Comments on: How to Convert a Liquid Starter to a Stiff Starter http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2007/12/07/stiff-starter/ Notes from my kitchen, in which I bake bread and raise a few other matters Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:15:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Iso Guerrero http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2007/12/07/stiff-starter/comment-page-1/#comment-22664 Iso Guerrero Thu, 08 Dec 2011 03:59:41 +0000 http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2007/12/07/stiff-starter/#comment-22664 hola, we love Panettone, and is a costume for us to eat a lot of it on November./December, I did a 100% starter with your recipe and i just did the 50% stiff starter right now to have for the panettone recipe, but the recipe do not said who many times a have to feed it and in how many hours , please, i need the answer, because i want to do the panettone this Sunday . sorry about my English i try my best. Dec-7 Iso hola,
we love Panettone, and is a costume for us to eat a lot of it on November./December, I did a 100% starter with your recipe and i just did the 50% stiff starter right now to have for the panettone recipe, but the recipe do not said who many times a have to feed it and in how many hours , please, i need the answer, because i want to do the panettone this Sunday . sorry about my English i try my best. Dec-7
Iso

]]> By: KitchenGeisha http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2007/12/07/stiff-starter/comment-page-1/#comment-19466 KitchenGeisha Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:25:00 +0000 http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2007/12/07/stiff-starter/#comment-19466 I opened Hamalman's "Bread" randomly for a recipe for tomorrow, and what shows up? "Building the Culture (also known as 'Elaborating')", pg 146, all about ratios and why the specific amounts are used to feed given starter amounts. Now I understand. :) I opened Hamalman’s “Bread” randomly for a recipe for tomorrow, and what shows up? “Building the Culture (also known as ‘Elaborating’)”, pg 146, all about ratios and why the specific amounts are used to feed given starter amounts.

Now I understand. :)

]]> By: KitchenGeisha http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2007/12/07/stiff-starter/comment-page-1/#comment-19457 KitchenGeisha Mon, 25 Jul 2011 19:35:01 +0000 http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2007/12/07/stiff-starter/#comment-19457 Ah! I see! So essentially I can just start with a bit of the culture I have on hand and manipulate it with subsequent feedings. I didn't even realize that my starter had a hydration percentage until I read JMonkey's post over on "The Fresh Loaf" about getting more sourness from the sourdough starters. That's what sent me off on the mind numbing quest to understand different ratios. I just assumed that everyone's starter started with a 1:1 by measured cup as all mine did. Both the starter formulas I used called for either 1 measured cup of flour to 1 measured cup of water, or 2 tbs flour to 2 tbs pineapple juice. Honestly, I thought the hardest things about sourdough would be keeping it alive, not trying to figure out it's hydration. Susan, as always you impress me with your helpfulness and knowledge, and I *very* much appreciate your taking the time to answer my ramblings. Thank you so much! - Jeannette Ah! I see! So essentially I can just start with a bit of the culture I have on hand and manipulate it with subsequent feedings.

I didn’t even realize that my starter had a hydration percentage until I read JMonkey’s post over on “The Fresh Loaf” about getting more sourness from the sourdough starters. That’s what sent me off on the mind numbing quest to understand different ratios.

I just assumed that everyone’s starter started with a 1:1 by measured cup as all mine did. Both the starter formulas I used called for either 1 measured cup of flour to 1 measured cup of water, or 2 tbs flour to 2 tbs pineapple juice.

Honestly, I thought the hardest things about sourdough would be keeping it alive, not trying to figure out it’s hydration.

Susan, as always you impress me with your helpfulness and knowledge, and I *very* much appreciate your taking the time to answer my ramblings. Thank you so much! – Jeannette

]]> By: Susan http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2007/12/07/stiff-starter/comment-page-1/#comment-19452 Susan Mon, 25 Jul 2011 15:31:06 +0000 http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2007/12/07/stiff-starter/#comment-19452 Kitchen Geisha, the hydration of the starter indicates the amount of water relative to the amount of flour, by weight. Forget about converting one hydration to another for the moment, and just think in terms of the feedings. For a 100% hydration starter, you feed with equal weights of flour and water. For a 50% hydration starter feed with twice as much flour as water (i.e., half as much water as flour). These ratios are independent of the amount of starter you are starting with, assuming that that starter is already the same hydration. If you are converting from one hydration to another, I find it easiest to disregard the discrepancy in hydrations and just start feeding with the new hydration ratio. Initially the hydration of the "converted" starter will be off, but after a few feedings the difference will be negligible. Kitchen Geisha, the hydration of the starter indicates the amount of water relative to the amount of flour, by weight. Forget about converting one hydration to another for the moment, and just think in terms of the feedings. For a 100% hydration starter, you feed with equal weights of flour and water. For a 50% hydration starter feed with twice as much flour as water (i.e., half as much water as flour). These ratios are independent of the amount of starter you are starting with, assuming that that starter is already the same hydration.

If you are converting from one hydration to another, I find it easiest to disregard the discrepancy in hydrations and just start feeding with the new hydration ratio. Initially the hydration of the “converted” starter will be off, but after a few feedings the difference will be negligible.

]]> By: KitchenGeisha http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2007/12/07/stiff-starter/comment-page-1/#comment-19447 KitchenGeisha Sun, 24 Jul 2011 23:37:44 +0000 http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2007/12/07/stiff-starter/#comment-19447 I am stuck trying to figure out sourdough hydration formulas. I currently have a nice 200% hydration rye culture in my fridge, and I'm growing a 200% hydration whole wheat culture on my counter. I cannot figure out the basic formula to convert starters to different hydrations, I'm having serious blond moments. I can't figure out why the actual amounts of starter/flour/water are used for particular hydration formulas. For example, and not a true formula, if I want to take my 200% hydration starter and make it into a 65% hydration formula I should measure out 2 oz of my 200% hydration starter, then feed it 5 oz of flour and 2 oz water. Why those particular amounts? Another thing I don't get is I have read that for a 50% hydration starter you feed it in multiples of 3s, which again makes no sense to me. Sorry to post such an odd comment, but I was wondering if you could maybe explain these things in such a way where a math blocked trained monkey such as myself could understand. :) Thanks so much! I am stuck trying to figure out sourdough hydration formulas. I currently have a nice 200% hydration rye culture in my fridge, and I’m growing a 200% hydration whole wheat culture on my counter.

I cannot figure out the basic formula to convert starters to different hydrations, I’m having serious blond moments. I can’t figure out why the actual amounts of starter/flour/water are used for particular hydration formulas. For example, and not a true formula, if I want to take my 200% hydration starter and make it into a 65% hydration formula I should measure out 2 oz of my 200% hydration starter, then feed it 5 oz of flour and 2 oz water. Why those particular amounts? Another thing I don’t get is I have read that for a 50% hydration starter you feed it in multiples of 3s, which again makes no sense to me.

Sorry to post such an odd comment, but I was wondering if you could maybe explain these things in such a way where a math blocked trained monkey such as myself could understand. :)

Thanks so much!

]]> By: paolo http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2007/12/07/stiff-starter/comment-page-1/#comment-16682 paolo Sun, 12 Dec 2010 13:57:46 +0000 http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2007/12/07/stiff-starter/#comment-16682 thanks a lot...i' m planning making panettone and I' m usually using 100% hydration sourdough...thanks again and I'll send u some pics of the final product!! Cheers from Quito thanks a lot…i’ m planning making panettone and I’ m usually using 100% hydration sourdough…thanks again and I’ll send u some pics of the final product!! Cheers from Quito

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]]> By: Linda Torrance http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2007/12/07/stiff-starter/comment-page-1/#comment-11846 Linda Torrance Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:04:03 +0000 http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2007/12/07/stiff-starter/#comment-11846 Wow I have been trying to make an authenic panettone for years. I have even tried using sourdough to get the right flavor. Your explanation really helped me understand panettone better. I can't wait to try the recipe.Thanks. Wow I have been trying to make an authenic panettone for years. I have even tried using sourdough to get the right flavor. Your explanation really helped me understand panettone better. I can’t wait to try the recipe.Thanks.

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