My second sourdough starter has been much more successful so far. I have noticed more bubbles and it has begun to smell like bread. This is much different from my first attempt, as it continuously smelled rotten and developed no bubbles or culture. I have been feeding it much more regularly and using proper water in the process. I am now on the sixth day of my starter and it will be ready to bake on the tenth, so I am hopeful of the success of my second starter.
While doing regular research on my project, I realized that the liquid forming on top of my starter is referred to as a “hooch” and it does not signify that your sourdough has gone bad. This is visible in the photo of my starter included above. Stephanie Bruce from Gathered in the Kitchen discusses how starters forming a hooch is a normal process and that it signifies that the starter is hungry. She also states that it can easily be drained from your starter. Up until now, I have been stirring the hooch back into the starter, which can decrease the chances of success. This was a useful tip for me, and you can find many others from their website linked below:
