May 2, 2018 - 2:07am
Starter definitions
Would some kind soul please define the three types of starters I have seen mentioned in various recipes: namely liquid, 100%, and stiff? When is it appropriate to use each one and what are the percentages used? My own starter is 100%, so I understand how to make that one, but not when it is used to best advantage. Many thanks. Valerie
Share
Any dough-like starter is a stiff starter
Any liquid like starter well... is liquid :)
100% hydration would be liquid.
Stiff starters ferment slower and tend to be more acetic. Liquid starters ferment quicker and tend to be more lactic.
Whether you use one or the other is preference.
How much to use would totally depend on what you're after taste and time wise.
Many thanks Lechem (Abe?) - the voice of common sense, as ever! I had not realised that personal preference is the guiding principle here. I have noticed that Maurizio on TPL uses different starters with different loaves, hence my question.
My starter is made with half dark rye and half whole wheat flours but I find that when it is 100% it is very stiff and tends to form a dryish skin on the surface when stored in the fridge for the following week's bake. I have been in the habit of spraying the surface lightly with water or adding another 50g or so to loosen it up a little and to prevent the formation of said skin. Now, thanks to your wisdom, I know that this is probably quite ok.
As an aside, it must have taken you many years to acquire such sn extensive knowledge of the behaviour of a medium that can be quite unpredictable. Again my thanks. What would the beginner do without the unstinting support of TFL members. Valerie
Yes, it's Abe :)
My pleasure. Thank you for the kind words but believe me there are others here waaay more knowledgeable than me. My experience is baking and then troubleshooting many flops, asking everyone here for guidance and through trial and error. I suppose the best way to know these things is just to use the starter. Everything before that is just theory. Oh and most importantly - I'm not always right. Second opinions are always good to have so I hope someone else chimes in. My answers are more from an enthusiast with experience and not from an expert.
Yes a 50% whole rye and 50 % whole wheat might be stiff. I keep a 100% hydration whole rye and while it is not overly hydrated for rye as it would be much more so if it was bread flour. I'd still call it a liquid starter. Perhaps the gluten in the whole wheat plus the 50% whole rye is making it more stiff. How are you covering it? Perhaps that's also an issue? If you're happy with what you're doing then fine. If not, then perhaps up the hydration till it feels right. Unless you particularly want it 100% hydration.
As for what to use, stiff or liquid, and how much then experiment and see what you like. You might prefer the flavour of one more than the other. You might wish for a shorter or longer bulk ferment to fit in with your schedule. It might be hot or cold that day so you adjust your starter taking this into account etc.
When a baker is advising something in a recipe then they're doing it with the final loaf in mind, of course, and a particular flavour be it mild or tangy.
Many thanks, Abe. So, there is space for greater flexibility here than I had naively assumed. When I have read recipes calling for 100% starter/levain, I had thought this figure was set in stone if one wanted to achieve success. Now I am a free spirit, dousing my vey stiff starter with generous spays of water to keep it supple! Much easier to work with such a mixture. I store my starter in the fridge in a clear plastic jar with a sit-on lid - not completely air tight but well covered, nonetheless. I am looking forward to todays's bake with one more issue behind me. No doubt there are many more ahead, but I am gaining confidence in moving sideways! Again, my thanks for your part in this new-found ability. Valerie