another sourdough starter question

[meatboy]

Hi!

I received my Ischia cultures from Sourdo last week and activated them. I have now 3 bowls of starter in my fridge waiting to get used and there are a few questions:
- do i have to activate the whole starter or only the amount i use for the dough?
- if so and i have to use 5g starter, whats the amount of flour and water i have to use to activate? (2.5g each?)

Thanks & cheers

[parallei]

Folks seem to deal with their starters in different ways.  I can tell you what I do......

My starter lives in the fridge in a 1 quart Mason Jar, with its lid.  I feed it or use every week or so.  To feed (just to feed, or prior to use) I do the following:

 a) 280 grams starter into a bowl (discard the rest).  b) Add 150 grams water (I just us tap water).  Mix.  c) Add 150 grams flour (I use the cheapest All Purpose flour I can find).  Mix.  d) Place mixture into a clean Mason Jar and let sit at room temp a few hours (so it is active).  e) Then back into the fridge.

To use just 5 grams of it (about a tablespoon?), I would grab the 5 grams after step d), above.  If the fed starter has only been in the fridge a few days, I'll sometimes just use a bit straight from the fridge.  Heresy, I'm sure......

[meatboy]

ah ok. I have to reactivate it first, than use the amount of starter i need (i have to mix it before use don't i?) and put the rest of it back to the fridge?!

tysm
Cheers

[jamester]

ah ok. I have to reactivate it first, than use the amount of starter i need (i have to mix it before use don't i?) and put the rest of it back to the fridge?!

If you have good starter living in your fridge, I'd feed it once a week whether using it or not.  When wanting to use it, I'd take it out a couple days ahead of time and give it a couple feedings, to reactivate it and make it lively.  If that goes well and it looks good to go, mix the tablespoon's worth with fresh flour&water the night before.  This will be your sponge/levain for the actual dough.  You'll know it's ready after the overnight because it'll be nice and aerated, sweet-smelling, and a small amount will float in water (the "float test").

The rest of your orginal starter can go back in the fridge after taking the tablespoon.  You can also keep whatever sponge you don't use and either feed it back into your original starter, or just keep using that as another starter.

[theppgcowboy]

I use 205 grams of culture for 12 250 gram balls, which is what my bosch can handle with ease.

[JConk007]

cowboy,
 and nothing else right? no other yeast just this 205 G and that counts toward you hydration how? could you give your whole formula please
I have the Bisch and just got my ishia starter in the mail.
Thanks
John

[theppgcowboy]

Sorry here is everything I do for my go to dough

High gluten 1890.3g
62% H2O 1172g
2% Salt 37.8g
1% 18.9g evoo

Preferment is:

205g Ischia culture that is working good
200g water
200g flour
My starter will work overnight in the fridge or a couple of hours at room temp.
These preferment weights come out of the weights stated above.  I think I used 13% preferment to total  dough weight in the preferment calculator.  The doughs get balled and then in the fridge they go for a a couple of days at day 5 or 6 they are outstanding, If needing them anytime before day 2  put them at room temp and when they proof they are well received by anyone who tries them.  Works for me.  I have added .05% or .9g of Idy to this and let them just begin to proof and then put them in the freezer and it worked well when I brought them out to defrost.  They were good for a couple of days of defrosting.  Actually it seemed they restarted where they left off.