I've been nurturing my sourdough starter along and it's doing ok, I think.
Doubled during the first few feedings. I made it a bit thicker during the
last feeding (barely dropped off beater) and it didn't double. It did swell
somewhat, maybe 10-15% by volume, but no visible bubbles on top.

I been trying to learn all about hydration ever since. I get the basic
drift of the formulas, but it still doesn't tell me what MY dough is. IOW,
what do I have? What is the hydration of MY dough right this moment. I
looked for online descriptions but have not seen much in the way of
describing, by appearance, what the appoximate hydration of a dough is.

From what I've read, dough descriptions seem to be quite vague. I see
stiff, firm, malleable, soft, and slack. Not a very descriptive range for
something that varies so greatly. Kinda like describing wine with terms
like white, red, dry, and sweet. A lotta room in between. I was looking
for more descriptive increments that provide more detail, like thin batter,
thick batter, quickly drips from beater, slowly drips from beater, molasses
in Jan drips from beater, clings to beater, creates large lumps that don't
come together while beating, pulls remaining flour from sides of bowl while
beating, sticky, tacky, (I've seen those, but not as a degree of hydration),
elastic, needs flour, dry, painful to knead, etc.

I'm sure I'll learn as I keep working at it, but am having a hard time in my
intitial learning curve. Seems like this info would be quite handy, as I
know the dough is constanly evolving. It expands, sure, but also dries out
as it ferments, depending on type of flour and atmospheric conditions, which
are constantly changing where I live. It's hot and dry in the morning, but
rainy and humind in the afternoon, changing back to cool and dry at night.

I've yet to bake any bread. Still working on getting a consistently active
starter (about a wk old). I added more water to my previously hardly
responsive starter. Again, this a pure sourdough starter, flour and water
only. Part of the problem is learning the best consistancy of a good
starter. I've had one person tell me a "pancake batter". I've also read I
should knead the starter for at least 5 mins. Obviously, I can't knead
pancake batter, so you can see my dilemma. Any advice would greatly be
appreciated.

nb

On Sat, 08 Aug 2009 17:53:40 GMT, notbob
> wrote:

>I've yet to bake any bread. Still working on getting a consistently active
>starter (about a wk old). I added more water to my previously hardly
>responsive starter. Again, this a pure sourdough starter, flour and water
>only. Part of the problem is learning the best consistancy of a good
>starter. I've had one person tell me a "pancake batter". I've also read I
>should knead the starter for at least 5 mins. Obviously, I can't knead
>pancake batter, so you can see my dilemma. Any advice would greatly be
>appreciated.
>
>nb

Hi NotBob,

There is no reason to knead starter. When you add flour and
water, just mix it up a bit.

But beyond that there is little reason to be so concerned
about the consistency of the starter.

Many of us find it easiest to keep ours at "100% hydration."

That is just bakers' lingo for "equal weights of flour and
water."

If you keep your starter at that ratio, it becomes very easy
to calculate how much flour you are adding to a recipe when
you add the starter (because the starter is always half
flour and half water.)

There is another modest advantage in that folks would then
know what to expect from a starter of such a consistency and
could advise you more easily than they might were to say
(for example) "I put my starter aside overnight in a room
that is about as warm as my Aunt Millie finds comfortable
for sleeping when she visits us in Juneau, and the texture
of the starter is similar to the way she likes her oatmeal
in the morning."

All the best (and keep it simple...),
--
Kenneth

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

notbob wrote:

> I've yet to bake any bread.

Perhaps less overthinking, more action?

> Still working on getting a consistently active
> starter (about a wk old). I added more water to my previously hardly
> responsive starter. Again, this a pure sourdough starter, flour and water
> only. Part of the problem is learning the best consistancy of a good
> starter. I've had one person tell me a "pancake batter". I've also read I
> should knead the starter for at least 5 mins. Obviously, I can't knead
> pancake batter, so you can see my dilemma.

Yes. Your dilemma is that you follow too many people with contradictory
advice. Find *one* you believe in and follow that exclusively.

B/

On Aug 8, 1:53*pm, notbob > wrote:
>...
It expands, sure, but also dries out
as it ferments,
>...
> nb

Do you cover your starter? Hedge your bets against the weather and
employ some plastic wrap over the top of the vessel.

I agree that you may be getting too much info. Start with a very
calculated approach (e.g., http://samartha.net/SD/MakeStarter01.html)
and just do what they say. "Thinking" is not your friend - yet.
"Doing" is the best approach. People made good bread long before
"science" explained exactly why they needed to do the things they
learned.

I once tried to learn the art of brewing beer by reading a book that
explained the process on a chemical level. Had I just bought a basic
brew kit I would have been drinking my own beer before before I got to
the third chapter.

On Mon, 10 Aug 2009 06:03:18 -0700 (PDT), Matt Fitz
> wrote:

>On Aug 8, 1:53*pm, notbob > wrote:
>>...
> It expands, sure, but also dries out
>as it ferments,
>>...
>> nb
>
>Do you cover your starter? Hedge your bets against the weather and
>employ some plastic wrap over the top of the vessel.
>
>I agree that you may be getting too much info. Start with a very
>calculated approach (e.g., http://samartha.net/SD/MakeStarter01.html)
>and just do what they say. "Thinking" is not your friend - yet.
>"Doing" is the best approach. People made good bread long before
>"science" explained exactly why they needed to do the things they
>learned.
>
>I once tried to learn the art of brewing beer by reading a book that
>explained the process on a chemical level. Had I just bought a basic
>brew kit I would have been drinking my own beer before before I got to
>the third chapter.
>

I linked that boob to Samartha's site and to the SD FAQ over a week
ago and he called me a bread nazi for telling him he didn't need yeast
in his starters. He's a loser and an idiot. Thinking is definitely not
his friend....or even a casual acquaintance of his.

Boron

On 2009-08-11, Boron Elgar > wrote:

> in his starters. He's a loser and an idiot. Thinking is definitely not
> his friend....

You were right, I was wrong. I have no interest in continuing this childish
conflict. I'm concerned only with learning how to bake bread. I welcome
any advice from anyone. Thank you.

nb

notbob wrote:

> ...I welcome any advice from anyone.

AGAIN.... that doesn't mean you should welcome all advice from everyone.
Find *one* person/cite/book/technique and follow that.

B/