I started some sourdough using fresh ground rye flour about a week ago. I
used raisin water for the liquid. 50% hydration.

Day 2
I fed it with freshly ground whole wheat flour and raisin water. 50%
hydration. It took off quite well. More than doubled overnight.

Day 3
I fed it with my commercial bread flour I bought at Sam's Club. Bakers and
Chefs is the brand. The protein level is 10% (3 grams protein per 30 grams
flour). 100% hydration. The next morning, no expansion.

Day 4
I fed the starter with half rye and half whole wheat. Both freshly ground.
25% hydration. Great expansion the next day.

Days 5-7
Have been feeding it each night with freshly ground whole wheat flour. 50%
hydration. Expansion is still great. Plan to make a loaf later this week.
Tomorrow I will put the starter in the fridge to hold.

Now my question. Could the commercial bread flour be culprit? Or is it more
likely that I increased the hydration level?

Gordon

Gordon Hayes wrote:
> I started some sourdough using fresh ground rye flour about a week ago. I
> used raisin water for the liquid. 50% hydration.
>
> Day 2
> I fed it with freshly ground whole wheat flour and raisin water. 50%
> hydration. It took off quite well. More than doubled overnight.
>
> Day 3
> I fed it with my commercial bread flour I bought at Sam's Club. Bakers and
> Chefs is the brand. The protein level is 10% (3 grams protein per 30 grams
> flour). 100% hydration. The next morning, no expansion.
>
> Day 4
> I fed the starter with half rye and half whole wheat. Both freshly ground.
> 25% hydration. Great expansion the next day.
>
> Days 5-7
> Have been feeding it each night with freshly ground whole wheat flour. 50%
> hydration. Expansion is still great. Plan to make a loaf later this week.
> Tomorrow I will put the starter in the fridge to hold.
>
> Now my question. Could the commercial bread flour be culprit? Or is it more
> likely that I increased the hydration level?

I think this is a doubtful assumption on both causes.

A possible reason is the starting from scratch process in itself doing this.

There is an initial burst where everything grows - not necessarily
sourdough organisms. This activity can be quite drastic in more than one
aspect and possibly more than you will ever see with the sourdough
starter coming out of it some time later. This may have been your first
overnight activity on day 2.

Hydration and flour type (full grain vs. fine) are definitely factors in
observing rises. With a 50 % hydration and full grain flour, your
consistency is probably dense and to see a stronger rise with this so
early indicates also that you may have seen the initial burst.

Having 100 % hydration with fine flour should have given you a higher
rise than full grain flour with 50 %.

I don't know about the behavior of your Sam's Club flour, but as bread
flour, it should have amendments (malted barley flour, ascorbic acid)
boosting sourdough organism activity, something your full grain wheat
does not have.

So, from those aspects, I think that your hydration and flour type on
day 2 were not the determining factors for your observation.

Samartha