starter problem(i think?)
hey ppl, first: i want to say that this forum have been helping my baking life so much and i love u all.
let me get to the topic. i've been baking 3 or 4 loafs of bread everyday and i sell them in a small city named Cabo Frio in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
im having some problems with my starter, after one or two week of heavy daily baking. occurs that my starter somehow get weak (ive been feeding 1:2:2 with 20% ww and 80% bread flour) and i have to pray or just put some rye flour to fortify my baby.
first question, is it normal that my starter gets weak or im doing something terrible to him?
second question, i've been feeding for my loaves of the day and, next day in the morning, feeding for the loaves of day. is that disrupting my starter, i have to feed two times after bake for ever and ever?
third question: i'll upload some photos of my starter so someone can give me a hand, i bake sometimes good loafs but my starter always produce tiny tiny tiny small bubbles (he nearly triple his size, but, where's the big holes of the photos of starters that i see?)
help me with my tiny tiny holes and weak starter :'(
in the photo, its a 20% organic rye 80% bread flour in a 1:1:1 ratio (peaked after 4 hours in 26.6C)
Can you tell us a little more about the starter being weak? Is it not raising your bread? Or something else is causing concern?
I wouldn't worry about the tiny bubbles. Bubble size has more to do with the hydration and flour type than the strength of the starter.
Your starter peaked at 4 hours, more than doubled, and seems to be making good bread. So what exactly is it that you're worried about?
Also, you said that you feed it 1:2:2 but your photo is of the starter after a 1:1:1 feed. Why the change?
Finally, you said
"i've been feeding for my loaves of the day and, next day in the morning, feeding for the loaves of day. is that disrupting my starter"
I'm sorry but I did not really understand this. Can you explain what you're doing in more detail? Are you feeding the whole mother starter each morning, letting it peak, and then taking a portion of it out to leaven your bread? If so, is that the only time you feed it (once a day)? What temperature do you keep it at?
hey sea, thanks for your response!!
when i bake for one or two weeks in a row, my starter become weak and, in the bulk fermentation time, he even rise as normal. so im figuring out that im not feeding right after baking.
about the bubble size, everytime i see a starter video/photo/explanation, the jar is full of big and tiny bubbles (so ive been thinking that my tiny bubble is a thing to pay attention)
so, about my schedule: im baking 4 loaves per day and, in the morning, i make my levain (1:2:2 with 10% ww and 90% bread f). i just left my pot with whats left to feed the next day in the morning, that will be more baking. i have to fed my levain after i use him? or i can keep him untouched to the other day? its possible that my starter gets weak in one or two weaks because of that? i keep 25-26C!!
im worried that im not getting a pattern on my schedule because my starter gets weak :(
i've been thinking to trade the WW with Rye and maintain this, what you think? if i feed my levain everyday with 10% of rye he will get some push to become strong everyday?
hahaha and, just one more question: hes weak right now (i can see in my last breads) how can i fortify him? 50% rye? 100% rye just for one day? began an 1:10:10 or will overfeed? so many questions and thank your for your time <3
How often do you feed your starter, and what temperature do you keep it at?