What happens when you use an overly acidic starter to make sourdough bread

If lactic acid bacteria get ahead of the yeast in your sourdough starter, you end up with an overly acidic, sluggish starter that struggles to rise dough. Your dough will often turn super sticky and loose before it has fully risen, leading to bread that looks underproofed and overproofed at the same time. It's also a HUGE pain in the butt to work with. If your starter has been acting weak, it might just need a reset. Try feeding at a higher ratio (like 1:5:5 or 1:10:10) to dilute the acidity, or do a few “peak-to-peak” feedings—where you feed it right as it hits its peak instead of letting it fall completely flat. I also find that thicker feeds (more flour than water) help shift the balance back in favor of the yeast. Have you ever had a starter turn too sour? Let me know in the comments! ⬇️ #sourdoughstarter #wildyeast #sourdoughbaking