Samartha Deva wrote:

Marty wrote:
losta details about dough

Any ideas on what might be going on here?

Anything how you treat your starter?

When I first got it from carlsfriends I mixed it into a cup of slightly warm
water, let that set for half an hour or so then added a cup of KA AP flour
and let it brew for a day or so while it got nice and bubbly. I then poured
off a cup, cleaned the container, put it back with a cup of warmish water
and a cup of KA AP flour. Did that two more times and it seemed well
established. First loaf was nothing to write home about, after that things
began working quite well. The first batch was most likely my technique.
Now I keep about two cups of starter in a 40 oz. ex-peanut butter jar in the
fridge. When I am going to make bread I take it out on Friday morning and
leave it on the counter to warm, Friday evening I make up the sponge using 1
cup of starter, 3 cups of bread flour and 2 cups of room temperature spring
water. In the morning his is frothy and light, no problem to this point,
works every time. To the remaining starter I add 1 cup of KA AP flour and a
cup of water, when I notice activity I put it back in the fridge. By the end
of the week it has a layer of hooch about 3/8 inch deep if that means
anything. I just stir that back in.



Your dough times without anything happening look impressive (no pun
intended).

Also, there seems to be a lot of inconsistency happening - one day this,
next day that but, as you said, you are doing the same thing, being
smart and it fails.

So, what's the difference?


The only difference that I can think of is the time of year. This is an old
house, about 115 years old, and has steam heat. In warm weather with the
windows open everything is at a nice uniform warm, not so now that it is
getting cold. I use the oven with the light on for proofing. Now the light
isn't enough so I added a small laboratory type heater to get the
temperature back up in the lo 80's

Contrary to different opinions at times here, I think that an
established starter runs like a clockwork - all parameters the same
(temp, time, hydration, inoculation amount and condition of it).

What you describe that it rises initially, then, once in pans, nothing.

Is your starter exhausting itself on the first run?


Last week when I re-mixed the two loaves with more starter I thought that
might be the problem. That's why this week I put it in the pan for the first
rising. It took 12 hours to get near the top of the pan and seemed to be
going back down so I baked it. Rather dense but good tasting, not much good
for a descent work/school lunch sandwich though so I made a leavened loaf of
plain white, same pan, same oven, same flour (but all white) etc. and that
came out fine.

Note to self: Make a proofing box!

It does not look like the flour change is doing this. You may see less
rise with full grain, maybe longer fermentation, but consistent squirrel
challenges just from flour change?

With the old flour, was it working well?


That is going to be next weeks project, right back to basics, see if that
still works.

So, lotsa questions back ;-)

Thanks much for your, and others, help
Marty

P.S. Years ago I had some starter from Sourdough Jack that smelled
wonderfull. If anyone is still using that and would like to share I'd
appreciate it.