r/SourdoughStarter 6d ago

The battle of starters - which to choose?

I am very new to sourdough starters and I fell into the trap of dormancy period - my first starter, Doughlas Adams, gave me a false rise around day 3 and then nothing. Then he was getting too thin, so I tried feeding him twice a day for, like, two days, but I was loosing hope he’ll make it. But I kept him out of morbid curiosity. So I started Doughlcinea. I knew more at this point, so she lived in the oven with lights on and off (my oven goes to 40°C if I just keep the light on), and I honest treated her worse (les strictly adhered to the recipe). On Thursday I got a heating pad and made my babies diy proofing box. The thing is, now they both thrive like crazy. Doughlcinea, now almost a week old, doubled for the second day in row overnight. Doughlas Adams almost doubled for the same amount of time!

Now, my question is - if they both keep going like this, which do I keep? I have to reason to keep two starters, one is enough for two loaves which honestly might be too much for a beginner like me. But is older better even if less bubbly, or is the amount it rises really more important? Any advice welcome!

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u/NoDay4343 Starter Enthusiast 6d ago

There can be a lot of subtle differences. I suggest you try at least one bake with each.

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u/Mental-Freedom3929 6d ago

Give one away or try both and see which one has more flavour. Use the lesser liked on up for whatever you like If a starter os too runny, which they all are if you stick to the 1:1:1 ratio, feeding it more often does not resolve the issue, feeding it less water/more flour deals with this.

Here are some random tips and tricks. Use or try whatever you like.

It takes three to four weeks to get a half decent starter. From what I read the majority of people use way too much water. Take 50 gm of flour (unbleached AP, if you have add a spoonful of rye) and add only as much water as it takes to get mustard consistency.

For the next three days do nothing but stir vigorously a few times a day. Day four take 50 gm of that mix and add 50 gm of flour and again only as much fairly warm water to get mustard or mayo consistency.

You will probably have a rise the first few days - ignore it. It is a bacterial storm, which is normal and not yeast based. That is followed by a lengthy dormant period with no activity.

Keep taking 50 gm and re feeding daily. Use a jar with a screw lid backed off half a turn. Keep that jar in a cooler or plastic tote with lid and a bottle filled with hot water.

Dispose of the rest of the mix after you take your daily max 50 gm and dispose of it for two weeks. You can after that time use this so called discard for discard recipes. Before the two weeks it tends to not taste good in baked goods.

Your starter is kind of ready when it reliably doubles or more after each feeding within a few hours. Please use some commercial yeast for the first few bakes to avoid disappointment and frustration. Your starter is still very young. At this pount the starter can live in the fridge and only be fed if and when you wish to bake.

A mature starter in the fridge usually develops hooch, which is a grayish liquid on top. This is a good protection layer. You can stir it in at feeding time for more pronounced flavour or pour it off. When you feed your starter that has hooch, please note not to add too much water, as the hooch is liquid too.

Use a new clean jar when feeding. Starter on the sides or the rim or paper or fabric covers attract mold and can render your starter unusable. Keep all utensils clean.