I’ve spent the last week or so creating my bread starter.  Things appeared to be going well during the feedings but I wasnt really getting the activity I was looking for.  Each day the starter would have a few bubbles but that was about it.  I thought that perhaps I didnt have enough mix in and the starter wasnt being fed enough so yesterday I gave the starter what I called ‘a good feeding’ in an effort to ‘really get things going’.  Well – I appear to have killed the starter…

When I checked it today I see no bubbles whatsoever.  I gave it the rest of the day and then assumed the worst.  I think I need to start over.  I think I made a couple of mistakes…

• First I think the initial mix had too much water in it.  I noticed that after checking it on day 2 some water had separated to the top which I just drained off.  I dont think that killed it, but it wasnt a good start.
• Second I think that increasing the size of the starter as drastically as I did was probably a mistake.  Lesson learned once again – I need more patience.

So the problem now is that Im leaving next week for a few days so I wont be home to feed a new starter.  I think I’ll read more about making starters between now and when I get back and try again when I return.  In the mean time – Im going to pursue some other bread related activities.