dark when I went to get some starter for a bake and just scooped it off, and used what was below.. doubled in about 3/4 hours.. it amazes me.. i have some dried charlie in the freezer just in case, but I honestly don't think I'll ever need it.. let's see.. and he's a small guy, most of the time not more than maybe 40 - 50 grams..  your plan seems reasonable based on my experience..

 

Lechem's picture
Lechem (not verified)

has been sitting in the fridge for a week now. I'm off on holidays now for the next week and plan on doing some bakes. We'll see how the new maintenance fares and might be interesting to see if there is a discernible difference to the breads too.

When starting out on the sourdough journey you think that starter maintenance is going to be very time consuming and complicated. It's nice to reach the stage you have where one has a very relaxed approach to it.

doughooker's picture
doughooker

Old dough is going to contain salt.

Lechem's picture
Lechem (not verified)

But not unheard of for starters to contain salt. It all depends on how you keep and maintain a starter. As long as the salt is in the correct ratio it'll be fine.