Cold weather rising

My solution has been to turn my oven on low to 50 deg and leave the dough to rise in that for a few minutes before turning it off and covering the dough.  I do the same for the second rise and then remove the cover and turn oven up to 200 - 210 deg to bake.  If you prefer, just remove your proved dough until it reaches temperature.

Hope that helps!

Carmen

I've never had any need to put my starter in a warm place, even on the coldest winter days. I do find, though, that the starter does not require feeding as often in cold ambient temperatures.

Just thinking about your situation as you describe it, perhaps you could try a more gradual build. In winter I always build my starter with at least two feeds before baking with it, and three if it looks a bit sluggish. You might find that a multi-feed build over a couple of days does more to invigorate your starter than shifting it to a warmer place.

Cheers
Ross

It is going to take longer in the cold weather, that is for sure - but it will work. 

I would leave he refreshment for 24 hours (especially if you are taking the initial dough out of the fridge) and then, once refreshed, mix it all up, leave it for one hour to relax and warm up a bit.  Do that in the following way:

 - put the dough on the counter and put a heavy glass bowl over it so the gasses are trapped as they form and it warms itself up. 

- after an hour, gently pull it and shape it so you don't expel the gasses (and the dough cools down) and then let it rise for 12 hours again covered - with cling flim (plastic wrap) to keep it warm.  Just make sure plastic does not touch dough (sticks and hard to get off again!)

- If it is not fully risen just leave it for another 6-12 hours, checking every once in a while to make sure it does not over rise

That's my thought!

If you rub a little oil/lard/shortening on the cling film it won't stick to the dough.  Just make sure to only coat the middle, otherwise the cling film won't cling to the bowl.

First, start building your refreshments using a scale to measure by weight rather than volume. You'll get more consistent results from your starter and in your loaves. Presently, your starter is at about 166% hydration whereas many formulas call for a 100% or lesser hydration. Try adding equal weights of flour and water rather than equal volumes. Use the search button to get more in-depth information as to why this is important. "The Fresh Loaf" site also has extensive archived threads about this subject.

Next, refresh your starter at room temperature for about three or four days. You should see a vigorous, bubbling starter that you can use for seeds to build individual starters for your loaves or refrigerate if you're not ready to bake. There's no need to keep more than 250g or ml in the fridge if you're ready to build for each bake. You can save the discard for english muffins, pancakes, or even for a loaf if you're so inclined.

Finally, rye flour is an excellent addition to refreshments. It adds a boost to the vigor of the starter. Use 10-20% rye and you won't go wrong. YMMV, but these things worked for me this recent winter here in Kansas.