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Samartha Deva

wrote:
> Thanks a lot.
> Most of the recipes I've seen have starter amounts 20% to 40% of the
> total dough amount, which is what I've been going by. It seems okay to
> calculate the amount of starter needed for the fermentation times
> desired. Perhaps I'm off the mark, though. Long, slow fermentations
> are good. The temperatures at which it takes place, however, might
> affect the types of acids produced (bacteria favored).
>
>> With starter, what counts is the ratio of starter flour to total flour.
>
> Would you mind explaining why the ratio of starter flour to total
> flour counts? Perhaps that will help me to understand why.
>

Because water does not count very much in essence.

What counts are numbers of organisms which feed on solids (or
dissolved/converted solids) and taste/acid components produced while
growing the starter.

If you have a certain starter and add the same weight on water, lets
say, 1 kg starter (100 % hydration) and 1 kg water, you still have
essentially the same main important components (500 g) but if you add
this to a the final dough thinking you have 2 kg of starter, you are off
thinking in 2 kgs instead of 500 g starter flour.

It's probably easier practically to think total starter weight (or even
volume) instead of starter flour, but it's inaccurate and harder to compare.

This may play less a role with white flour breads for a home baker but
with rye, where acidity plays a role and in a production environment, I
think it is more of importance.

With rye you need a certain acid content in order to sufficiently
suppress amylase activity. You don't get it by having more water in the
starter but by fermenting the flour, so the flour amount counts.

Does that make sense?

Samartha