Sourdough starter stopped growing, is it normal?
I posted a question a few days ago. This was my first sourdough starter: My sourdough starter split in 2 on the 3rd day. What should I do?
and I decided to only keep the foamy part and throw the other half away. After another day that sourdough stopped growing and became kinda liquidy and I threw it away and started another batch.
2 days after and I am in the same situation. My sourdough starter split in two, exactly the same as in the above link. But this time I decided to simply stir it and feed it as usual.
After the 2nd feed, the starter kept splitting in two and the foamy part started to get smaller and smaller. The bottom part stopped making bubbles and simply stayed the same way.
6-7 hours before the 3rd feed the starter looks like the below picture. It stopped growing and it seems that only the top layer has bubbles. Is this normal?
It is also weird that two different starters have the same exact evolution, maybe there's something wrong with the flour?
EDIT:
So after 7 more days of feeding and three attempts here is my latest result:
Thank you for your advice!
Best Answer
Nothing that happens in a starter in the first few days is normal, in the sense that it doesn't behave like a mature starter. During this time, the bacterial flora in the starter is in constant flux, and you need to wait until the desired bacteria have prevailed, which will take some time.
It is not impossible to do something wrong, but you will only know it when the starter has stabilized, or rather failed to. Until then, just keep the regime exactly as prescribed, no matter what visible changes happen.
Pictures about "Sourdough starter stopped growing, is it normal?"
Quick Answer about "Sourdough starter stopped growing, is it normal?"
If at one point your starter was all bubbly and happy, and now it's not rising anymore, it's possible that it needs a few extra feedings to boost the yeast development. Assuming you understand how temperature and ingredients can effect the rise of your starter, try feeding it 2x per day and see what happens.Why has my sourdough starter stopped growing?
Soft water has fewer minerals which will increase the rate of fermentation which weakens the starter. If you do think the quality of your tap water is the cause of your sourdough starter not rising, try bottled water and see if it makes a difference.Why is my sourdough starter not doubling in size?
Starter Doesn't Rise Between Feedings Give your sourdough time, and it'll eventually mature. Ideally, there should be a fair bit of growth between feedings. The starter should usually double. If it's not growing this much, then it's definitely not ready to be used in bread.HOW TO FIX YOUR SOURDOUGH STARTER | Troubleshooting common issues
More answers regarding sourdough starter stopped growing, is it normal?
Answer 2
I have a starter in the fridge which I have been feeding on and off for half a year now. Every time I take it out of the fridge, it has split. Just mix the water back in before you feed. Don't worry about throwing it out, they always come back to life. The first few days of your starter, unless you have added yeast, it won't look like it's doing much. The first day I make a starter I leave it out 24 hours, feed it again (without throwing any away), leave it for 12 hours and then put it in the fridge. From then on whenever I decide to feed it I pull it out of the fridge, mix in the water, feed, leave on the counter for 4-6 hours (until I see lots of bubbles) then I throw it back in the fridge until next time I remember or decide to feed it. Once you have it started everything will be fine! It's much less a complicated science than it seems. As mentioned by rumtscho nothing that happens in the first few days will be normal! Just keep feeding it and give it time with the lid off to ferment nicely. Otherwise I'd recommend chucking a bit of live bakers yeast (small chunk, which is difficult because the stuff comes in bricks) or a packet of active dry yeast. Otherwise my chefs always recommended putting a piece of rotting fruit in it, but I've always felt that to be the least attractive option - what happens to the fruit bits?! Good luck!
Answer 3
Looks to me like you just have too much water. What is your feed ratio of flour to water to starter? I'm usually doing 2:1:1
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Jill Wellington, Sebastian Coman Photography, Roberto Nickson, Karolina Grabowska