Baked From Scratch
Tell me what I am doing wrong…
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After reading this post on Joy the Baker, I decided to give it a whirl. This is day 7 on my sour dough starter. Its looked about the same everyday. I have followed the directions. The only thing I can think of, is that its not quite warm enough in my house. It stays about 68-69 degrees inside our house. Maybe thats a tad too chilly for the little yeast to thrive?
What do ya think? Help me out. Im willing to try anything at this point.
12 Comments so far
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That is definitely too cold to try and grow a starter. Don’t despair thought there are some tricks around this.
First off, do you have any warm spots in your house besides the kitchen? Sourdough is great in that you don’t have to start in the kitchen. What I do is walk around with an alarm clock that I have that has a digital temperature readout and see the changes around our house. You are looking for something around 74+ to grow a solid starter.
If you cannot find a warm spot in your house then you can try your oven. Does it have a pilot light or light bulb inside? Make sure both or one is on and plop your temperature gauge in there and shut the door. You will be surprised at how warm it gets in there. I have also heard of people having some success with putting their starters in the oven with a large pan to continuously add steaming water to it but that always seemed a bit labor intensive for me.
The fact is to grow sourdough (sacchraromyces exiges) you need to have warm temperatures to encourage the growth. Good luck and let us know if you find that warm place!
(Secret: I once had a hard time finding a warm place and discovered the family bathroom was great. The frequency that everyone took showers kept the place warm for a great part of the day!)
Comment by Lewis September 18, 2008 @ 11:01 pmYeah…it is to cold.
Comment by chocolatechic September 19, 2008 @ 7:21 amI think that it is too cold. Today is my day 7 and I put in on my counter next to me refrigerator where it is warmer.
Comment by April September 19, 2008 @ 9:16 amI understand where people are coming from on the too cold thing, but I have to admit that my starter began looking just like that. I didn’t even use it until it was 14 days old, and then only on quick breads. Just whisk the liquid on top into the rest, and do what I did: turn on the oven, bake, and set the starter next to it
Comment by Caitlin September 19, 2008 @ 10:44 amPut it on TOP of the refrigerator! That’s where I keep my unchlorinated water (for baking bread) and it’s always nice and warm up there. You should also make sure you’re using nonchlorinated water, or to run it through a Brita filter before you use it.
Have you tried the pineapple juice method? It’ll cut 4 days off of the process. I’ve described it at http://wishiwerebaking.blogspot.com/2008/02/sourdough-pizza.html
Comment by DaviMack September 19, 2008 @ 11:56 amDavid gave the suggestion I was about to give – the top of the fridge is usually warmer than the rest of the house.
Comment by Gina September 19, 2008 @ 9:12 pmThanks everyone! I appreciate all the responses. I am going to try the top of the fridge first, hopefully that works. If not, I will try the oven with the light on. Id like to try and keep the starter in the kitchen. Moving it increases the chances of the kids messing with it.
I will update in one week and let ya know, with pictures! xoxo
Comment by slush September 19, 2008 @ 9:18 pmI hope someone is able to help you with your starter! Also, I passed on an excellence award to your blog.
Comment by thefrenchkitchen September 19, 2008 @ 9:58 pmAnd all of your ingredients were fresh too? I’ve had issues with stuff just not working because they were a little older than I thought.
Comment by zebe912 September 20, 2008 @ 9:46 amCheck out the information on Mary’s blog: http://www.breadchick.com When I had to resurrect my starter, I used her method (on top of the water heater) and it worked just fine.
Comment by Judy@Judy's Gross Eats September 20, 2008 @ 4:38 pmThis may sound a little weird but last winter I took mine to work, our office is routinely kept in the mid-70’s. I tucked the jar on a shelf and used tupperware to feed it everyday. It worked like a charm and utilized energy that existed regardless.
Comment by N. September 22, 2008 @ 7:50 pmLaurie,
I was just thinking about trying my hand at sourdough starter. My mom made the best sourdough pancakes when I was a kid. Im probably not going to try it for a couple weeks. It is fun and helpful to read your post.
Comment by pastrychefbyfire September 23, 2008 @ 11:34 am