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Soaking seeds, process?
Sourdough Pals:I had an earlier thread about increasing fiber in my bread. I decided to go with 50% whole wheat and 50% white. I then decided to add seeds. Now, I typically make 2 loaves with about 1000 gm of flour. I used this time an additional 200 gm of seeds, with 100 gm being raw sunflower ... | This is how I handle seed
This is how I handle seed soakers. Put your bowl or pot on your scale and tare it out. Add the required weight in seeds, then tare the scale out again. Now add as much water as you want, the amount is up to you. For example let’s say to have 300g seeds and 300g water. If you use a warm or hot ... |
Tartine Bread Recipe Crumb Issue
I've followed the Tartine Country Bread recipe closely, but something is going awry and I'm not sure what it is. As you can see from the picture, I have a very open crumb in the center, but the top, bottom and sides is quite closed and dense. Does anybody have any thoughts about what ... | Under Fermented
You've got a good temperature for the dough but was your starter/levain firing on cylinders? I'm thinking if it was then the dough stage should have gone ok and yet it's under fermented. So i'm thinking it's down to your starter and perhaps if given given more time in the dough (here's where you watch t... |
CHANGING YOUR STARTER'S pH ENVIRONMENT
CAN YOU ADD PINEAPPPLE JUICE TO YOUR STARTER TO CHANGE THE pH AND THE BACTERIAL POPULATION OF YOUR STARTER. IF SO HOW OFTEN DO YOU HAVE TO ADD THE JUICE TO MAINTAIN THAT POPULATION AND pH. | Have a look at Debra Wink’s
Have a look at Debra Wink’s excellent post on pineapple juice sourdough starter.http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/10901/pineapple-juice-solution-part-2I believe that the pineapple juice is most useful when building your starter from scratch rather than once it is already going and mature. |
Does volume of risen starter effect rise of dough
Simple question -- Does the volume of the rise of starter effect rise of bread? I have tried to get my starter to triple (it used to) but no matter what I try (all different ratios/flours etc) it only doubles (or doubles and a half.) I saw a great video that says to use... | It sounds like a vibrant and
It sounds like a vibrant and healthy starter - use it. |
Help with Starter
I have just started to try and make sourdough bread (YAY!!!) and i am trying to learn as much as i can about starters. I have a starter that i am currently maintaining but i am not sure when it is ready to start baking with. I am going to attach some photos and some details about the starter and if so... | If the starter doubles or
If the starter doubles or triples within a few hours it should be ready for baking. That said, with a new starter it often needs to be fed for a few weeks before it is ready. At 1.5 weeks yours could be ready to give it a go. To reduce waste, you can easily change from a 100/100/100 feeding sc... |
the right time to use my starter
I've had my starter going for a couple months now. I got it from KAF initially and keep it at room temperature (about 78f). I've been feeding it twice a day at a 1:1:1 ratio using 2 parts APF and 1 part organic rye. I've boosted my feeding to 1:2:2 lately to bulk it up for some recipes.... | My understanding is the most
My understanding is the most people try and use their starter once it has peaked, but that you don't have to. You can use it hours after it peaks, but it might then take a bit longer to ferment the dough. For example, a lot of recipes suggest using the starter 12 hours after it's last feedi... |
Eric Kayser dried sourdough starter
I have been reading Eric Kayser’s Larousse Book of bread. In his sourdough recipes he will have something like “120 g liquid sourdough starter (or 25 g dry sourdough starter.) I store my sourdough starters in dried form from time to time and whenever I have revived one from the dri... | Lost in translation?
That is very intriguing ide |
Buckwheat, Sorghum & Cassava Sourdough
By George I Think I've Got It! Hope the celebrations aren't too early and in vain however I think this could be one of the best gluten free breads i've done. Certainly when it comes to the ferment. As for the taste i'll let you know. Gluten Free breads are more difficult to read i... | That loaf speaks to me.
And it's front page material, IMNSHO. |
When is YW the strongest?
Since our present Community Bake is utilizing an Raisin Yeast Water, many are in the process of getting theirs ready. In the process of starting mine I noticed that this particular YW was strongest after the first 3 or 4 days. Keep in mind, it was kept @ 80F. Here is a post detailing the initi... | I think it's strongest
When it comes into maturity and will remain as strong if maintained correctly. Once all the yeasts are alive and kicking it's done. |
It’s Community Bake Time again...
I thought it good to post a heads up concerning our next Community Bake. Since the CB will feature Hamelman’s Swiss Farmhouse bread using Yeast Water for levan, it seems best to post the bake in 2 parts. Part 1 will run a week before the actual bake. Not everyone is familiar with Yeast... | This is one very tasty community bake
One of my favourites and i highly recommend you give it a try. Yeast Water is fun and easy. My only recommendations are to stay away from dried fruit that has preservatives added, preferably organic 100% dried fruit, and warmth is the key. Other then that it's not complicated so do... |
Nancy Silverton Starter Troubleshooting
Hi All:Just joined this site because I am looking for some help. I've scoured the internet and been on quite a few blogs, reading about starters and this seems like the best resource for me. I have recently completed Day 15 of Nancy Silverton's Sourdough Starter from her La Brea ... | Hi Anthony, glad you joined the gang!
I nothing new thing about Nancy’s starter methods, but I can say that you can build a much smaller starter. The entire weight of my starter is 32 grams, whch is slightly over an once. If I figure right, your starter is 3.5 pounds. That's a lot of flour.You say it isn’t raising your... |
Sourdough Bread - Oven Spring problem?
Hi,First time posting here!I've been doing sourdough breads for about 6 months.As for the photo attached, I don't think the bread got much oven spring. the top part of the bread, the holes are much smaller then the ones on the bottom. Usually my breads are like this.I'm trying to ... | Gluten development
first of all, it is pretty good looking bread. However, the crust looks pretty thick which can be a sign of inadequate gluten development. If the matrix of bubbles have thick walls, they expand less. Did the dough pass the windowpane test before you shaped it? If it did windowpane, perhaps leave the ... |
Converted starter is not floating but making good bread.
Hi all,Hope summer (in northern hemisphere) is treating you well!Over the last few months I've converted a two year old starter that was APF into a rye one using a very good local rye. I feed it in the fridge once a week and use it approximately that much; when ... | What would you estimate your
What would you estimate your room temperature?Are you using whole rye? |
Question About Nancy Silverton's Grape Starter Method
Hi Everyone!I'm trying out Nancy's method with grapes. The picture attached is at Day 4. My question is, when I decide the fermentation is done (likely another two days), should I pour the liquid (I'm assuming that's the hooch) on the bottom out? Should I mix it in ... | That's more like
Separation than hooch. Probably overly hydrated. I'd stir it in and thicken up.All looks perfect to me. Usually by now there is a period of calm which is nothing to worry about but yours seems to be going strong. If it does calm down then slow down your feedings. Otherwise carry on. |
Help with new recipe idea... Rye Leaven included!
hi all,i’ve been successfully baking low hydration sourdoughs with large amounts of leaven (i like to speed up the process as i dont have all day!).i want to start upping the hydration , autolysing and doing stretch and folds to achieve more open and softer crumb.can an... | Patience
Even if you were to use nothing but sourdough starter as your dough, it would take a finite amount of time to do the bench rise and the final rise. If you don't have the time, get out of the kitchen!Ford |
Tunnelling in top of sourdough, lack of uniform crumb structure HELP
Hello, hopefully you can help me out. my recipe is 600g strong Canadian wheat white bread flour 100g light rye flour2.5g dark roasted malt266g 100% hydration starter 650g water I mix all the flours and 600g of water and autolyse for one hour. Then I m... | I don't use much rye so I don
I don't use much rye so I don't know how it behaves, but the bulk ferment time seems really long to me. I would also think you'd need to do some stretch and folds or slap and fold during the ferment to help strengthen the gluten. |
suddenly stopped rising
Hello,I've been making relatively successful sourdough for a few years with a self-made starter. I recently went on holiday for a few weeks and had someone feed my starter once while away (something I've done many times before).The first loaf I made after returning was wonderful - one of the bes... | You mention the trip, and the
You mention the trip, and the sourdough being different when you got back. The first loaf was fine, but none after that right?Okay, so what did you do when you got back? How did you rehab your starter? Is it different now, like less rise, less texture, less smell? My instincts tell me ... |
Adding the Levain: Dissolve in H2O or Mix into Dough?
I mentioned this in another thread, but didn’t ask for opinions on it directly.There seem to be two schools of thought when it comes to adding starter (levain) to the dough:(1) Make the dough, autolyse, then add in the starter by mixing/folding it in. (2) Dissolve t... | Just easier I suppose
A true autolyse is without the salt and starter/levain but some might add the starter/levain to the autolyse for ease or if the percentage is high and will therefore make the autolyse difficult as a lot of the water is in the preferment.Better of the two methods depends but all else being equal i'... |
proofing problem or scoring problem
Hello,I have been lurking on The Fresh Loaf for awhile but have a problem I am hoping someone can diagnose for me.I was trying to get better oven spring on my sourdough bakes by adding two coil folds in the same amount of time that I usually do four. My dough was a blend of bread flo... | Crumb shot?
I think the scoring is fine. The crust oolor says it is not over fermented. Me thinks the dough could have used some more final proofing time before scoring. |
TOO much ear?
Hello everyone - long time reader first time poster. I’ve been baking bread for a whopping two and change months, and I’m making exactly one kind of bread: a sourdough boule (25% whole wheat, 75% white bread flour, 70% hydration). So far, I’m liking the results but I have one really weird persistent probl... | Scoring
you can try different scoring patterns and also up the hydration to, say, 75%. Patterns with more cuts will not generate this high flap you are complaining about. Try some criss crossing |
More Starter than Flour/Water in a Feeding/Levain?
I just watched a video where the baker fed her sourdough starter—and made her levain—by adding more starter to the mix than flour/water. She placed 200g of starter in a jar and added only 100g flour and 100g of water.The starter seemed to work just fine, doubling up as... | Please can you post the video?
We think alike! |
Sourdough in bread machine (bake in oven)
How would go about making sourdough in a bread machine but baking in normal oven? I've got a typical bread machine with set programs. Can anyone outline general procedure as to how to do it? I'm relatively new to baking. | You don't say why you want to
You don't say why you want to make the bread in a machine but bake it in an oven.I don't have a machine myself, but my mother does, and makes very successful sourdough breads with the starter I gave her. If you build your leaven first, retaining it to maintain the starter, and just add it ... |
Overly Stinky Starter?
I just wanted to get some feedback on a very stinky starter.Now I have never made a sourdough starter, but I have home brewed many times and know fermentation can have a wide range of smells but this starter is horribly rancid smelling. This is so bad you can smell it from feet away and makes eve... | Don't toss it, keep going.
Don't toss it, keep going. This is not unusual for a new starter. |
Increasing the fiber in my bread
Sourdough Pals:I have been very happy with my daily loaf. Just terrific and easy to do. I use the Joshua Weissman recipe with slight variation as seen on YouTube. I've got it down. But now my wife really needs more fiber. That bread is maybe 20% Whole Wheat flour. So, I am thinking of i... | Take this example as a guide
Peter Reinhart's Struan Bread |
Dutch Oven vs. Lava Rocks?
I’ve been using a cast iron combo cooker and it’s given me good results on the crust and such, but I’ve been wondering about lava rocks and would like to know if anyone has tried both Dutch oven and lava rocks. Is there much of a difference in the results of one over the other?Obviously, I’d ... | Why do you boil rocks @100°C before you use them at 200°C?
Try to ignore stuff that doesn't make sense. And question everything. If you can't do the experiment that proves the case, then assume it is not true. Ten minutes at 200°C for your lava rock does more than any amount of boiling will and you do it every time y... |
Adding dough to starter
Hi, I'm new to sourdough and recently got a starter. I was following instructions in a book where you make a 'production sourdough' and then add some of that to a 'soaker' to make your final dough.The book then suggests adding your leftover production sourdough back in to your starter, however, ... | Laura your terminology is
Laura your terminology is difficult for me to understand. Starters and soakers are 2 different things. What book are you reading?Is your starter a sourdough starter? How did you make it?We are here to help, but it seems more information is needed.Danny |
whole grain sourdoughs without yeast?
Maybe I'm being completely ridiculous, but why do almost all my recipe books call for yeast for sourdough recipes if they have any wholegrain? Isn't the whole point of catching wild yeast to eliminate the need for commercial yeast? Or is just the flavor people are after with sourdo... | Seems strange that ALL of
Seems strange that ALL of your books do this. FWSY has some recipes that use both and then also "pure sourdough" that only uses levain/starter and no commercial yeast. |
Levain: Big Meal or Small Bites?
Hi, all. New Member here. I’m a super novice bread baker working on getting my sourdough right. I’ve been making it once a week (more or less) for going on six weeks now, and while I’ve gotten close, I’ve yet to really succeed. Most of my loaves are wide disks with dense (if tasty) inte... | Something in the middle
Try prefermenting about 12% of the total flour and using a 1:2:2 ratio for your levain and let if ferment overnight. For a 1600g batch of dough you should need about 250g of levain. This will be made up from 50g of leftover starter + 100g of water and 100g of flour. Cover it tighly with plast... |
Scoring not spreading, shiny crust: Not understanding loaves as of late
I've had great consistency with my loaves as of late (great crust and crumb), but I've recently hit a spot where my loaves are not opening up in the oven and the crust is shiny. The loaves also seem denser than usual. See pics below.What is going o... | Need more information in order to provide advice
What is your formula and procedure, especially baking set-up and steaming?In general, shiny crust is usually from a very humid environment early in the bake. Maybe too much steam or for too long. The poor bloom can be from over-proofing (doubt in your case) or scoring to... |
finger poke test for 100% whole wheat dough
My finger poke test never works on whole wheat dough accurately. All the videos I've watched are all for bread flour (at least 70%). My diet requires as much as whole grains as possible due to blood sugar problem. I usually make 100% whole wheat. Any bread flour used woul... | So you proof your dough for a
So you proof your dough for a couple of hours and it's still underproofed? Then you wait a few more hours for the indentation to fill? That doesn't seem right. Please post a typical recipe and your techniques for making the dough. Thanks. |
Correlation between starter rising speed and total dough fermentation
Hello, this is my first post, been baking for over a year with sourdough and still have many questions, even basic ones such as this. We all know that each starter is different and they behave and respond differently, and a big part of baking with it... | I agree. Timing is the most
I agree. Timing is the most variable and least understood part of any wild yeast bread recipes. That makes it difficult to learn and maintain knowledge... unless one bakes a lot and often. |
Sourdough Starter Lactic Acetic Balance
I suspect my starter tends to have a dominance of acetic over lactic flavour. Has anyone had success at increasing the lactic to acetic ratio?There appears to be much conflicting information on this topic. I did find an interesting article on this topic. Here is a relevant paragr... | Lance, you probably already
Lance, you probably already know (but is worth a mention), acetic acid has a sharp vinegar like flavor and lactic acid is something like smooth and yogurt flavored.Acetic acids like drier hydrations and cool temperatures. Lactic acids like warm temps and high hydration. According to my exper... |
mistake in making starter - how to fix it?
Hi everyone, I have been making starter for the prist time with this recepie: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/10251/starting-starter-sourdough-101-tutorialI am on a day 5. So far, everything has been going ewll, however, today, on Day 5 when making the final mix, I have been ... | adjusting starter
Hi Katarina_KneActually checking Gaarp's method he asks you to use 1/4 of a cup of the starter in the Day 5 mix. I know that a 1/4 of a cup of this starter weighs about 60g.Working through the procedure, converting it all to weight, it would seem the weight of the day 4 mix was about 120g. So you need... |
Look! No oven!
We are cruising on our (new to us) sailing yacht and I baked a sourdough loaf this morning using my Omnia stove top oven......... I’m very happy with the result ? | Link to Omnia
https://omniasweden.com/en/home/ We have used this in our Campervan for the last 6 years...... I have been meaning to post about it. The link is for anyone who doesn’t know what an Omnia is ? |
Grana Padano Sesame Seed Sourdough Crackers
I didn’t make anything with my sourdough discard last weekend and my container of discard was almost overflowing after baking the tomato sourdough bread today. I decided I’d try a variation on the crackers with another flavour that I hadn’t tried yet.
2BE27D6B-C663-43CA-8... | Benny, I like your idea of
Benny, I like your idea of adding seeds. I’ll have to do that next time. Lately I’ve been baking these crackers once every week. They are hard to resist!Danny |
Long cold retard during bulk ferment
I have been experimenting lately with 'bulk retardation' of up to 40 hours at 37 ~ 38°F before final shaping folds and proofing before baking. I even threw in a few stretch-and-turns during the retardation period. The handling of the cold dough was easier and the results seem satisf... | Did this just this week
Usually, I bulk ferment all my doughs overnight in the fridge (12-16 hours).Last week I had to leave for a few days and left doughs (mixed with S&F à la “Artisan Bread Every Day”) and some pre-doughs for 3 days in the refrigerator. Everything baked up fine, though my Pain a l’Ancienne dough, a h... |
Scoring problem or proofing problem?
Hey all- first post here- trying to get to the bottom of what’s going on here and see if any more experienced bakers could weigh in on what’s causing this problem. Every time I try a scoring pattern that isn’t a single slash, the loaf has less spring and comes out like the one on th... | 715g unbleached white flour75g vital wheat gluten50g barley50g dark rye100g spelt764g water200g starter at 100% hydration6 sets of stretch and folds for 3 hours plus one extra hour of bulk12 hour retard in proofing basketsbaked in Dutch oven at 500 for 20 min lid off for 25 |
Lesson: Squeeze more sour from your sourdough
I am far from a sourdough expert. I’ve only been baking sourdough since February, and I still have a lot to learn about shaping, scoring and proofing to perfection.
However, there is one thing I have learned well: how to squeeze more flavor out of my naturally sweet starter... | Great lesson!
Hi JMonkey,
I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to post the above sourdough lesson! I found it extremely informative with lots of great tips and photos...I have read your suggestions for using a stiff starter many times on this site, but I couldn't really grasp exactly how to go about it until... |
Gluten Destroying Starter
I've been dabbling with sourdough since receiving the Tartine book as a gift. After getting started I failed...a lot. The dough was coming out shaggy, wet, and sticky. It never seemed to hold it' shape during the ferment and stuck to the brotform regardless of the amount of flour I dusted it w... | I think you can rule out the
I think you can rule out the refrigerator and timing as the problem. I know a lot of people that use just that schedule and don't have the type of problems you seem to be experiencing. |
Sourdough sorrows
Help! Never got much rise on proof (used baskets) after 13 hours (recipe says 10-13 hours). Baked raw. Bottom of bread cracked. Score was “healed.” What the heck. The more closely I follow directions the worse it gets. Any suggestions? | recipe?
Send your recipe! |
Makefast Sourdough - Dynamic Bread Recipe (based on hydration, flour, form, etc.)
I've been reading posts here for years, and I feel like I finally have something to share. I've tried out countless recipes and learned from all the discussions, so first off, thank you all for being such an inspiration and source for kno... | Great job this. And tasty
Great job this. And tasty looking loafs. |
Sun Dried Tomato Herbed Sourdough Crackers
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I’ve taken the base recipe for the sourdough discard crackers and enhanced the flavour by adding both the sun dried tomatoes and the oil from the bottle of sun dried tomatoes. I hope you give these a try.Ingredients: 200 grams... | bookmarked to go = sound and
bookmarked to go = sound and look great |
Mad scientist at work....
Vermont Sourdough Baguettes: 65% Hydration- 6 @ 400 Grams. I have been toiling in the laboratory since sunrise. The double batch, of the first very liquid levein build, has matured and is ready for the second inoculation. Meanwhile, to the rear of the photograph direct your attention to Slow-M... | watching :)
are you using two different levains ? Liquid and " slo mo"? I look forward to your pics. I love the Vermont SD formula but haven't made it in a loooong time. Hadn't thought to make baguettes from it. Please post your formula and pics as it evolves from your secret location lab ! Thank you ! c |
Knish with Sourdough Wrapper?
Answering my own question (partially)My tests today seem to tell me that minimizing the rolling so that I get one layer of dough with enough overlap to seal the edge matters more than whether or not I use sourdough or the simple flour-water-oil-salt-BakingSoda recipe. I'd still like to ... | This recipe is the REAL DEAL
I grew up in Brooklyn, I'm 75, Jewish and I know a classic knish when I see/eat one. Several years ago when I was living in Florida I was aching for a real thin crusted NY knish. I searched the web looking for that recipe, trying many along the way, with no success UNTIL I discovered this l... |
Scallion Sourdough Naan
In my ongoing quest to ensure that no sourdough starter goes to waste, I found a naan recipe on Breadtopia. I’ve flavoured it with the addition of scallions. I have to say, having just eaten one hot off the cast iron skillet that they taste great. You can really taste the sourdough and yoghur... | Yum, they look great and
Yum, they look great and sound delicious. |
Baking with acetone, or, how overripe is too overripe?
I started building up a starter for a bake almost a week ago (Wednesday, I think), but then a friend came into town and distracted me and it's been on my counter since then. It smells quite acetone/acetate-y (that's why my kitchen was smelling!), but no hooch has s... | Baby
Your starter is still a baby. Keep feeding it for another ten days or so before using it for baking. I personally prefer a higher hydration for my starter, On my feeding procedure i feed equal weights of starter, water, and flour. I also save only about 100 g of starter in the refrigerator and feed about every... |
Dough Turns Brown and Smells Bad
I'm a newbie to sourdough and am on my 8th or 9th attempt yet I've had a really hard time to get a decent sourdough loaf. I believe my starter is strong, I feed it regularly and before I mix it in I always do the float test--and it does, even after a few minutes. Where I think I'm stu... | Like you I had problems
Like you I had problems making sourdough loaves. Until I stumbled upon Alex. I like to recommend him if you're new to sourdough. He's a good start, then you can expand on it. It's a great explanation, easy to follow. And he's just so darn funny doing it. Good luck! https://youtu.be/APEavQ... |
A few crust issues
Morning Folks,Long-time browser, first-time poster. I've recently started making Sourdoughs after getting fairly consistent with my yeasted bread, and I'm struggling with a few (possibly related) issues.My scores "open", but don't form an ear, the crust is also very thick, and a substantial cave form... | First
My first reaction is that the temperature on the top is much hotter than the bottom. Do you let the oven preheat for a while or do you stick in the loaf as it reaches temperature? If the latter, keep in mind that it takes the stone a while to reach oven temperature, so it may be too cool for your bake. |
A tale of two starters! (Newbie questions)
We all have to start somewhere and, like others starting out, the Sourdough saga in our house has had its ups and downs! I am over the first hump (or is that lump?(smile)) and had a spectacular first result with my White/Spelt loaf. The result for my Rye/Spelt loaf was only s... | You mentioned 2 starters,
You mentioned 2 starters, white/spelt and rye/spelt. Is the spelt and/or rye 100% whole grain? I would imagine the rye/spelt is more viscous.What is the ambient temperature of the location your starters are kept in? This is as important than anything else.In respect to question 3 we will need ... |
Sesame and Flax Seed Sourdough Discard Crackers
After making the Herbs de Provence Crackers I wanted to have another type of cracker to make to use up my sourdough discard. I love sesame seeds so decided I’d try to come up with a sesame flax seed cracker.Here is my recipe, hope you’ll try it.Sesame and Flax Seed Sourd... | Awesome
That looks fantastic! |
starter and sour milk
normally, with a multi grain loaf bread I make, I uses a mix of AP and rye flour starters.The liquid for the final dough is usually beer or water, sometimes whey.Last couple times, I used a bit of sour (not gone and lumpy) milk in the final dough.Might the sour milk have affected the rise from the... | too many enzymes?
I don't bake with milk, but a lot of the bread recipes I've seen call for scalding the (fresh) milk to denature the enzymes, which can otherwise break down the gluten structure. Maybe sour milk also has a lot of enzymes? Although whey seems like it would also have enzymes going on. |
How long is too long for the Autolyse stage?
The last SD bread I baked I did an overnight autolyse. The dough was very easy to work with and I had the best window pane I have ever had with little work. But once I completed a 16-hour retard at 38˚ and released the dough from the banneton it didn't hold it's shape. I did... | A group of us participated in
A group of us participated in a Community Bake featuring Trevor Wilson’s Champlain SD. His instructions included a very long autolyse, actually a premix. We all found that the extended autolyse made the dough extremely extensible, but the dough lost way too much strength. We elected to sho... |
Sourdough Fails
Im having a very hard time with Sourdough lately. My guess is due to the heat and humidity. My questions is how could I adapt a recipe to yeast? Looking to make Emily Raffas Everyday Sourdough in a yeast version Ingredients1/4 C (50g) Sourdough Starter previously fed, active and bubbly1 1/3 C + 2 Tbs ... | If you are concerned about
If you are concerned about heat, then reduce the temperature of the water you are adding to the dough. A general rule, in Fahrenheit, is the temp of the room + water + flour = 225 degrees. If the room 85 degrees, then I would reduce the water temp to 65 degrees. Are you doing a levain with th... |
'Spilling' sourdough by a newbie
Hello thereThis is my very first attempt at making sourdough and it all went a bit out of shape and 'spilled' out of the bowl onto the tray, so I wondered what I can do better for next time? Is it too much water? Overproved? Its been quite sloppy since the start but after I took it out ... | Dragging dough
Also as you can see I found it hard to get a knife through the dough to score the top, it just kind of pulled the dough along with it (it is a very sharp knife!) |
Ken Forkish Sourdough problems
Hi all, I have not been on this forum in a long time but am trying to get back into sourdough baking. I recently bought Ken Forkish's book and am enjoying, but am having trouble with the sourdough breads. What I'm wondering is I'm doing something wrong with respect to his fold and pinch... | Forkish problems
Hi, Sara.Have you searched TFL and read about the problems that other members have experienced with Forkish's methods?His formulas have made my very favorite breads over the past few years, but his timings are wrong, more often than not. Most folks, most times of year, in most locales find his fermenta... |
what is the difference between retarding in bulk or balls
GreetinsIs there a big difference between retarding pizza dough in bulk then divide and shape the next day, and between retarding shaped loaves ?I'm asking because I don't have enough fridge space, so I thought why not mix then retard, and the next day I S&F , b... | Hi Sallam, I am in the
Hi Sallam, I am in the process of conducting a pizza dough experiment. It should solve your cold storage problem.Check the post out and let me know what you think.http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/60568/community-bake-pizza#comment-436965Danny |
Sourdough formula for Georgian khachapuri dough?
I was wondering if anyone already had a sourdough formula for the dough for this Georgian cheese pie... the only English recipes on the 'net have amounts in cups and fluid ounces (and they're yeasted).I don't need the complete recipe, just the dough.Thanks! | Never heard of them before however
A quick search brought up this recipe https://www.thespruce.com/georgian-cheese-bread-recipe-acharuli-khachapuri-1135515It is yeasted but to convert to a sourdough simply take out the yeast and Pre-Ferment part of the flour and water within the recipe. How much is up to you depending ... |
Underproof for 100% rye?
Hi guys,I baked my first loaf yesterday using Mini’s adaptation for 1-2-3 sourdough for 100% rye. Considering it was my first go at bread I think it could have been worse. But my question is this: does it look underproofed? My house was a few degrees warmer than the base temp for the recipe so ... | It looks just right!
not underproofed or overproofed! :)-Mini-o-goldilocks |
dough with 80% starter
Did anyone try this before? building a sourdough starter in steps until 80% of the final pizza dough's flour is used in the starter, leave it to over ferment a bit, then mix in the remaining 20% flour, ball, rest a bit then shape and proof in trays ?I'm trying this today. I started with 10g seed ... | This is a common practice.
This is a common practice. The first stage is also known as a sponge, biga, poolish, levaine (pardon any spelling errors) and other names. All basically a stage of fermentation for flavor, and then the rest of the recipe for structure. Works well. |
Sourdough Croissants: the Obsession Begins
After much studying, watching Youtube videos, and so on, I've tried my first batch of croissants. And of course, since I already have the sourdough, I can make them sourdough croissants. And since they're sourdough croissants, I have an excuse to make them extra dark and cri... | Second Try
Croissants looking better the second round of shaping:Crumb is more open too, even though I think I'm still pretty crap at shaping: I made many mistakes in the first go round that I won't make in the second. Mainly not shaping right, and not waiting until the butter square was completely pliable before roll... |
Super Sour Sourdough? Any tips?
Hello you crazy bakers! Hope you're all having marvellous baking days. Here in Australia this koala's sourdough adventures are still in full force. I feel I have finally cracked the basic sourdough and have a schedule that is working and giving pretty sweet results. After a year of trial... | Katy, congrats on your
Katy, congrats on your success so far. I have been on a similar quest for many months, though using 100% home milled whole wheat, and have not found a secret. I have tried storing the starter and bulk ferment at higher temps to try to encourage more sour, https://brodandtaylor.com/make-sourd... |
Who needs to knead and other questions
Hello, 1) After many attempts at Tartine-style or Maurizio-style naturally leavened loaves which ended in flat loaves I have found considerable success if, after the autolyse period but before the stretch and folds, I knead the dough in the bowl for 5-9 minutes. It seems like most... | My way
1. I usually hand knead my bread.2. I proof at about 80°F for about 2 hours, though I have refrigerated for 10 to 14 hours instead. It depends upon my schedual.3. I don't think so.Ford |
quick autolisation question
Hello,I'm wondering, if mixing flour and water a couple of hours before adding your starter is good for developing gluten and strengthening the dough, why not do it for four hours, or six hours, or overnight?Also, while I'm here, I have been using a jar to keep tabs on the rise of the dough ... | i've seen recipes where the
i've seen recipes where the autolyse is very long (e.g., overnight), but i think they usually add salt, or refrigerate, because at those lengths of time, at room temperature, you're going to get spontaneous fermentation, and that might not be of the microbes you want.i think the gluten devel... |
where to get sourdough starter
Where can I get sourdough starter in the Utah valley? I am just passing thru and would like to take some back to Alberta with me. Thanks. | What do you see as the value
What do you see as the value of buying it?It's made from yeast on grain, so you can make it yourself in a week from any grain or whole meal flours. |
Is my Levain Ready?
Hi Everyone! First-time poster here. I started baking with sourdough last year until I killed my starter in a move. I began again recently and have built a lively starter, but I started noticing an issue recently...I use my own version of Ken Forkish's method where I take a portion of my mother out ... | If I'm reading your post
If I'm reading your post right, you use a whole wheat starter, then convert that to a white levain. That's a little strange, because its nice to have a clean starter that develops slowly, and a fast moving levain. For that reason, I do the opposite of you. Regardless, when you take a whole whe... |
All that's missing is the awesome sauce!
Same day bake, sourdough,pillow soft burger buns. I had to push the proof along. Bit under proofed I believe. | Yum!
are those tater tots? Looks delicious |
30% Stoneground Whole Red Fife Sourdough Batard
My shaping skills leave a lot to be desired. I suppose I need a lot more practice particularly with high hydration doughs but I not making any progress so far.For single loaf weight 750 grams 30% Red Fife (81% hydration and 20% Levain) WeightIngredientBaker’s Percentage1... | I’m happy with the crumb.
I’m happy with the crumb.
7735DDF5-518C-471B-833D-77F051364C67.jpeg
BC266202-565A-42C0-9ABC-58CBCE971BC2.jpeg |
I put rye flour in my whole wheat starter.
I accidentally put whole grain rye flour in my sifted whole wheat starter today. I'm new at this, I just got the starter on Saturday and haven't even tried making bread with it yet. I was given ~100g of starter from the co I just started buying flour from (it was a promo if yo... | Don't worry
Just go back to using whole wheat in future. If you have a regular feeding routine, the new feeds will quickly swamp any rye left in there. The same goes for almost all switching, in my experience. It may take a couple of builds to adapt to an entirely new regime, but it will happen. If you seriously want t... |
Starter explosion
Okay well my old starter that I loved, or at least understood lol, decided to kick the bucket cause I left it an old outdoor fridge that overheated and I failed to notice.Well yesterday I decided to start a new one using 1:1:1 whole rye, whole wheat, and white flour with 80% hydration.The thing that's... | Just bacteria
What you are seeing so early is some bacteria that like the new environment, and will pass as the pH lowers and new ones (LAB) take over eventually activating the yeasts. I recommend you a read Debra Winks blog on this site for in-depth explanations.Cheers,Gavin. |
New Starter
First time posting, second time beginning my own starter. About two weeks ago, I mixed everything up for the first time. I followed the generally accepted instructions (feed 100% hydration once a day for the first few days, then twice a day onwards, with a few feedings missed here and there). It's rising an... | sounds good
Sounds good to me. The proof is n the bread. Try it.Ford P. S. After you are sure this starter is good, then spread some out on a piece of parchment paper and let it dry at room temperature. After it is dry, break it up and place it in a Zip Lock Bag and store ti in the refrigerator as a back-up in cas... |
Water on top
Hi everyone!I had started a starter a few months ago but that just didn't work so I threw it out. Now, with a heatwave going on, I thought I'd try again because the temperatures in my house are a lot more favourable. The first 2 days were great, I didn't touch it and it looked frothy and bubbly and everyth... | Hooch
Sounds like hooch. This is a normal development when building a starter. Just mix it in and keep feeding regularly. As the starter matures this phenomenon will go away. |
Ratios for poolish sourdough
I have been making sourdough on and off for a few years now. I'm still not very good at it, but at least my eaters think its ok. I want to be able to improve the rise (I think I overproof - the last rise is about 4 hours), and perhaps I need to look at the ratios a bit more. I'd like to kno... | Your "poolish" becomes
Starter when used. Poolish is technically the wrong term for Sourdough. It's a levain and it's an off-shoot starter. Whether you use a starter as a seed and build a levain or you feed your starter and use some in your dough is just two different ways of maintaining and using a starter. Whatever h... |
Can't get an expanding crust
Hello everyone and all the experienced baker!I've been trying to make sourdough bread for a very long time but I never got an beautiful expanding crust and the bread is very chewy.In this picture, I use:160g bread flour45g of whole wheat flour160g water4g salt60g 1:1 whole wheat starterI di... | Have I understood you correctly?
You produce lovely loaves as pictured but have thought about quitting?I don't understand. |
Starter
starter rising, but when I try to float a small spoonful in water, it sinks. The starter is two weeks old. It’s a 1/2 and 1/2 WW starter. And, it might be my newbie imagination....it seems to have a pink hue. I read this is bad. Why is it not floating?I’m really sorry to take up space with these newbie que... | You’ll get better advise from
You’ll get better advise from the more experienced, but I recognize this “problem”. Your starter is just too young. Keep feeding it. It also looks too liquidy. I’ve had much better success with a tighter starter than that appears. |
Scoring high hydration
Hi fellow LoafersCan anyone give me some tips on how to score a high hydration loaf. I have 2 retarding in the fridge and ready to bake tomorrow. They are batards. I was thinking of freezing them for a bit beforehand., But should I go more shallow? Aim for a nice ear? I'm not very good at sc... | How high is the hydration?
Are the loaves in pans or free standing? I don't usually score high hydration loaves with a soft "skin" but if they have a "dried skin," a good result may come from a score on top not too far down the sides and in such a way as to hold the dough (like a basket) while dough rises in the middl... |
Sourdough question-fermenting dough vs traditional starter method?
Greetings everyone, first post today! So I was wondering if instead of fermenting a water and flour mixture (the normal way), you could just mix together e.g. bread dough and let it sit until it's strong enough for leavening and then use it to bake b... | Welcome
Nice to have you here. Can you explain a bit further? I understand fermenting water and flour [to make a sourdough starter] but what do you mean by "just mix together" bread dough.Do you mean just flour and water into a dough and wait however long till it rises and then bake it? Or do you mean using dough from ... |
Hydration Math
HiI am new to sourdough and am struggling with hydration math! Can any kind poster help me with a few dumb questions? I have an established white starter at 65% hydration. I have not yet baked with it and am now ready to take the plunge. For my chosen recipe (Emmanuel Hadjiandreou's Seeded Sourdough)... | Here's the formula to
Here's the formula to solve:flourAmount + (hydration% * flourAmount) = starterAmount(remember, hydration% * flourAmount represents how much water you need.)Expressed in alegbr |
Thank you, TFL experts
After much reading of the archives and more practice with technique, I am closing in on my goal of baking consistent, good sourdough bread.Not there yet...I baked this loaf today. Like others before me I am wondering what an improved crumb structure would look like. Despite this loaf's many short... | No, you have not struck "fool
No, you have not struck "fool's crumb", this is good bread. You are in "perhaps a minor adjustment here and there, but don't make any big changes" territory. Maybe slightly improved shaping technique or a more experienced eye on the fermenting dough would even out those large bubbles a bit... |
Is this starter ok?
I have been feeding my starters twice a week as it is a fairly new starter. I missed a couple of days and when I checked my rye one this morning it looked like this. The first pic shows how I store it in the fridge. I'm hoping it's just a bit dried out. | Take off the dried out bits
Feed the healthy looking starter below and if it bubbles up and smells ok then it's fine.If it looks like a starter, smells like starter and behaves like a starter then it's fine. |
Starter falling
Hi everyone:this is my first post. I want to say how much I admire all your skill and dedication to sourdough breads. Most of the time I just shake my head and think about how little I know. So here is my first problem.ive made starter before, using rye flour and spring water.....and I’ve never had ... | I'd find it more strange
If they didn't fall. Falling after maturing seems to be the norm for a regular liquid sourdough. |
Unpleasant smell ..... please advice
hi alli have had my starter for 3 years and have used it succesfully to bake on the weekends . Even though I started it with regular flour, my feeding method has called almost always for rye. I like the flavor it adds to breads. I usually keep it in the fridge, and take it out on we... | When in doubt-throw it out
An easy maxim to remember and it increases your chances of survival. I know humans eat a lot of stinky smelling food that is considered delightful but if you don't know for sure, it is just not worth the risk to me. It is easy enough to build another starter.Lesson learned-either keep it in ... |
Help with chewy/gooy crumb with baguettes
Hi,I've been trying my hand at baguettes. Since I started the bread has had a gooy/chewy crumb. It doesn't have a light and fluffy crumb as I would have hoped. I've considered that perhaps my bread is over-proved, but I don't think that I am proving it long so it's unclear how ... | Just for the sake of
Just for the sake of completeness (if nothing else), what were the temperature and the total baking time? Also - was that cast iron pre-heated? |
Creating a starter in the winter
Hi guysFairly new to sourdough baking, I was able to get a starter up and running over the summer and have been baking with it for a while with some fairly decent results, I was actually a little surprised how easy it was to get up and running.I did however (or should I say my housemate... | Use a proofing box
Hi Greg,I started a new culture about 3 weeks ago in Melbourne. At first, I had it on the countertop in the kitchen but our house was dropping below 12°C during the night, so I moved it to my make-shift proofing box which is a steady 24°C, a little higher than the recommended 21°C but worked fine. N... |
How much slower is fridge fermentation?
Converted a ciabatta recipe to a sourdough recipe using a poolish 25 g active start200 g bread flour200 g waterFermented 4 hrs at room temperature (73 F) and over night in the fridge. Poolish looked good this morning. Added to poolish.200g water8g salt300g bread flourAt room temp... | Once temperature gets below
Once temperature gets below 40F, yeast and bacteria will go dormant, hence no fermentation. |
Half-baked success: Why?
I attempted a higher hydration sourdough, recipe as follows 420g bread flour336g water (27 degrees)5g salt1 tsp stiff starter straight from the fridge (100% hydration) Mix flour and water throughly until no dry spots leftAdd starter and salt to separate sides of dough and mix to combineLeft dou... | Starter
The problem probably revolves around your starter. I've never mixed in stiff starter straight from the fridge like that. I let it obtain room temp after sitting out a few hours. Feed it to give it a jolt of fresh activity, then mix it in after 4-12 hours depending on the method. |
Freeze clas
can clas be frozen and then thawed and brought to temp for direct use?could frozen clas be thawed and refreshed?thanks for any help out there! | I've never done but I'd guess
I've never done but I'd guess it will work fine. I've frozen various cultures and they were unchanged when thawed. My yogurt culture would get slower after about 3 months in the freezer so some degradation happens. Give it a try and post about it. |
Starter became stiff and takes long to rise
I created my starter using all purpose bleached white flour, and while feeding with this flour, my starter was easily pourable yet not rising almost at all. Granted, it was still quite new (about a week), so this could be part of the rising problem. However, I switched to fee... | Partially correct but.
both are fermenting, the main difference is that whole wheat absorbs more water than refined flour so the weight of the water is less of a problem for the whole wheat to raise when gas bubbles rise. Whole flour does contain more nutrients but good ol white flour is also food. The big difference... |
40% Red Fife Sourdough Batard
Last weekend I discovered a source of organic stoneground red fife flour in Toronto so purchased some after recently reading about it being a local (Canadian) heritage grain. This led me to trying to bake a higher percentage whole grain bread than I have yet. This was my sixth sourdough b... | Beautiful crumb
I think that crumb looks just about perfect, especially for being such a high percentage whole grain loaf. What's the hydration? Batards can be a little tricky, I still mess them up sometimes but when you nail them the ears are fantastic, so don't give up! |
Is my sourdough starter’s “off” smell normal?
Hello, Fresh Loafers,I am brand new to this site and forum and very happy to be here amongst other sourdough baking enthusiasts - hello!I am hoping you might be able to help with a challenge/quandary I’ve been having:I have been baking sourdough for about 3+ years now and h... | When do you decide to discard and feed?
Are you waiting for the starter to peak in volume before feeding or is it a doubling in volume that helps make the decision? Or the clock? What are the feeding amounts? More info helps. Flour details? Etc. |
Sourdough not rising during bulk ferment
Hey all!I have seen this question posted many times and have scoured all the responses, but none of them seem to be quite the answer to my particular problem. I just began making sourdough bread and have had my starter going for about a month now. It is rising (doubling in size,... | Stop right there...
"I feed it every 24 hours with 50g starter, 50g AP flour, and 50g water"...and is it kept at room temperature? |
Starter volume
Hi everyone. This is my first post here. I’ve been reading for a while now. I just got back into making sourdough loafs after a few a few years of not baking much. I’ve made successful loaves for the last four months or so. I typically mix my levain by weight for a final weight of 225g for a 100% hydrati... | Question for you
How do you use your starter in your final dough? Do you... |
Final shaping earlier in the bulk ferment?
Hi all,After finally measuring the temperature in my fridge, I realized that it's running colder than I thought and likely is stopping my bread from continuing to proof much further in the fridge, leading to a more tighter crumb since it hadn't be proofed to a further degree, ... | Why don't you?
shape and leave at room temperature, for however long, before refrigeration so the dough comes out ready? |
Baking Jones
I have not baked anything since Saturday morning! I am Jones-ing for a good bake! https://youtu.be/G-xRMw0NyW0 | Pie King, I am presently on a
Pie King, I am presently on a low carb diet. And that pie ain’t making it easy. LOLHave you worked professionally with pizzas?Wished I had your crust shaping skills...Danny |
Bread conundrum
I've been a baker for several years. I follow a basic tartine recipe with stretch and folds; have been experimenting with 80- 100% wholemeal recently, plus sprouted rye and spelt.Here's a typical loaf:
IMG_20190419_152305.jpg
Or this:
IMG_20180422_103946.jpg
...and I'm usually pretty p... | Is it cooler in your kitchen
Is it cooler in your kitchen?Or is it warmer than before because you're noticing the cold and turning up the heat?Or neither one? |
Starter has taken off, do I keep seed starter or just mother sponge?
I just got my first wild yeast starter going, using the pineapple approach found here and outlined in Reinhart's Artisian Breads Every Day. It had me make a mother sponge with a portion of the seed starter, which it says remains viable for some 5 days... | Yes, keep the seed culture at
Yes, keep the seed culture at room temp for 2-3 weeks until it's finally very strong and flavors are fully developed. I don't recall Reinhart's approach (seed culture vs mother sponge) so can't comment; however, as long as neither mother sponge or seed starter have any commercial yeast in ... |
"Berry" special bakes on the horizion!
Mission accomplished! Triple batch of wild yeast pie pastry. Eight + or - 300 gram disks. | Can't wait to see how those
Can't wait to see how those turn out and see your recipe for that pastry. I've never seen anything like that before. |
Modest Improvement & What to Do Next Time
After a period of not baking, I made another attempt at Hamelman's Pain au Levain With Whole Wheat (20% WW + 5% rye + my rye starter). It actually was a little better than the last few attempts, sigh. Pain au Levain w/WW + Bread Code DIscard Rye My first thought was that the ... | I don't know what you were
I don't know what you were aiming for, but the breads looks great to me. Scoring could be a bit better (looks like you didn't cut through one end there?), but both the crumb and the crust are beautiful! |
Partially Self-Milled Sourdough
I did Maurizio’s beginner’s sourdough, from The Perfect Loaf, with some freshly-milled hard white wheat and rye in lieu of packaged whole wheat and rye.Quite happy with how it worked out. The Grainmaker No. 99 never fails. | Wow!
That’s a gorgeous, gorgeous loaf! Well done! I bet it tastes amazing! |
Inadequate Caramelization
Hello All - Tartine country white -1/2 recipe but otherwise exactly from book. First rise 3 hrs at 72 degrees F, refrigerator proof overnight (10 hrs). Heated la creuset dutch oven in 500 deg oven, turned down to 450 to bake loaf covered 20 mins, 30 mins lid off. It rose to touch the lid! Top... | You can take it out
of the pot near the end of the baking time and place it directly on the rack. Putting your oven in Convection mode will also help. Super nice loaf by the way! |
The importance of preheating oven (same two doughs, two diff temps, two diff results)
I didn't mean to do this experiment this morning, but my impatience resulted in an experiment.These were two doughs, both from the same levain and handled the same. The only difference was that one was shaped into a boule and the othe... | wow
picture is worth 1000 words. |
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