I have been making sourdough for almost two years now.  I could make really nice bread but never did get the flavor that I really wanted.  The sour flavor that I was after just eluded me.  Then as I was reading the book "The Bread Builders" I came up with an idea that was worth a try.  The starter was removed the refrigerator and left out on the counter all the time.  It only gets fed two or three times a week.  I know this is totally against everything I have read about how to take care of a starter.  The flour I feed the starter with is a course ground whole wheat and the hydration is 50%.  I also only keep about 40 grams of storage starter so the amount of flour that is used per week to feed the starter is very low.  When I want to make bread I take a small amount of my storage starter and feed it in the evening.  The next morning I add more water and flour to it again.  This is used to make bread 8 to 12 hours later.  The flavor of the breads I have been making is just right for my taste and I get nice big irregular holes in the crumb.  Here is a picture of how the starter looks when I'm mixing it all up.

The sourdough starter ball gets a real sour smell to it after a couple of days and gets what looks like to me a yeast bloom on it.

When it gets to this stage it is time to feed the sourdough starter.  I save 10 grams of the starter and add 10 grams of water plus 20 grams of flour to it. 

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millciti

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My counter starter is similar but I haven't let it go a week yet. I think the longest time I have given it yet is 2.5 days. This starter is definitely fruitier smelling than my sourer smelling white frige starters. Your idea and the dough ball discussion on sourdough companion inspired me to try this. So did you come up with the idea yourself or did something else inspire you?

Wednesday 05 August 2009, 05:57

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LeadDog

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Millciti I think the way I do my starter is a combination of a number of different factors that happened all about the same time. First I was reading somewhere online that most refrigerators are to cold for the bacteria that makes sourdough sour. When I read that I moved my starter out to the counter. I also changed the starter from a 100% hydration to a 50% hydration at that time. Then about that time I was reading the book "The Bread Builders" and about the desem. Something just stuck in my mind that the desem starter isn't refreshed every 8 or 12 hours. The course whole wheat flour was left over from milling and I just used it to feed my starter. The starter seems to slowly turn the course wheat into mush. The last factor is that I'm forgetful and I just plain forgot to feed my starter after a week and it still worked fine. My bread had a better sour flavor so I just kept doing it.

Thursday 06 August 2009, 04:19

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