April 29, 2020 - 10:21am
same starter for different recipes?
I have a starter that I've been using so far for this one recipe and it wasn't a starter recipe for the recipe i've been using. My question is can i use the same starter for all kinds of recipes using different flours? Does it matter?
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...on how ‘authentic’ you want to be. If you tend to follow recipes closely and judge your success on how well your product resembles that suggested by or pictured in the recipe, then you’ll probably want to migrate your starter over closer to that specified in a particular recipe.
Otoh, if you take more of a “if it’s good, then that’s good enough“ attitude, then you can save yourself time and trouble by using a single versatile starter for most bakes.
Fwiw, I maintain my one and only starter with maximum flexibility in design: intermediate hydration (80%) and intermediate whole grain (40%). It performs splendidly for everything I ask of it. For exotic demands like panettone or brioche, it gets a few refreshments on a different feed and at a different hydration. That works for me but you have to decide what your objectives are.
Safe baking.
Tom