Is 1 TBS Enough??
Hi, sporadic Tartine baker here for the past few years, just now getting back into it. I decided to bake a loaf, took out my starter last week and have been feeding it regularly for the past few days; it's rising and falling predictably and seems full of life. Last night, following the Tartine instructions, I pulled out a TBS and mixed it up with 200G of 50/50 flour and 200G H2O. I checked on it this morning after I woke up - 7 hours later - and it's got no life. Clearly not active. I remembered last time I baked a loaf something similar happened, but that was some time ago.
My question is this -- is 1 TBS of starter enough to create an active levain when paired with 200G flour and 200G H2O? Seems like a small motor to power a big train, if that analogy makes sense. I'm thinking I need to add much more active starter next time. Anyone else have a similar experience and/or recommendations?