Salt vs. starter: which matters more for a reliable sourdough rise?

I've been baking sourdough for about six months now, and I keep going back and forth on what really sets the pace for a good rise. Some folks swear by keeping your starter super active with daily feedings, while others say the salt amount in your dough is what controls everything. I tried both approaches separately - on one batch I focused only on starter health, and on another I tweaked the salt from 2% to 1.5%. The lower salt loaf actually rose faster but tasted flat. Which do you think is the bigger factor for a consistent crumb and height? Anyone else find that salt balance makes or breaks their loaf timing?

3 comments

3 Comments

ray_campbell4613d ago

Is salt what's really killing your rise or just your flavor?

matthewmartin13d ago

Makes me think of my buddy who tried that whole "no salt" kick for bread last year. His loaves came out looking like deflated soccer balls, flat and dense as a brick. @ray_campbell46 I think salt is more about flavor than anything, but it does mess with yeast activity if you go overboard. He started just cutting the salt in half instead of ditching it completely and things got way better.

ray_miller8413d ago

Start with half the salt your recipe calls for and see what happens.