March 1, 2015 - 10:52am
Mature starter readiness indicators
Gurus, does doubling after a feed (build) in 5-6 hours indicate readiness for bread? I had an issue w my last loaf getting insufficient lift and think I was sloppy and not paying good attention to that crucial detail: i.e. starter being fully ready to lift a bread.
Thanks in advance for the answers.
hester
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If you have a mature starter, that is one that you have been refreshing for 3 weeks or more, it smells like ethyl alcohol, and it has been rising as expected, and the temperature is about 68°F (20°C), then I would guess that it is ready. If your temperature is 80 to 85°F (27 to 29°C), then I would expect it to double in less than 2 hours.
Ford
Temp in house is quite crisp; 68 dF. Nowhere near 80-85. I close it up in a cabinet with some hot water nearby and get doubling in ~5 hours.
I go by puffiness of the starter as the indication of whether it is ready to use. The real test, of course, is to see how the starter performs in a dough. I never measure the volume expansion or the temperature and the breads come out fine. Relax and enjoy.
reply, 108 breads. I appreciate all the input I get here.