Hello All -
I am determined to get right Reinhart's 3-stage sourdough build (Barm > Firm Starter > Final Dough) as instructed in his The Bread Baker's Apprentice, but for some unknown reason I am having mixed results just getting the seed culture right, which occurs before the Barm. On Day 4 of the Seed Culture process, I don't get any substantial rise in the sponge. I've even tried aerating more often and using various flours, along with temperature variations. Based on process of elimination, I believe I'm experiencing a leuconostoc baterial problem that I might not be giving enough time to overcome, but I'm not sure.
Any suggestions on what might be going wrong?
***A minor question - I'm assuming I can use the float test for the Barm. Is this correct?
Thanks.