Hi friends,
Im somewhat new to sourdough starters. I have been using my starter for about 6 months, baking bread every 5 days or so with great success. It seems my starter has grown what looks like a SCOBY. No black or green- Its the diameter of the crock i keep it in. Looks exactly like a scoby. Everything smells appropriate. Is this normal? Ive been searching and havent found any explaination.
Renee
Replies
Hello Renee,
Arguably, a sourdough is a SCOBY in its own right. But, I am assuming that some form of 'separate' layer is present in your case.
I guess the question is whether the layer is liquid or semi-solid or jelly-like. The most common 'separation' that I know about is the formation of a liquid layer that is known as hooch and this occurs when a culture is left for extended periods without feeding or disturbance and the structural elements of the flour break down allowing the liquid and solid to separate into layers. If the culture is open or semi-open to the atmosphere, then liquid can evaporate from the surface layers and a 'skin' of lower moisture material can form over a period of time that will be of a different colour and consistency to the rest of the material. I have never heard of a jelly-like (like a kombucha culture) layer forming in a sourdough but that is not to say that it is not possible.
I hope this has helped but if you could post some pics it might prove instructive and inspire somebody else with knowledge to comment.
Good luck with your projects.
Farinam