March 28, 2012 - 4:51pm
Using a firm starter
Is there a method for using a firm starter when a liquid starter is called for in a recipe?
Thanks for any suggestions you can offer,
Frank
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Is there a method for using a firm starter when a liquid starter is called for in a recipe?
Thanks for any suggestions you can offer,
Frank
There are at least a couple ways you could go about it. First, you could convert a portion of your firm starter to a liquid starter. Try using 10 grams or some other small amount of firm starter and add 100 grams each of water and flour and you will have a version of a liquid starter that is also refreshed and ready to go. You could also figure out, using bakers math, what the overall hydration of the dough is and adjust the amount of flour or water you add (reduce the overall flour or increase the overall water) to achieve the correct porportions. To give you more specifics would require having the particular formula you are wanting to modify.
Thanks for your response. Sorry to say I did not express myself well enough in my original statement. I understand how to convert a firm starter to a liquid starter. I often spend 3-4 days adjusting it. Is there a way to use the firm starter in a recipe that calls for a liquid starter without converting it. I see that you addressed this process in the second part of your response and I appreciate it.
Frank
I have had the same question for a while until I stumbled upon the answer.
You can do the math, but you can also use this nifty converter I found on this link: http://www.northwestsourdough.com/starter/
Just click on the "Starter Converter" link after you go to the website.
I used it for a recipe requiring a 168% starter and substituted my 65% starter. The recipe came out perfectly so I know it worked well.
Good luck.
duplicate post, sorry.
I would love to have this converter but my Macbook displays it as gobbledegook. Does anyone know how I could read it, please?
Patsy
It's an actual executable file that appears to work on a windows based machine, so if you don't have access to a non-mac this solution likely will not work for you. There are several other web based or spreadsheet based solutions. Just use the search function of the site. I tried "calculator" and "conversion" and found several likely candidates.
I was being lazy.
Patsy
Thanks so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Frank