Feeding sourdough

[james]

Quick question.

I fed my starter yesterday and give it 16 hours to grow (and it's looking good). I poured off 220gr (100gr flour and 120gr water).

Do I just put it back in the refrigerator at this point until I use again?

I don't have to feed it again before it goes back into the fridge? Or, do I?

Thanks,
James

[rlf5]

Re: Feeding sourdough

I usually let mine feed for an hour or so, and then put it back in the fridge. The only time I let it go for 12 hrs or longer is when I plan on using it.

[Jed]

Re: Feeding sourdough

Hi James,

I try to put my starter back in the fridge an hour or two after a feeding, however, I have neglected the poor thing and let it set out over night before giving it a chance to rest in the fridge. It will come back to life just fine, although it may not have the same spunk as the starter that went into cold storage with the shorter time at room temp.

JED

[james]

Re: Feeding sourdough

If I feed it now, and then again 12-16 hours before I need to use it -- that means two feedings with each bake. One for storage and one for the build for bread.

Is that right? Eeeek.
James

[rlf5]

Re: Feeding sourdough

When was the last time you fed it? When I take my starter out of the fridge, I feed it and let it double. At that point, I either put it back in the fridge or I use it. I don't do two feedings before I use it b/c my levain build will cover that. If you fed your starter within the last 5 hours, I'd still be inclined to put it in the fridge w/o another feeding.

[james]

Re: Feeding sourdough

I fed it yesterday at mid-day, about 16 hours before I used it to make bread. It was out all day and night in the upper to low 60s.

I added 100gr flour and 120gr water, which I took back out to make by bread.

What do you think?
James

[rlf5]

Re: Feeding sourdough

If its been out 16+ hrs already, you should probably feed it again and then put it in the fridge an hour or so after that. Now, I've taken mine out before, fed it, let it double with the intent on making bread...but for some reason that didn't happen and I just put it back in the fridge fully ripe and ready. If you do this you'll get the alcohol layer on top after about 5 days...but its never a problem. Either is fine...the yeast would probably be happier with a feeding though.

[james]

Re: Feeding sourdough

Got it. Thanks.
James

[Frances]

Re: Feeding sourdough

I only ever feed mine once - when I want to bake I take half of it out, and feed that bit up for however long needed to make bread, the other half I feed seperately and put right back into the fridge to keep for next week... and that also means I never throw any of it out.

[james]

Re: Feeding sourdough

I think I have come up with a strategy. My goal is always to make great and not totally trash the kitchen. I am making the Hamelman Miche today, from a feeding yesterday. I pulled out 220gr of starter (100gr flour and 120gr water). After I made my bread, I added 50gr of flour and 60gr of water to the starter and put it back in the refrigerator. Then, the next time I make bread, I will build it up with another 50gr of flour and 60gr of water, give it 12-16 hours to build, and remove 220gr for bread. Round and round we go.

There really isn't an extra step to feeding the starter twice -- as I am already making bread and have the flour and scale out on the counter.

Phew. I feel better.
James

[MoonshineBaker]

Re: Feeding sourdough

James, Allan Scott in his book "Bread Builders..." has a nice routine for making a tangy sourdough and keeping his starter going. Sometimes I follow Scott's technique feeding the sourdough twice before starting the bread - but I use Hamelman's recipe adding 10% rye flour. This gives a real earthy San Francisco style tangy sourdough. Other times for a medium sourdough, I feed once and put away some for the starter. And for a mild sourdough, I feed it once, take off some for the starter and then add regular yeast. The crust and crumb are similar in each of the above; from my limited experiences, the amount of hydration seems to be the determining factor for the crust and crumb textures. Richard

[egalecki]

Re: Feeding sourdough

I'm making a starter- I started with organic rye flour and water. I started it on Sunday, and following the recipe I have, I added some water and AP flour this morning. This afternoon it's exploded all over my counter three times. Evidently I have a lot of yeasties in the air here. I have moved it into a larger bowl and covered it, but now what do I do? I'm not supposed to make bread until Thursday by the recipe, but I think I'm going to have to do something before then!

Do I: 1) move it to 2 different bowls or 2) just go ahead and make bread tomorrow? I don't want to make it so the sourdough yeast isn't predominant, but I didn't use any IDY at all, so unless they're floating around too, there isn't any in this wild brew. It doesn't smell like sourdough starter yet to me. Will it still do its thing in the fridge?

[rlf5]

Re: Feeding sourdough

Wow that's pretty fast to have a new starter that active. You may actually have bacteria doing that instead of the yeast. If it dies out in a day or two and is not nearly as active as it was, then that was probably it. If the activity remains the same in the next few days, then you're in luck and you have some pretty active yeasties. Just keep on tossing half and then feeding it until you plan on making bread.

[egalecki]

Re: Feeding sourdough

I don't have any funny colors going on, which is what I understand you get with the wrong bacteria. I'll see what it's doing tomorrow morning (probably climbing on my counter again). My recipe didn't say anything about feeding and discarding half, so maybe that's what I'll do. At this point I have more than plenty to discard half and still have lots left.

I hope it's yeast and not bacteria! We'll see in the morning...

[egalecki]

Re: Feeding sourdough

Ok, it's slowed down, thank goodness. Still bubbles and things, but not exploding on the counter anymore. It also smells more like I was expecting. Not curl-your-toes sour, but a little bit sour and sort of beerish. I'm going to feed it this evening and set it out ready to make bread tomorrow morning- I hope it works!