Sourdough Bread Starter Smell?
My sourdough starter smells buttery, is this ok, or should I start over with my starter? I have made the starter with organic whole wheat flour and water. It is approximately 3 weeks old and I’ve made several batches of bread. It is just starting to have a buttery smell. Don’t know if the starter has been contaminated with another bacteria or if this might be normal.
Best Answer
I would only worry about this if the starter began producing off tasting/smelling bread. My starters have always smelled somewhat of alcohol though so I might worry if it stopped smelling at least a little like that.
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Quick Answer about "Sourdough Bread Starter Smell?"
You might find it smells anything from old gym socks, to vomit to pretty much anything in between. This is completely normal in the first few weeks and it will settle down as the good bacteria take hold. Once established, your starter should smell good - a fruity, yeastyWhy does my sourdough starter smell?
Signs of a Bad Sourdough StarterIf your starter has mold growing throughout it (not just a little on top), or if it smells really foul (not just super sour), or if it turns an odd color (not just gray, which is normal, but pink or green), it may be time to start over.What does good sourdough starter smell like?
It is a pleasantly sweet smell, like yeasty bread, with a bit of a sour note. Your sourdough starter can go through many stages of smells. It can be yeasty, it can smell like alcohol, stinky feet, vomit(the worst), and aged cheese(parmesan to be exact).What should Bread starter smell like?
Your starter should have a lovely, yeasty smell, like getting a whiff of bread rising in a bakery, times five. If you stick your nose into your bag of starter, you'll get a pretty heady hit of yeast.Sourdough Starter Guide + why does it smell like that??
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Answer 2
Starters (particularly young ones) tend to go through lots of phases while various microorganisms take root and get in balance with each other. Changes in your kitchen environment (objects/surfaces the starter might be exposed to, along with things like changes in temperature and humidity) might affect the balance temporarily or permanently.
I'd just keep feeding the starter regularly and baking with it. If it's still rising well itself and still allows bread dough to rise in a reasonable amount of time, the details will gradually come into balance and work themselves out. The smell of a starter can vary considerably, from "yeasty" or "alcoholic" to "sour" and "pungent," with a lot of other possible notes like "earthy" or even "fruity." I don't recall ever thinking a starter smelled like "butter," but perhaps you're sensing the output of lactic acid bacteria that are usually common in starters (as butter can be made from cultured cream that may also contain lactic acid bacteria).
The major warning signs that a starter has truly gone off are mold or significant discoloration, a putrid smell that won't go away even after multiple feedings, or bread that tastes/smells off in multiple batches. Even then, most starters are probably recoverable with aggressive feeding strategies (and removal of any contamination), but those are the few times I might worry or consider getting rid of the starter.
Answer 3
"Smells buttery" means butyric acid bacteria. They are favored by lower temperatures and more anaerobic conditions. While they are not dangerous, they give a rather strong taste to the resulting bread, and their metabolic products are not much use for leavening. As they compete with the bacteria you actually aim for, it makes sense to start over.
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