Stirring down starter btw feedings
My starter is about 3 weeks old, but has only been active for about 10 days. It has been on 12 hour feedings, unbleached AP, 1:1:1, 72° - 77° f. It seems to be doing very well.
A few days ago I was going to be away for an unknown length of time, noticed that my starter had peaked (~120% increase at about 5 hours) & decided to stir it down. When I got home about 8 hours later, it was peaked but not collapsed @ almost 400% increase.
I decided to do a little experiment: started with 150 ml starter. Peaked @ 350 ml after 4.5 hours; stirred it down. Peaked @ 550 ml after 4 hours; stirred it down. It doubled in an hour, & had not quite peaked @ 450 ml after 4 hours, which was feeding time (& bedtime for me).
It seems like stirring it down after it peaks makes it even more active - I am guessing this is because the much larger population of microflora is being exposed to new food by the stirring, or something along those lines (did I guess right? does anyone know?).
My question: since all the advice is to use the starter when it's at its most active, wouldn't it make sense to stir it down & use it at its second peak?
thanks!
Yes, the food is redistributed to the yeast and by stirring you're folding and realighning gluten strands to trap more gas that will be released from the yeast. You can easily apply what is happening to the bread making process. A bulk rise with stretch and folding the dough and a final rise before baking. Timing may vary with temperatures and ingredients but yes, there is a relationship going on.
About using the starter, once it hits a first peak it can be used and even later on but eventually the starter does wear down and becomes spent and fall apart. Experiment and try ideas. Some of these later developing starter enzymes can get too strong if introduced in large amounts into the dough resulting in a heavy loaf. A lot depends of the flour used in elaborating the starter and how big a starter amount goes into the dough. That will make more sense later on as you get more experience using your starter.
Thanks, Mini - makes sense.
The CO2 that is trapped in the dough is also building up to a concentration that inhibits the fermentation process. Stirring the dough down releases some of the gas and the rate of fermentation will pick back up again.