February 18, 2020 - 8:07am
Can I feed my starter oat flour?
Can I feed my starter oat flour? If so, can I build it up to 100% oat? I guess the extended question is: does a starter need gluten to thrive? The reason I'm asking is I'm adapting a recipe that would have a high percentage of oat flour, so I'd like that to include the starter.
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It should work, oats is 60% carbs (= sugars), which the yeasts and bacteria feed off. And since fermented porridge is a thing, I don't see why it shouldn't work with oat. After all, the mix of flour and water is simply a medium where microorganisms can live and thrive.
Just transition it slowly, not all at once. Maybe first day 10% oats, next 30%, next 50%, next 80% and finally 100%.
Also keep part of your old starter and continue it, more tools in the bag!
Glad to hear this, and I will definitely try the slow transition as you suggest. It sounds like I could do the same with buckwheat, which I'd like to try. I have three different starters going at the moment, so there's plenty to go around! Thanks.