So before I found this sub, I thought my starter was an over achiever and I was put on this earth to make sourdough bread (jk) when it pretty much tripled the 3rd day. BUT I made the loaf following a recipe, the next day when it was in the fridge I found this subreddit and read that it’s super normal for a starter to go crazy on day 2/3 but then fall the next couple days. So now my starter is still maturing but I wanted to bake this loaf because why not. Anyways I know it’s undercooked but I’m not eating this. I picked I piece off the top and it has a weird taste. Oh well I just hope I don’t get sick from my little experiment 🙃
by Mediocre_Cut9682
13 Comments
I remember mine was pretty inactive at day 10. I would hold off baking with your starter until it’s at least a month old. Give it some time to mature.
This was something I had happening for a while. Turns out it was two things. One was my instant yeast I had been adding to work alongside my sourdough starter to get lift, well I had to improve my starter, & my yeast was far out of date & no longer active which I find out when I add yeast, warm water & sugar and let it stand, no matter it was passed expiry date by at least 21 months.
The other thing I start a recipe and measure by weight rather than units on a cup. As well I dropped my hydration level in my dough which I think also makes a big difference. I used to do 80% & my dough is closer to 60% which I get a much better rise and no more issue w these changes to getting a great recipe.
Yeah. On day three there is a phenomenon that around here we call “bacterial fight club”happening. There is a type of bacteria that caused all of that impressive rise. Problem is it 1, can’t lift a whole loaf worth of dough and 2, it tastes a little like rotting garbage.
Keep feeding and when you get rising happening again it will be the real deal!
Aw you got suckered in by the false rise, huh? That’s just a bacteria bloom. The yeast establishment takes a while longer yet.
On the plus side, your scoring was so pretty!
Ugh 3 months into my sourdough journey and most my loaves look like this. Starting to get more bubbles in the loaf though so maybe one day I’ll get there
So you’re probably using the typical method found here on reddit that includes a stinky phase and has you discarding some of the starter each time? If so try this method: [https://www.breadbakingathome.com/post/a-new-sourdough-starter-in-48-hours-done](https://www.breadbakingathome.com/post/a-new-sourdough-starter-in-48-hours-done)
You can actually bake in 48h with it, however it wont be sour for about a week.
The problem with the common methods for starters is they invite all sorts of unwanted bacteria, all sorts of putrid byproducts for the first week weeks and it takes about 2 weeks to get it really going. This method has none of that nonsense simply at the cost of it taking a week or 2 to become sour but it gives you strong wild yeast to work with in the mean time. It’s a method used for hundreds of years in Europe and is really common among professional bakers.
I honestly have no idea why anyone would use a different method…..
nice scoring tho
Well it looks beautiful
Takes three to four weeks, not two days
It’s beautiful though
It’s about the friends you made along the way.
The scoring looks pretty though
Enjoy your cookie! Only kidding – I’m certain it’ll get there.