Baking my first sourdough with a weak starter!!!
I just started a sourdough starter last week. At first it smelled like rotten cheese, then went to vinegar, and now it smells like fruity wine. I just kept on feeding it twice a day. I made the most basic sourdough starter using just whole wheat and water. I didn't want to buy pineapple juice and decided that flour and water was a good way to first try it out. Now my starter gets bubbles, but nowhere near doubles in size like I read about. I use equal amounts of water and flour to feed it. It seems to rise some, but then falls. so I know that it has a little rising power. I would like to bake a basic white loaf just to try it out for flavor. Should I use some instant yeast along with the starter the first time, or just make the bread with the starter and just expect a longer than usual rise. It smells so good, that I don't want to wait and risk it changing into something else. i like the way it smells now. I am scared it will change again. Also, if anyone has a recipe for a basic bread using the equal amounts of flour and water starter, I would love to try it! Thanks!