(Pro Tip) The Power of a Stiff Starter for Enriched Doughs (like Brioche or Babka)

As a sourdough baker, you’ve likely mastered the rustic, crusty, lean loaf. But what happens when your heart yearns for something richer? A buttery brioche, a decadent chocolate babka, or a festive panettone?

You might find that your trusty liquid starter, which works so beautifully for your country loaves, struggles to lift these heavy, enriched doughs. The flavour, too, might be a little more tangy than you'd like for a sweet bake.

This is where the professionals turn to a secret weapon: the stiff sourdough starter.

What Exactly is a Stiff Starter?

While your everyday starter is likely a liquid at 100% hydration (equal parts flour and water by weight), a stiff starter is exactly what it sounds like. It's a starter maintained at a much lower hydration, typically around 50-60%. Instead of a pourable batter, it has the consistency of a thick paste or a shaggy, dough-like ball.

This simple change in hydration fundamentally alters the starter's characteristics, making it the perfect choice for enriched baking.

Why Use a Stiff Starter? The Three Main Advantages

1. More Lifting Power Enriched doughs are heavy! All that butter, sugar, and egg can weigh down the gluten network, making it difficult for a standard starter to provide a good rise. A stiff starter cultivates a population of yeast that is incredibly vigorous and powerful, perfectly suited to the challenge of raising these rich doughs for a light, airy, and beautiful crumb.

2. Less Tang, More Sweetness The sour tang we love in a country loaf can sometimes clash with the sweet, buttery notes of a brioche. The lower-hydration environment of a stiff starter favours the yeast (which produces leavening gas) over the bacteria that produce acetic acid (the 'vinegary' sour flavour). The result is a much milder, sweeter, and more nuanced flavour that beautifully complements enriched bakes.

3. A Stronger, Silkier Dough Incorporating a dough-like starter into your mix can help kickstart gluten development from the very beginning, contributing to a stronger, silkier dough that’s an absolute joy to handle.

How to Create a Stiff Starter (It's Easy!)

Creating a stiff starter from your existing liquid one is simple. You're just changing its diet for a feed or two before you plan to bake.

1. The Ratio: We'll use a ratio of 1 part starter : 2 parts flour : 1 part water (1:2:1).
2. The Method: The next time you plan to feed your starter, take 25g of your mature liquid starter. Feed it with 50g of bread flour and 25g of water.
3. Mix & Ferment: Mix everything together with your hands or a sturdy spatula until it forms a shaggy ball of dough. Place it in a clean jar (our Observer's Jar works perfectly), press it down, and cover. It will rise, but it will look domed and less bubbly than a liquid starter. It's ready to use when it has visibly risen and smells sweet and yeasty.

Try using your new stiff starter in recipes for sourdough brioche, cinnamon rolls, babka, or even our Festive Cranberry & Walnut Loaf for a milder, sweeter flavour profile.

Think of a stiff starter not as a replacement for your beloved liquid starter, but as a specialized tool in your baking toolkit. It's the key that unlocks a whole new world of rich, decadent, and delicious sourdough creations.

Happy Experimenting, The Crumb & Crust Co. Team