Using stiff sourdough starter to predict bulkfermentation time
Hi,
I have been busy with creating a mature sourdough starter by daily feeding it for atleast 4 months. It is a stiff star with the feeding ratio being 1 starter : 5 flour : 2,75 water : 0,0625 salt. It usually gets active after 2,5 - 3 hours an is tripled in volume in between 5-6 hours. It usually stays this way for a long time and never really gets back to its original volume within 24 hours. After 24 hours its usually between 1,75 - 2 times its original volume. Maybe thats because of it being a stiff starter.
Anyway, in all those hours i have been poking it to get a feel for the poke test. I figured that my starter is basically a small version of a 55% hydration dough with 20% starter added to it. So did I get a feel for the poke test. I dont know. It always jumps back. Also after 24 hours at 25 degrees celsius.
But i noticed that after 6 hours the dough felt a lot weaker when its tripled and at peakactivity. So I would say that the starter is at the point of overproofing at that time. Don't know if im right since im a real baker noob. But if im right should that mean that i should start being real vigilant at around 6 hours of proofing time when using this starter in a dough