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Influence of a small proportion of rye flour
Hi everyone,I am experimenting a bit with the Pain Naturel from the Weekend Bakery. Today replaced 10% of the flour with light rye flour. After the 150 minutes of bulk fermentation the dough felt different than the two previous bakes with only white-wheat flour. It felt weak... | Yes, rye accelerates things,
Yes, rye accelerates things, especially at warmer temperatures. Are you controlling temps with a proofing box, or is it just the temp of the room?Even 10% rye will accelerate the dough noticeably. Rye has weak gluten, but you're right, at 10%, its not the issue. If you were able to shape... |
Scoring problems
Hi everyone,I recently started baking sourdough bread. The bread below it’s a Vermont Sourdoughs with 10% WWF from Jefrey Hamelman’s book. The taste is very good and the bread keeps its moisture up to a week. The only thing that bothers me is that the dough gets dry after proofing and scoring is a litt... | My quick initial thought is
My quick initial thought is that maybe your bread is getting too hot from above, and that you might need to experiment with placement in the oven, temperature adjustment, or "stuff like that". (There are so many ways to approach it - as long as you get something that works, it's good.) |
Confusion with bringing starter out of the fridge
Some context before the confusion:I started raising my first starter around a month ago. I fed it for around 3 weeks until I baked my first loaves of sourdough (all apf during this time period and some wholewheat right after baking - both 1:1:1). Everything went pretty ... | whole wheat flour ferments
whole wheat flour ferments very fast, and chances are, you are catching it after the flour has degraded to the point where it won't pass the float test. No matter, failing the float test won't mean an unleavened bread. Just make your levain with your bubbly starter, and proceed. Do this thou... |
How to Adapt Starter Feedings for a Recipe
Hello Everyone.I have been building a starter for a week now. I am on vacation and decided it would be cool to bake some good bread for my hosts.I am following a recipe that advises me to mix the dough at 5pm so that after bulk fermentation it sits in the fridge for about 14 h... | Too Young!
At one week your starter is too young. Keep feeing for another two weeks or so. The day before you want to bake, In the morning, build your feed to a little more than 1/3 the weight you need for the recipe, then at night build it to the weight plus enough to store for later. Let this sit until the next mo... |
Can I use sourdough instead of active yeast.
I have been baking my own bread for a year now and have just branched out into sourdough. I love the sourdough loaf taste and texture but I also want to bake a white or malted sandwich loaf for my husbands sandwiches etc. Can I use my sourdough starter to raise a standard ... | Of course you can,
Make sure it stays warm so rises quickly if you don't want to do it for flavor.... but honestly that's the gift of sourdough. The long rise and taste benefit.hester |
Input for my sourdough!
I live in a city where there's rarely any sourdough so the only reference i know are picture online. So i've been making sourdough for a while, but had been having problems of gummy dough with lack of oven spring. after some troubleshooting, i manage to make this loaf. Please offer me some ways ... | That looks perfectly brown
That looks perfectly brown for 70%. Youll get a more open crumb with more hydration. Alternately, you an back off the bulk for a more artisan crumb, which is maybe what youre going for. |
Levain build question
I have been baking sourdough for about a year. I now realize from reviewing many blogs and books the great variety in proportion of starter to flout and water for the Levain some use 1:1:1 and the highest ratio I have seen is 1:5:5. So my question is, what do you generally use for your "go to" co... | Very sound recipe
I like your recipe. Two things one also has to take into consideration is how much time you can spend on the dough and temperature. Your recipe looks like a good one with ratios that fall within normal range.What I find is a nice variation for a country bread is a mix of bread flour, whole-wheat and w... |
Mold on my starter or the beginning of hooch?
I started my new sourdough starter 7 days ago and at first it was rising after feeding on day 2, then it stopped. After troubleshooting on day 5 I decided I was more than likely over feeding and needed to leave it be for 2 days. I go to feed it after that and see this, is i... | Where's the mould?
Can you point it out to me? Always better safe than sorry of there is red or pinkish mould. If you ever see that then throw it out, thoroughly sterilise and start again. What I see is the top layer looks milky but not mouldy. Scrape the discoloured top off. Then feed 2:1:1 every 24 hours or every 12 ... |
Finally gave up on my starter. Need help desperately...
Good morning TFL sourdough bakers, I DESPERATELY need your help!I am sorry that this is going to be a long post. I hope you bear with me…Yesterday evening after yet another frustrating failure, I finally gave up on my starter and tossed it in the garbage. After so... | We are coming to your rescue!
Hi Francois. First off, a big thanks for the detailed writeup. Your information is extremely helpful. Wished you hadn’t chucked the starter, but I know it must have felt great to get some form of revenge on that monster. <LOL>Oh! If you can provide images, that would be great.While reading... |
Flying saucer bread??? Why?
Hello, fellow bakers!I'm new here. I have been doing trial and error of sourdough, trying to get a few favorite recipes, and improve my techniques. I have basically been trying to achieve 2 different recipes: an artisan loaf, and a fluffy sandwich loaf (kind of like a Hardy's/Carl's Jr F... | How is your Salt ratio? Not
How is your Salt ratio? Not enough salt will do goofy things sometimes because it grows too fast. |
First sourdough loaf!
I baked my first sourdough loaf today and it turned out better than I expected for a first try. Was really pleased!recipe was from here - (have had some good loaves from this guy)Sponge:100g sourdough starter (mine is 100%)100g water100g flourDough:460g flour230g water1 tbsp oil1.5 tsp kosher sal... | Congrats
on your first and very lovely sourdough loaf. Very nicely done. If you aren't already, you will soon be totally hooked.hester |
Blister, how to get more & larger ones...
Teresa Greenway blows my mind. The lady is a gifted baker that continually conducts hands on experiments.When she publishes her findings you can be sure that they come from actual testing. Did I say, "she blows my mind"?If a blistered crust is desired see this LINK.Up until now... | Thanks for the
interesting link.hester |
Overproofed in the Fridge??? Nah!!!
Hello Everyone!Lately, I've been noticing that those new to working with the fridge have been misunderstanding what happens in there, and how quickly. A lot of people will say something like, "I was supposed to leave it in the fridge for 8 hours, but I left it in there for 11, and I... | Great information as always,
Great information as always, thanks from us new to sourdough bread. |
Goopy White Flour Starter Question
I usually maintain my starter with fresh-milled (literally - from my Grainmaker No. 99) hard white wheat. It’s very happy and poofs-up to about 250% of its original volume after each feeding.But when I’ve tried to feed it with white flour — whether BRM Artisanal Bread Flour or Caputo ... | It still be thinner if using
It still be thinner if using same ratios. Reduce water/increase flour to thicken it up. |
All bubbled up, no where to go!
I took Slow-Moe out of the cold storage yesterday and fattened him up. I plan on making a batch or three of English muffins and a few disks of pizza dough. Who else is baking today/this weekend? I need ideas for something new, what have you got for me? | Bagels, Pita, Loaded Focaccia
Bagels, Pita, Loaded Focaccia, white chocolate baguettes, sourdough croissants. That should keep you busy. |
Sticky and tacky crumb
Recipe as follows: 100g whole wheat flour400g strong bread flour300g water
IMG_7943.jpg
10g salt + 15g water100g starterI mixed the starter, water and flours together. After 1hr autolyse, then added salt and the remaining 15g water. I was rushing out of the house, so I popped the dough i... | Thank you for your post. It
Thank you for your post. It was very challenging and made me really have to think and look at your bread several times before I reached a diagnosis. The thing is, your bread looks well fermented, but that's only because of the low level of gluten development. A bread of 66% hydration sho... |
POLL - Frequency of Community Bakes
Let us know how often you think the Community Bakes should take place. Every 1, 2, 3, or 4 months.Don’t be swayed by the opinions of others. Let us know what you think.By-the-way, we are strongly considering Hamelman’s Swiss Farmhouse Bread for our next CB. It is detailed in his book... | for me
best interval is every 2-3 months... so 4-6 x / yearhester |
How to fix unenthusiastic ear and weird slope-y shape in an otherwise OK bake?
I've been getting a better handle at how to control for certain factors in any given bake. But I keep getting a consistent problem with these meh ears and weird, sloping shape of my batards.Some notes:Used 20% levain, and way after it alread... | To jump in...
first impression of first photo is that it looked borderline over-proofed to me or too relaxed. The second looked too deeply scored. And the third looked scorched, too hot oven (246°C) or too long baked for that particular bread. The shape from the side makes me again think the dough relaxed too long be... |
Starter overly active, then dead
I tried Peter Reinhart's starter from Bread Baker's Apprentice. After 24 hours it was just slightly expanded. I added the additional flour and water as instructed, and it went wild (no pun). In the morning it had more than doubled, blown off the plastic, and run out on the counter. I ... | BBA seed culture
Hi Diulin,What you are preparing now is the seed culture. It is almost ready. After a quiet day it will rise again. That is normal for the method that you used, for liquid and very soft consistency starters.It the book there is a typo. It should have been 1 cup of rye flour and 1/4 to 1/3 cup water for... |
Sourdough loaves 4 and 5
I made my fourth and fifth sourdough loaves using the beginner sourdough recipe from Maurizio’s The Perfect Loaf. I’m very happy with them overall, still no ears but I can live with that. Again I like the crust and crumb. I tired a very very long sort of but not really autolyze, it had the s... | Those look great, tons of
Those look great, tons of oven spring. |
Sourdough is bubbling, floating but not rising.
Hello Everyone!I am new to the blog so I am not sure if I’m posting in the right place. I apologise in advance if I’m not.My question is Regarding my sourdough starter.I have created my Starter about a month ago. It is 50%Rye and 50% All purpose. It was behaving beautiful... | The starter in your picture
The starter in your picture is fine. I can tell just by looking. Float test is fine for telling you when your starter is no longer underfermented, but a rye starter can be too fermented to pass a float test, and still be healthy enough to produce a great loaf. My dough never grows much onc... |
Sourdough pancakes - heavy
I am wanting to use the extra sourdough starter in pancakes at the weekend. I've tried 3 recipes now and they all come out heavy and claggy (northern british word I think lol). Is this just the texture of sourdough pancakes or am I doing something wrong.This morning I did:50g sourdough star... | Try this recipe
PANCAKES AND WAFFLES, SOUR DOUGH Sponge:1 cup (4.3 oz., 120 g) all-purpose flour1 cup (4.3 oz., 120 g) whole wheat flour (white or red)2 1/4 cups (19.4 oz., 550 g) buttermilk 2/3 cup (6 oz., 170 g) refreshed sourdough starter (equal weight flour & water) Mix together the flours in a medium sized bowl. ... |
Some countries (or homes) don't have good wild yeasts?
I was trying to make SD bread in Aust 30 yrs ago after a trip to the USA where I read/heard about it. I had no success in making a starter active enough to rise bread. I tried all sorts of hydrations, resting times, feeding times etc, and always got a ferment going... | First things first
How are you making your starter? Is it active within the first few days and then goes quiet? Which flour are you using? etc. More info the better.I'm no scientist but i'm under the impression that there's no such thing as one area of the world having less yeast and bacteria then another. And anyway t... |
Oven spring fun
My weekly bake..... My starter performed a little sluggishly last time around, so to start this one off, I pulled 15g from my stored starter (100%), and refreshed it at 1:5:5 (flour was 67% WW, 33% rye). It took almost 10 hours to double, and 12 hours to peak. I discarded (saved) all but 15g, and fed... | 950g AP (GM)200g WW240g levain727g water (67%)25g salt I'll post up a crumb shot once these are done cooling. Bake on!Rich |
Has anyone used Dakota Maid Bread Flour?
I recently started making sourdough bread using Dakota Maid Bread Flour (North Dakota Mill). I'm pleased with the results, but I would like to know if anyone else has tried it, and how it compares to other flours available in the U. S. | different flour?
I won't use anything else any more. It just plain and simple makes the tastiest bread. Enough said! |
Advice on scoring
Hi,I've been enjoying baking sourdough for a month or so, and getting to a point where my loaves look like bread rather than pancakes!However, there are two things puzzling me...- When I get my loaf out of the oven, it sort of looks like a balloon that's been blown up, you can really see the creases i... | Scoring
Even if you score correctly everything else has to be done just right. From starter/levain, bulk ferment, shaping, final proofing and baking. When everything is just so then scoring will be more successful.From your photo I think there is a ferment and/or shaping issue going on. There are large caverns in the d... |
Recovering from errors at shaping? what to do w/ a tear
I'm a new sourdough maker and looking for some advice on how to correct a shaping error. I've looked around and found lots of info on how to improve shaping, and I'm practicing. But what I'm asking now is, if I've made an error, what is the best way to proceed for... | pic of not-quite-round loaf |
Salt and Vinegar
Today I baked my very first sourdough. It had some rise - not great and I guess a little stodgy to be quite truthful. It was cooked but very anaemic and didn't have a crust. Taste - the first thing that came to mind was 'salt and vinegar chips' - not unpleasant - I guess it ticked the 'sour' box. So... | If you can supply pictures,
If you can supply pictures, it would be a great help. |
Advice on scoring to get a better ear
Hi everyone. I’ve now made three loaves of sourdough with my starter which is nice and active. Each time I’ve followed the Beginner Sourdough recipe on The Perfect Loaf here https://www.theperfectloaf.com/beginners-sourdough-bread/One change I made for the 2nd and 3rd loaves was ... | I think the oven spring was
I think the oven spring was pretty good but could still be better. Again do you think this comes down to how I’ve scored the dough and how much tension was built in the shaping? |
My Foolproof Step by Step Recipe
Once we had two very active starters we havent had any issue with this recipe, turns out perfect everytime. Dozens of neighbors who got loaf gifts agree. 260g water at 80FWhisk in 100g of starter*Fold in 350g of flour (sifted non-bleached white bread flour)Rest 30 minutesAdd 10g salt, ... | Pic
This was one of the very first loafs. |
What are the advantages of a high hydration bread?
Hi GuysI've been cooking regular bakers yeast bread for quite a while now but have recently made the jump into sourdough.I've been trying with a few different recipes and am fairly happy with the success I'm having but I was just wondering what the advantages are in a ... | I'm not sure there is an advantage
Some people claim higher hydration leads to more open crumb. While it may be used for that purpose, it is not the only way to do it, I've seen some pretty open crumb out there from lower hydration breads. Of course there are extremes, like ciabatta.For me higher hydration looks more l... |
I submit
My first attempt at a sourdough short pastry.The method I used included a 48 hrs. slow cold ferment. The 1/2 lard 1/2 butter crust was rolled out very cold and I used a frozen blackberry filling. The pastry seemed to melt into a very tender and flaky crust. | You had me at pie..
For the love of pie man, that looks absolutely edible!! And the bottom crust looks well cooked, which I always think is the true test of a good pie. It's often under-cooked and soggy! But not yours! Tell us more, how did you make it.. share the full recipe. I could sure go for a slice of that now! ... |
No Recipe Experiment
For me, making bread has always involved careful measurements and mixing and temperature management. My fascination with the process comes and goes, as does my enthusiasm. While I did get pretty good at it and streamlined it where I could, still it could take an hour to get it all done.But I've n... | Master baker status
If you hadn't done all the weighing,measuring and observing you would not be able to graduate to this level. You really have to know your ingredients, techniques and starter characteristics to be able to put them together in this way. Some of my best loaves have been made this way.The only problems ... |
How do I strengthen my starter?
11 days ago I started two starters according to the directions here on TFL with rye flour and pineapple juice. The only difference between them is that I added the smallest pinch of commercial yeast to one starter, because if the "natural" starter failed I still wanted to have something... | patience
Hi Janknitz, the best thing you can do is to give your natural starter time. It takes anywhere up to three weeks and better still 4-5 weeks to get a natural wild yeast starter up to speed. (not speaking of a commercially available wild yeast starter). Meanwhile read up on starters here on "The Freash Loaf" an... |
Do Nothing Bread by Yohan Ferrant
Formul | Flour 100% (60% whole-wheat, 40% bread flour)Water 90%Salt 2%Starter 1-2% (after re-watching the video he actually used 0.5% so what the actual formula is another discussion)Recipe:Turkey Red flour 270gBread flour 180gWater 405gSalt 9gStarter 4-5g+ seed mix (sunflower, flax, pumpkin and sesame)Method:Mix flour and salt... |
Why is my post-shaped-ready-to-bake dough flat, sticky and formless?
Hi guys,So I made some good sourdough bread this morning after following the instructions diligently and lettting it retard in the fridge for 12 hours. It wasn't perfect, but it was good enough for my beginner's attempt. I think I went wrong with the ... | It's pretty clear what your
It's pretty clear what your mistake was: You did't let it properly ferment before shaping for the bake.1. Is your starter active? If it is, then we'll eliminate that variable.2. How many hours did you let it sit out—and how many stretch and folds did you do—before shaping it?Rather than foll... |
First Time Sourdough-er
Hello! This is the first time I’ve made sourdough after taking a class nearly 2.5 years ago! So forgive me if my questions sound a bit basic. I need some help trouble shooting what I can improve.. Outside was was beautiful however the crumb didn’t have any holes like I’ve had in sourdough. It wa... | Welcome! Very often, the
Welcome! Very often, the thing you're describing happens because the dough was not left to rise long enough - or was left to rise for too long! It really is difficult to tell this without a photo; someone who often posts them will tell you how it's done.It can sometimes also come from badly mis... |
XL Dutch Oven Questions
Hi guys,I'm new to baking sourdough bread, and I have made a few this year. They taste great, but don't rise enough. I've tried different pots I have around my house but none seem to do the trick well enough. I recently discovered I can use a very large dutch oven from my girlfriends parents, b... | Yes, you can make the extra
Yes, you can make the extra-large loaf. When you change loaf size and change the pot too, you may end up with your temperature or your preheating time being off. It's a bit of an experiment, to get your oven and your pot and your loaf size all working together.The quality difference between ... |
Unique Sourdough from “Wild” yeast ... Is it possible?
Having successfully made a variety of SD loaves from various starters, I thought I’d try capturing the “wild” stuff, with hopes of coming up with something unique, visions of the great San Francisco sourdoughs (based, purportedly on a yeast found only there ... tho... | I think, but have no
I think, but have no experimental data to backup, that the flour has the greatest affect on the microflora. But I am interested in the opinions of others... Dan |
Starter in the Fridge
Is it possible to make a starter ( from day one) in the fridge? I live in Darwin Australia where the ambient temperatures are around 33C. My attempts to make a starter to date have failed to consistently get the starter to rise. Thanks in advance for your advice. | Recommended read
I suggest you read Debra Wink's articles on this web site:http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/10856/pineapple-juice-solution-part-1http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/10901/pineapple-juice-solution-part-2Your answer lies within...... |
The world's oldest sourdough?
The world's oldest sourdough?@ BBC "World's Table" yesterday.Reality check on sourdough starters pitched as "old". Quotes from familiar authorities: Gänzle, Gobbetti, De Smedt. | Someone is going to come on here and say...
Your sourdough starter is as old as its last feed. I don't agree with this. Starters are on-going and while certainly under a microscope the yeasts and bacteria will have all been replaced every feed or two the starter process is a continuous chain so on a macro scale it's th... |
Making a starter in hot humid Tropical climate
Hi everyone! I am extremely new to this forum and bread making and have mostly succeeded only in baking Asian breads.I would like to begin with sourdough and want to attempt Peter Reinhart's starter recipe with the pineapple juice method. My main concern is the weather in ... | I personally would try using
I personally would try using it at room temp, just adjust the timing. IIRC the general rule of thumb is that yeast reproduce twice as fast with every 17 degree increase in temp ( Fahrenheit ). So if the procedure you are following suggested 70 degrees, just cut the time in half. If you... |
Alveoli Distribution and Size in Crumb - Questions
Hello all! Decided to stop lurking and finally post...So I've been baking for about 6 months now with a starter that i made from scratch and I think I've made some decent progress with understanding degree of proof and fermentation- and I think I've gotten the hang or ... | Is that what Farmers ground calls Half white flour? I love that
While I am far from an authority, I think this is a very, very nice result for 1/2 WW bread. Now I must run and google the new term/word you though out there. Smile......Bake healthy live long!P.S.Eureka! I think I found a new signature! |
First Sourdough Starter (via Nourishing Traditions Cookbook)
Hi all,I have been roaming around The Fresh Loaf for quite some time now and I have to say I am still very lost when it comes to sourdough starter, so I thought why not make an account and ask for help. I hope my questions/experience does not sound so silly o... | I'm no expert
But what I have learnt so far is: experts feel free to correct me!!1. The consistency depends on the hydration of your starter (and also the type of flour). I think your using a ratio 2:1:1. That means 2 parts starter to one part each flour & water. That will make a runnier starter. But there is nothing n... |
Organic (Dried) Fruit & Yeast Water
Last week I bought some dried apricots and tried to make yeast water with them. Five days later there was absolutely no activity and I even kept them at the recommended 85°F. No fermentation whatsoever. I gave up. Yesterday I bought some organic dried apricots and within 12 hours bub... | Yeah when i first made yeast water
I had been reading about it and was fore-warned only to get organic, not-treated raisins (what I used).Glad you are having some success. What are you going to bake with that YW? hester |
Sourdough and still a bit clueless
Okay so after help I now have a healthy starter. I'm about ready to put my starter in the fridge and am a bit lost again.I am looking to make a couple of loaves and some experiments with other bakes per week. I use 100g of starter per loaf ish at the moment.1) How much starter shou... | So many ways...
1: build up about 50g and keep it in the fridge. When it comes to baking take off 20g and build a levain. After two bakes your starter will be down to about 10g and then top it up back to 50. 2: if you bake often then keep 20g in the fridge. When it comes to baking take it out, feed it, take off 100g an... |
Almost giftable
Wild yeast, 100% Whole Wheat.My grilling skills improve exponentially with each bake. Lunch hour grill with 30 minutes to spare. Triple batch, double barrel! | Almost giftable? No way. That
Almost giftable? No way. That's a worthy gift for anyone. (Except the ones who are allergic to something, and if it was for them you'd think of a different gift).They do look much prettier when they don't burn like the first batch. Even those were a worthy gift, just... carbon-enhanced. ? |
Bulking at 82f
I keep my home relatively cool, so the only place I have to bulk is in my oven with the light on. It gets my dough bulking at 82f at the furthest spot from the heat source. At that hot temperature, how long should I be bulking for with a 20% leavin inoculation. I know there are other factors, just looki... | Time? No!
Watch your dough, not your clock. When the dough has doubled in volume, then that is the time.Ford |
Help me troubleshoot my Sourdough?
Hey there, so my bread did not spring in the oven and came out really dense.. the taste is fine-to-good but the texture is very off as well. Here’s the full recipe I used (sorry it’s more of a personal notes recipe): Sourdough recipe:750g white bread flour750g water150g whole wheat f... | Underfermented
From the photo alone I'd say underfermented. Either the starter was used too soon and/or the dough wasn't left to bulk ferment for long enough. From what you describe the starter seemed ok so that narrows it down. What was the dough like after the bulk ferment? |
How to create a levain from my starter
Hello all, I have finally got my starter to a point where it is nice & bubbly within 12 hrs (whoohoo!!!!) & actually rising now (not quite doubling but rising at least) So I am ready to trying baking a loaf on the weekend. The part I am stuck on is how do I work out how much flou... | Some things to consider
1: how much levain you need2: how much time you have3: flavour profileI suggest you concentrate on 1 & 2 for now and when you produce some good loaves and understand the process you can then concentrate on experimenting with flour, hydration and ferment time to effect the flavour profile of your... |
CLAS, Yeast Water, and Commercial Yeast
I just wondered if people who are routinely baking with sourdough combined with yeast water find that they get similar results to those obtained by combining sourdough with commercial yeast. Or is there a special character that comes with the YW? If so, is it flavor, or texture,... | Big topic
I’ve baked with SD and YW both separately and together in bakes for about 7 yrs. I make a separate YW levain with flour of choice and I sometimes just use YW as part or all of the liquid in a formula . I also make a SD levain in a container and. YW levain in a separate container and only combine them when I d... |
Sourdough steamed bun failure
Does this look like a problem with the starter?I used Bob's Red Mill organic AP flour. I fed it three times across three days, two nights and observed very little activity (ambient of 74ºF). The very last night I put the jar in a water bath of 110ºF (unmaintained). In the morning the water... | Well...not much evidence of yeast
in the pictures. They might even classify as a choking hazard. Heating to 43°C (110°F) is pretty warm and it sounds like the lumps were cooked. Went from one extreme to the other. How old is this starter? Watery top also doesn't sound good. A yeasty sourdough starter at 50% hydr... |
Loaf rises perfectly - rolls do not
Hi all.So, I've been baking rustic sourdough bread for a year and a half by now.My loafs (recipe included below for 'debugging' purposes) turn out great. I'm very happy with the results. Texture and flavour are great. Looks are acceptable :-)Now. I really want to make rolls. They're ... | Rolls look great!
...and so do the loaves! What is not to like? |
Extreme Proofing
Recently I have tried a couple of sourdough recipes, one from Teresa Greenway, which call for extremely long proofing times on the order of 20+ hours.I like the resulting flavor which is very sour and very "San Francisco". The problem is, as you might suspect, that the dough overproofs something terrib... | Yes
My experience exactly |
Bulk times & volume increase
I'm a (moderately) longtime reader of this forum (2 years or so), but an infrequent poster.I have two puzzles that I think may be related, and I was wondering if the community had any thoughts on them.(1) My sourdoughs often take much longer in bulk than other people say.(2) When I allow th... | BF @ 75-80F should ferment a
BF @ 75-80F should ferment a lot faster. My first guess is your starter.Tell us everything you can about it.How did your Champlain turn out with the starter that tripled in 5 hours at 80F.Dan |
Improvements for future Community Bakes
The Community Bakes (CB) have enjoyed a great deal of success. The best indicator of that success are the reports that so many bakers are learning from other bakers to better bake a particular bread. Bakers, the world over get to share a “cyber kitchen”. And everyone shares their... | This is only my second CB
However, now that I have a wild yeast culture,I can't wait for the next one!My suggestion is more a website technical issue. With so many of us posting photos to this same thread, I found it became very cumbersome to follow and could easily miss something important. Maybe all the participants... |
Pineapple Juice - works great.
After about 4+ weeks trying to produce a viable starter with just water and flour yesterday, I replaced the water component with Pineapple Juice after reading Derba Winks article on the same posted in 'The Fresh Loaf' forum. After reading her article it identified for me that the Pineappl... | Many challenges to becoming a
Many challenges to becoming a master of the craft of baking, in all its variations and details? (achieving fame and fortune, adoring fans, millions of customers): yes, certainly, prepare for very long very intense work, and no guarantees.Many challenges to pretty soon making consistently d... |
Bursting out the sides...
I have been baking for about 2 years working on my sourdough recipe at home. I have it down using a Dutch oven but recently got the opportunity to start providing a couple of local small grocery store with bread. I have a commercial bakery that has agreed to let me use their oven and space so ... | Normally
Normally my dough bursts at the top and it "blooms" like a flower. |
Overproof or underproof sourdough bread ?
Hey everybody !I decided to launch myself into the sourdough adventure about 2 months ago with creating a starter with which I've made about 5 loaf in total since then. The 1st was a disaster but the rest were descent although I don't get any oven spring.This is the last bread ... | Snazsh, I am not all that
Snazsh, I am not all that good at interpreting photos, and others may help concerning the distribution of the holes, but in my experience, underproofed loaves retain their shape and get some oven spring, though not as much as when they are properly proofed. Over proofed ones loose their shap... |
I think something's gone wrong with my starter
Hi everyone!I've never done anything like this before but have been watching youtube videos about baking and thought I'd try my hand at a sourdough starter. It seemed like a cool project and something to keep me occupied.About a week ago I started with whole wheat flour an... | "I'm a bit neurotic" plus "I
"I'm a bit neurotic" plus "I have a new sourdough starter" equals "I don't know whether to laugh or cry, so I'll try a bit of both". ?The usual best advice for the slightly-neurotic sourdough newbie is "Resist the urge. Whatever you just thought of, don't do it."Please act in a way that you... |
Stand mixer sourdough
0511191044.jpg
6 qt stand mixer with dough hooktimerthermometerbannetonsoven stoneclochetea towelssilicon sheet__________________________________Into the mixer all at once.8 C. organic AP2 C. organic WW4.5 C. spring water2 T. kosher salt1 C. starter___________________________________10 ti... | can't argue with results
Those certainly look very nice indeed! |
RWC SD - Freshly milled comparison
I posted elsewhere that, in addition to receiving a Komo Fidibus mill for my birthday (arrives today), that I picked up a Mill & Mix machine off CL yesterday, too. I really couldn’t wait to grind some flour and get it into a bake, so I went for it with my weekly two loaves of RWC SD.... | Try higher whole grain %
It's not surprising given the low percentage of whole grain in that recipe. I suggest you try a 40 or 50% whole grain recipe. That is where you will notice remarkable differences. Here's a link to my first bake after milling my own. I described the crumb as "soft as sandwich bread."http://w... |
Higher feeding ratios = lower acidity, but lower innoculation = more acidity?
I see these claims quite often. Feeding a starter with a higher ratio of flour and water to starter creates a less acidic starter. Also, using a lower % of starter in a dough results in a more tangy bread. Don't these claims contradict each o... | Both of these statements
Are not the full picture. Whether a starter/bread turns out tangy has as much to do with other factors than simply how much they are fed. If you give your starter a small feed but use it soon after that will reduce the tang of the starter. If you put a small amount of starter in a dough but fer... |
100% Semolina Recipe Questions
I have been experimenting with semolina flours over the last couple of years. I came across this recipe and wanted to try it. I have the correct flour, I bought recently 25 lbs of super fine semolina flour from Azure Standards which is the equivalent of (semola rimacinata). Recipe in que... | I love durum and you've got
me going now...I never ventured in 100% territory and had a look at the link....Did you compare how this formula compares to an Altamura loaf? I know there has been quite some baking of that on TFL but never managed to get there yet although on my to do list. Just a few thoughts...1. You are... |
Sourdough with no rise
This is my 4th starter attempt and am not sure how its going. I have made a pineapple starter as my last 3 went bad. I have done the 7 days but decided to keep it going another 2 weeks out of the fridge to strengthen it as recommended. Every day I take it down to 1/4 cup and feed it the 1/4 cu... | 100% hydration
Is always equal amounts of flour and water by weight!1/4 cup water is 59g1/4 cup is about 31gSo your starter is about 190% hydration.Next feed keep 58g of starter. Then do the following feed...Starter 58g (38g water + 20g flour)Water 22gFlour 40gNow you should have 120g of 100% hydrated starter. It'll be... |
Shiny and moist crumb. Is it what a sourdough loaf's crumb looks like ?
Hi there !(My apologies for any mistake, english is not my mother tongue).I'm learning to make sourdough bread (thanks to Tartine Bread book).My question will probably seem stupid to you but... is a shiny and moist crumb ("gelatinous" aspect) what ... | One can choose what one wants
One can choose what one wants in a sourdough loaf, and moist crumb is a thing that many people like. The shine is subtle, but present. The water content of yeasted breads is often lower than the water content of sourdough breads, and this could explain the difference that you describe. |
Adjusting my sourdough to home milled flour?
Hello Fresh Loafians! I haven't posted in some time, but I lurk like crazy, and am back to get some insight from y'all. I have a Komo Fidibus 21 mill on its way to me from Pleasant Hill (birthday present, don't ask how many years.....), and I'm eager to dive in headfirst m... | Great! A whole new dimension added to your baking
To maximize the flavor of your home milled flour mill only what you need when you need it. If you increase the proportion of home milled flour in your bread you'll probably need to increase the hydration. Even with such a small amount you may need a little more water. Y... |
Autolysis Conditions
Hi everyone,I would like to know your experience with different autolysis durations and temperatures for sourdough.1) What is the longest you have autolysed your flour (flour and water only)? Typically, most people do this for 30 minutes to an hour, but I've also read about longer autolyse times of... | Not exactly an answer to your
Not exactly an answer to your question, I know... I think it's important to explore the various techniques while you're learning. But ultimately I didn't find autolyzing to make any difference at all, to taste or texture, color, rise or anything else. I stopped doing it completely. May... |
Look what I have created!
Did anyone say oven spring? | That is beautiful!
That is beautiful! |
New starter smells like vinegar on day 5
Hello fellow bakers! I need a bit of guidance building my sourdough starter. I'm kind of new and I'm not sure what to expect.*** If you know a thread with the same issue please, by all means, share it! ;) ***Last Saturday I started to build a starter again using Ken Forkish meth... | I would have put it down to
Usual young starter "woes" until the very last note - A few months ago I tried to build a starter using raisin yeast water, and I threw it away because I couldn't get rid of that vinegary smell.Try an off-shoot starter all the while maintain this one as you have been doing while we figure ou... |
Clumps of gluten
im just wondering if it’s normal to have clumps of gluten in your starter. Im refreshing my starter and mixing water with my starter before adding flour. It doesn’t dissolve completely and there’s lumps of what I’ve been told is gluten. Any ideas? | I haven't had this issue.
I haven't had this issue. What hydration is your starter and what is the ratio of starter to water and flour are you using when refreshing?Do you have photos? |
Best method?
As a P-plate baker I am hoping that some experienced bakers can help me in my confusion. Which method is likely to produce the superior loaf? 1. Low innoculation. O/N bulk ferment at 21C for 16 hrs followed by 2 hour final ferment @ 27C2. Bulk ferment with higher innoculation (300g : 1000g flour @ 27C 4 -... | I had to look up what a P
I had to look up what a P-plate was. ? (I'm told it shows you're an inexperienced driver.)My opinion: There are so many little differences that may change the way your bread turns out; the best way to find out is to try it. |
Modifying bake times when reducing dough weight
Hi! I'm inspired by the community bake post and still haven't participated but maybe will in the next one since I'm still learning. There's a spreadsheet where you can convert a 1000g loaf to 700g loaf by dividing everything by 0.70, but wondering how that affects baking ... | It's not really the weight -
It's not really the weight - it's the shortest distance from the crust to the middle. If I make a 700 g round loaf and a 700 g very long skinny baguette, the baguette is done faster because the middle of a baguette is not far from its crust.A smaller distance may need a hotter oven and/or a... |
Is this underproofed?
New to sourdough! I’ve made a few loaves now… oddly enough, my best loaf so far has been my first a couple weeks ago. This is one that I baked yesterday, and it had the large holes that I’ve been trying for but I’m also worried that the surrounding structure is too dense- is it maybe underproofed?... | Long fermentation
I don't feel like I'm necessarily good at judging whether something is over or under proofed vs. other issues. I would think this is probably a bit underproofed. Personally, I had my biggest bread breakthrough when I went from doing a 3-4 hr bulk fermentation just kind of by rote to doing a bulk fer... |
starter feedings for 100% rye sourdough bread
From my experience with white wheat sourdough breads, frequently feeding a starter is essential for creating a good oven spring and open crumb. However, an underfed starter can still produce good and tasty bread albeit with less oven spring and with a tighter crumb. Since r... | I would still do a 2-3 stage
I would still do a 2-3 stage build for rye bread anyway, too much acidity due to slow rise with an inactive starter is bad for the dough. Otherwise, I keep my rye starter in the fridge, it's fine. |
Protecting Gluten with weak flour link
I just came across this and thought that it is a nice summary of how to protect gluten, if you work with weaker flour. Most of you probably know this all but I wished when I started baking that I would have known...so hopefully someone might find it helpful...For me ...knowing yo... | Very helpful and insightful
Good afternoon, Kat. I hope this message finds you well. Being a very average in every way man, with little control over everyday occurrences, I sometimes try and take control by manipulating bread formulas too, make better bread. Sometimes I make changes without fully understanding what tha... |
My first real attempt at sourdough
Hi everyone, still very new here. I’ve blogged here about my making sourdough starters and this weekend finally had the time to plan and bake with my starter for the first time.I used the beginner sourdough recipe from The Fresh Loaf website, since I’m totally a beginner with SD.I t... | Ben, you are off to a GREAT
Ben, you are off to a GREAT start! I am totally impressed. You even managed to produce those much desired blister.Seriously, I a super impressed...Please post an image of your crumb.Danny |
First try at 50% Rye 100% Sourdough Leavened 500g Batards
Some things went right, some went wrong -- but the crumb and sourdough flavor were outstanding...1) 100% sourdough starter leavening built from fridge to active starter in three stages 25g to 50g to 100g to 200g over 36 hours.2) 70% hydration with 50% fresh home... | For one, you could use higher
For one, you could use higher hydration. For a 50% whole grain loaf, I'd probably go for in the 80-85 range, or maybe even a little higher. 4 hours of bulk sounds like a lot for 20% innoculation, but it could be okay if you baked it straight from the fridge. Try that instead of letting ... |
Liquid levain culture question
Hi guys and gals!First time messing with a sourdough starter but I've done other easy preferments, not a total newbie here.I have the Hamelman book a dear friend left in my care and I've begun his liquid levain culture. His instructions are confusing though for the day two through five fe... | Got the book in front of me
Just want to say, before I begin, that any starter "recipe" will do for this stage. And while I will try to advise on these instructions it might not be the exact way I'd make a starter. There is no one special recipe. There are only bakers and their own techniques. DAY ONE:4.8 oz whole rye ... |
Sourdough starter hydration
I currently have an established healthy sourdough starter. It's in my refrigerator and I feed it once a week. The feeding have been 2 ounces of starter, 2 ounce of water and 2 1/2 ounces of flour. I'm not sure what hydration that is. What ever it is I need to change it to 100% hydration ... | 100% Hydration
Just start feeding it 1:1:1. for a few days. |
SD Starter viability
When preparing a Sour Dough starter is there a specific amount of flour/water to produce a viable starter. That is, if the volume/weight of flour/water too small will it negatively impact the ability of a viable yeast colony to form?. In terms of feeding and discarding when constructing a starte... | I've always started off with
I've always started off with something like a couple tablespoons flour and a tablespoon water. Some seem too like a much larger initial amount, but I hate to waste anything and never had trouble staring small. I personally don't believe in discarding when there is no activity. That tends to... |
Sourdough Roll Recipe?
I was doing my weekly bake last week and needed a few rolls for lunches, so when preshaping the loaves I split off a portion of dough and made 6 x 80g rolls. I put these in a roasting tin and retarded them along with the loaves.I baked the rolls in the morning with some steam, but they ended up r... | Red rye malt ("RRM")
Hi, Lance:FYI. I used 3% of RRM when making the artisan wheat-rye rolls I recently posted. Baking @482F x 20 minutes yielded rolls with bold-colored, crispy crust and moist crumb.YippeeP.S. My rolls were @ 60% hydration and 102g each. |
Poolish vs. Biga vs. Sponge for Enriched Doughs
Hi All, Im working on a recipe very similar to this one:https://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2016/12/29/naturally-leavened-brioche-style-kugelhopf/Its an Italian version of a Savarin/Gugelhupf/Baba. I’m not skilled enough to use a sourdough yet, but my question to you all is ... | Differences would be slight,
Differences would be slight, if any, as they are essentially the same thing save for a little difference in hydration. |
Forkish ELEMENTS OF PIZZA starter questions
I have followed Forkish’s levain/starter process to the letter. What I have at day seven is a slurry with a few bubbles in it. I went ahead and made the starter for the pizza dough. Again, I have a sort of slurry with a few bubbles. The culture doesn’t smell bad, but it also ... | If it's goopy, you may have
If it's goopy, you may have too much liquid -- my starter has the texture of wet clay. I wouldn't start over. If there is some yeasty smell and some bubbles, it means you are probably OK. I'd remove all the starter except for 2 tablespoons, then add 30g. flour mix (1/2 wheat 1/2 white) and 3... |
Flour Comparison Chart?
I found this chart online: https://www.sourdoughhome.com/index.php?content=flourtestresults but I'd like to find a list/chart that has more of the Canadian-available flours on it. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Thank you!~Bernadette | I haven't seen a chart, but
I haven't seen a chart, but here's some very basic information to get you started:Canadian all-purpose flour is usually higher protein than its US counterpart. This means it is a bit more likely to work, in those situations where a US baker would definitely have to choose bread flour. In Can... |
Starter mistake
Hi guysi'm fairly new here and new to baking. I have a question.I had my sourdough starter in the refrigerator and took it out yesterday @ 8PM to feed. I was planning on making bread today, but realized that I put my fed starter right back into the fridge right after feeding it!My question is: it seems ... | I would let is rise at room
I would let is rise at room temp today and watch its activity. I would not do another feeding since the starter didn't get a chance to 'eat' the last one. You just put it to sleep before it had a chance to rise! You will probably have to repeat the feed tonight if your baking schedule cal... |
Success Story
Last Thursday I made some dough. I wrapped it in parchment paper, put it in a plastic bag and refrigerated it.On Saturday it traveled 400 miles with me in a little cooler which didn't keep it cool very long. On Sunday it was slashed and baked.This was no traditional loaf, though. It was made not with a st... | Recipe?
Hi Doughooker,I'm game! Care to share the recipe?Warmly, Jessica |
Does anyone else have problems getting an even color on the bottom of the loaf?
Did a bake this morning and happy about the dark brown crust! However, sometimes I have this problem where the bottom of the loaf doesn't brown as dark/even as the rest of the loaf. What could be happening here?I bake in a Lodge combo cooke... | Dark ovens
I watched a baker explain that the dark colored dutch ovens can cause this. She suggested removing the loaf from the dutch oven after the initial bake, and placing it directly on the rack for that second bake. |
Formula devolopment experiment
Good morning, friends. I hope you are all well. Today, I am attempting to convert my low inoculation, commercial yeast pizza dough, to a one day bake naturally leveled formula. I added a 1hr pseudo - autolyse into the mix and swapped out the sugar in favor of diastatic malt powder. (I kno... | I hope it works out great!
I hope it works out great!Why do you say pseudo-autolyse? I suspect it's no different from the real thing. (Unless you mean that all dough "autolyses" are pseudo-autolyses because no actual autolysis takes place, or something like that.)"Naturally leveled formula", however, may come from the ... |
what is killing my starter.
I’m not sure about this, Ten plus years feeding and baking with this starter. Always healthy and strong. Sometimes it goes dormant in the fridge for a week or two, and when it comes out it only takes two days to get strong enough to leaven dough and make lovely bread. Little by little, it be... | Pesticides? Probably not.
A starter living on the edge and minimally used can be easily abused. The problems start out small and then suddenly build up quickly bringIng the starter to a halt. Maybe it's time to make a new starter. You could have lost a few colonies of various yeasts and/ or bacteria and now the sta... |
New Didn't weigh jar
Greetings all! I am just starting out on my sourdough adventure and still figuring things out of course. I tried searching, but couldn't find anything.I have a Fido 1 liter jar with starter. I need 400grams of starter, but I don't know how much I have because I didn't weigh the jar.Any one have ... | Try this
Weigh the jar with the starter inside. Write it down.Remove the starter to another container preferably one with smooth sides and big opening, like a small bowl. Use a rubber or silicone scraper so that all the starter lands in the bowl and jar is very cleanly scraped out. Now weigh the jar and write down t... |
Newbie Sourdough Maintenance Question
Hi all you helpful people here. If you’ve seen my blog post you’ll know I’m quite a newbie a baking bread and have just started building my sourdough starters 2 weeks ago. I have two starters currently after tossing the first away when I thought it wasn’t working. The two I have... | So... because it's a young starter
I'd keep feeding it even tho you aren't going to use it for a bit.After that, what I do is just dump some and then feed 1:1:1. Everyone does it differently. I"ve read that if you are leaving for a long while, make it into a stiff starter, like 60% hydration.hester |
Feeding time at the microorganism zoo.
Feeding time at the microorganism zoo. From left to right: Slow-Moe, Maintenance culture Slow-Moe, Emergency back up culture Slow-Moe catastrophic disaster recovery culture. (No feeding necessary) | I like your back-up plan of
I like your back-up plan of having a dried frozen starter in the freezer. |
Newbie looking for critique
I’m a newbie (aka lurker…) to this site. My name is Bernadette and I’m from southern Ontario (Canada). I had been trying to absorb as much as I could before diving in head-first. First off - thank you, to everyone who posts anything about everything here. While somewhat overwhelming in in... | How to improve?
Add a Hot beverage and a little sweet butter! Yum! |
sourdough float testing
Hi!its my first time making starter and recently a ton bubbles started to appear within my starter which I took as a good sign. I tried the float test just for fun and it floated with a huge chunk of starter but the following days havent been showing the same result. My starter only floats if I ... | More details would be a help.
More details would be a help. As in, what was used to create this starter, and specific timeline results. Like when exactly was "recently". |
Re: Soughdough English muffins.
Hello, friends. I made some whole grain English muffins yesterday, They taste great however, they were tiny. What size cookie cutter should I use for a Thomas's sized muffin? Additionally any tips on rolling the dough out to the best thickness? Thank you for any help. Kind regards,Will... | I've only tried English
I've only tried English muffins once (and I'm English), from the Elizabeth David recipe, and the dough was too loose to really roll. I just patted it out to about 2 cm thick. Cut with 8cm diameter cutter, wetted. |
Troubleshooting a new starter
Hi everyone,Long time user, but new to posting on the site. It's been a number of years since I made a sourdough. Apologies in advance for the long post, I'm hoping more detail might help with a diagnosis! My last sourdough starter was an all white bread flour and I never had any issues wi... | Something to try
Another 1:1:1 feed but this time with 100% pure pineapple juice and some wholegrain flour. Give it a very good stir and leave in a warm place preferably 75-78F. Do not feed again till you see significant activity. Instead stir twice a day. |
Starter problem — sinister clear liquid and death
HiI'd be very grateful for advice: I'm a novice, running into difficulties.A year ago I made a started and successfully made a good sourdough loaf at least once a week for some months. I followed the instructions and recipe here. (I'm in the UK.)After perhaps eight mont... | A question and a suggestion
A question and a suggestion.What temp is your starter fermenting and how long between feeds?You may want to take a few grams of your starter and try a test. Feed it only bread flour and make sure to stir it very well. The idea is to develop the gluten.Tell us about your feeds and maintenance... |
Sourdough rise
I'm looking to see if anyone has a suggest on what is going wrong when I make sourdough. If I make the bread with yeast, it rises perfectly and makes a great looking loaf. However, if I use a sourdough culture, the bread is flat. It has great flavor but it is more dense that it should be. I've included a... | Apples and oranges.
Have you made any adjustments for the bacterial effects? |
100% Hydration Starter.
I was reading a recipe for a baguette using sourdough and it talked about hundred percent hydration starter. Is this regular starter or is this something different ? | It is just a starter
It is just a starter containing equal weights of flour and water. If that's your regular starter, then it is a regular starter. If your regular starter is 75% or 125% then you'll need to build a starter with this hydrations specifically if you want to follow the recipe exactly. |
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