Unfortunately, this week I was not able to make a sourdough loaf due to sickness. Although, as I mentioned in my last post, I recently divided my starter into two.
I thought this would be an interesting topic to discuss because I learned a lot more about the ratios and functions of sourdough starters. I never weigh my portions because I do not have a scale which is a really helpful tool to perfect your portioning. However, I realized that I had not been feeding my sourdough properly. After beginning, I continued to remove 1/2 cup of starter and add 1/2 cup of both distilled water and flour. I learned during this change that the ratio your starter should maintain is 1:1:1 of flour, water, and starter. There are many other ratios that people decide to use that better suit their bread but this is the most common one, especially for beginners like myself. This explained a lot to me because I felt like my starter was outgrowing the jar I had started it in. This was due to me adding more than I was removing each day.
Because of this, I moved 1/2 cup of starter into a new jar and added 1/2 cup of water and flour, perfecting the 1:1:1 ratio. I started this only a day before making my last loaf, which was my most successful. But as I had mentioned, the older starter passed the float test and the new one with proper ratios did not. I made the loaf with my older starter and it rose well and had plenty of air bubbles.
After that experience, I thought my second starter might die off and I would continue with my original starter. Additionally, while I was sick this week, both of my starters were neglected and I did not feed them for two days. I was worried they may have both died and that at least my second one had. But after looking at them again today, my second starter has grown and become a stretchy and thick consistency with a strong yeast smell, meaning it is strong and potentially ready to bake with. It appeared to be even stronger than my original starter.
I am excited to see which starter is stronger and am planning to make a loaf with each and assess which one makes a stronger bread with consistent air bubbles and rising.
