Got a perfect rise on my sourdough for the first time in 6 weeks

I've been trying to get my starter right since January and it finally doubled in size this Tuesday after I started feeding it twice a day. The loaf came out golden and crusty with a nice open crumb, not the brick I usually get. Has anyone else had their starter just suddenly decide to cooperate out of nowhere?

2 comments

2 Comments

ivanross13d ago

Mine actually went the opposite way. I had a great starter for months and then it just died on me around week 4 when I switched to whole wheat flour. Now I'm back to all purpose and it's still acting moody. Your timing with the twice daily feedings probably helped but I think temperature plays a bigger role than people give it credit for. My kitchen was way colder back in January and nothing worked until I stuck it near the router for warmth. Not saying you didn't earn your rise, just that sudden cooperation might be more about your house temp shifting than your starter finally getting its act together.

bettyroberts13d ago

@ivanross you're dead on about the temperature thing. Whole wheat can be tricky too, it's got more stuff in it that can throw things off if the starter isn't rock solid. What temp was your kitchen in January exactly? I'm curious if it dropped below like 68 or 70 because that's when mine starts acting real slow. I had to move mine onto the fridge top just to keep it around 72. The router trick is clever though, never thought to try that. Did your starter bounce back fully after the whole wheat fiasco or is it still being stubborn?