Sourdough starter - Have I been doing it wrong?
I made my own starter a couple weeks ago: flour and water, and left it on the top of the fridge. I have been feeding the starter each day for the past two weeks.
I have not discarded any. Now the more I am reading I see I should have discarded half of the starter before each feeding. (Still not clear if that is only the first week or always?)
For each feeding I used the same amount of flour and water like I did on the first day, regardless of the growing amount of soupy starter in my super large jar. It has smelled fine, I have even baked with it a few times.
Do I have to start over or can I use this?
Best Answer
You're fine. The reason to discard starter when you feed it is so that you don't end up with exponentially more starter and rapidly run out of room for it. You can slow down the growth of your starter and thus the need for frequent discards by keeping it in the refrigerator and feeding it once a week rather than every day. I've been doing this for about two years now.
If you prefer, and if you have time, there are a number of things you can make with the "unfed" starter, rather than discarding it. I personally like the pancakes/waffles (same ingredients, different technique) from King Arthur Flour.
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Quick Answer about "Sourdough starter - Have I been doing it wrong?"
See the orange streak? This starter shouldn't be saved. However, if you see a pink or orange tint or streak, this is a sure sign that your sourdough starter has gone bad and should be discarded. The stiff starter above was left out at room temperature for two weeks.Can sourdough starter go wrong?
Sourdough starters are pretty tough and can withstand being neglected for a little while, but they can also go bad or die (become inactive) under the right condition and with enough time.Why is my sourdough starter runny and not rising?
Too cold and your starter won't rise. Too warm and your sourdough starter will use the flour and water you feed it too quickly. This will mean that your starter will become runny and watery. If it's really warm and you don't feed the starter enough, it could also start to develop hooch.How do I know if my sourdough starter is weak?
If your sourdough starter seems to be a little thin, it can be hard to see if it's actually bubbling as the bubbles will escape. A thinner starter will also not have the big bubbles on the side of your jar. In order to strengthen your sourdough starter try and give it flour only for one or two feeds.Should sourdough starter be thick or runny?
one part flour to one part water! The rule of thumb is consistency - it should be a very thick batter to start with, so it just pours. If it's runny, it's too thin, and if it's a dough, it's too thick. You can vary the consistency later, when you know what you're doing.HOW TO FIX YOUR SOURDOUGH STARTER | Troubleshooting common issues
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Answer 2
I bought a sourdough book online, by Sourdough Jack Mabee, titled "Sourdough Jack's Cookery and Other Things" and he has a fantastic recipe for sourdough pancakes. It uses unfed "discard" but you then feed it with twice the flour and water as normal, mix and cover it and let it sit for 8 to 12 hours, then add the salt and sugar and other things and make the pancakes. They are teriffic. But you should discard from your starter all but about a cup, or 100 grams, at each feeding and add equal amounts of flour and water, or more water for sourer flavor and a little less water for more yeast activity. This assures that you don't run out of room for it all (which can happen fast) and your starter doesn't starve for food. If you are going to be maintaining a new starter, I would suggest twice daily feeding, and after a week or more when it triples after every feeding, then it should be ready for baking or storing in the fridge.
Answer 3
If we discard some each day we create a type of rotation. The flour would eventually degrade as nothing keeps forever. So add a little after removing a little. How else could we have a sour dough many years old! Good luck.
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