Hi,
i am on my second attempt at a starter, I threw ou my first when it turned grey and smelt bad. When the starter was a week old I made bread, but boosted with dry yeast. It turned out OK. I've been feeding the starter daily, it sits on my bench top, and today I am trying a different recipe. I have more starter than I need to bake once a week. I'm frightened to put it in the fridge as that's what killed the last one. How will I know when it's robust enough to be refrigerated?
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Hello Anonymous,
In general, it could take ten to fourteen days to get a good stable starter going. During that time it should be kept at room temperature and it can go through phases of greater and lesser activity and can occasionally get an odour that is less than pleasant but not unpleasant. This happens as different yeasts and bacteria predominate for a while and produce their distinctive by-products. Eventually you end up with the right balance of the good guys that maintain conditions such that the bad guys don't get a look in and you have a stable and almost bomb-proof starter on your hands.
If you haven't already, I recommend that you read the Beginners Blogs on this site and follow the starter preparation method given there. It is very reliable and you don't need magic potions just good flour and water. They also give good directions for dough preparation and development, loaf shaping, proving and baking. The Pane francesa recipe (sourdough version) is an excellent one to practice on and, ultimately, that is the secret, to practice and observe. In a while, all will come good as you understand the process and your personal conditions which are the only things that you need to make adjustments/changes for (most often time).
Good luck with your projects.
Farinam