Is my starter dead?
ojuice wrote ..
> Oh sorry, I meant that I'm only keeping back one cup of starter, and
> then adding 1 cup of flour and one cup of water to it.
That is really too infrequent, and too little.
At 1 cup of water to 1 up of flour, your starter isn't getting enough food. It is a very liquid starter, probably around 130 to 150% hydration.
I suggest feeding no less than twice a day, three times a day if you have an abused starter that needs to be revived. I also suggest feeding enough to double the volume of the starter (tripling it if you have an abused starter you are trying to revive). I feed a ratio of 1 part water to 1 part flour BY WEIGHT or 1 part water to 1 1/2 parts flour by volume. This results in a thicker starter that is more manageable. A thinner starter tends to work faster, so it is going through it's food too quickly.
As long as your starter has not developed a strong acetone (fingernail polish remover) smell, it can be revived.
Good luck,
Mike
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