Can a sour dough starter be too active?
Can a sour dough starter be too active? My starter almost tripled in 4 hours. Should I keep feeding it and when do you know that it is ready?.
Best Answer
Different starters can behave very differently depending on what's growing and the temperature. I'd say it's probably not TOO active.
However, some times sour dough starters can grow really fast in the first one or two days, at this point it is NOT ready. There needs to be a few days for different types of bacteria growing and dying out before you get the right types and balance of bacteria and yeast. Do the following checks before you use starter.
- Has it been at least a week
- does it smell good (should be a light refreshing yeast smell, not a bad smell, if it smell like socks or something, throw it all out and try again)
- does it double consistently after feeding
If all checks out, it's probably ready, if not just keep feeding every day and keep at room temperature
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Quick Answer about "Can a sour dough starter be too active?"
It is common for a sourdough starter to have a surge in activity those first few days and then die down. This is normal and the results of another type of bacteria build up, not an indication that your starter is dead.Can sourdough starter rise too much?
Your sourdough starter should rise and double in size in about 8-12 hours. If it is doubling in size too quickly, it could mean that you are storing your sourdough starter at too high of a temperature. The best temperature for fermentation is at 25 Celcius.How active should sourdough starter be?
A few days into feeding your starter, it should be strong enough to bake a loaf. To know that you have an active starter, look to see how it's grown \u2014 as you've fed the starter, it should have doubled in volume. It should also look very bubbly and slightly foamy at the surface. The scent is as important as the look.Why is my sourdough starter rising and falling so fast?
Your kitchen may be too warm. Higher ambient temperatures speed up fermentation, and your starter will basically run through the food source too fast. Sourdough starters are like us \u2013 they like a temperate climate! Try keeping your starter somewhere around 65-75\xb0F if possible, and see if this makes a difference.Can sourdough be overworked?
While underworked dough can simply be fixed by a little more kneading, severely overworked dough cannot be fixed. Instead, the overworked dough will result in a hard loaf that will likely not be eaten. It's important not to overwork your dough and continually check for overworking throughout the kneading process.Over-Active Sourdough Starter | Proof Bread
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Answer 2
Richard, starters can vary for many reasons from type and age of the yeast, I prefer old fashioned "cake" yeast (which is getting harder to find) or "brewer's" yeast (which has become easier to find with all the interest in "home", "craft" & "artisans" brewing. The water you use can also affect the rate of growth of the yeast, hard or soft water, municipal (chlorine & flouride) can affect as well as altitude. So basically unless there is an "off smell or color" you will probably be OK. Don't put your jar lid on too tight, the yeast is "alive" and growing which means it is giving of carbon dioxide and can build up pressure if the lid is too tight. Your bread dough probably will not double near as fast and your starter will settle down with age, you might want to use a larger jar or container until you learn what to expect. Good luck and watch out if your neighbors smell that delicious San Francisco aroma of baking Sourdough bread, they may be knocking at your door!
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