Hi all,

I've been reading the NG for quite some time as I struggled through the
hockey puck/manhole cover stage. Unfortunately, I haven't, over the past 3
months, progressed much further. (
I killed my first starter with highly chlorine loaded tap water. The second
batch, fed with spring water and fortified with some whole wheat flour is
flourishing. After feeding, it frothes with a gusto after an hour or so at
80 degrees. What is so frustrating is that I take the starter when it has
frothed and bulked up about 25% and add it to my recipe. I get almost no
rise in the first or second rising. I've used both the bread machine and
the Mixmaster dough hook for mixing with the same results. Even after 12
hours of waiting for the first rise, nothing seems to happen. Of course, I
get a little rise when baking but it's still flat and doughy.
My recipe was taken off the net at www.io.com and uses:
2 cups starter
3 cups flour
4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons of olive oil.

I'm at a cross roads of either adding some yeast (a sacrilege) or taking up
another hobby like brain surgery (which would be easier).

What in the world am I doing wrong?

Thanks to all