If your starter is “peaked” it is ready to use. How do you tell if a starter is ready to use? The most telltale signs include:
A starter that has at least doubled in size about 3-8 hours after its feed
Bubbles of all sizes scattered throughout the starter but no watery bubbles on the top surface
A spongy texture that is not watery, and may even be called stringy once it is stirred down for use
Smell of fresh yeast that does not resemble that of the sour smell of rubbing alcohol
This is a picture of my peaked All-Purpose starter. The bubbles are just starting to poke through the surface.
After feeding for at least 7 days, I’m sure you’ll have noticed that the starter will grow and become very bubbly. This growing process can take anywhere from 3-8 hours depending on temperature, time of year, starter consistency, and flours.
Eventually, after not feeding for a while the starter will begin to deflate again and shrink down until no bubbles remain, the starter becomes almost watery and the sour smell returns. This means that the starter has eaten up all it’s food; it’s hungry and needs to be fed soon. Too long between feedings can kill your starter, and it may not be able to be revived.
The signs of a HUNGRY STARTER include:
Deflation in the starter since peak
A more watery starter than normal
Less bubbles throughout the starter and more bubbles on the surface
A more sour smell
If your starter is hungry, it will oftentimes have watery bubbles on the surface since the air bubbles that were distributed throughout the starter during peak have now moved up and out of the starter, causing it to deflate. This will cause the starter to become more watery than usual.
This is a picture of my whole wheat starter just past peaked. The deflate is beginning and watery looking bubbles are coming up and out of the starter.
If you leave your starter for too long unfed, hooch can form. Hooch is liquid that can be light or dark in color (mainly dark) that forms after the starter has eaten up all that is available. It can be found on the top of the starter or within the starter in air pockets. Hooch is the starters way of saying it needs to be fed. Some bakers will stir this liquid back into their starters, saying it gives more tang. Some bakers say it is essential to pour off the liquid as it is considered wasted excess.
To avoid hooch and sour starters, make a point to feed your starter at least once a week.
To feed your starter, simply discard about half and feed the starter more water and flour according to your hydration preferences. See blog post Let's Make a Sourdough Starter days 3-7 to read a normal feeding process.
Comentários