Question on using little to large amounts of sourdough starter in bread...does it really matter?
Why is it assumed that:
Small amounts of stater + long periods of time = Best Sourdough Bread?
When we inject sourdough starter into our bread recipes, we are injecting the dough with cultures of yeast and lactic acid bacteria. These friendly yeasts and bacteria are just culturing our dough, as if we were feeding them again. So when we use a small amount of sourdough starter and give it a lot to eat, it will take it a longer time to populate the medium.
Now assuming the temperature and ingredients are identical to the above scenario, why wouldn't a larger amount of starter produce the same quality loaf, but in less time? The byproducts of the yeasts and bacteria are the same in both scenarios are they not? Time is the variable.
So besides having to maintain a larger starter and having less time to work around the dough, what are the negatives?