Newbie 4th time trying to get a starter going
I am brand new to the site, just found it a few days ago and I think I am on sourdough OVERLOAD! For the past two months I have been trying to get a starter going. I have never done this before I am pretty new to the world of bread baking. I love to bake and decorate cakes but I am ready to move onto a new adventure and push myself to learn the art of baking great wholesome breads. I have been baking alot of french baguette's using a poolish the flavor is great nice holes some large some small but not a real good rise. Practice makes perfect. My husband loves it though. Okay onto the starter...
I live in the Pacific NorthWest and it is cool this time a year. My avg temp in the house is between 68-70. We have old windows so the temp is not real steady. My first two attemps were with water and flour and left on the counter. The first batch I think I had going now that I have researched it more but thought it was not doing well and started over. Second attempt kinda got set in the back of the kitchen and forgot about it darn Holiday's. Third attempt well it was tossed this morning. I was pretty sure last night that nothing was gonna happen so I started another jar last night with Rye flour 2 tablespoons and pineapple juice 2 Tablespoons. I currently have it in my oven covered with cheesecloth with a thermometer and I am turning the light on and off to keep the temp steady. It was at 69 this am when I got up. I will continue with the rye and pj for 2 more days and then move onto water and flour ( wheat or white or bread flour?)
With my third attempt I did not use rye flour I used 100% whole wheat. Today would have been day 6 but I didn't get one single rise out of it that's why I threw it out. Bubbles but no rise. Somewhat of a sour smell. I had been moving it all over the house to try and find a warm spot. On day four I cleaned the jar and saved 1/4 cup and added 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup water. I never really saw a change. A bit of hooch and a few bubbles. I had in a square jar with the type of lid that clamps down. I had alot of condinsation in the jar. Is this normal? I bought a scale yesterday ( I am REALLY serious about this :) )I feel like an obssesed mother of a newborn that is failing!!! Can anybody offer me some advice? It seems that there is a million different ways to get this going and I am on overload. I will try growing this new starter in a regular mason jar with cheesecloth this time around. I will call this starter Monique because she will be living in an old Monique's Marinera Sauce jar!