Tried to make a sourdough starter and ended up with something that smelled like a dead animal after 4 days

I left it on the counter in my Phoenix kitchen and by day 3 the whole apartment reeked like rotten feet, so I tossed it in the trash and bought a pack of instant yeast instead, anyone else have a starter go that bad that fast?

2 comments

2 Comments

adam_robinson22d ago

Don't toss the whole thing next time... you can usually just scrape off the nasty top layer and keep feeding the bottom part if it smells like acetone or even a little funky. Sourdough starters go through a bacteria war in the first few days where they smell like death or vomit before the good yeast takes over. The instant yeast shortcut works fine for bread, but you miss out on that tangy flavor that only comes from waiting out the stinky phase.

riley_price22d ago

Hard disagree on this one. That "death or vomit" stage is a gamble I'm not willing to take with my kitchen smelling like a biohazard for a week. Tried the scrape and feed method twice and both times the bread came out tasting sour and flat, not like the nice tangy stuff from the bakery. Instant yeast gives me a consistent loaf every time without playing chicken with bacteria wars.