I finally tried a sourdough starter from scratch... and I'm split on whether it's worth it

I spent two weeks feeding a starter in my kitchen here in Phoenix, where the dry air made it act weird. Got a decent rise on my first loaf but the flavor was just okay, not as complex as the one I bought from a baker in Flagstaff last fall. Is the homemade route really better, or am I just missing some trick with the temp and hydration?

2 comments

2 Comments

jenniferw8215d ago

Respect the effort but gotta disagree. Homemade starter flavor takes months of regular feedings, not just two weeks. I'm up in Seattle and mine didn't get that deep tangy taste until around week 8. The dry air in Phoenix is definitely throwing off your hydration, try bumping it up to 120% water instead of 100%. Also store bought starters from small bakeries have years of microbial development, tough to beat that fast. Stick with it for another month and you'll probably start noticing a real difference.

casey_harris15d agoMost Upvoted

Phoenix dry air is brutal on sourdough, I've seen it mess with hydration more than people realize. Bump your water up closer to 130% and give it another few weeks, the flavor really does develop slowly. The store bought one from Flagstaff has years of microbes built up, so don't beat yourself up comparing to that just yet.