Finally got my sourdough starter to pass the float test after two weeks of fails

I've been trying to get a new starter going for a while now, feeding it a mix of whole wheat and all purpose flour. Every time I'd drop a spoonful in water, it would just sink. I was about to give up, but then I read a tip about using slightly warmer water for the feed, around 85 degrees. I tried that for three days straight, keeping it in my oven with just the light on. This morning, I dropped a bit in a glass and it actually floated. The loaf I baked with it had way better oven spring than my last few tries. I guess the warmth really got the yeast going. Has anyone else found that small temperature change made a big difference with a sluggish starter?

3 comments

3 Comments

dylan_brown301d ago

Oh nice! I wonder if it's less about the yeast and more about the bacteria. The warmer temp might have finally gotten the right little bugs happy and making gas.

finleyl391d ago

Read that in a sourdough book once.

the_hayden1d ago

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. I had a starter that did nothing for a week until my kitchen got hot, then it went crazy. Dylan_brown30 might be onto something with the bacteria idea.