The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Starter Hydration and Maintenance

dvuong's picture
dvuong

Starter Hydration and Maintenance

Hi all,

 

I was wondering what the difference was between a starter's hydration % and it's maintenance hydration %.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to me that there's a difference between the two. 

If you currently have a starter that you are maintaining at 1:1:1, doesn't that make it 100% hydration starter?  Why is it that I'm seeing all this complicated algrebra in the forums on changing the starter's hydration level?  For instance, If I have 100% hydration and I want to convert it to 67% hydration starter, wouldn't I just feed it 1:2:3 (s:w:f) and then continue to maintain it at that ratio? 

 

I'm soo confused!  I currently have a starter that I'm feeding 1:1:1 but would like to bake a loaf of SD from PR's ABED.  It looks like his mother starter is 63%.  So to convert, wouldn't I just take a portion of what I have now and feed it 2:3 at my next refresh? 

 

Thanks!

wwiiggggiinnss's picture
wwiiggggiinnss (not verified)

You'll laugh me out the building, but when a recipe forces a certain starter hydration on me, say 67%, I'll mix up 100 g of food (flour, usually), 67 g of water in a bowl and let it rest for a bit. I'll mix again and note the general consistency. I'll then feed my starter such that it achieves said consistency. Works like a charm, if not the level of precision I usually deploy.

I don't do this for new breads, as I need to know what success looks like, but once I've mastered a bread, I use the more general method.

In this (hydration) and many other things bread (starter creation, maintenance, many of the more ridiculous stretch/folding techniques, etc.), I've become (over 10 years, of course) the first to say, "Thou doth protest too much!" 

LindyD's picture
LindyD

Hi Dvuong,

MiniO has a way with words and offered this quite clear explanation in another thread (can't recall which one):

If you take a tablespoon of starter that's thick and add 100g water and 100g flour it is very close to 100% hydration.  

You want 70%?  Take a blob of starter and blend with 70g water and 100g flour.  

For 166%   ... 166g water with 100g flour.

Hope this is helpful to you.

Mira's picture
Mira

I, too, have been maintaining (for only several weeks now) a starter with 100% hydration, and am interested in converting to 67% to follow one of Reinhart's sourdough bread recipes.  I'd like to take a portion of this starter and convert to 67%, so thank you for the advice!  How long do I need to feed at 1:2:3 before it's good to use?

Mira