Starter question
I have a lovely, healthy starter that's about... maybe four weeks old, now. I wish I'd actually recorded the date I got it going. Anyway, it's 100% hydration, very bubble and robust, and easily doubles w/in 8-12 hours after every feeding. It's spent some time in the fridge and has come back beautifully both times. I've been using various combinations of unbleached AP and WW from the start, but last week I switched brands of AP, from my discount market's generic bagged brand to the bulk bin brand, which is less than half the price... and since then my starter has gone from being very... not liquid, per se, but definitely smooth and soft and a bit sloppy, to being very firm and a bit gooey, despite still being 100% hydration.
It's still doubling just fine, if possibly a bit slower, though with larger bubbles, but I'm wondering if the consistency is a potential problem for baking? I'm sure it must be a result of changing flour brands, but I honestly do need to use the cheapest ingredients I can find to do this as our finances are beyond tight.
I just finished the build for the levain for a pair of 1 2 3 loaves that I'm planning to start tonight, and then do the final prove overnight in the fridge, and I have the levain in the oven on the proof setting to help it along a little.
Anyway, yes... anyone have thoughts as to whether the flour and the thicker consistency could be a problem? Or even what it is about the flour that might be causing such a drastic change in consistency?
Jay
Post some images of the starter. It’s difficult to know without more info.
What brand flour are you using now and what brand/type flour was it fed before? If the consistency is thicker now, and your feed ratios have remained the same, it may be that your new flour has a higher protein content. It is generally accepted that higher protein flours require more water to equally hydrate.
Wished I had a more definitive answer for you.
Dan
I’ve got an idea. If you still have some of your old flour, try this. Mix 2 batches of starter. Feed 1 with the old flour and the other with the new. Store them side by side. Once one or both peaks photograph and post the image.
I have a question, since you mentioned money was tight. How much starter, flour and water are you using to feed? IMO, most people keep too much starter. I feed twice a day on the counter. The total weight of the starter is 27 grams. It is plenty enough for me and I bake quite often. Each feed requires only 15 grams of flour.
I'm just using the generic bulk bin unbleached bread flour at this point, and I didn't buy it until I'd used all of the generic store brand bagged flour I had been using before. The same with the whole wheat. The next time I have reason to buy flour I'll see if I can justify buying a small bag of the store brand I was using to start so I can do a side by side comparison, but for now I'm going to have to make do with what I have and hope it works well.
I am very curious about the small starter you keep, given I'm currently using one of the smallest recommended ones I've found in the instructions and recipes I've seen online... which is still 20g of starter and 100 each of flour and water. I'd love to have less waste--though I do actually save a lot of my discard to use for other things. So far it's been some crackers and a LOT of pancakes, but I've still ended up having to throw away more than I'm really happy about.
Thanks so much for your ideas, I'll get back to you once I have a chance to do a comparison.
Jay
in the fridge. It is 4 years old. I take 10 g out, add 20g water and 30 g flour then leave it for half a day. then I build my levain for what ever recipe it need, and adjust the hydration then. I only feed my refrigerated starter about every 4-6 weeks depending how often I bake. I have very little discard. you could go straight to a 100% levain if you wish, I just do the 65% hydration build to warm it up. My mother refrigerated starter is also at 65% approx hydration. it is very easy this way with virtually no discard.
Leslie
Jay, have you considered buying in bulk? The flour is MUCH cheaper that way. Look for a good flour that is sold locally. Shipping prices are more than the actual flour. 50 pound sacks of name brand flour cost about 50 cents a pound. What I’m saying is buy what the bakers buy.
If you have a bakery in town, tell them your plight, they might sell you a 50 pound sack. If not they may make a suggestion as to where you can get it. search for local bakery supply companies. I was surprised to find out that they would sell it to me for the same price they sell to bakeries. It is possible to bake bread that is extremely economical.
HTH
Dan
I'll look into it, Dan, though the flour I'm using now is only 30-35c/pound depending on kind--AP vs WW vs bread--so that still might not help. If I get as into this as I expect the way things are going, though, and replace most of our bread purchases with home baked, then 50c might be justifiable considering how much cheaper than storebought it will still be.
Thanks again
Jay