I cant seem to get my levain to pass the float the test. And I have read that many people do not seem to agree that this test is important, so I have tried to move past it and move forward with baking only to find a barely risen (but still edible) hunk of grain.
So this is what Ive been doing to get to this point. I have used both my own starter and a starter from breadtopia. I fed my own starter all purpose flour at first and then moved to whole wheat (both store bought at Whole Foods). Ive fed it multiple ways. First by just equaling the portions of the flour to water, without considering the weight of starter, but now I do just about equal parts flour/water/starter. Ive actually began to increase the water by about 10 grams over as I thought maybe it needs more water to rise larger (this did seem to work, but has had zero effect on the levain).
It is kept on the counter in a Weck container with a plastic lid that has an air hole. I tried to use the lid with Weck container and the rubber gasket, but felt the lid was too snug and that the starter was not getting enough air, which typically led to a watery top.
I feed once a day in the morning and I literally dump out most of the starter and whatever is left clinging to the sides of the container is the weight I use to determine the weight of the flour and water. This is typically around 80 grams.
I make the levain the night before I plan on baking, covering with a paper towel. However, the next morning is typically not much difference than the night before. So, I wait a few hours longer, but by then I begin to smell vinegar and the top begins to form a crust. At this point, I realize I have failed yet again.
Even though I know yeast is much easier, I really want to get this right. I feel like I need to get this right. But I dont know what to try next. I live in a larger metropolitan area so I really dont have access to fresh milled grain unless I want to spend a small fortune on a small milling machine. I mean maybe eventually, but I believe I can get much closer without having to go that route.
Ive been trying this for a little over a year now on and off when weekends allow, but Im at a loss. I follow Tartine's instructions for levain and have followed others that i have read online but still have had poor results.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks! Michael
temperature but you make no mention of this. 78 to 84 F is best.
Take 10 g of your starter and add 10 g each of flour and water to it mic cover with plastic and let sit for 4 hours. Add 20 g each of flour and water to it and mix cover and let sit 4 hours. 4 hours later add 40 g each of flour and water to itmix cover and let sit for 4 hours. it should double in volume no matter what flour you are using. If it does then you starter and levai n building is fine and your problem lies elsewhere. You need to sort this out first