NC State

Sourdough Project: Week 2

By zltyree

Difficulties:

This week I had a hard time understanding if I was following the procedure correctly. I wasn’t sure exactly when I was supposed to switch from a 24-hour feeding schedule to a 12-hour one. I tried my best to see when the dough started to rise and form hooch but overall I think I may have started too early. There were also a couple of times where I forgot to take pictures. Other than that I have encountered little difficulty with the sourdough starters.

Control Blackberry
8/30 12:32 am
  • Began to rise and fall
  • A layer of liquid has formed on top
  • Smells like Buttermilk
  • Began to rise and fall
  • A layer of liquid has formed on top
  • Smells alcoholic
8/30 1:58 pm
  • Because of the signs of rising and falling as well as the presence of a layer of liquid, I began feeding the starter every 12 hours
  • Layer of liquid on top
  • Smells slightly more sour than yesterday
  • Because of the signs of rising and falling as well as the presence of a layer of liquid, I began feeding the starter every 12 hours
  • Has a larger layer of liquid than the control starter
  • Smells very alcoholic like wine
8/31 1:06 am
  • The control seems to be in the process of falling at the time of feeding
  • Still has the layer of liquid
  • Smells sour, like sour cream
  • Blackberry seems to be in the process of rising at the time of feeding
  • Layer of foam has formed on top of this starter
  • Smells alcoholic with a hint of bread
8/31 2:37 pm
  • The control starter’s layer of liquid is very thin
  • Smells like sour cream
  • The layer of foam has risen in the Blackberry starter
  • Smells like wine
9/1 1:04 am
  • The control starter has a layer of liquid on top
  • Smells like sour cream, but a little stronger than yesterday
  • The layer of foam has risen in the Blackberry starter
  • Smells like wine. The smell is very pungent compared to yesterday.
9/1 2:43 pm
  • The layer of liquid has shrunk on top
  • Still smells like sour cream
  • The foam layer is not as tall as it was at the last feeding, but is still present
  • Still smells like wine
9/2 1:03 am
  • The control starter now has a layer of foam, but this layer is smaller than the blackberry starter’s layer.
  • Smells like glue
  • Still has its foam layer
  • Today, this starter smells extremely like wine. It is very strong.
9/2 2:37 pm
  • Layer of foam on top
  • Smells like bread
  • Layer of foam on top
  • Smells like wine, but is a little sweeter now
9/3 1:10 am
  • Layer of foam on top
  • Smells like bread
  • Layer of foam on top but also has a strange layer on top of the foam. See picture below
  • Smells like very strong wine
9/3 2:40 pm
  • Layer of foam is much smaller than the last feeding
  • Smells like sour cream
  • Layer of foam on top
  • Smells very yeasty
9/4 1:04 am
  • Layer of foam on top
  • Smells like glue
  • Layer of foam on top
  • Smells faintly of white wine
9/4 2:54 pm
  • Has a layer of liquid and then a sticky foamy layer on top
  • Smells like glue
  • Has a layer of liquid and then a sticky foamy layer on top
  • Smells like bread
9/5 2:51 am
  • The control starter has a layer of liquid and then a sticky foamy layer on top
  • Smells like bread
  • The blackberry starter has a layer of liquid and then a sticky foamy layer on top
  • Smells like paint
9/5 2:38 pm
  • Does not have the same layering that it had at the last feeding time
  • Smells like bread
  • Has a layer of liquid and then a sticky foamy layer on top
  • Smells like paint