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Your Favorite Bread Add-In ?
I've settled on my standard "go-to" sourdough bread after several successful bakes of it -- uses bread-flour, a bit of rye and an overnight levain. Now I'd like to find some suitable add-ins. I've already tried raisins, cranberry/walnut, various seeds and grains. Looking for some new fla... | Spice
If you like spicy stuff you could try jalapeno and asiago or cheddar. |
long term starter storage
I'm taking a break from gluten as a test for a while, but I'd like to keep by starters alive without feeding and tossing or using.Can they be frozen in a jar or some other method of keeping them healthy?They are, more or less, 100%.1 all rye1 mixed AP and WW | Triple backup.
1. Freeze some, in sealed bag, remove as much air as possible. Mine lasts 4 months in freezer. It's temp related, so a really cold freezer might mean shorter survival time.or...2. Add flour to make it a stiff starter, maybe 60 % hydration, let it sit out at room temp a little, so the beasties can feed... |
How to maximize rise/airiness of 100% rye?
I love rye bread, but it can be too dense for my liking. So how do you suggest my formula should be if I want to maximize the rise/airiness of a 100% rye loaf? Locked variables:100% rye wholegrain (incl sourdough starter).Sourdough only (no added yeast, soda etc) Example of f... | Some more variables...
A fine grind will give a higher loaf but a coarser grind gives more flavour.Inclusion of Altus or already baked rye bread into recipe (not only gives a flavour boost but works in the matrix like straw in clay bricks, giving some strength to it)Pans, I suggest narrow tall pans around 3" wide not ... |
Community Bake - 123 SD (Tenth Anniversary)
It’s been ten years this October since Flo posted her (now famous) 123 SD Bread. For those not familiar with our Community Bakes see THIS LINK. Reference links are posted below below. The idea of a Community Bake is for those interested in baking and learning, to bake with u... | 350g flour250g water7g saltPoolish: 50g flour50g water0.2g dried (0.17g to be exact but 0.2g is fine) or 0.5 fresh yeast. NOTE - a pinch of dry yeast is 0.22 which is plenty close enough.Left overnight and to be used the next day when active like in the photo on My Weekend Bakery. Final Recipe: 100g poolish200g water3... |
Bread suddenly not having any oven spring
I've been using the Tartine Country recipe to make some really nice loaves. Then I went to the in-laws for a week over Thanksgiving and left my starter there....I made a new one over a month ago and it has seemed perfectly healthy for several weeks now, but I've never had a goo... | Matt, are you scoring the
Matt, are you scoring the dough differently? The placement of the 3 scores appear to be allowing the sides to spread out.Dan |
Feeding my sour dough starter
I wanted to try to try separating my starter into several different jars after I finally have the time to make one and try feeding each of them different ingredients to see what sort of different flavours I get.I was thinking in the lines of fermenting fruits, rice flour, or even whole gra... | Some people did just that, on
Some people did just that, on this thread:http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/20693/culturing-growing-and-baking-range-wild-yeastsLots of interesting experiments, with photos, in the comments. Including rice.Enjoy. |
Starter gone bad?
I have been maintaining a starter for about 3-4 months. I left it in the refrigerator for 3 weeks without feeding and took it out today to revive it. I noticed that the liquid on top was a dark color. Does this indicate it has gone bad and should be thrown away, or can I revive it as usual? Does it de... | Revive it.
As long as the liquid isn't pink, I believe it can be revived quite successfully. I simply stir in the dark liquid on top. |
Never Be Afraid To Substitute Ingredients
Hamelman's Five-Grain Levain. A really lovely recipe. Highly recommended. Made a few substitutions...Instead of Bread flour I used a pasta flour which has a 50:50 Bread and Durum flour mix. Instead of Whole-Wheat I used Wholegrain Spelt. Instead of Cracked Rye I used Buckwheat ... | Sounds delicious Abe!
Sounds delicious Abe! |
Follow up to my sourdough baking - still a novice
This as a follow up that I'm addressing to all those persons who have helped me in the last few months and also to those who may have read my postings out of mere curiosity or for any other reason.In my most recent attempt I achieved what I consider to be a big improvem... | Temperature Control
Time and time again I read on this forum of new bakers having problems with their starters, levains and doughs. It seems to me that an awful lot of these problems are down to lack of decent temperature control.Well done to Miller for realising this and developing his (her?) proofing pot. I am lucky ... |
Starter First timer disaster?
Hi, I make bread but never have sourdough but finally made first starter, based on a recipe from the book DO/Sourdough, by Andrew Whitley. First attempt failed to work so followed his method for saving the day by taking some and adding more flour and water. Its been next to the boiler for ... | The sides of the jar give me
The sides of the jar give me a clue that it has risen and fallen well. And given that it stood next to the boiler, it probably happened really fast. So the liquid on top is probably hooch, a sign that the starter wants to be fed badly.I don't know if you can save it yet, but discard as much... |
Tight crumb with large holes- overproofed or underproofed?
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Hello,I made a small loaf yesterday with a little under 25% whole spelt flour. It didn't rise very much at all, and it's dense with a lot of really large holes. I usually make loaves with entirely whole rye and whole spelt (... | This is definitely
This is definitely underproofed. I just wonder how, since you gave it such a long BF. How cold is the house? There is a rule of thumb that for every 8°C more or less, you have to half or double the fermentation time (for example, if it takes 4 h at 20°C, at 12°C it would take about 8 h, at 28°C it wo... |
That elusive open crumb
The first step is admitting you need help, right? I need lots of it. I've been trying to get a nice open crumb for quite a while, and have had little success. So I'm going to document my most recent bake with photos. I'm sure you guys will be able to figure out what I'm doing wrong. I'm fairly c... | I'm kind of having the same
I'm kind of having the same problem as you. I try boules, not batards, but get similar results with this high of a hydration. I will say that taking the hydration down a bit (73-75%), and proofing in the fridge has gotten me a more open crumb than I get with high hydration, but not as open... |
Fools crumb?
Hello,I started baking sourdough in the summer using Patrick Ryan's recipe and technique:https://youtu.be/2FVfJTGpXnUThe recipe calls for kneading rather than autolyse and stretch and fold. My first few bakes produced very decent results- lively, vibrant dough with great oven spring and a nice open(ish) cr... | I have never heard of this
I have never heard of this "fool's crumb", but from your description it sounds like an underproofed dough. Large open holes and a gummy crumb are usually signs for that. Now in the cold months fermentation will take longer, I noticed that in my breads too. So next time, do a nice long bulkfer... |
White mould in starter
i have recently purchased James Mortonsbook super sourdough and have started making the starter. On day 4 there appears to be white mould on the sides of the container where some of the starter has climbed to after stirring. Is this normal? | Mold of any kind is bad if
Mold of any kind is bad if you aren't planning to grow it (like cheese or koji). Even though different molds are more or less harmful, I would start over.I guess your jar or some stirring spoon wasn't cleaned properly. Did you cover it with a lid or cloth? |
NMNF Woes - Refrigerator elves?
I have no idea what happened....maybe there are elves in my fridge messing with my starters.I currently have 3 different NMNF starters in my fridge, one because I "lost" it, (it was buried in the back of the bottom shelf behind some really nasty pickled beets that my DH won't let me thr... | Elves definitely are the
Elves definitely are the problem ;) Are you leaving your starter out at room temp? If your starter is stuck, try some pineapple juice. Three factors will fix almost every starter problem: pineapple juice, warm room temp, and time. (I'm overgeneralizing a bit...)Good luck! |
How will bread flour I had to sift react?
Hi all, My grocery store had a sale on 5 lb bags of the bread flour I use so I bought six I think. The ones still in my pantry are three months old or so at this point. As I was dumping a new bag into my Cambro container last night I noticed there was a 1/3" layer of co... | That sounds like the typical
That sounds like the typical result of humidity accumulation in the flour and you have handled it properly. If you have any more bags left it might help to freeze them, if you have room. It would keep them from accumulating still more humidity.As long as the flour did not actually get wet... |
sourdough bread in loaf pan
Hi,I have my Sourdough Proofing (Bread Flour with some Rye) at home while I'm at work. Normally I flip it out onto the pizza stone to cook and have a circle loaf. My boyfriend suggested I put it into loaf pans so that we can see how much we're actually eating. My question is, If I was to do ... | Sourdough Pan Loaf
I recommend this video from Trevor Wilson:http://www.breadwerx.com/make-sourdough-pan-bread-video/ |
Leaven not passing float test
Hello,for some reason I”m having trouble getting my leaven to pass the float test. I have a very active starter that passes the float test on its own. However, when I make my leaven the night before baking ( 30 g starter, 100 g water , 50 g whole wheat , 50 g white ) even when I let sit fo... | What's the ambient temperature?
If it's quite cool, even 10-12 hours might not be enough for the levain to be ready. |
For a given total fermentation time, how bulk and proof times affect bread quality ?
Say I need a total fermentation time of 7h. In terms of bread quality (crumb, rise, taste, etc...), what would be the difference between the following (for example) : 0h bulk / 7h proof.2h bulk / 5h proof.3,5h bulk / 3.5h proof.4h bulk... | Not being rude
But one has to factor in so many things for "bread quality" your question and given parameters are a bit nonsensical. One has to take into account the following:Flour usedHydrationThe starterThe pre-fermentTemperatureTimeYour taste budsetc...One can't start off with a time scale with nothing else to go o... |
Too goopy?!
Hello! Newbie question here.Brand new to sourdough bread, and having trouble figuring out just what went wrong here. I mixed the levain and the flour and left it for its first rise--but when I went to do a shape and fold some time later, it all went awry! It had definitely risen, but it was so goopy that it... | Im a newbie as well but it
Im a newbie as well but it would help more experienced bakers if you provide your bread formula and what you did exactly, Just from the looks of it you need to clean your house and take a shower!! ;) |
Am I proving this right?
Hi! Love all the great advice from these forums. I started making my own sourdough a couple of months ago and haven't bought any bread from a shop since! It's so satisfying making your own :)I experimented a lot with different timings/mixtures and am now baking bread that tastest very good and ... | I'm curious to see how more
I'm curious to see how more expert bakers respond, but I have a few thoughts:1) the fact that the finger dent test isn't working for you doesn't reflect how well proofed the dough is. If the dough is sticking to your finger it likely means that the dough is too wet/hasn't been developed enou... |
Vermont Sourdough
Inspired by recent post (AKSourdough) re Hammelman's "Vermont Sourdough Rye" thought I'd try my hand at a multi-grain variety. Baked a large 1300g loaf using an aluminum dutch-oven. Result measured 11" x 6" with a 4-1/2" rise. Good crust, good crumb, great eating!Also a good opportunity to practic... | Gerry, those are some great
Gerry, those are some great looking slices! I’d happily eat that.Dan |
Sourdough in crete
has anybody got any knowledge to share about sourdough breads of Crete? I have just returned from a short holiday and ate some wonderful breads there, and was given a piece of wholewheat sourdough by the baker along with some recipes. The breads he made were remarkably light for sourdoughs, even thou... | Ideas and pointers
Hello Lyn,I write as a frequent visitor to Crete and a baker.Firstly I'm wondering whereabouts in Crete you were based for your holiday? I know the geography of Crete very well, so please be as specific as you can.I have just been looking at the Mills of Crete website which is quite instructive. ... |
Chocolate Cherry Sourdough
Just pulled these out of the oven an hour ago. The kitchen smells very nice on this winter day (even though it was 70 degrees yesterday)! | Wow!
I'm impressed! Wanna share? LOL |
Cooling bread outside in winter
Hey Y’all, I’m new to posting here but I haven’t found an answer to my query yet so I thought I’d see what the more experienced bakers think.I‘m making artisan sourdough loaves and have a really short attention span coupled with poor impulse control. This led me to try cooling a fresh lo... | Fast cooling
What happens is rapid cooling leads to rapid loss of moisture in the outer crust along with some fast shrinking but with large loaves, moisture will be trapped inside the loaf as it cools. The same large loaf left to cool slowly at a room temp will loose more overall moisture. Austrian outdoor alpine b... |
Can't reproduce my initial two successes with rye starter. Help...
When my starter (100% hydration, wholemeal organic rye flour) was new born (about four weeks ago) my first two loaf attempts (approximately a 1:2:3 sourdough bread (30% rye, 70% wheat bread flour)) were really great in my opinion; good rise, good oven s... | What happens when you
feed the starter a feed ratio of 1:4:4? How long does it take to peak? |
Tartine in a loaf pan?
So, I don't have any real baking experience. I've made several tartine breads, that all came out great. What I want though is to adapt the tartine recipe for baking in loaf pans so we have uniform sandwich breads. I've also increased total by 50%. The idea is to get 2 big loaves that last longer ... | Just to get the right picture
Just to get the right picture of what's changing to what....You took the same formula for a "bare" boule baked on a stone, and did everything the same, but just baked it in a tall "Pullman" style loaf pan? Or was it in a lower style loaf pan commonly used for quick breads?What was the dou... |
New Starter Liquifies on Day 3
Hello all!I just recently purchased myself a copy of Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast, and figured i'd jump in the deep end by getting a starter (sorry, "Levain") going according to the method he outlines in the book.Day 2 it looked great—had expanded to 2-3 times the original size, web-like int... | Sounds like it is just fine.
it takes a bit of patience waiting for the bacteria and yeast to sort themselves out and this next wait will test you but keep with it. You can swirl the dish a little if you think stirring helps. Try not to hover over the dish too much. You still have a few days ahead of you. |
Starter from hard apple cider
Hello, I just made some hard apple cider and was wondering if I could use the left over yeast to make a sourdough starter. Does anyone know if or how this could be done? Thank you. | No problem
I made starters from accidentally fermented jam, store-bought kefir, and leftover trub after beer brewing.You just add some flour and let it sit at room temperature, waiting until it starts to develop bubbles on the surface. Feed it a few times more and try it out (see Fun with Sourdough.)My most active star... |
Size/Shape of starter container
This may seem silly - but most starter vids I see are almost always in a tall jar or container. I'm trying a stiff rye starter it is a REAL PITA to stir that sticky mess in a tall container.Is there any reason why a starter could not be matured in a somewhat wide container/bowl so stir... | À long as it's easy to
À long as it's easy to measure it doesn't matter. Enjoy! |
Baking after second rise in fridge
Hi there!I have a question about baking bread after the second rise is done in the fridge overnight.When I have done boules in the past, I have baked them straight out of the fridge.I recently have switched to making most of my bread as sandwich loaves and have had success baking them... | When the crust is cooking faster than the crumb
I usually just lower the temperature of the oven, and/or spritz the crust with water from time to time. |
Vermont Loaves
I have been using the Vermont sourdough bread recipe to make weekly loaves for past three months. It's become very consistently reliable. I use a two hour fridge retard after three hour proof which gives me boules and batards that don't flatten during handling. Very happy with this go to recipe. | If this is the same as
If this is the same as Hamelman's "Vermont Sourdough Rye" I've also had considerable success with it. I bake a single large loaf of about 1300 g (plain, w/caraway seeds, or multigrain) in a large dutch oven and it consistently comes out great (just like yours). Thick crust, good crumb, and exce... |
Sourdough help needed please!!!
Hi guys,I am experiencing a few different issue with the starter and the bread, hoping someone is going to manage to give me some insight into this.1) So, I have started a starter with 100% hydration with kiwi/pear/onion. Activity was good at the start, it is bubbling well, but not doub... | over-proofed?
"2) when it came out from the basket, it was holding shape, as soon as I slash, it started deflating, how can I fix this?"That's a good indication it was over-proofed. Use the finger-poke test to tell when it is ready to bake. if you have to proof that long, because of your schedule, be sure to do so in... |
Where am I going wrong? (white sourdough)
I've recently started baking sourdough and while I'm generally happy with my bread, there are definite areas for improvement - and I could do with a few pointers, please...I made a starter following a method I found online (using white bread flour, water and an apple from my ga... | A few things stand out
lets see... hydration. 75 + 250 + 300 = 625 g total flour; 75 + 275 = 350g total water; 350/625 = .56 or 56% hydration. Not high but certainly doable and within the hydration of plain white flour. Using bread flour or whole wheat or rye flour will certainly require more water to get a nice fe... |
Sourdough and diabetes?
Hi, I have read that sourdough breads are good for diabetics. Could someone explain why this is true, because I have a number of diabetics in my family and they don't eat bread products and my understanding is because it spikes their blood sugar. | From what I have read it
From what I have read it scores lower on the glycemic index, which means it releases its sugars more slowly. All carbohydrate in any form will affect the blood sugar and diabetics have to monitor their insulin intake to compensate for the carbohydrate that they eat. Some diabetics will take mor... |
First Loaf Using 321 Recipe
I made the starter in September and never had enough time after that to learn how to make bread, so I figured over the holidays would be best. This is the first loaf that made it to the oven (it was very relieving to see the oven spring when I took the lid off).First picture is when it came ... | Mmmmmmmmm!
That looks very appetising. Good job! |
Mother temperature
Hi, My starter appears to rise just as much in the fridge as at room temp, but more slowly, obviously.I know the limiting factor to my oven spring has always been that I can't get my starter/levain absolutely roaring, but from a science point of view, is there any real advantage to feeding at room te... | Starters can survive well In
Starters can survive well In the fridge as long it doesn't get close to freezing. I wouldn't recommend it as a long-term option, as it damages the yeasts and bacteria over time...but for 1 or 2 weeks at a time it's no problem for sure. Probably even a month or so.You can adjust the time fro... |
Why doesn't my starter grow up in the refrigerator ?
I have fed my starter in room temperature for 20 days, and it can become quadruple after feeding. Yesterday I fed 1:1:1 ratio and let it double in room temperature, then refrigerated it (5 °C). This morning, when opening the refrigerator, instead of growing up, it ... | fridge
Starter continues to grow and mature in the refrigerator, albeit much slower than at room temperature. It may be past its prime. Another reason is that at temperatures below 10C, damage occurs to the yeast and bacteria. You need to feed your starter at room temperature for a few days to get things back to the wa... |
Making a strong and powerful Italian-style sourdough starter
I have been struggling to make panettone with an Italian-style starter. I have a supply of firm 50% hydration starter that I created and I follow the directions posted by several people here and at other sites on refreshing the starter. Each time I refresh ... | Without your formula...
...including your dough handling techniques it is nearly impossible to give you an accurate critique.That said, the way you describe your starter is spot on with what a 'strong' starter should exhibit. Consequently, I recommend you look elsewhere. Bread-making is often said to be 50/50 ingredien... |
starter is not rising
Hi, I’ve had problems trying to create a sourdough starter. I'm new to this. I most recently used all-purpose unbleached flour. I kept the temperature at 80. When adding water it was also at 80. On day 3 I started removing and then adding 60 grams of water and flour. There was some bubbling ... | Pineapple juice starter
Edit: you don't have to start over, but you should read what Debra says about the phases so you know how to proceed. If it were me, I would mix in some rye with what you have (organic is better for this) and then proceed with what she says...Debra Wink's pineapple juice starter has never failed ... |
Tartine loaf over or under proofed??
Just started baking sourdough last month using the Tartine recipe and right out of the gate was getting incredible results. But now a month on I’m starting to run into issues and I’m not sure if I’ve just started playing too fast and loose with the method? Or if something else is th... | Winter
Looks like under-proofed to me. I also found that with the arrival of winter and cooler temperatures my pure sourdough loaves take longer. (Any hybrid, such as the Field Blend #2 from FWSY, will still go at about the same pace because of the presence of instant dry yeast.) A kitchen temperature of 71 F sounds... |
Oven with steaming tray
Hi thereMy new-ish range (kitchenaid which I'm quite disappointed with) has a tray for water and a steam bake feature. I'm thinking of experimenting with this feature and not use a DO. This is really outside my comfort level. I plan to bake it on a pizza stone. Does anyone have tips or advic... | Same setup
While I haven't used the steam bake feature, I routinely use the steam tray when steaming is called for. While I previously had to include a steam pan (used broiler pan, skillet, whatever) when steam was needed, the tray serves the same purpose without taking up rack space. Just pour in some boiling water ... |
Help! New to Sourdough world
Hi all - I am an enthusiastic home-baker new to this community and to the intriguing world of sourdough! Apologies in advance for a very long post. I’ve been having trouble with a basic white sourdough loaf. What am I doing wrong?!? Is it something wrong with my pre-shape technique? Perhap... | Tell us everything you can
Tell us everything you can about your starter. Pictures would be a great help.Lets see if your starter is up to the task first.Danny |
Nancy Silverton Grape Starter - Does This Look Right?
After a summer and fall of wonderful homemade pizzas using Nancy Silverton's Pizzeria Mozza dough recipe, I have decided to branch out and start baking bread as well. I've been enjoying La Brea Bakery breads for 30 years, so I figured I might as well stick with Nanc... | Looks right.
Stir it up, pull out a blob and mix with new flour-water mass. You might want to tighten it up. Do that a few times and you’ll grow a vigorous starter. |
My best result with Sourdough to date
Not much to look at, but the texture and taste are fantastic. I'm posting here by way of thanks to all those who have given me valuable advice and suggestions in the last couple of months that I have been attempting to bake with sourdough.The journey is long, but exciting. I'm look... | Nice job. For me, I stay
Nice job. For me, I stay with 100% whole wheat, so not as bad for my health, and I usually just have a slice or two, and bring the rest in to work and give it away. The taste is so much better than store bought, I never have trouble giving it away, and find the best thing to do is to cut... |
Panettone advice
Pasta madre advice pleaseI’m in the process of converting some of my 100% hydration starter into pasta / levito madre to make panettone. I’ve been feeding my starter every 12 hours at 40% hydration (100:40:100) and I’m on day 4; I know I need to feed it 3 times at 4 hours interval on the day I’m making... | Maturo
When it can triple in volume in 4 hours or less then it is ready to be locked into the typical maintenance procedure. |
If you hate toasted onion flavor...
...don't try this at home. Onion SD bread. My new fav (YMMV). Best wishes. DaveCeeTastes better than it looks. :) | That's a great loaf! There's
That's a great loaf! There's something addictive about onion in bread. Never could quite put my finger on it, but a nice marriage. Throw some black pepper in there too. Oh man I'm getting excited. |
Starter question
Hi,I'm new to attempting sourdough, and I have a question I'm sure has been asked quite a lot.I think I've found answers that address what I'm wondering, but I thought maybe if I give a few more details, I can get a better idea if I should continue to proceed, or simply start over.I'm in the early stag... | Well, 6 hours since the last
Well, 6 hours since the last feeding and I'm still not seeing any activity, but I'll give it another 6 hours and another feeding. If I still don't see activity, I think I'll start over. I'm not too far into the process, so it won't be to big of a loss.I'm wondering if the sanitizing process... |
I can only laugh about this
My first attempt at baking on a baking stone.This was a very low hydration dough, about 60%, which I left to rise overnight in the refrigerator. I left it out for 20 minutes before baking it. I sprayed water inside the oven twice, once when I put the dough in the oven and once more four or f... | Miller, I can see some
Miller, I can see some SERIOUS potential here! You got crazy oven spring. If you can only harness that...Did you score the bread? I can’t see.Also, Im wondering if you didn’t allow the skin of the dough to dry out in the fridge.Tell us more about this beast. DannyThe baking stone is not your prob... |
Good place to order flour in UK to keep postage down
I use a variety of organic flours in UK ranging from Shiption Mill, Marriages to Gilchester but get very annoyed when I have to add so much for postage.I came across this web site https://superfood-market.com/search?page=9&q=flour&type=product and they have a great s... | Shipton Mill
Hi KatShipton Mill do a great range of flour their delivery is free at £30 Are you near a Waitrose They have a great selection too. I try and get some when I am in a city !! We are lucky where I live our local farm shop stock Gilchesters and Mungoswells ( a Scottish Flour ) which is really gorgeous nice an... |
How do they do it?
I have seen many stop motion video clips showing how an active, fed starter rises over time. I always wonder how do they have such active starters?Mine is a 100% rye starter which I keep in the refrigerator between feedings (usually fed once per week). When I feed part of it to create a levain, it’s ... | Why 100% Rye
Why do you maintain it with 100% rye if you are not baking 100% rye levain? The bacteria and yeast optimize themselves to the grain you are maintaining and might be less efficient with wheat. I would suggest you try, as an experiment, to maintain your culture with the approximate ratio of your final bread ... |
Tartine bread problem
Can anybody tell me why this sad layer under the crust developed? Bread (Tartine Country) is definitely fully baked and the crumb is just perfect. | I can't tell, is that ring
I can't tell, is that ring under the crust gummy? I can see a darker ring just inside the crust. Bread texture looks OK Baking at what temps for what times? |
Fruit Syrup?
I am looking into making Cheong which is a fruit syrup made of equal parts of any fruit and sugar which you leave for 3 months. It's got the same consistency as maple syrup. The fruit gives it a very concentrated taste. Do you think I will be able to use the syrup in sourdough bread? I want to bake differ... | Yes
Yes, of course, you can use it as you would use honey or sugar in any sourdough bread, from plain lean ones (in small amounts, under 5%) to huge amounts as in panettone and other enriched sourdough breads and pastries. Adjust other liquids in the recipe accordingly.Basically, if a sourdough recipe has sugar, syrup,... |
Sourdough: How to develop...
Good evening nice people!I have a few questions I cannot find answers to. I will be very grateful, if someone would be so kind and push me to the right direction. Any help is appreciated. Because I have so many questions and only few things have made sense to me so far, I will try to ask "o... | In a nutshell, to my
In a nutshell, to my knowledge sourness is affected by mostly three things - temperature, hydration and time. The more, the more sourness.The speed is mostly affected, apart from temperature, by hydration and flour type. Higher hydration means more water availability, speeding up fermentation. Diff... |
Open Crum subject
Hi guys!I've struggling to achieve a more lighter and more even crumb. I get and open crumb in the middle but around that the crumble is more dense and without any air bubbles. Can't reach my goal's crumb no matter how I chance my process, I think I need some advice. This one is:100 % strong wheat flo... | Looks under fermented to me,
Looks under fermented to me, which is odd considering the nice timing/temperatures you provided. Can you observe significant growth in volume during the bulk and final proofing? |
Starter question
Hello everyone. I'm new to this site and also very new to baking.I'm trying to make a sourdough starter. This is my third attempt. I started it on the 17th of November using the pineapple juice method posted on this site. I used organic whole wheat flour at first, after the 3 days I switched to organic... | The thing I immediately
The thing I immediately notice is that the starter seems to be very wet if you feed it 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup flour. Water and flour have very different weights, so going by volume isn't the best way to go with starters. Instead, go by weight, flour and water in a ratio of 1:1 is the most com... |
The float test
I’ve used 20g starter, 50g water & 50g whole wheat flour to make my leaven. After 5 hours this is what it looks like (see photo). I thought it “looked” good enough to use, but it sunk like a rock. Can I still you it? It it too young? Thanks for your help! | Good to go..
Yes! Once you've got a double in height I'd use it. If your starter is really active you might even get an increase of 3x your original amount. And you can control your timing of use by adding more or less to the original starter amount. You did 1:2.5:2.5.. You would have gotten to the same height faster b... |
Bread flour vs All Purpose flour
My attempts at sourdough baking so far were made using bread flour with 12% protein. In your experience is AP flour (11.7% protein) also used for sourdough bread?I ask this question because I don’t see AP flour being mentioned much where sourdough baking is concerned. | AP Flour for sourdough
Hi Miller:I don't use AP flour since I found out what is in it commercially! I know others sometimes use half AP to strong flour(Bakers Flour) . I use stone ground wheat flour for my starter when I plan to make sourdough bread. I also use 80/20 mix for my sourdough. That's 80% strong flour and ... |
How to practically mix a starter with autolyse dough?
In my brief experience with autolyse I have found it difficult to mix my starter with the dough. When I do autolyse it produces a relatively stiff although rough textured dough which doesn’t easily combine with my starter which is more moist and of a different textu... | Doesn't have to be perfect
I grab it and squeeze it through my fingers usually. Or you can knead it (in bowl is probably easier). It can take a few minutes. But you do not have to get it 100% integrated as long as you are doing enough stretch and folds. There was a community bake recently using the following video, if ... |
Just stepped into the beauty of pate fermentee
GreetingsI've just started using pate fermentee/old dough method, and the results are already promising.Here is what I do: I keep aside 25% of my pizza dough (which was originally made with a sourdough starter), put in the fridge 2 hours after mixing. Next week, I take it ... | I was wondering!
thanks! This the clearest how-to for pâté fermented that I’ve ever seen! Clear and concise with no room for error. I’ve havent tried using the pâté method, I’m still on bigas and poolishes. But I’ve got the biga for a pizza dough fermenting now, and tomorrow I’m gonna slice off a bit and toss it in the... |
Sourdough Benefits in SD Quickbreads or Pastries
In making a sourdough quickbread or other pastry, if I use a ripe levain rather than discard, but then do not do a long ferment once everything is mixed, do I still get the benefit (nutritional, digestive, etc.) of fermented sourdough? (I am assuming that when using disc... | Short answer: YesLong answer:
Short answer: YesLong answer: Starter itself is a beneficial product (or in this case ingredient). It contains lactic and acetic acids built up by live bacteria cultures and nutrients (starches, protein etc.) that are partly or completely broken down, making them easier accessible, resulti... |
sourdough starter struggling in London
Hi,over the last 12 years I've made literally dozens of starters (both solid and liquid) that have given me a lot of satisfactions: explosive starters and great rise.In London it's a totally different story: starters are sluggish, they barely double (in Italy they more than triple... | nicodvb
Hi hi.....i'm not from Londen.....but from South Africa......i always use purified water for my cultures, and even when i bake, i use purified water, tap water contains a LOT of industrial chemicals, and that poor culture can't handle that.I also use a combination of flours when i feed my culture. Normally i w... |
How to store starter in a refrigerator?
I bake once a week and I keep my starter in the refrigerator on days that I don't knead it (pun intended). It's in a tightly closed mason jar. I notice that when I open the jar there is a popping or small whoosh sound coming from it. I'm wondering if the way I keep my starter in ... | Don't close so tightly
That's it. There is no need to close the lid tightly. None. So don't. For what it is worth, I keep my starter in a Weck canning jar with no gasket on the lid. That works fine. |
Gummy Crumb Help
Hi my loaf came out really dense and gummy, even with pieces sticking to the knife (not that bad but notable).Ingredients (2 loaves):593g Bread flour148g Wholewheat flour496g Water148g 1:1 Starter at Peak (fed 1:2: 2 before hand)15g SaltSteps:Mix everything and leave for a hour.2x Stretch and folds + 1... | My experience is that breads
My experience is that breads baked in Dutch ovens (DO) turn out gummy because the DO prevents some of the moisture from "baking out." Try this: Remove the loaf from the DO after baking as above and return it to the oven for another five minutes or so. I will be interested in other opinions ... |
Experimenting with cold bulk fermentation
Hi all,I am new to this site and have enjoyed reading through so many of the posts on here. I'm experimenting with cold bulk fermentation in order to fit more baking into my schedule and spread it throughout the week. I recently made this honey spelt sourdough recipe and decide... | I, too am interested in this
I, too am interested in this technique of cold bulk fermentation for the same reasons you state and have dabbled a bit. Using a basic white bread flour recipe with 75% hydration and just under 20% pre-fermented flour I discovered that the yeast's activity started to taper off in strength at... |
Large, shiney holes in first sourdough
This is my first time baking sour dough, but I have been making no knead dough in a dutch oven for a few months now without any problems.Overall the bread looks pretty good and tastes great but it has large, shiney holes that seem to have a slightly more moist texture than the res... | Shaping
Is it possible that there were some large gas bubbles in the dough during shaping that didn't get popped?Nice looking loaf! |
How to use white wheat flour starter to make rye bread?
Does anybody have a definitive reason why I should not be able to use a starter that is being maintained on white wheat flour to make rye bread? If I want to do that is there any guidance on a good way to go about it? Do I have to allow the starter to adapt to ry... | Nah, white flour starter
Nah, white flour starter works just fine. Most rye breads are not completely 100% rye (more like 60-70%), due to the properties of rye flour in baking. |
What if I can't have "proper" room temperature?
Currently the room temperature where I feed my starter, do bulk fermentation and dough proofing is around 18-19º C. How does that affect my baking? Is it hopeless? Should I put everything away until the weather improves and room temperature rises to say, 25º C (or even hi... | Make adjustments
You can do one or more of 1) increase time, 2) increase inoculation or 3) use a proofing box. Then, you must “watch the dough instead of the clock” to tell when to move from stage to stage. It takes some experimentation. Don’t give up- winter is a great time for fresh handmade bread. There are lots of ... |
Anyone familiar with this type of Splitting & remedies
Hi all,Anyone here familiar with this type of splitting? Overall my loaves have been coming out consistently with a nice grigne and usually a decent ear, but every now and again I see this shape of split: Also, this was NOT the seam side of the bread, the seam sid... | They certainly look like
They certainly look like shaping artifacts. |
My First Sourdough Loaves + Recipe.
Here's the result of my first sourdough bake. It's 80% hydration, 5% Wholemeal Rye, 15% Wholemeal Wheat and 80% Baker's Flour. The loaves are 800g each and were cooked in a Lodge Combo. I can't tell you how nice it tasted. It was as good as the best sourdough I've ever bought and pro... | Nice looking loaves. Once
Nice looking loaves. Once you get used to the taste of home baker sourdough, having bread from the store can taste like cotton candy or twinkies |
Overproofed, underproofed, or bad shaping?
I was confident that this batch of loaves were going to turn out alright. The poke test worked, the dough was jiggly, and felt good all around but after baking in a dutch oven (485 degrees/20 minutes with cover, 450 degrees/20 minutes without cover) they've turn out flat and n... | I’d guess over-fermented, but
I’d guess over-fermented, but your first image is a bit of a shocker. It is flat, BUT it produced an ear. That seems to contradict. Ears require oven spring and oven spring needs expanding gas. Grossly over-fermented dough has exhausted all of it’s gas. Please post images of the crumb, esp... |
Need a feeding schedule for my high maintenance starter!
Hi!I've recently made my first starter using the Earth Food and Fire recipe. It's healthy, and going well. It's now 8 days old and I'm at a loss for a feeding schedule!I followed the EFAF recipe until day 5, and then have just been guessing the amounts of starter... | There are plenty of options,
There are plenty of options, but I would work backward. When you bake, how much starter does the recipe call for? Just picking a number, say it calls for 100 grams. Then assume you want two refreshes before you bake ( though I often just use one ). Then pick a feeding ratio - some... |
Trouble with Dough Rising
Hi all,I'm getting back into sourdough baking for the winter! It's been a few years since I was active on this site and about 2 years since I had an active starter in the house. But over the last 10 days or so I've recreated a fairly happy rye/AP starter kept at about 95% hydration. The start ... | Too much salt
The amount of salt should be about 2% of the flour weight (not dough weight), so I'd try that as the first remedy. In the first recipe, I would've used 10g salt, not 18g. |
Sourdough in South America
I have been making sourdough bread & pizza in Canada for about a year with fairly good success. I am now in Ecuador for 6 months and have been trying to make a starter for about a month now with no success. I realized their flour is not the best for a starter so it's probably why there is not... | "Lots of bubbles...
...but does not rise much."Hmmmm. What happens if you thicken it up with more flour than water to make a soft dough? See if you can trap some of the gas bubbles. If the starter is too thin, gas bubbles will rise and pop on the surface instead of rising. What kind and brand is the flour? Any info?... |
Is Flour absorption important in Hydration percentages?
I have tried a lot of recipes and experimented with different hydration percentages in making sourdough, (I've always used a mix of bread flour and whole wheat flour) but somehow I get really confusing results. Sometimes I make high hydration doughs that results t... | You need to take your Levain
You need to take your Levain into account. Add the weight of the flour in your Levain with the total flour weight. Then add the weight of the water in the Levain with the total water (liquids). Divide the weight of the water by the weight is the flour to get the correct hydration.In the cas... |
scoring high hydration dough
Hello,Am I right in thinking that if you are working with a dough of 70% or over you will never end up with a loaf with proper 'ears' that you can pick the bread up from?I score wet dough with a sharp razor edge and I try and go deep but the result is always the same. It comes out with the ... | "Classic sourdoughs: a home
"Classic sourdoughs: a home baker's handbook" suggests that for the best oven spring you should put the dough in a cold oven and don't count the time until it gets to the set temperature. The writer admits this goes against general wisdom, so there is probably no one best answer to your ques... |
Anyone can help me understand Baker’s math?
Help me please, I read many blog posts about Baker’s percentages but my dumb ass still don’t understand. I want to convert the percentage to grams or write my own recipes or convert any yeast recipes to sourdough. An easier explanation please. I’m terrible at Maths | In baker's math the amount of
In baker's math the amount of flour is always 100% or 1 part. Any other ingredient amount is calculated based off that, for example:If your recipe calls for let's say 500 g flour, 350 g water, 10 g salt and 5 g yeast, the baker's percentages/math would be:100% flour ... |
Anyone interested in doing another community bake?
I've just finished the excellent thread on Trev's Champlain but was too late to the party to participate. Anyone up for something challenging or different, as a way of developing skills? Would love to participate! Thanks, Harry | Ah ha! I see from the history
Ah ha! I see from the history there is some regularity with community bakes, and I will need to wait for the next one to pop up! All good. I will wait patiently. |
Bringing my recipe to the sourdough clinic. Loaf did not rise much
At last I managed to make sourdough bread that was not too bad in texture and taste.The only problem with it was that it didn't rise much. It was as flat as a ciabatta. I know that this must be one of the most common questions asked here and I thought I... | Gluten Development?
I focused on this line: "Mixed ingredients and left them in a covered bowl for 30 minutes."What did you do during this mixing? In particular, did you merely make sure that all of the flour had touched water? Or did you work the dough a little -- or a lot, which would be better -- and was it done b... |
Question on amount of starter to use in a recipe.
Hello,I have been making sourdough bread for a while now and I'm mostly pleased with the results, certainly when it comes to crumb and texture.However, my bread is never particularly sour, if at all in fact, which niggles me a bit to say the least.I am wondering why thi... | Upping the amount of starter
Upping the amount of starter could be one way. I use a 100% flour, 60% water, 50% starter, 2% salt formula and its noticeably sour, but still pleasant.I have also done cold final proofs (between 8-16 h), but haven't really noticed any difference, like you.Proofing temperature is a factor to... |
Sourdough starter
Sourdough Starter Newbie Hey Everyone, I’m making my first sourdough starter and I have a few questions. 1. Day 3 ...bubbles on top and scattered throughout with foul odor, like fermenting fruit. But started overflowing my 3 cup mason jar. I poured about a cup off into a second container. And am feedi... | HI Agape
Sounds like your starter will be baptized soon! honestly its your choice of how many containers you want to keep! It can get expensive to feed and honestly lesser is more! I would cut down the feedings to once or twice a day unless your planning on storing a huge tub of starter lol, I would stick to 50-100 gr... |
Sourdough afficionados. Do you only bake with sourdough?
As I have only recently started baking regularly with sourdough, I was wondering if those persons here who have been baking for a longer time also bake regularly with instant or fresh yeast as an alternative to sourdough. | Mix it up
While I mostly bake with sourdough, I still do some bakes with instant yeast. My favorite non-sourdough bread recipe is ciabatta. I also make a non-sourdough pan de mie (still trying to perfect it) once in a while. Sometimes I will just make a basic loaf too. The one thing I need to do more often is a hybrid ... |
How to achieve big crumbs?
How to achieve big crumbs(big air pockets) in sourdough bread? The picture is 80% hydration, maybe have to do with the technique | To my knowledge, it's all
To my knowledge, it's all about a good balance of extensibility and elasticity. And that depends on a number of factors, for example hydration, flour protein content and quality and mixing time.But in the end, big holes are just purely visual. It doesn't change the flavor, it's just for aesthe... |
Six lessons learned
I have been trying to bake with sourdough in the last few weeks. These are some of the lessons that I learned and I thought that I could share them with you.Lesson number 1: Do not follow recipes to the letter!Bread making is a science and an art combined. Every recipe that one comes across was made... | For lesson number 1, instead
For lesson number 1, instead of a unilateral dictum saying not to follow any recipe to the letter, I prefer to say "No recipe is etched in stone." Follow a recipe exactly as written if it works for you, but feel free to make adjustments as needed.I would add Lesson number 7: There is no hur... |
Sourdough not rising while baking
Hi all,Ive been baking sourdough for a while now and while I learn about my starter, flour, proofing time and scoring with every loaf, one issue that repeatedly occurs is the spreading out of the dough at the score. My dough just refuses to rise up. These are the measurement I follow:3... | Since the crumb and crust
Since the crumb and crust look really great (no signs of under- or overproofing) and I don't see anything wrong with your recipe or process, I think it's more a shaping issue. Though it is more difficult to shape a dough of higher hydration (yours is 77%), it is possible. But I can't recommend... |
Aiming for taller, rounder loaves
Hi there, I've been baking sourdough for a couple of years and probably bake two or three times a week (focaccia, babka and crusty sourdough loaves). I'm mostly satisfied with my loaves - I tend to get a nice crisp crust, and a decent crumb, but I'd quite like the interior to be a bit ... | Gluten
Chewy crumb is gluten. Reduce the gluten get a softer crumb. You could get there two ways, add a greater % of low gluten flour, replace the 14% bread flour with a flour that has less gluten. ‘Beautiful looking bread! |
Why does my bread come out like this?
Hi,first post in this forum. I hope someone here can help me figure out what's wrong with my bread.I used to bake beautiful bread, but I stopped baking during the summer because I didn't want toturn on the oven while it was too warm already in our flat.About two months ago I revive... | Under Proofed
There may be other factors, but it is with near certainty that a major contributor to this crumb structure and oven spring results from under proofing the dough. It is pretty difficult to over proof, so be patient and look for sings of good activity, big bubbles and inflated dough are two. |
Does My Kitchen Need an Exorcism?
I had great success with this recipe the first one or two times I made it. The bread came out sour beyond my wildest dreams, just like we used to enjoy in San Francisco back in the day.https://patents.google.com/patent/US3826850A/en?q=sourdough&inventor=shenkenberg&oq=shenkenberg+sourd... | Closer examination of the
Closer examination of the patent shows the first three words are "Dry yeast is rehydrated", so maybe I need to be using active dry yeast instead of instant (rapid rise) yeast? Would that make a difference? |
Can you carry hydrated sourdough starter in the luggage and take them on a plane?
Can you carry hydrated sourdough starter in the luggage and take them on a plane?I’m flying to the UK, I have a lot of flours and a couple starters to take with me, can I carry them abroad? I was worried that the security might think they... | If you do,
put it in your checked baggage instead of your carry on luggage. Label it and include your name on the label. Be sure to use a container that can cope with the expanding starter and the reduced air pressure in the hold. Put the whole thing in a ziploc bag as secondary containment. I've done this with dri... |
Lil advice please
I've been playing at baking bread on and off for a few years. I originally started at the hobby in search of finding a tasty and good textured sandwich bread, which I finally pinned down to a good recipe about a year ago. But recently I moved to Okinawa and have decided to make the leap to sourdough.... | First you will need to tell
First you will need to tell us some more details. 1) what is your formula? 2) what method of mixing are you using?3) What is the temperature of your room when you are letting the dough rise? 4) how are you shaping your dough before baking? 5) how long are you letting the dough rise before s... |
Sourdough Flavourings & Hydration
I've been experimenting lately with adding flavours to my dough (pumpkin & cranberry, carrot & poppyseed etc.) I've been coming to understand some basic ideas, like how to tell that the dough is ready for shaping, and how to tell when the dough has proofed for long enough, though my qu... | Hi Felicity,This is a very
Hi Felicity,This is a very good observation. From my experience, add-ins like dried fruit/nuts/seeds can be added during stretch and fold. Ingredients that will dramatically change the hydration of the dough like a puree or porridge would be added much earlier. In the pumpkin recipes I've use... |
What are the benefits/drawbacks/effects of doubling or halving the amount of starter?
I have only baked sourdough breads 5 times so I'm very new to the witchcraft (sort of hahaha...) of sourdough and I'm quite new to baking in general. I have searched our excellent forum but couldn't find good answers to my following q... | If you maintain hydration and
If you maintain hydration and proportion, primarily you should just experience a faster or slower rise, respectively.However, if a larger or smaller part of the dough is prefermented, that will affect how extensible and elastic the dough is, due to more or less developed gluten. Keep in mi... |
My Uneducated Method of Making Sourdough - please help me improve my method
Well maybe not uneducated but I have no idea how other people do it so I thought I'd outline what I do and see if anyone thinks it's wrong...1. I start with 300g of 100% hydration starter. ie. 150g Bread Flour 150g Water. I keep that in fridge.... | Sound and good method
keep on rolling! Dough Is just fine and easy to remember too.To make a different "look" all that is needed is a few different tricks and ways to shape a loaf instead of rolls. When proofing the loaf, because there is more dough to lift in one place, a loaf should not be fully proofed or doubled. ... |
Making a starter more sour
All the SD recipes I see start with something like this;"Take 10g of starter to start your levain, and feed the remaining starter and return to the fridge." Then I got this suggestion from DABrownman (altered slightly);Assume your starter is 100% hydrationTake 12g of starter and feed with 6g ... | I don't think you have to.
I am new to sourdough, but my understanding is that the refrigeration is just to retard the starter while not being used. I could be wrong, but I don't think it has to be retarded if used regularly or fed constantly. If not refrigerated, the yeast will quickly exhaust its food supply, so very... |
Baking straight from fridge
Hello all, from hot and smokey Sydney. Horrid bushfires all around us. I've been making sourdough for a few years, both no knead and normal proofing etc. What I can't understand is this. If I put a loaf in the fridge to prove overnight , and in the morning it's still not fully risen, will ... | In a cold final proof, some
In a cold final proof, some things are changed. For example, the dough won't grow as much as at room temp and that's normal. It's a much more gently proof. Also the finger poke test won't work as it's inaccurate in this method.If you do a cold final proof, anything between 8-16 hours will be... |
Is my levain well prepared?
I'm still a bit in the dark with sourdough baking, but I did learn quite a lot in the last few weeks from advice and tips that I received here and a little bit by practicing.Today I used 20g of 100% rye starter with 55g bread flour (12% protein) and 55ml water in order to prepare a levain. T... | How old is your starter? If
How old is your starter? If it's very young it's normal that it doesn't have a lot of activity yet.Also rye starters behave different from wheat starters, they are more gloopy and sticky. But if you say it grows significantly in size, it probably is ready to go. |
Urgent Advice needed :)
Hi thereI just finished mixing my dough and I usually let it sit for an hour, then make it into a ball then do 4 stretch and folds half an hour apart. But I have to leave the house in half an hour (i'll make my ball earlier), then I won't be home for another 2 hours so I won't be able to do my... | Can you develop the dough in a mixer?
If so, do that. |
My sourdough baguette doesn't rise at all
I used my 6-hour old starter to make the baguette. The mixture of the starter and flour rises well. I did warm fermentation at 25C and cold fermentation over night in the fridge at 2C. In the next morning, during the dividing and shaping, my baguette doesn't rise at all and dur... | What do you mean by 6 hour
What do you mean by 6 hour old starter? 6 hours since the last feeding? Or was it "born" 6 hours ago? Flat dough could also just mean that the gluten structure is very weak. Please tell us a bit about your recipe and process so we can understand better. |
Help troubleshoot my boule, please?
Hello, I'm baking the same simple sourdough boule recipe (from Teresa Greenway's course) to get better at the steps, and figure out where I need to adapt things for my own environment (tropics, OTG with granite stone as bottom rack, India, Indian maida flour and home-milled, home-gro... | I am no expert, but my guess
I am no expert, but my guess is that the bread was underproofed when it went into the oven. That can lead to cracks because it expands more than the scores can handle, and make it gummy. I don't think a DO would make much of a difference - try making a larger quantity, and when you finis... |
does sourdough starter always smell so bad?
Im new to baking bread, but I became addicted to it and have been making bread daily for the last five months. I have been reading about sourdough starters and decided to try it. It was started with 1/4 c flour and 1/4 c spring water. fed it on day 3 and used on day 4.It smel... | "Bad" is a relative term and a 4 day old starter is miraculous
"Bad" and "good" are so particular to an individual and more of a value judgement than a description. What did your starter smell like? It is hard to describe smells in print. Starter can smell anything from yeasty/beery to sweet,overripe fruit to almost a ... |
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