Hi,

I am new to sourdough, and I just received my Carl's starter in the
mail. Before I ask my question, I'd like to thank the Friends of Carl
for their efforts.

I am ready to activate my new starter. Normally, AFAIK, this should be
done at about 80-90 degrees F. I have a Kitchen Aid oven which has a
100 degree proofing temperature. Is that dangerously high, or still
safe? I understand that in general higher temperatures mean faster
rises and less sourness, but how high is a safe limit? I've read a few
different answers to this, so I just want to be sure. Is 100 degrees
too high for activating a starter? Is is too high for proofing?

If I turn on my oven light and open the door slightly, the temp inside
hits 85 degrees exactly, but I don't like leaving the oven door open
as I have a little daughter running around the house all day, and I
don't think it's safe. If I close the oven door with the light on, the
temp goes above 110 degrees.

Thanks!
Gord

On 29 Oct 2003 17:00:05 -0800, (Gord) wrote:

Hi,

I am new to sourdough, and I just received my Carl's starter in the
mail. Before I ask my question, I'd like to thank the Friends of Carl
for their efforts.

I am ready to activate my new starter. Normally, AFAIK, this should be
done at about 80-90 degrees F. I have a Kitchen Aid oven which has a
100 degree proofing temperature. Is that dangerously high, or still
safe? I understand that in general higher temperatures mean faster
rises and less sourness, but how high is a safe limit? I've read a few
different answers to this, so I just want to be sure. Is 100 degrees
too high for activating a starter? Is is too high for proofing?

If I turn on my oven light and open the door slightly, the temp inside
hits 85 degrees exactly, but I don't like leaving the oven door open
as I have a little daughter running around the house all day, and I
don't think it's safe. If I close the oven door with the light on, the
temp goes above 110 degrees.

Thanks!
Gord

Hi Gord,

My understanding is that above about 110F you might be heading for
trouble. At (an honest) 100F you should be fine...

Have fun with the starter,

--
Kenneth

If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."

Gord wrote:

If I turn on my oven light and open the door slightly, the temp inside
hits 85 degrees exactly, but I don't like leaving the oven door open
as I have a little daughter running around the house all day, and I
don't think it's safe. If I close the oven door with the light on, the
temp goes above 110 degrees.

If you grow your starter at higher temps ( 90 F) for longer time -
maybe couple of days (or do the fridge, grow at high temp, fridge again
thing in an equivalent manner), the yeasts will get diminished and you
will eventually end up with a different starter smell, lesser rise but
great tasting bread. I have not done this with white flour starters,
only with rye but there is no reason for that to be different.

See, growing starter and fermenting dough are two different things -
with growing a starter you'll need to be more careful, since you go on
using it and the ratio of the organisms matters, with fermenting dough
it does not matter so much because it gets eaten.

Samartha

--
remove -nospam from my email address, if there is one
SD page is the http://samartha.net/SD/