Hello my fermenting friends!
If you are using whole wheat and all-purpose, you'll want to make a 50/50 mixture and keep it in a container.
I just scoop a big scoop of each into a plastic container, and then shake it up. I keep a little bowl in there to scope it out, but you can use a spoon. When I get low, I just make up another batch.
You don't need to do this. And please don't go out looking for one! Scraps of paper work just fine, too.
It has been rather warm here in San Francisco, so my starter has been quite busy bubbling away. Here's the progress in the last 36 hours.
Starter Activity
12 hours
We had some small bubbles forming.
24 hours
A little more activity, with some expansion. I used a rubber band to mark the initial level so I can see if it's growing.
30 hours
It's gone crazy in the last 6 hours. We had a warm afternoon! I added a plate underneath just in case. I don't think it will bubble over, but it just might!
Is it Ready?
Give your starter a smell once it gets going. At this stage above, it still smells like flour. I think mine will need another day or two. If yours is sluggish, no worries. Give it another day or so.
We'll know its ready to feed when it starts to smell sour and funky. You may get a crusty film on top, which is totally normal. Use a spoon and peel it back to get a whiff. It might smell like stinky cheese. Or sour feet. Or both. These are all good signs.
Getting Ready to Feed
Since my guy looks like it will be ready to be fed in another day or so, we should get ready to feed it by preparing its food.If you are using whole wheat and all-purpose, you'll want to make a 50/50 mixture and keep it in a container.
I just scoop a big scoop of each into a plastic container, and then shake it up. I keep a little bowl in there to scope it out, but you can use a spoon. When I get low, I just make up another batch.
If you're just using just all-purpose, you don't need to do this unless you want to have a container labeled Starter Food, which is satisfying to look at and makes you feel like you're really doing something important. :-)
Set this aside for now.
Nerding Out
If you want to nerd out, like I do, you might consider getting a notebook to keep notes of how your breadmaking goes.
Here's mine, a gift from a friend:
I tried keeping notes on my computer and phone but got too much goop on them. Not advisable.
I write down most attempts of my breadmaking, the recipes I use, and if it went well or not. In the beginning, it was super helpful to have a record of what I did. I referred back to it all the time. Now I mostly use it to keep track of the timing and to refer back to recipes that were tasty.
You don't need to do this. And please don't go out looking for one! Scraps of paper work just fine, too.
Next up: The Feeding!
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