If you read about the pH/pineapple juice fix, then you probably read that the cause of the cheesy odor is likely a leuconostoc bacteria infestation. This can be a common occurrence when one creates a new starter and it happened to me when I began a new starter this past Summer.
Sourdough bread tasted cheesy :S
Is that normal? Is it desirable to anyone? The bread was sour and had a bit of a fancy cheese taste which I found very unpleasant. the taste was the same as that of a loaf Id bought a long time ago in which it was much stronger and kinda grossed me out. However, Ive had some mild sourdough that had a delicious tangy and somewhat sour flavor that made it delicious on its own, without anything added to it, and that sourdough had no cheesiness, and thats exactly what I want. Heres the background:
Starter: 75% hydration, 3/4 white, 1/4 whole wheat, fed twice a day doubling mass, then not yet a week old
10% of total flour from starter, put in preferment
Preferment: 80% hydration, white flour, 10 hours room temp autolyse
Final dough: 60% hydration, white flour, 3 hours room temp
I started my first ever starter three days ago. Ive been keeping it in my room and its been bubbling away since. Ive been feeding it once a day. It looks fine, doesnt seem to have any mold and quite wet. I was wondering about the smell though. Yesterday it was a pleasant sort of bready smell but today it smells more like cheese or spoiled milk. Its kind of a sickening sort of smell. I was wondering if it was normal for it to be unpleasant at this stage. I tossed about half of it today and fed it as the instructions Im following say to do.
PIZZA DOUGH 6 MISTAKES & TIPS TO MAKE IT PERFECT!
FAQ
Why does my dough smell bad?
Why does my starter smell cheesy?
Can you eat dough that smells sour?
How do you get yeast smell out of dough?
Why does sourdough smell like cheese?
This is due to the lacto fermentation that occurs in the sourdough fermentation process as the organic bacteria creates lactic acid. Cheese undergoes a similar process and the smell is just a sign that the sourdough is young and needs to be fed for longer.
Why are some people more sensitive to Cheese?
People can be sensitive to dairy cheese for several reasons. Lactose intolerance is likely the most common reason. People cannot digest the sugar lactose in milk because they lack the enzymes to break it down. Individuals may have a food intolerance where they are sensitive to the proteins in dairy, namely casein. This can cause a low-level immune response and inflammation. It is also possible to be sensitive to the histamines naturally found in aged cheeses like parmesan and brie. Additives in cheese can also contribute to allergic responses in some people; for example, annatto that is used to color cheese has been reported to cause allergic reactions.
Why does my sourdough starter smell weird?
People who don’t have much experience with sourdough assume starter is more fragile than it actually is. Starters are easy to make unhappy, but they’re very hard to kill. If your starter looks weird or smells weird, it almost always means your starter is unhealthy because you’ve been neglecting it.
Why is my sourdough bread gummy?
BAKER: Sourdough can be gummy for a lot of different reasons. It’s possibly under-baked. [Note: As a general rule, sourdough bread is done baking when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf reads between 200 to 210°F.] Another common issue is that the sourdough starter wasn’t really active enough.