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Scoby Puree and Sourdough Starters
I have some questions. I am relatively new to Kombucha and to Sourdough. I have a partial rye sourdough starter that I keep in my fridge and a continuous Kombucha jar that I removed the bottom scobys out of this morning. I have heard that you can use the old scobies. Is it because it ... | It's an interesting idea
It's an interesting ide |
Estonia bread recipe?
Can anyone suggest a typical Estonian sourdough bread recipe, preferably no more than 33% rye? A visitor has come from that country and I'd like to give her a taste of home. | Check The Rye Baker
Check Stan's site. He has recipes organized by regions.http://theryebaker.com/ |
Easiest Sourdough Recipe - Ever?
The world’s easiest sourdough bread—https://foodgeek.dk/en/worlds-easiest-sourdough-bread/ I gave this recipe a shot. it turned out to be fantastic! Maybe not as complex as recipes with longer bulk fermentation etc. but it really gets the job done, and everyone has had favorable comment... | Thank you for that link!
I shared it to my bread group. I’ve stopped baking for others since we are doing our part for social distancing and I know that they are going to miss my bread. So some of them might try this. Thank you again! |
Production sourdough query
I have been making sourdough now for about 4 weeks. I made a production sourdough using a recipe from a relatively well known book: Do/Sourdough by Andrew Whitley (Its OK)Anyway I made a production sourdough from a rye starter and added rye flour and but it didn't rise at all. I noticed his r... | Rye has very
Little gluten in it. That’s why most rye breads are flat. |
My first successful sourdough baguettes!
I failed many times making baguette. As recently as last week I had failed another time and still had not made a single baguette I was happy about.After watching many videos this week, stuck in quarantine, I realized it was also about technique.Using David's San Joaquin Sourdou... | Those are great looking, BTW
Those are great looking, BTW, when you say you were using a recipe, a link might be helpful to others. IIRC, David posted a number of variations of his recipes and methods for sourdough baguettes. |
Whole Wheat & Long Autolyse
After baking a number of Approachable loaves for the Community Bake, I am starting to question the use of extremely long (2 hours or more) autolyse with doughs containing large percentages of Whole Wheat.
I know that it is important to saturate the whole wheat, especially the thirsty bran. ... | the long autolyse
My quite unscientific opinion says that any autolyse done at room ambient temperature of more than one hour is too long. |
Help with very irregular crumb
Hi all! I'm very new to bread baking and have been lurking on this site for a few weeks, but I haven't posted until today. I'm trying to go for that coveted "open crumb" but I keep getting those big, gaping caverns surrounded by a much denser crumb. I tried to increase the temperature of ... | Underproofed? Na.
I don't see a dense crumb. I do see a crumb with gaping caverns...you might want to degas more with shaping. I'd go with handling. Stop being so nice to the dough and pop some of those big bubbles while shaping. Get all the gas cells about the same size then let them all proof big. |
Bulk fermentation, is it fully proofed or is there room to push?
Hi everyone, This is my very first post on this website so please bear with me if I don't have this post in the right forum or category. I am very new to the sourdough and baking world and would consider myself very inexperienced. I started my first start... | Welcome
To my eyes, that bread looks perfect! I personally would not want any more open crumb than you have. Sandwiches get quite messy when the holes are any larger than that! |
More Newbie Type Questions
Hi AllI was wondering, if you're baking sourdough in a DO , does it make a difference whether your oven is on convection mode or not? I don't like using convection for most things because strangely enough, I find it bakes more uneven, but for sourdough it does get my oven preheated faster. I... | Depends on where you have the
Depends on where you have the DO and your oven heating element locations (top, bottom, both), but the convection does help even out the oven temp. I have my baking stone low in the oven and try to measure the temp of the stone by placing a thermocouple right on it. I keep my fan off beca... |
My starter didn't make sharp and tangy bread this time
I baked for the first time in months. I had refreshed my starter, stored in the back of the fridge, once during that time, so the starter seemed fine. I scraped a layer of grey off the top and used the nice beige starter underneath. Starter 100% KA WW, flour for do... | Felila, I recently
Felila, I recently experienced something that I think was very similar to yours. When using a yeast kicker (Commercial Yeast) with SD a tiny amount goes a long way. Too much CY will hasten the fermentation and rob the dough of that precious sd flavor.gSee this post and notice the comments about CY.ht... |
Strange stickiness
I made a dough yesterday based on this post: https://www.instagram.com/p/B9XZK5HpkUE/. This was my second attempt after I made the recipe over the weekend. It came out great last time, but I wanted more roasted garlic flavor. This time ended up being a disaster. I think know what mistakes I made, but... | two thoughts
First, forgetting salt would have a pretty significant impact and I think would result in the dough being stickier. Second, you mention that you only did one coil fold. Proper gluten development through mixing, folding, slapping, lamination etc. is what turns my dough from a sticky mess into a nice dough. |
Starter queries
Hi All, New to baking sourdough. Just finished my second bake but I am not getting the rise so the bread ends flatter and slightly more doughy or heavier than expected. Not putting it down though, it's still tasty.My issue seems to be with the starter. Question is where am I going wrong. I've looked at ... | It will come good - give it time
Hi Adrian :-)You don't say how long your starter has been going, but often they need a few weeks to settle down and develop the full range of microbes.Your instinct to thicken the starter up by adding more flour is understandable but is probably not the right answer... most people keep... |
sourdough system calculator
The way I bake is a 'total refreshment' approachkeep a small starter in the fridge between bakesuse all of the stored starter to build the levainkeep back a bit of the levain to be the next starterI also like use a fairly stiff autolyse in order to get good gluten development, and to tweak v... | sourdough system calculator
By the way, if anyone's wondering how it's possible to mix 580g of wet levain into 900g of stiff autolyse, the answer is that I stretch out it out like a drumskin then spread the levain onto it like a layer of jam... then I fold it up like a parcel, leave it for twenty minutes or so and then... |
First loaf (and question about the crumb!)
Hi all! My first post here, I’ve been quietly scrolling through the forums while I waited for my starter to liven up and now I’m finally ready to join in the fun! Baked my first loaf today and I’m thrilled with the result, especially since it’s my first attempt, but I have a l... | Welcome
That's a great looking loaf for a first timer. You should be happy!Don't stress too much about the hole size and distribution. It's a wicked rabbit hole you're about to jump down. Enjoy it for what it is - which is great. But I'm sure that's not a satisfying answer. So I'd suggest it's probably because the heat... |
Trying again, needing some measurement advice
Hello all, this is my first time posting to this forum so apologies if i’m not posting to the right place.I recently have embarked on my own little journey towards making a perfect loaf of sourdough. I tried a few weeks ago, but had very little knowledge and massively faile... | 77% hydration?
Why so high? hester |
My sourdough looks good on top but underneath it isn't smooth
This is because when i'm bringing the corners in before I prove the dough, the corners don't come together smoothly. So the underside of the bread isn't smooth. There's nothing wrong with it, I just don't like the way it looks. Sorry I don't have any picture... | Try this technique of shaping
Using a wide scraper, to get tension in the surface of the loaf by dragging it against the work surface... it works well for me. I use a 12” stainless steel ‘taping knife’ to do this, that I got from “everyone’s favourite online retailer” |
Wild yeast starter help please!
My wild yeast starter isn't growing as it should, it doesn't have its characteristic tangy smell, and it's gone from looking like normal dough to the consistency of potato soup in the span of <48 hours. It hasn't increased in volume, though there are bubbles at the top indicating that so... | Don't Panic - but keep the sugar away from it
Don't panic - it's highly unlikely you've 'killed' it, and by changing the environment back to one that will favour the kind of microbes you want to foster (that's not just yeast by the way, but also their co-workers the lactic acid bacteria) you will bring it back.What I w... |
First bake, happy about everything but crumb
Last year I tried my hand at baking and after many failures decided to put the project aside for a little while. Decided to give it another try. Using Debra's pineapple approach to making a starter, and equipped with a B&T proof box this time, I was determined to succeed.I s... | Hey Francis that’s a good
Hey Francis that’s a good looking first loaf!I‘m pretty new here and by no means an expert but a couple things to check and a couple ideas:A good way to check your starter is active enough is dropping a small amount into water and seeing if it floats. You could try and overnight leaven buildlo... |
Venturing into Barley Bread
So I've found a good supply of Organic Barley Four and have started my barley bread venture. Where to begin? Well I've come across this article which looks very interesting http://archaeologyeats.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/egyptian-barley-bread-dentist-preferred.html and have started The Leaveni... | Awaiting verdict
Great writeup....just awaiting verdict on taste. |
feeding my starter
My daughter in law has given me some starter. I have already made one nice sandwich loaf with it. Now I'm trying to figure out a feeding schedule. I tried putting it in the fridge, but that was a disaster. It got a thick "skin" on the outside and didn't rise at all. I took it out, got rid of what loo... | Feed once - let it get watery
Feed once - let it get watery - feed again - let it get watery - etc etc. I forgot - start with a dough like consistency. When it gets watery after a day you'll have a starter again - and can go from there. Enjoy! |
Today's Bread Extravaganza - 09-20-2022
Good morning campers. I thought I'd start a thread following my progress on making some bread today. As I mentioned in a previous post my first attempt, while edible, was not a stellar success as I had overhydrated the dough and it fell quite a lot and didn't crisp up. Today I am... | Levain Pre-dough
Coming up on four hours of ripening the levain, here are two shots showing the progress of the ripening, one from the side, and one from the top. I've got about six minutes left till I incorporate the starter with the the other ingredients. |
Sourdough baked three different ways
So, to cut a long story short, I made a big batch of 77% hydration country sourdough, and was aiming to bake 4 X 250g loaves and 1 X 950g loaf. Oven broke down before the fourth loaf but I did end up with three comparison bakes. From left to right: Baked in a Dutch Oven, baked in ... | Fascinating!
I love it when people take the time to organise experiments like this, and share the results - so many thanks!One of the interesting things about glass versus cast iron, from a material science perspective, is that it has double the specific heat capacity (750 J/kg-K versus 462 J/kg-K) but a VASTLY lower t... |
Help With Getting a More Open Crumb
Hi everyone - this is my first post on the fresh loaf (and if it's in the wrong forum, please let me know!). I've been baking sourdough bread for about a year now, on weekends and whenever I have free time. I've seen gradual improvement over time, but one area that has been a bit fru... | I love your crumb. If you are
I love your crumb. If you are going for big ol' holes that a whole different ball game. But for me what you have is perfection. |
First attempt at sourdough
Hello, Amateur baker here with my very first attempt at making bread. I have been building a 100% hydration rye starter for about 8 days and decided to make my first loaf this weekend. I followed the Tartine country bread recipe, except I didn't have any whole wheat flour so the dough was mad... | Congratulations!
Petrichor, your first attempt looks delicious. I have only been making sourdough baked goods (boules & bagels) for about 1.5 years. I came across this website and YouTube channel which helped me immensely in understanding the importance of shaping as well as a very good technique. You may find it usefu... |
No Fuss Starter?
Anyone have a build for a no fuss starter that does not require constant watch, mixing, adding of flour? I would like to bake a sour loaf every 2-3 days. | Either you get a little from
Either you get a little from somebody and build off that (easiest and fastest way) or you build one from scratch.No matter which way, once you have one and get into a feeding rhythm, you need to feed it only about once a day if left at roomtemp or once week when in the fridge. |
Heated Box for Starter?
Is there anything on the market as far as temperature control for a starter, levain , etc? My house is too cold and would like to keep the starter at 75-80 F. | These are by far the most
These are by far the most popular for home proofing bread dough. I’ve had one for years and love it.https://breadtopia.com/store/bread-proofer-slow-cooker/ |
Starters, Levain and Sifted Bran
I recently observed that using the bran that is sifted from the home milled flour is not good for starters or levains IF used in too high a ratio.I had the idea that using 100% sifted bran as food for the culture fermentation would soften the bran, and I assume it does. But I noticed a ... | Calling out Dabrownman!
I hope he responds as this is an area he has often talked about. Take a look at his past posts. He never wasted a speck of the flour he ground. Wonderful posts and formulas!I hope you and Lucy are still kickin', Dabrownman! |
The Sourdough Club/BBGA
Is anyone a member of the Sourdough Club? It's an online group, sponsored and run in part by the Sourdough School in Northamptonshire, and it seems like a great resource for all things sourdough. But I'm just wondering if anyone has paid the yearly member fees and felt like it was worth it or no... | I only have experience with
I only have experience with the BBGA. I joined and shortly there after decided it wasn’t for me. I requested a refund and they graciously agreed. I’m not sure if this is their policy, but you might check in advance. If it is a policy you could try them and see if you like it.Dan |
Community Bake - I have an Idea - Want Input
As I consider ideas for our next Community Bake (CB), a particular crumb comes to mind. We have chased extreme open crumb, and many have succeeded gloriously. I think/hope that many of our participants are ready to pursue the Lacy HoneyComb crumb. If only we can produce brea... | This is a great idea
I'm very interested! |
Community Bake - Whole Wheat Bread for the Multitudes - Starts Next Week
Photo above courtesy of The Bread Lab.As of late there has been interest on the forum about an organization called, "The Bread Lab". It is an extension of Washington State University with a laser focus on wheat, people who process the wheat, baker... | Very cool!
This bake is perfect for the dietary changes going on around these parts! Glad you checked in with me, Dan! |
Feeding and Discard
Hi folks. I have been feeding my starter now for 7 days. It seems to be doing well, and in fact the pancakes I made this morning with some discard were fluffy and tasty. Which brings me to my question. I have now three jars of discard in the fridge, and I hate throwing anything away, but I'm quickly... | Craig, I assume you are
Craig, I assume you are feeding 1:1:1 - 1 part existing starter, 1 part water, 1 part flour ( all by weight ). I suggest you cut way back on the amounts you add, so you will have less to discard. I often discard all but 7 grams of starter, add 7 grams of water, 7 grams of flour, which giv... |
I’m going crazy
For over a week now I’ve baked so much bread. I am after a more sour tangy taste. I’m new to bread baking and mus say I am pretty darn happy with the crust, the crumb, chewiness, looks, smell but not the taste. The bread tastes fine and we all eat it. It’s delicious. But I WANT IT MORE TANGY. I’ve kept ... | Read these links:
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/43974/bran-soaker-water-sprouted-multigrain-super-sour-white-sourdoughhttp://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/37061/making-starter-more-sour http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/49800/looking-more-sour-sd-recipe These should start to point you in the right direction. |
Sourdough bun proofing questions
Hello! I have a recipe for sourdough buns where I'm looking for help improving my proofing. I'm looking for help in two areas: 1) how to keep dough from sticking to the damp cloth I cover it with for the second proof and 2) what to do while the oven is preheating when I proof the dough ... | Things to try
plastic wrap instead of cloth. Rub lightly with a small amount of oil and then cover the rolls loosely. cover with dry cloth or towel to trap in heat.try covering rolls lightly with a dry towel under the wet one if both towels are flat cotton. Wet wrung towels tend to cool the dough and be too wet when ... |
Levain amount for long bulk ferment ?
Yet more questions from an inexperienced but obsessed baker! I am trying to find a method that fits in with a very busy life. I have read that a lengthy bulk ferment produces excellent results. The suggestion was for an overnight bulk of 18-20 hours at ambient temperature, with red... | Valerie, yes, you need to
Valerie, yes, you need to dramatically reduce the amount of levian - though the amount is pretty temperature dependent, ambient will mean different things in different places and seasons. Pizza dough is a little different, but here is a chart, and tons of info, on levian temp and perform... |
Sourdough does not hold its shape after final proof + issues with slashing
Hello all. I have been making sourdough loaves for a few years now. Sometimes I bake free-form on a baking stone, and sometimes in a cast iron Le Creuset pot and I have used a number of different recipes / methods. The end result is always good,... | I've Had the Same Problem
I've heard the key to this is in proper shaping prior to proofing. Need to shape so that the dough develops a thin elastic layer (?) on its non-seam surface. Usually formed by dragging the dough on a very lightly floured surface as it is being shaped. The resulting layer helps preserve the ... |
What should I be expecting from my starter?
I've done some sourdough baking in past years, but never really kept with it, in part because I've never been crazy about my starters.For example, I started a new one a few weeks ago using that pineapple juice version from Debra Wink that's been going around for a while. I go... | Did it ever get more
vigorous that that?putting it into the fridge in the first week can literally stop it. Great if you have to go away for a while but when you take it out, you have to continue where you left off after the starter gets warmed up to about 75°F. Looks sorta like you got some yeast starting. How abou... |
Converting starter for enriched dough hot cross buns
A couple of years ago I converted an Elizabeth David recipe for Hot Cross Buns to use a starter. Results were not superb, mostly because the bulk and proof were much slower than I had time for. This year I am determined to do better, so I started by repeating my prev... | comparing to bread.
When baking regular sourdough bread, when I want a shorter bulk and proof, I use a higher percentage of starter in the formula.For example: For a same day loaf, I use 14% starter. For an overnight bulk or proof, I use 7% starter. (Formula is 90% WW.) In both situations, I calculate things so the t... |
First timer - starter issues
Hi allI am on a mission to master the sourdough loaf at home; it is not easy to come by except for in restaurants around here, so I have found myself hopefully a new hobby.I know there is A LOT of similar posts here, so apologies for this... but I am just seeking a bit of hope and clarifica... | Patience is key
so far sounds good. One tip, don't make the hot water bottle warmer than what you can tolerate on bare skin, like on your stomach. Four days is pretty darn quick and it usually takes a few days longer. Believe me, you will know when it rises. Just hang in there. :) |
first time using a starter.... disappointing :-/
I had a disappointing bake today :-/My mother in law obtained some starter for me, from her friend. This starter is fed with instant potatoes/sugar/water ... and I don't know why, but for some reason, it kind of weirds me out. It's just a big watery jar of sugar and pota... | This certainly seems like a
This certainly seems like a strange starter and recipe. I wonder about the use of instant potatoes since bread flour is even more abundant and contains far less chemicals. The extra sugar also is unnecessary since potatoes and flour contain enough starches/sugars to feed the wild yeasts.The ... |
Finally found my Sourdough routine.
Hi Folks. I used to make sourdough the Richard Bertinet way, and had good results. Sadly I had a starter disaster - spilling it on a floor that had just been bleached, and kicking a bucket of bleach water over it.. So that was that - That's life. So I rebuilt my starter and decided t... | So.....
"Sadly I had a starter disaster - spilling it on a floor that had just been bleached, and kicking a bucket of bleach water over it.. So that was that - "Did you mean to imply that if bleach had not been involved, you would have scraped it up and continued using it? ?(For the humor-impaired: Note the smiley!) |
Tangzhong and Affordable Loaf Discussion
Lets knock around the idea of using a Tangzhong with The Bread Lab's, Affordable Loaf.TFL user, WooWoo, brought up the idea of using the Tangzhong with the whole wheat bread. I thought it could be genius! For those that are not familiar with the Affordable Bread Project, check t... | Here is a link for the King
Here is a link for the King Arthur website concerning the Tangzhong.https://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2018/03/26/introduction-to-tangzhongAnother King Arthur link on converting a formula to Tangzhong.https://www.amazon.com/Flexzilla-HFZG550YW-Garden-Lightweight-Drinking/dp/B003TFE7ZM/ref=... |
Diagnose my loaf - SD Milk Bread
Hello,I've attempted this recipe for Sourdough Milk Bread a few times and I'm not quite sure where it's going wrong. It seems they are always bursting out of the middle and sides, and the crust is way too hard. I couldn't figure out if I was under proofing or over proofing, so I left th... | Questions...
You say the dough was stiff, but that should not be. It's a 75% hydration dough (125g water from the starter plus 420g milk = 545g and there's 725g flour (2 x 300 plus 125g from the starter). So, are you sure you're measuring it all correctly? By weight not volume, yes?Aside from that, the only thing I can... |
Sourdough Starter help needed!
Hello!I am brand new to bread baking and am so thankful to have stumbled upon this forum site! This is so helpful!!I am currently attempting to make my first sourdough starter. I am on day 5 of my starter journey and wondering if it has gone sour (as in bad sour... not sourdough bread kin... | I think the problem is this..
I think the problem is this... you are using equal parts of flour and water in weight when you're feeding the starter, and should be using volume instead. That's why your starter isn't rising properly... it's being starved. For every 4 ozs of water (113.4g), you should be using 8 oz of f... |
Fail at bulk fermentation stage
Hello,I have tried two sourdough recipes and each time the dough failed to double its size during the bulk fermentation stage. Why? Could it be because I am using a small immersion blender to mix the ingredients of my starter? I use the blender because I have arthritis. Is this a too vig... | How long/strongly do you
How long/strongly do you blend it? Because blending generates heat, it might kill some yeasts. |
ripe starter for soft sandwich bread
In making my starter for your recipe with 13g ripe starter with milk and flour - it is very stiff. Can't imagine that its going to grow any??? | @ earthemma, Which recipe?
Hi, which recipe are you following? Something doesn't sound right. There can be variations in flour, some more absorbent than others. A stiff starter can also ferment. Not all starters are soft paste or batters or resemble dough.If it feels too stiff, stiffer than any dough, work in more ... |
Sourdough Starter
I fed my starter in the evening and would have been able to start my loafs in the morning. It had doubled and looked great. But, I got sick and had just put it in the fridge. How do I go about using it again? Thanks! | Re-feed it once or twice
Re-feed it once or twice before you use it. |
Can I feed my starter oat flour?
Can I feed my starter oat flour? If so, can I build it up to 100% oat? I guess the extended question is: does a starter need gluten to thrive? The reason I'm asking is I'm adapting a recipe that would have a high percentage of oat flour, so I'd like that to include the starter. | It should work, oats is 60%
It should work, oats is 60% carbs (= sugars), which the yeasts and bacteria feed off. And since fermented porridge is a thing, I don't see why it shouldn't work with oat. After all, the mix of flour and water is simply a medium where microorganisms can live and thrive.Just transition it slow... |
Experimentation - Helpful & Welcomed
My history of experimentation is well documented. We have learned so much from each other. Both documented flops as well as successes have benefited many inquisitive bakers. It is much easier to learn from the mistakes of others than to make those same mistakes ourselves - the benef... | Thanks Danny
I've bookmarked them.Cheers |
starter won't float
I created my first starter 12 days ago; I followed Gaaarp's instructions. For the last 6 days it's been sitting on my countertop (ca 67-69 during the day, ca 63 during the night) and I've religiously fed it 2x a day. It always doubles within the first 4-5 hours. It always smells nice and strong afte... | go ahead and bake
I don't see in gaaarp's instructions anything about a float test for starter... (am I missing it?).I'm used to a float test for levain, but that's different.If your starter is doubling in 4-5 hours it sounds as if it's active enough to be used for baking.good luck, let us know how it turns out!Les |
Comparing Activity of Dry vs Wet Starters
I was inspired by Maurizio’s great article about starters and their maintenance. It is a must see.This is a comparison of the activity and time to maturity of a dry starter versus a wet one.In each image below, the starter on the left is 100% hydration and the one on the right ... | Danny, love your work ,as
Danny, love your work ,as always, you do the test and then show us the result. Sometimes the result is expected, sometimes nit, but always interesting |
Timing of Starter in Sourdough
Hi guys,Need your advice on this. To make a starter for baking, I take a small portion from the mother starter that was kept in the fridge at around 4C (39F) and refresh it with the ratio of 1:2:2 (starter:flour:water). The temperature of my kitchen is averagely 30C (86F) and I observe th... | You should definitely wait
You should definitely wait until your starter is mature. At that point almost all of the sugars are eaten and the amount of yeasts and bacteria is at peak level.If you add it too early, it would take longer to ferment, maybe even longer than it usually would. |
Starter
I have started a new starter with 4 oz. flour/water, feeding daily, and holding the temp at 73 degrees FAfter 10 days of small bubbles and nothing else, I added pineapple juice instead of water for 2 days. Now at the 14 day mark, I have sour smelling goo with a lot of little bubbles, but no rise. I feed eve... | Why did you add pineapple
Why did you add pineapple juice? |
Preserving Starter During Vacation
I have a whole rye flour starter at 100% hydration. Before the current heat wave and resulting electric power shortage I was feeding the starter (no name yet; suggestions welcome) once or twice a week, 12 hrs before mixing the levain/sourdough. It would about double at room temp or ... | Five years ago, I had to have
Five years ago, I had to have major surgery. I did not want my 100 year old starter to die after I'd kept alive for 10 years. I searched for a way to preserve it. Get a rimmed baking sheet and cover it with parchment paper or foil. Spread a thin layer of your active starter on the parchmen... |
Oven Spring Possible with a Miche?
I don’t remember ever seeing a miche that exhibited oven spring. When I think of a super large bread, I think wide, spread out, and low - with a fairly dense crumb. To get a consensus of a multitude of well baked miche, copy this text (without the quotation marks) “Site:thefreshloaf.c... | Up to now...
I've been using my 3.2 qt cast iron combo cooker as a "crutch" somewhat, to prevent sideways spread, and coax the loaf to expand up more than out.I use an 8" inner diameter or 9" inner diameter banneton, and match the loaf to either the 8" I.D. deep pot, or the 9" I.D. lid/skillet (measured at bottom-insid... |
50% wholewheat sourdough - third attempt
Here is my third attempt at sourdough bread.50% white flour - 50% wholegrain (wheat & spelt)Hydration 80%Starter 15% I proofed at room temp for about 2-3hrs... which (I think) resulted in a less sour taste. I think my overnight fridge-proofed bread was tastier Thoughts? I was qu... | Nina, Looks like a winner to me!
Nina,Looks like a winner to me. You are off to a great start.Here is a link that might interest you.http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/56742/community-bake-maurizios-fiftyfifty-whole-wheat-sourdough-everyone-welcomeIf you decide to try it, post images and your experience to that link. Mys... |
Vanessa Kimball miso and sesame sourdough
Hi all, Just tried the miso and sesame sourdough from The Sourdough School by Vanessa Kimbell.It's an 80% hydration dough with a tangzoun roux added.The dough came together quite nicely but 2.5 hours into the bulk it started to loose it's elasticity and my fingers started going... | Update
I'm having another go, after sleeping on this.I've got some very strong Canadian bread flour which has 14.8%protein in. That should take the hydration better than yesterday's attempt (which was Shipton Mills Organic strong white flour which is 12% (this is in the UK)). My dough feels lovely and supple during the... |
SFSD - Lactic or Acetic?
This got buried in a thread so surfacing if here: Is true San Francisco sourdough more acetic or more lactic?Additionally, how extreme is the sourness of true San Francisco Sourdough? Pucker inducing sourness or mild enough that you can taste the grain? | 1. more acetic. 2. noticable but not pucker-ish.
1. From page 23 (Kindle edition) of "The Sourdough School" by Vanessa Kimbell: (underlining mine)https://www.amazon.com/Sourdough-School-ground-breaking-making-gut-friendly-ebook/dp/B07BPV28CC?tag=froglallabout-20"In one of the earliest studies of the leavening actio... |
Hoping for feedback on SD loaves please
So I started making sourdough a while ago now and have been reading a lot on the topic, including the Open Crumb Mastery book by Trevor J Wilson. I have learnt a lot about handling my dough and what works well for my environment. (I live in Jakarta where it's hot and humid but ho... | Well not sure I am the expert
Well not sure I am the expert you are waiting for..Maybe the addition of oil with the sourdough tends to give the aspect to the crumb?I don't think it is due to your starter since you have a nice crumb and a good rise for your loaf.It is a nice bread so enjoy and don't worry too much!!! |
Just bran or orange?
I have a 3 or so week old whole wheat starter, fed last night. It doubled in size and it smells great. I just want to make sure this is just bran. | It looks like bran, probably
It looks like bran, probably some has accumulated around there. If your starter matures and smells properly, it should be fine. |
Trying to make Salt Rising Bread
Sorry if this is the wrong forum, but I thought it fit best.I'm trying to make salt rising bread with the recipe here. However, I do not have a proofer, and my oven doesn't go as low as 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Would a slow cooker keep a set temperature reliably for the 7-12+ hours it sa... | Do a search
Last year there were several threads on making salt rising bread and they were very detailed on the process. There are also many threads on proofing and holding dough at warm temps. Take a few miinutes with the "search" box. |
First Time with Tartine
Hello! This was my first attempt at creating the Tartine Basic Country Loaf. I can describe what I did in terms of the timing of the Bulk Fermentation and even when the Leaven was ready. I found myself doing 3-4 turns during each turn, which may have made the dough stiff. Here are the pictures o... | If you followed the timing
If you followed the timing from the book (3-4 hours at bulk, etc IIRC) then you probably rushed the process a bit at 54*F since the timing in the book is designed around 78-82*F. Don't sweat it though, there are examples of people adapting the recipe to fit their life/environment, so it's 100... |
Freezing dough
hello. Can you freeze the dough at any Point? We are going away and want to bake along the way but don’t have room to take everything. | Yes, you can
You can freeze the dough after the first rise. You can choose to shape the dough into specific shape or not before freezing. Then when you need, let it thaw,finish the second rise and bake according to the recipe. |
Just had to share my second successful scoring!
Just wanted to share my bread porn! Ive only been baking for a few months and it took me a while to be able to score.Its super dark on the top because I accidentally cooked it on the grill setting instead of bake *damn it*! Cant wait to make my next loaf!!!! | WOW !!!!!!!!!
WOW !!!!!!!!! |
SD Sandwich Bread
I know this was posted before, BUT for those that like sandwich bread leavened with SD this is a must try. THIS FORMULA & METHOD by TX Farmer is nothing short of extraordinary. Really wished I knew what became of her.Only 800g TDW was used to bake a large USA Pullman Pan. The slices are light and airy... | Good to see you, mon ami.
Good to see you, mon ami. |
White "cooked" flour coating
Hi all,I have 2 cane bannetons with linen liners. When making sourdough, I flour the linen liners liberally so the soft dough does not stick. However, after baking the loaves, they have a coating of cooked flour. If I use less flour in the banneton, the dough sticks to the linen. How do I e... | Try brushing it off with a
Try brushing it off with a soft bristle brush |
James Morton’s Sourdough book
Hi all,I have a question for you all - do any of you use James Morton’s “Super Sourdough” book? If so, do you know if the quantities in the two baguette-y recipes (pages 143 and 155) are correct? I ask because, in the text, he writes that the p143 dough is “quite a dry dough” and the p155 ... | Assuming the white starter is 100% hydration
And using the information you provide, then in reality the P143 loaf would be 82.5% and the P155 would be 75% hydration respectively.None of those seem 'quite dry' :) |
Adjusting hydration level for starter
Hey there, I have recently started trying to make bread and have a couple questions of maintaining my starter. I have had my starter for a couple weeks now and it seems to be maturing but haven't been able to pass a float test yet. I noticed the bubbles in my starter were not big o... | All you need is live yeast
All you need is live yeast and those bubbles show you have that. Leave it alone for 24 hours and I promise you it will float. why are you feeding twice a day? Especially if it’s cool in your house? “feeding” is a misnomer. What you are really doing is “resupplying the neighborhood”. Right... |
Three weeks and still not ready.
I started my starter three weeks ago with equal parts King Arthur AP flour and filtered water. I keep it on the top of my fridge. By day three it was bubbling nicely and smelling pleasantly sour. Have been discarding half and feeding it 1/1/1 twice daily for three weeks. It bubbles afte... | Pineapple juice
Did you use the pineapple juice method? Or just flower and water?You may have overfed it doing it at every 3 hours. Try to stay with the scedule you have in whatever recipe you are following. What temp is your kitchen? If it's relatively cold it may just be sluggish. Next time you feed it 1:1:1 use... |
Starter flour
i have just started bailing sourdough and the starter is going well. However I made it with white flour and want to use other flour such as rye oe whole meal. Can you mix the flour in a existing starter or do you have to start a new one? | Absolutely you can mix
I keep a white flour and a wholewheat flour starter, and if I want something different, usually for rye flour, I just go ahead and build with the rye flour. But I do it with just a part of the original starter so I can keep that going.
Jeremy |
Suddenly sluggish starter
Hello, first time poster here. I've been baking with a homemade starter for the last couple of months. Since I bake once, occasionally twice a week, my maintenance schedule is to keep it refrigerated when not used, then 2 days before the bake take it out, let it warm up to room temp, and feed ... | Taste it
and report. :) |
Just started 4 days ago and my starter keeps producing hooch!
Good day all,I am totally new to this and i need advice. I started my starter with whole wheat flour and i feed it with white flour. I followed some article online that told me to not feed it on day 2 and start feeding on day 3. When i fed it for the first t... | This
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuU0xmqEZyI&app=desktop |
How long should starter stay at peak volume?
Hi all,I’m hoping that some out there may be able to offer advice. I’ve recently made two starters, one of which I used for several months and one of which is much newer. With both, the volume of the starter starts to collapse almost as soon as it has reached double. Is this... | Every starter is and behaves
Every starter is and behaves different. It depends on temperature, hydration, flour type, feeding schedule, probably even air pressure (and maybe also the position of the moon :D).As long as your starter clearly at least doubles in volume, peaks and falls, without emitting any bowel-turning... |
My sourdough is showing that it is ready to bake...
But, it’s not passing the float test. I am back after a 2 year hiatus to sourdough making. My first starter came from Oregon to my work interoffice mail in South Carolina back in 2012. I had that wonderful, bubbly, predictable sourdough for about three years until a f... | Too hydrated?
Most likely. Thicken up a little bit of the starter with more flour. More dough like, let it ferment and try again. Be very gentle with it so it doesn't deflate before reaching the water.Or don't bother... It sounds good if it's quadrupling. :) |
Cause of Stiff Dough
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Tonight I will be baking my weekly sourdough bread. I have a healthy starter and follow the same recipe each time. 65% hydration with 15% Levaine and 2% salt. But this time I noticed my dough was unusually stiff while kneading it. The only thing I can think that is diff... | Could be your local climate.
Could be your local climate. Maybe your older flour had gained moisture while sitting around, and the fresh flour started out with less moisture, making it less workable with the same amount of added water.Or,... your old flour was "normal" and the new flour had "dried out" during its sto... |
Super SD Sandwich Bread Formula & Method
How we miss TFL user, “TX Farmer”. While active she was a prolific baker and everything she did was top shelf and excellent. Her BLOG has so many bakes that it fills 21 pages of her bread links. I was thrilled to find TX Farmer’s BLOG Index.Lately I have been searching for the p... | Very nice toast bread Danny.
Very nice toast bread Danny. I thought trailrunner suggested to butter the pan, no? I have bookmarked some of TX Famer's posts, her baguette posts were unreal. Thanks. |
Starter smells like alcohol after transferring jars
So I started a sourdough starter about a week ago, and everything has been going pretty good up until today. Yesterday, my starter seemed like it had activated and had risen a ton and developed a really nice smelling sourdough bread aroma to it, so I was really happy ... | I guess the new wasn't
A slight wine-like smell is normal, but too much isn't good. I guess the new jar wasn't completely clean and something caused a production of alcohol or similar. I would keep going for now, maybe even transfer it again to a really clean jar. If the smell persists, maybe start over. |
Sourdough Starter smells strongly of alcohol
Hello!I made my first sourdough starter on January 22nd. It started out well. On Friday I made a Levain to bake bread with it, which was nice and bubbly and passed the float test. The bread turned out decent even though the dough was too sticky, but that´s another story.Star... | This is normal. In my
This is normal. In my experience, the hooch forms between/on top of the starter when it's really active and needs a feed. So you might want to start by feeding it every 4 days while it's in the fridge instead of waiting a full week. Remember, if you take it out of the fridge into room temp, its ac... |
Open but gummy crumb?
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As a beginner sourdough baker, after months and months of utter failures, I thought I finally might have made a successful loaf when this one ca... | Sourdough bread always is a
Sourdough bread always is a bit sticky and shiny on the inside. So to some extent that's normal. If your crumb is overly stick or rubbery it's either underbaked or you cut it when it was still warm.Your bread has great crust and open crumb with a very nice oven spring, so there is nothing wr... |
Crumb in baguettes
I’ve been making sourdough for about a year but still yet to achieve a great open crumb on my loaves. However recently I started making baguettes (same recipe) and get a great open crumb with those. The other day I used half my dough to make baguettes and the other to make a loaf. Just curious and wo... | The smaller circumference of
The smaller circumference of the baguette allows for easier outward expansion.I for one, really like the crumb on the loaf imaged above. I assume it has some whole wheat.When I first started baking bread, it wasn’t open crumb or not. It was pretty much, nice bread or “a brick”. And by brick... |
A few general questions on sourdough process
Hi everyone! I'm new to the wonderful world of sourdough baking, and after some experimenting, I've found a recipe that's working! Here is today's loaf.Meanwhile, I have a few questions on the fundamental process of sourdough.1. I'm using the stretch & fold method. Does it m... | Welcome!
1. a) Does it matter whether stretch & fold happens before or after the bulk rise? During. Starting towards the beginning, but not all the way through. Look up Ken Forkish's videos on youtube, and he explains when to do it and when to stop.Robertson's Tartine Book No. 3, Kindle format, is on sale for $2.99 a... |
How do you store your fresh baked sourdough loaf?
I baked my first sourdough loaf ever last night and stored it in a gallon ziploc baggie that was open only about one inch. It was still a bit warm, and I didn't want it to mold.Its seems too dry today. How should I best store it? | Paper Bag
Plastic is not a good container for your bread. Moisture will be trapped. Better is a paper bag (think of the ones you can get at the grocery store). If you have a bread drawer, that is good too. (By that I mean a drawer that has a nice lid on it to keep out a lot of fresh air.)Before you slice or store, ... |
Panettone with liquid starter
I just saw Teresa Greenway's footage from the workshops on sourdough acidity at The Quest of Sourdough and that made me think that since the liquid starter have more lactic than acetic, it might be easier to employ a liquid starter instead of doing the 3x refreshments of a stiff levain to ... | I have
I am after a very open crumb and have been trying millions of things. I think you have to have the 50% madre because it has different affect on the dough. It makes a stronger dough so it can handle the butter and all that goodness. You can certainly make panettone with levain at 100% and I have done it. And it w... |
Help! I fed my starter with bread mix by accident!
In my sleep deprived state (new mum) I realised this morning I had fed my starter with bread pre mix which contains yeast ? What does this mean for my starter? I'm so sad! It was 4 months old :( | Should be fine if the mix is
Should be fine if the mix is just wheat flour and yeast (and maybe other flours). Just continue as normal with your original flour. After 2-3 feedings there will be so little of the bread mix left anyway since you discard most of the starter or use it. |
My first Sourdough Boule
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Behold the Sourdough Boule! Continuing on with the theme of Carbs, Go Big or Go Home here is my very first sourdough bread made with home-brewed sourdough starter. After a couple of false starts, 10 days wasted and lots of flour tossed, I fina... | My improvised cloche
I hate working around superheated heavy enamel dutch ovens for fear of a burn. This improvised combination is easier to handle and gave my loaf an ovenspring from 3” to 5”.
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Adapting a Bagel Recipe to Sourdough
Hey all! First time posting in here, what a cool resource! So! I have this bagel recipe, and it's fantastic and makes truly gorgeous bagels, but I also have a great sourdough starter and I wanted to use it to make delicious sourdough bagels. Can any one help me figure out what the m... | You can just replace poolish
You can just replace poolish with starter. Seeing how starter, poolish, sponge, biga etc. all fall into the same category of yeasted preferments, it should work just as well. Maybe start with mixing 50% poolish and 50% starter, then add the rest and see how that works out. |
Ratio of BF to final proof
Try as I might, I cannot find clear and unambiguous advice on this anywhere... Does anybody know the pros and cons of, for example, a shorter BF before shaping and then longer for the FP or vice-versa? Some say the FP is mostly to allow the gluten to relax a bit before baking so it can spring... | First a question
If you were playing 5 card stud and had a pair of aces, duces and a king how many cards would you ask for?If your next hand was 2, 5, 7, 8 of different suits and a jack of spades, how many cards would you draw?In case you don’t play poker you’d likely pull one on the first and two or three on the secon... |
Poolish seems way too dry
Hello all , I was hoping someone could lead me in the right direction. Following a boule recipe I put my poolish a unheated room in the house and left itapproximately 14 hours. When I returned to it, it seems more like dough then poolish. The temperature fell more than expected last night so ... | What is the poolish recipe?
What is the poolish recipe? Maybe yours just had a lower hydration. |
Starter suddenly sluggish
Hey guys,I keep my starter in the refrigerator, I feed 100g of AP flour + 70g water to 20g of starter and stick in the fridge where it normally peaks in 3 or 4 days, it's what I've always done. However, as of a couple weeks ago, it's really sluggish. It's been in the refrigerator for over a we... | Arch, your process is unusual
Arch, your process is unusual. Most bakers ferment their refreshed starter on the counter for a while and then refrigerate. Since you’ve done this successfully before, I’m guessing your fridge is fairly warm. Try this. Place a glass of water in the fridge overnight. The next day measure th... |
Mythbusters - Grain Yeast or Air Yeast?
There has been a lively debate on other threads with varying views on whether the process of creating of a new Sourdough Starter is taking primarily, yeasts and LABs from the flour itself or from the air in your kitchen/environment.At present I am firmly in the camp that supports... | All the sporulating organisms
All the sporulating organisms that were present in the flour before the heat treatment will now have the best chance.I predict mould growth on the air exposed starter made with flour A.I would also be wary of mould growth on the starter in the jar. If the lid is tight fitting, the air gap ... |
An attempt with high protein bread flour
Starter feeding (day before bulk proofing) 1:1:1 with 15g rye starter at 7:00 a.m. and again at 2:00 p.m. and 1:1:4 with 5g starter at 9:00 p.m. All feedings were made with bread flour (17% protein).On baking day I used 20g of Starter at 1:2:2 for bulk feeding for 4 hours.The te... | Is it much different from a
Is it much different from a bread with 12% in terms of flavor, texture etc.? Because I can imagine 17% is a bit overkill and that it results in a very chewy bread. Usually artisan bread is baked with 13-14%. I'm not saying you are wrong to do so, if it's tasty and good, go for it! I'm just w... |
Gummy crumb
Hi everyone, I made a sourdough loaf (20% whole wheat, 72% hydration) this morning and noticed that the crumb was slightly gummy and stuck very slightly to the knife as I was slicing it.It was baked in a pre-heated Dutch Oven 20 minutes with lid on at 250C and 20 minutes uncovered at 230C then cooled on the... | Was it cooled completely
Was it cooled completely before cutting? It looks really good... |
Sourdough starter troubleshoot
Hello all!First time posting to TFL, this site has been so helpful to me already!! I have a sourdough starter and I am wondering if anyone can help me determine if 1)my starter is healthy/active and 2)if not, how to boost it? I have a 50/50 BF/WW starter at 100% hydration based on the Tar... | Your starter sounds like it's
Your starter sounds like it's perfectly healthy. |
Overproof?
450g white flour, 50g whole grain and 72% hydration. Autolyse for 2 hours and bulk fermentation for 3 hours, and overnight in the fridge for 16 hours, 7 to 9°C. Oven spring not good, and bread is flatten. Is it possible that overproof or gluten not form enough
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IMG_2020... | Yes, maybe
burnt bottom? What temp was the bake and for how long? details? |
Le Grande Comedie! My first attempt at baking a sourdough loaf
So, I got my standard PhD in sourdough from youtube and thought..."I've been baking bread with commercial yeast for years....how hard could it be?"I got a 5 year old King Arthur starter sample from a local baker who was happy to share and coach. I went ho... | Ummmmm....not sure....
So, I took it out after 30 minutes with the tinfoil hat, removed the hat, and put it back in at 450 (it was at 500) for another 30 minutes.....its still baking right now. Looks....like....maybe?I'm currently holding an old fashioned prayer circle that this will work. An old fashioned "hedge of ... |
Do I need to feed more often?
Here is my Debra starter of rye and clementine juice on Day 3. It doubled 2 hours after refeeding
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stir-down and transfer to roomier quarters. It has not risen further and has not collapsed 5 hours after refeeding. I have been feeding on... | Just discard and feed every
Just discard and feed every 24 hours. |
Buying a sourdough starter
I would like to start my own starter, but since I am coming to the US for a visit I thought I would use the oppurtunity to buy a sourdough starter (or two) . I googled and read a couple old threads here. Sourdough International was mentioned, King Arthuer, and NY Bakers. Looking at the sourd... | I guess mre info would have
I guess mre info would have been helpful on what kind of breads we make... I like to bake with WW flour, or a combination of white flour and whole wheat. The South African starter is a WW starter on the Sourdough International website, but I also frequently use all white flour as well. We al... |
Sourdough starter newbie question
Hello, this is my first attempt at a sourdough starter and I have this question: today is the third day, which means introduction of twice daily feeds, but my second day 24 rest period will only be up at 16.00 this afternoon. Could I leave it for today and begin the twice daily feed to... | You can delay
Welcome to TFL!Yes, you can delay. Your starter is still very young, but if it doubled in volume, it is alive and active! It may be a little sluggish with the delayed feeding, but that’s okay. If you do delay, feed it and then wait for the doubling. Don’t feed twice a day based on the clock. Feed it ... |
Various scoring designs
This morning I was working on my scoring designs after watching a video showing simple ways of scoring. Cool. They were very simple and lots of fun to try. These are Tartine breads. Four olive country sourdough Two bread flour/kamut/whole wheat/wheat germ with pecans and dried sour cherries | Great looking spread, Gwen!
Great looking spread, Gwen! One day soon I hope to venture out and bake a large batch similar to yours. It’s nice to bless the neighbors.Danny |
Why won't my sourdough starter rise?
I started my sourdough a little over a week ago, and in the first few days, it doubled in size after each feeding, but I forgot to feed it on the morning of day 4 and fed it the usual amount like 4 hours late.Now it won't rise and doesnt bubble like it used to. Is it something I did... | Turn up the heat
I have an established starter and it's lazy when I start a build up for a loaf in my kitchen which is also kept around 68-69F. I've read that temperatures for optimal starter behavior lie somewhere in the 76-80F region so I suggest that you find a warmer area for building a new starter.If you you have ... |
Starting a Starter - Sourdough 101, a Tutorial
(The following started as a blog, but I've had enough questions and comments about it that I thought I'd repost it as a forum entry so it would be easier to find. Of course, if Floyd wants to add it to Lessons, that would be OK, too.)
Like many people, I found TFL in my q... | Wow, this is wonderful! I
Wow, this is wonderful! I was just thinking I'd really like to learn how to do this, and had no idea in the world - and here's your article, just a couple of hours later.
Thanks so much. I'm going to get going on this tomorrow, I think; I'd really like to try using sourdough for various of ... |
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