converting 50% starter
Okay, so I have been juggling three starters lately. I have a firm rye, 50 % hydration firm white/rye, and a 100% hydration white. I use my 50% hydration white/rye starter the most, and he's the healthiest. I am going to change my feeding schedule to Glezer's recommendations for a firm starter (10g/25g/45g) feedings every 12 hours. (I'm doing this for a lot of reasons: ease, scientific interest and trying to build a better sour flavor) Long story short, I can't keep up the every twelve hour feeding schedule for 3 starters and a starter feeding spreadsheet just doesn't need added into my day! So I just want the one 50% hydration starter.
I have been all over my books and on TFL looking for the answer to this question but only find info on how to convert a liquid starter to firm, not the other way around. I just can't seem to wrap my head around the math here...Ugh, help please?
Question:
How do I use my active 50% hydration white/rye starter when I want to make a formula that calls for 100% hydration? I usually keep about 200g starter- happy, fed and ready to go. So if say, the recipe states "167g white 100% hydration starter" how do I use my firm starter instead of doing an intermediate levain build?
Thanks in advance for any and all help with this.
167/1.50=111
167 - 111 = 56
Your starter has 111 grams of flour and 56 grams of water (.50 x 111=56 - rounded up)
The easy way to accomplish your goal is to simply add 55 grams of water to the 167 grams of starter you have on hand, which should bring your total weight to approximately 222 grams. Use 167 grams of that, reserving the remaining 55 grams of starter (+/-) and feeding that with a 1:2:2 mixture to maintain the 100% hydration.
You can carry the math further and obtain a more precise result that eliminates the left overs, but most people don't want to work that hard at math to make a loaf of bread and 55 grams of left overs is a pretty small amount if you decide to simply discard it.
Take 125-126 grams of the 50% starter and add 42 grams of water for 167 grams of 100% starter.
I start by determining the amount of flour in the volume of starter you want to end up with, and work backwards. Half of your 100% starter is flour (in your example, 167/2 = 83.5, rounded up to 84).
In your 50% starter, for 84 grams of flour you would have 42 grams water, for a total of 126 grams of 50% starter. Double the water by adding another 42 grams water for 100% hydration. Rounding up gives you 168 grams of finished starter.
This way, I keep my starter at 50%, and just use what I need for the recipe and adjust the amount of water, without making more starter than I need.
That's an excellent approach to a solution. Better than my own. I might even prefer to use that one. Either way, hoipe you enjoy the baking experience.
I appreciate the help flournwater, and yes, I definately enjoy the baking experience!
Edith Pilaf- thank you for the explaination! Sounds like you use your 50% starter how I'd like to use mine, so this is a perfect solution.
Thanks again.