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Miche Collapse
I was trying to make Hamelman's ("Bread") Mixed Flour Miche. It was going fine, a nice active starter got the levain going. After mixing with 10 minutes of Rubaud's method, a rest, and some folds, the dough seemed to be developing. After 3 more rounds of folds 30 minutes apart, it seemed pretty strong... | Sounds like it proofed too
big in the bowl. I find it useful to take a before picture and compare as it rises. A round bowl is hard to estimate "not quite double" volume. Save some rise for the oven spring. |
Starter starting fits and starts
Well, here I thought this would be easy...smhI have two starters being lazy. The first I used a commercial yeast recipe from AllRecipes. It was going fine for a bit, then it just tanked. It barely peaks at all. I'm not sure if it's temperature, ratio, flour type or what...but it's slug... | For the first - your probably
For the first - your probably right. Feed when you see max activity. Discard is usually unnecessary at first, unless using large amounts and you run out if room. Too thin and you may not see much rise. Keep consistency of a wet dough so it'll hold bubbles and not let them escape.The second... |
Shaping Loaf just before Baking - Poor/Dense Crumb?
The past two loafs I have made have had rather dense crumb (very small pores/holes). I wonder if this was due to shaping the loaf right before baking? I've baked 3 or 4 loafs and this didn't happen with my first two. My starter is one month old. I typically use almost... | More Sour
Increasing sour flavor has also been a quest for me. Living in the Great Northwest, I have had plenty of sourdough bread with a bright tang from bakeries and stores and I LOVE that flavor. I have found that I can get more pronounced sour flavors if I use whole wheat in my starter (instead of all purpose fl... |
My Day 8 Sourdough Starter - Toss it or continue feeding it?
Hello there! I'm a lurker at this site and today I take the step to join this forum as I'm stumped.. Need some opinions!Today is Day 8 of my Sourdough starter. This is the most successful batch I've attempted by far. I started out with 2 tablespoons of water ... | I'm still pretty new to all
I'm still pretty new to all of this sourdough stuff. I just started with water and flour attempting to gain a consistency just thicker than pancake batter and that garnered yeast pretty quickly. Why are you attempting to use all of these other ingredients? |
Wild Yeast , a problematic name
It seems to me , that the use of the term 'wild yeast' to describe the yeasts and enzymes native to the cereal grains is confusing the issue rather than clarifying it .Not so long ago , the general consensus seemed to be that wild untamed yeast spore of every stripe were floating... | That isn't quite right
Yeast water is wild yeast culture that has no sour component or LAB in it and rises bread just fine with no help from yeast in the grain. Enzymes are not even alive, They are just chemical compounds that act as catalysts in chemical reactions that take place in the dough once it gets wet. Sourd... |
Eric Kayser Liquid Starter Review
Hi all,About 2 months ago, my "dry" starter has died and since I have stopped making bread. I miss it and want to get back to it.Recently I purchased The Larousse Book of Bread by Eric Kayser cookbook, in which I decided to make liquid starter this time. Upon making Eric Kayser liquid ... | Eric Kayser Liquid Starter
Hi Mr_Shin,This particular liquid starter was my second foray into creating a sourdough starter, and unfortunately it was anything but successful. I picked up the Larousse Bread Book at my hospitality school library, and after sampling Mr. Kayser's wares I figured he would steer me in the rig... |
Large holes in top of sourdough boule
This is the 3rd liaf in a row that has had big holes in the top of loaf. I have shortened BF times ect...Is this a overproof, underproof issues, shaping or some other factor at work here. I seem to get fairly good oven spring but my boules seem to be caving on one side too. Any hel... | What
flour do you use? |
Sourdough Newbie, what am I doing wrong?!
Hello,I've been feeding my starter for about a month now and made 3 loaves. However, while the bread tastes good, the crust is solid and pretty dry. I do cut the top but it doesn't seem to really spread at all, in the picture above this loaf actually exploded open on the undern... | The dough is drying out. Keep
The dough is drying out. Keep well covered during bulk and final proof. |
Sourdough sandwich bread
New day, new experiment. 95% hydration dough was a b to work with. By the time I transfered the "shaped" blob to the pan, I had pretty much given up on doing it right. Happy AND surprised with the results, tho. Crust a bit thicker than I would have liked on a sandwich bread. Better steam techni... | My bread
I use King Arthur Bread Flour with my 50% whole sheet bread to give a stronger gluten and rise.Ford |
New, from scratch, sourdough starter
I was using a starter I made, with a San Francisco culture I got from Cultures for Health, for the past 2 years. I kept the starter in the fridge and fed it once a week. Someone threw my starter out so I had to make another. This time, I am trying it from scratch. I used the method ... | That how I did it,
That how I created my starter, and many others. All you need is flour, water, and most important - time. It sounds like you're there. Nasty smell is normal at first, things just need to balance out, and it looks like they have. It'll only get better from here. Give it another week of regular feeding ... |
Did I kill the yeast in my starter
Starting a separate thread as I can't post pictures in the previous thread.Now I maintain my starter in the refrigerator feeding it once a week but skipped last week so heres my starter (93% hydration) as of today after being removed from the refrigerator and fed 18 hours back as foll... | I say take a step or two back
Get some more wholegrain in there and take the approach of only feeding when you see significant activity just like when you were creating the starter. If no activity then skip a feed or two till it picks up and just stir. Have you changed anything to make your starter play up? You might w... |
A beginner "watching the dough"
I'm trying to build my intuition about dough. (I call this using "the force".)Yesterday, I decided to go by sight/touch to decide when the dough was ready to shape, and when it was ready to bake.I did not succeed. But I will try again.I have two regrets listed below, and I wonder if the ... | I used to get those bubbles.
And then all of a sudden with more practice and attention to detail to the procedure I was following, they went away.. I don't know. Maybe my starter was immature. Maybe my shaping technique was bad.. Maybe I didn't mix well.I'm curious what others think. |
Cloud forms on my starter
Okay, so I'm fairly new to sourdough starters. My first batch of starter went great (not as sour as I'd like, but yielded a perfect bread) I then, being so new at it, forgot to feed her for a few days and she died. I discarded and started over. Now, after one to two days of starting the new st... | Follow the instructions
at the bottom of the first post.http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/10901/pineapple-juice-solution-part-2Mine worked perfectly using this method. The secret is getting the mixture acidic enough (pineapple juice) so that the right organisms grow and crowd out the bad ones. I didn't get a stinky star... |
Gray liquid on top...where do I go from here?
Hey all-First time here. I got a starter from Amazon and it was working great...until I went to Georgia for 3 weeks and left it all alone in the fridge. I came back to about a half inch of great liquid on top. I've had this happen before, but not so much as I did this time.... | Hooch
The liquid is called hooch: it is alcohol. it should be stirred back into the starter when it appears, not drained off. To balance out an overly acidic starter (that's what you have), you wash the culture. To wash a culture: mix it all together, stir in enough hot water (hot, maybe 120 degrees, but definitely not... |
Help in turning my purist bread
hi guys!ive been baking sourdough for a few years now. been baking this hopefully pictured lovely 100% white spelt bread with lovely crumb quite happily. Also making Trevor j wilsons Champlain sourdough Recipe. I use the fridge already for proofing. My problem is newborn 3rd baby due ... | The Do Nothing Bread
Lovely bread! Great crumb.Ok... so it takes 25 hours but with little planning you can have fresh bread everyday with very minimal involvement. It can be 100% sourdough too.It's very simple. High hydration, 1% starter and 2% salt. For a 50:50 bread and whole-wheat dough you can go up to 90% hydratio... |
First Sourdough Loaf - how would you rate it?
I must say this has turned out much better than my commercial yeast breads so, I think I didnt do really bad, it certainly looks much better than what I would expect from my first, it tasted fine too, very slightly sour and mostly tasty though the crumb could be less dense,... | First of all
Lovely first sourdough loaf. Got a good rise and your starter certainly works a treat. Nice!Here are some thoughts on how I'd tackle the recipe...1. 15 hour autolyse is a bit much and unnecessary. 30min-1hr should be just fine.2. At 17% starter I'd be able to get the bulk ferment done in 3-5 hours.3. Doing... |
Bulk ferment in relation to starter time
Hi:I resolved flat sourdough issues by figuring out my current pet yeast is slow - many recipes talk about allowing the bulk ferment to go 3-4 hours, which was not enough time for me, I get much better results allowing it to rise 8-12 hours - this is without any refrigeration. ... | I had the same issue..
Check your kitchen temperature too. My starter has slowed down after being in the refrigerator... a different mix of flours also slows it down easily but it resolves itself when its usual flours are used (I keep experimenting with different feed ratios and sometimes starve my starter, skip a feed... |
Accidentally used coarse wholemeal wheat flour, dough didn't rise correctly?
Hi, I've been lurking on this site for a month learning as much as I can. I have a problem... I made 6kgs of flour with rye sourdough starter (very healthy and very alive) and realized the new flour I bought was coarse wholemeal which takes ... | I can't see why a more coarse wholemeal
would affect the rise. I can see how 65°F would slow things down and getting it up to the mid 70°F would really help. As a last resort you can save it by adding some dried yeast and carry on as a yeasted bread.Best of luck. |
Sourdough and High Extraction Flour: Real Significance?
Hi everyone, I want to start experimenting with more specialized types of flour when making my sourdough breads. Right now I have been using KA Bread Flour and AP flour (the latter was not working out too well with high hydration recipes!)I have been following som... | The Italians use Farro for 3 kinds of grain
Einkorn, emmer and spelt. The Italians also use size if the seed to distinguish between the 3 - small farro is einkorn medium farro is emmer and large farro is spelt. If no size discriptor is used than it is usually spelt but might be emmer too. You can tell by looking at ... |
Help!! Consistently bad sourdough maybe caused by starter?
Hello! This is my first post and I'm desperate for some answers about my breads! I've been baking for about 9 months with the same starter and I've had some really fabulous results but lately...it's been a mess. Loaves with big bubbles in the crust, huge irregu... | If you've been feeding the starter, I very much doubt...
...it's the problem. Do you monitor dough, starter and water temperatures? Do you work to a Desired Dough Temperature formula? When you say "room temp", what exactly do you mean? I ask because this could be something as simple as seasonal temperature changes. Wha... |
Bulk ferment vs final proof - a question
When I BF my SD I do it at room temperature until doubled, then pre shape, rest, final shape then straight into the fridge for 9 - 12 hours overnight depending on what time I shape. I bake straight from the fridge.If my dough is overproofing (a little or a lot) in its overnight ... | Timing for proofing
Hmmmm, sounds like you have a very active starter that is still active at your fridge temperature. I have the same problem with doing final proofing in the fridge; usually overproofs. Given the need for sleep, I think it probably better to reduce the levain in your dough rather than reduce the bulk ... |
Maintaining fruit yeast water, how often to refresh?
Hi All, I just made raisin yeast water and try to bake my first loaf. I see some topics on maintaining yeast water but I can't about how often should we refresh it. Please give advice. Thank you. | Maintaining and refreshing are the same thing.
There are as many ways as there are for sourdough starter. I refresh mine whenever I use it - about once every 2-3 months. Others bake with it all the time and refresh one a week or even 3 times a week. It is up to you and how often you use it, |
"Proper" Sourdough pH?
I've search this site, and other baking related sites, top to bottom and have yet to find a number, e.g., 3.6, or 4.2, or even a range of values of "correct" pH for mature sourdough starter. All I've found is imprecise (and a few ambiguous) references to "low" pH. That's as about precise as the t... | My understanding
My understanding from WGB is that is should be between 3.5 and 4. I bought some pH paper but I could never get my starter to register anything on the strips. I think the only way to get a really accurate read is to buy a pH meter. They cost about $100. That's a lot of money to spend just because I'm cu... |
Sourdough Not Rising in Oven
I've been making quite a bit of sourdough recently and I find my loaves to be very inconsistent when I bake. The recipe I'm using is as followsLeaven (Overnight - 8 Hours)33g Starter50g Whole Grain Rye50g Bread Flour100g WaterAutolyse (Overnight - 8 Hours in a warm room)200g Whole Grain Whe... | Update Crumb
Here is the crumb for this morning's bread |
Pain au Bacon Shelf Life
I'm cooking my first Pain au Bacon sourdough and it just dawned on me that I'm going to have 2 loaves and was thinking about how they will keep for a day or so. I normally wouldn't leave bacon out on the counter and I've already had the dough on the counter 4 hours. I also typically wouldn't p... | Probably OK ...
Salt curing meat and fish has been a method of preserving meat and fish for millenia - way before fridges were invented. I'd not be overly concerned during ferment & proof and it's then going to be cooked during the bake (check with a thermometer to make sure its over 82°C if really concerned)For storag... |
Pineapple juice starter
My brain is starting to smoke from information overload, my finger tips are biga.......ooops.....didn't I mean burning? And my eyes are starting to see sourdough angels dancing in the sky. Am I on another planet? Anyhow, with all the millions of opinions, websites and suggestions.....oiy, I noti... | maintain starter
Keep refreshing the starter. Discard half; add to the remaining, non chlorinated water, and flour in the ratio, starter/ water/flour = 1/1/1 by weight. Do this daily for two weeks and the starter should be ready for use. It will take about a month for it to be mature, but usable before. You may ref... |
an easy german rye recipe that can be baked in pans
Does anyone have a fairly simple recipe for a German style rye bread-not 100% rye, that can be easily converted to baking in a bread pan? I have attempted to simply switch up the type of flour and use rye in my standard recipe, but I have inconsistent results. This is... | Here is one of my favorite and easier ones.
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/49153/lucy-bakes-her-new-favorite-sourdough-ryeIf you go to my blog index you will find many more with various amounts of rye and some easer than others. Many have sprouts bit you can just =use rye flour in its place. You just click on the o... |
Rusty starter
I've been storing my starter in a jar with a metal lid, and finally learned my lesson. I neglected the starter for 3 weeks, and when I went to feed it, it had little rust spots on top of it. Would you toss the whole thing and start over, or would it be safe to scrape off the rusty parts? | if it is just rust, try and
if it is just rust, try and use some from the bottom of the jar. Get that back on its feeding schedule and it should be fine. |
white surface on top on sourdough
i dont know if my sourdough is ok. Can i bake sourdough bread with this sourdough?http://imgur.com/a/p6tPzhttp://imgur.com/a/tByT3 | Looks Dried Out
Do you keep your mother in the fridge or at ambient room temperature?Do you keep it covered to hold the moisture?How long since your last refresh? |
very new, many questions, starting with scoring
Hi, I'm very new at sourdough. Given the endless possibilities I'm just going to start somewhere. Please let me know what sounds off.Where I'm at: I made a loaf that ended up with a real nice crispy thin crust and a nice soft crumb (the picture shows it) that isn't quite ... | Some things to try
Nice looking loaf for a first try! And it's so nice that it tasted good - bonus, right? :)Here are a few things to try:Work the dough longer after adding the salt and starter. If you have a stand mixer, mix it for around six minutes at medium-low speed. It should be strong, silky and stretchy. If you... |
beginner help lots of fails and despair
I have had multiple fails most ending with a pile of goop.1 /was not discarding half my starter when feeding 2/over proofing all learned from this forum thank you all.I am looking for opinions on my next try my idea is to make a biga with 1/2 cup seed starter 1 cup flour and wate... | Recipe
If you are a beginner, I suggest you use a "tried and true recipe" and follow it to the letter, to get the feel for the dough and the process. Then go out now your own, only after you have built confidence in the process.Ford |
How to get an Exaggerated OPEN Crumb?
I would love to experiment with getting a crazy open crumb in my sourdough breads, does anyone have a link to a recipe that is design with this end result in mind? I see a lot of these on instagram but a lot of them are just pictures with no recipes or instructions for how they got... | Very High Hydration
With as little handling as possible. You want a no knead bread with long fermentation. A quick shape, final proof and bake. |
Very Sticky Dough
I've been following a Ken Forkish recipe for his overnight country blonde, which has 78% hydration. I've found it incredibly difficult to work with as it sticks to everything, especially the proofing basket (even with rice flour). Has anyone else had this problem or any suggestions? It seems quite sof... | The stickiness should eventually go away during
gluten development and bulk ferment, at least enough so it doesn't stick to a rice floured basket. The problem you are having ls not unusual at all. It may be the flour you are using just can't handle that amount of water or your temperatures are like his in Oregon - I ... |
Very active starter suddenly isn't rising
I started a new starter six days ago. Twenty-four hours later it was bubbly and had doubled in height. On day three it had oozed out of its jar. So I moved it to a larger jar. I started feeding it every 12 hours as instructed. It rose by about 50% the first feeding, and af... | It sounds like a new starter
It sounds like a new starter - and it needs time. Get a dough like consistecy - leave till it gets watery - thicken back up (etc) - wait. It may take a month till its ready for use. Enjoy! |
Francisco sourdough starter
Can San Francisco sourdough starter survive with the same characteristics anywhere? | Yes, but…
…the starter will most likely evolve to incorporate local micro biota from the air, flour and possibly water it is exposed to. So you can take the starter out of San Francisco, but you probably can’t keep the locals from coming to the party. Doesn’t mean that it’s quirky left coast-iness will disappear comple... |
Help! Yeast water vs sourdough question
Today I am making my first yeast water bread using my 10 day old yeast water Rosie. I have made an identical loaf using my SD starter. In the photo it is approx 3 hours after I finished S&F/slap & folds (4x @ 40 minute intervals). Rosie is lagging behind hugely, although you can... | Just give time to YW
or you can bring it to warmer environment. By my experience YW is slower than SD so to reach the approximately same timing it needs warmer environment. But it will do it, don't worry.happy baking Leslie,Joze |
KA sourdough starter triples, but does not rise final dough mix
Hey guys, new to the forum here. I usually post in pizzamaking.com but wanted to get a pair of eyes from all the amazing artisan breadmakers here :)I have a roughly 2 week old sourdough starter made from just KA flour and water. It's never been refrigerate... | Do not introduce anything
Phew got that out if the way :)Need a bit more to go on. Recipe? Method? |
New to sourdough starter please help
Hello everyone, I need help. I've been trying to make my own sourdough starter from scratch following this guide (http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/10251/starting-starter-sourdough-101-tutorial) from gaaarp. I followed the instructions and tried with 2 more experiments. • Rye flour b... | Nail Polish Smell
Just means its very young and hungry. With better feedings and some TLC it'll grow out of that.As a rule, in this very early stage, it does help to feed when it needs feeding and not by the clock. So if it bubbles up then feed. If all goes quiet then skip a feed.Other then that... warmth and patience.... |
Changing starter hydration
Newbie question- sorry if it sounds silly.My 100% hyd. (wwf+apf) starter is in the refrigerator, fed once a week.Feeding day: I remove from refrigerator, discard n feed it as follows:Starter: 40gWater: 30gFlour: 40gSo, I reduced hydration to 75% when I noticed the consistency was more liquidy... | If you have a mature starter
Then why are you still discarding? You'll have to find a maintenance procedure where there is no discard. Keeping a small amount of starter, taking a little off to build with each time and then topping your starter back up when it runs low is a good way to manage without the need to discard... |
Sourdough skin tearing up during fermentation
Hi,I'm new to this blog but have been baking breads for almost two years now. I've been trying to get a perfect sourdough since a while now. The one major problem I've been facing is with the dough skin tearing up while rising.Ive changed the flour I've been using because s... | The skin seems a bit bubbly, and thin, around the tear
so I'm thinking over fermented and perhaps over tightening the boule and compromising the skin. |
Sourdough Starter Mold
I've been using the sourdough starter recipe from Ken Forkish, starting it in a 6 quart plastic container. However, for the second time fuzzy mold has grown onto the walls on the container. It is not inside the starter itself, but I'm not sure what to do. Does it need to be thrown out, or should ... | easy fix
My starter is 8 yrs old and suddenly this past year the mold issue happened . I keep my starter in a dannon yogurt container. I attribute the mold to handwashing the yogurt container as our dishwasher was not working. Anyway all I did was lift off all the obvious mold and then several more inches of starter. I... |
Converting Recipes
So, I'm wanting to create a fluffy sourdough sandwich loaf with my new starter. I've found a great looking recipe for a 70% hydration tin loaf on YouTube, created by Richard Bertenet; however, it uses 2 teaspoons of quick yeast rather than the starter. Is it possible to convert this recipe to a sourd... | Conversion
I was giving you an easy ballpark for how to think about it. But you really want to use an amount of starter that's about 1/3 the weight of your flour. And in that case you need to build up the amount of starter you have so that it's enough to make at least 1 loaf. So rather than pitching part of your start... |
Sourdough starter feeding
Hi! I wanted to find out if I needed to have my starter pass the "float" test before I could use it in my bread recipe or can I go ahead and use it without it passing said test? thanks in advance, smartswater | If new to the sourdough
If new to the sourdough/starter world, probably best to do it. I don't anymore, but only cuz I've done it enough to know what a ready to use starter is like. May also help if you run into trouble and try looking for help. Many will ask - did it pass the float test? - knowing would help others he... |
Using sourdough starter
I have begun to start a sourdough starter and I would like to incorporate it into some of my bread recipes. I am relatively new to baking and am stumped. What do I need to add or omit, if anything from the recipe? Also, do I use the starter in place of the active dry yeast that is called for in... | Find a recipe
This is now your yeast. Instead of adding in any yeast you replace that with some starter. Before using you need to prep your starter. You can do this by feeding it and taking some off to put into your dough. Or you can build a levain. A levain is an off-shoot of your starter and you simply take some star... |
Any recipes for sourdough biscotti?
I wanted to try making biscotti this holiday season and I was just discarding my sourdough starter in prep for activating it when I was thinking about which recipe to try. Light bulb moment!! Why not use the sourdough starter discard as a start? So I did develop a quick recipe and it... | doesn't sound horrible to me
Amish bread is a sweet, quickbread that is enhanced by sourdough, so sweet biscotti could be too.
No recipes or ideas here, however! I picture it with lemon zest, though..... |
How much volume of starter to keep around
I have a Rye and Whole Wheat starter that I feed regularly but alternate between fridge time and counter time. I'm wondering how much starter you all generally keep around- I generally only feed about 20g of starter with a 1:2:2 feed. Is there any benefit to larger volumes of f... | Easiest way to reduce discard
Easiest way to reduce discard - don't make any. I don't have any use for it, so I don't make it, simple. Enjoy! |
How others are feeding their starters
I'm new to bread making but here are my observations and recordings for how people are feeding their starters, for anyone interested. By Flour StarterFlourWaterFSWY20.0%100.0%80.0%Reinhart83.3%100.0%74.7%King Arthur100.0%100.0%100.0%Perfect Loaf20.0%100.0%100.0%@matts_miche50.0%10... | All of those methods are just way too much work.
I hate being chained to a starter:-) I feed it once ever 20-26 weeks and it is lucky to get that:-)No Muss No Fuss Starter |
Starter too active! Eats up food in <4hrs!
Hey everyone,So my 100% hydration starter has finally awoken after a long lull (thanks to Lechem!) and has been pretty active - almost a bit too active unfortunately(?). Currently I feed it 50% WW/Whole Rye and this bugger is a beast. First when I feed it at 9am, it's already ... | That sharp smell
Congrats on getting over that quiet stage. You win! Sounds as if all is very well indeed but that strong smell, which is often acrylic, means it's hungry. A starter which is fed everyday and is always active will peak quickly depending on feed amount and temperature of course. But say you keep your sta... |
Starter in fridge
HiI've been experimenting with maintaining a starter in the fridgeI noticed that a Rye starter when kept all the time in the fridge became fluffy after 2 days (and passed the float test) and stayed like that for another few days even though that it didn't rise.I'm assuming that that Rye starter is ver... | If the white starter is making bubbles it may be too thin
thin to hold them and they are not being held in the culture to make it float. It may be just as active as the rye. Most liquid starters held in the firdge for a week after feeding can be use straight out of the fridge to make a loaf of bread. |
YW - how do I use it
Well, Rosie (my raspberry yeast water) is a week old and yesterday mid afternoon I took 40 g yw and mixed it with 40 g higrade flour. there were bubbles there last night and it had risen. Here is a photo this morning. just for interest I did a float test and it passed! yeah!! So now I can try and m... | Just make a preferment like any other bread.
Biga, poolish, mixed with levain it all works. I shoot for about 15% to 20% prefermented flour with YW. Sweet and moist with the most irregular crumb is the result. Here are some exampleshttp://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/35473/yw-primerNice job |
Oat Sourdough and Soya Lecithin
I wish to make a 100% Oat Sourdough. Can I use oats which have soya lecithin for the Levain? Recipe asks for fine oats for the Levain build and rolled oats for the main dough. The only fine oats I have are more of an instant porridge which has soya lecithin in them. Will this suffice? I ... | Fine oats are just oats
Fine oats are just oats ground to a fine consistency as far as I know. I usually just grind rolled oats for recipes that call for fine oats or oatmeal. |
Converting Rye STARTER to White Starter?
How many grams of rye would you recommend using to building a white flour starter? Or would you just recommend making a levain with the rye starter I already have?My rye starter is 100% hydration! I need from 100g to 360g of white starter for various recipes! | Thiis the perfect time to learn the rule of 15.....
take the amount of levain you need and divide it by 15. 360 /15 =24 g. This is the amount of starter you need plus the amount of the first feeding of white flour in a 3 stage levain So take 24 g of starter and feed it 24 g of white flour and 24 g of water. 4 hour... |
Raisin yeast water recipes
I've cultivated my raisin water starter and I've used it to make the Japanese White Sandwich Loaf I found here on TFL. I was just wondering if anyone knew of any other good recipes I could try that utilize raisin water. | Take any sourdough recipe
Convert it to a yeast water starter and allow for different timings. For example... If a sourdough recipe asks for 100g starter at 100% hydration then make a preferment with your raisin yeast water by mixing 50g YW + 50g flour. Allow that to mature then follow the recipe. Bearing in mind that ... |
Can't get sourdough right!
The result I keep getting is a very dense, chewy loaf surrouding three or four enormous, cavernous holes.I'll post my most recent method and see if anyone can spot what's up.500g strong white flour100g spelt10g salt50g starter (straight from the jar, didn't make a separate 'leaven')450g water... | The problen might be that you are using 4% prefermented
prefermented flour for the levain instead ofi a more normal amount that would be about 4 times that amount. 76% hydration is pretty high for European flours too espevcailly with the spelt in there. Must be a pretty sloppy and slow dough for sure. |
Old or new? Or does it matter?
I've been caring for my 2-month-old starter for, let's see... I guess 2 months now. During that time, I've been struggling to figure out how it all works with the help of you good and patient people. I'm putting it to some good use today, taking my first shot at the Tartine country lo... | Many people
Build extra levain and keep the leftover for the next batch and so on. Others keep a mother starter and take from that to build a levain. If you keep a mother starter then there's no need to build extra. Build up to the correct amount that goes into the recipe keeping the same ratio advised in the recipe. O... |
Frankenstein Starter
So I set myself a challenge this week. Create a new starter and bake bread within a week. The bread I have in mind is a Hamelman recipe and he always uses (or often uses, atleast) a high hydration Levain of 125% hydration. So my new starter will be the same. I also think that logically it would be ... | Lol
I have not the foggiest idea, but I loved reading the narrative of Frankenstein starter.hester |
Controlling the sour in sourdough
When I make sourdough I typically use a formula from Bread by J. Hamelman. Ones that I have made include Vermont Sourdough (rye and wheat), Whole Wheat Levain, 40% Caraway Rye, Sourdough Rye with Raisins and Walnuts and others. I've also made the Sweet Potato Levain from Sourdough by... | Here is a link to get you
Here is a link to get you started. I have a friend who loves sour, and find that for me at least, it is hit or miss. https://brodandtaylor.com/make-sourdough-more-sour/ |
Help, how do I get big air holes in my bread?
Hi everyone I have been baking some higher hydration breads but can't seem to get those big air holes or pockets, my bread has a great over spring but none of those large air holes. This is definitely on the overproof side of things any other bits of advice? | There is a fermentation
There is a fermentation spectrum that affects both texture and taste. On the latter end of the spectrum (fermented longer) you get what you got. On the earlier end of the spectrum, you will get a milder taste and more sturdy crumb, which will (usually, depending on shaping) have those larger, ... |
Rye SourDough Load very sticky
So i made a Rye Sourdough loaf. Actually tried 2. Doubled the recipe i found on Youtube from Eric Ruschhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSN-l1eR-bY400g water1/3 cup starter 80g?245g ap flour245g rye flour2 tbsp molassas I don't have proofing bowls so greased two glass bowls. Put them in... | Try lining your proofing bowl
with parchment paper, and when your loaf is ready for the oven, lift It by the paper and put the whole thing in your Dutch oven. It will separate from the paper as it cooks. |
Sourdough starter separation
So, I live in a warm climate (pacific coast mexico) although it has been colder for the past few days (relatively speaking: 22-24 degrees C) and my new sourdough starter was really active on first night! Frothy bubbly, sour smelling...but it will not seem to accept new "food". The new wat... | It is going through its quiet period
where the dough becomes acidic enough to support the yeast and the right bacterias. The bubbles and activity at the beginning are caused by other bacterias that aren't the kind you want. Stop feeding and just stir for a couple of days until you see activity again. Then throw half aw... |
It's true.
I don't know why, but it's true: plastic is evil ... at least as a vessel for sourdough. Many years (decades!) ago, I watched my mom tend her starters in glass jars, and when I started mine a little over a year ago, I naturally reached for members of the Mason family. It's all I've ever used for mother start... | I exclusively use plastic
I exclusively use plastic bins for my starters and all doughs. I have never had a problem. I don't think the material is the culprit. I keep 10-15 kg starter at a time, and every bakery I have seen keep a starter has kept it in a plastic bucket or bin. I think you just had a bad day. |
Sourdough Recipe Fail: Twice
Hi Everyone, I know I have been posting a lot and I just wanted to say thank you all for all your help. I have been trying for the last two weeks to nail or at least successfully complete this recipe! The recipe has a levain build, 35gMature liquid starter (100% hydration)50%35gGiusto’s St... | If My Math is Right
your hydration is extremely high hydration. The author of the recipe notes this fact as well and suggests working at lower hydration and working up towards this (87%). the only bread that I ever back that even approaches that hydration is ciabatta and as Hamelman notes in his book "(ciabatta) requ... |
Flat wholemeal sourdough. What did I do wrong!?
Hello there. I am fairly new to sourdough (and this forum), so I apologise if this has been covered somewhere else.I have been using a TFL pain de campagne with satisfactory results. My oven spring and crumb size is ok, but would like to improve. Scoring is always a bitch... | My best guess is that it got over proofed.
Whole grain makes the yeast beasties super happy and the eat through that stuff faster than plain flour. So the gluten structure just couldn't hold up and your loaf collapsed. |
First Loaf Review
Hey guys,I'm hoping to get a little feedback on where I could make improvements. Overall, I found my first loaf to be a success.I began making my starter on 1/9/17 with 1 part whole wheat, 2 parts white. I don't measure the weights of water and flour. I just try to maintain a certain consistency.By 1/... | I wish I had pictures of my forst loaf but cameras
weren't invented yet:-) It would be good to see the crumb on this one but the outside looks pretty good. Bake it to at least 205 F on the inside and the gumminess will be gone. Well done and happy baking |
Tartine Country Loaf
So after getting the Tartine book at Christmas I have been trying my hand at the basic Country Loaf lately. Unfortunately after what I felt was a promising beginning things have not been going to plan. In 4 attempts at least one of the loafs has exploded out of the bottom during baking. Yesterdays ... | You are off to a good start
when I look at your crust and crumb. Scoring might be your issue so I suggest that you bake your loaves seam side up and don't score them. The loaves will split at the natural seams at the top of the loaves and create a very organic look. I bake most of my loaves this way. I know that others... |
White Tin Loaf
Decided to make the first loaf of bread with my new sourdough starter....I did a white tin loaf for the first bake. Nice and easy!Started with mixing 430 grams of flour with 10 grams of salt. Then, I mixed in 273 grams of water and 147 grams of sourdough starter (110% hydration starter). I dumped on an u... | Looks good, Jacob
And sounds tasty, too. Nice bake!Paul |
Happy New Year - starters on holiday
Hello folks - not been able to spend much time here as the Moorbakes bakery was working flat-out up to Christmas then we all went on holiday to India for a few weeks!So before I went, I put my starters in the fridge as usual. They had last been used on the 23rd Dec. for a bake on th... | Welcome back, Gordon
It looks as though you and the starters are bubbling along. I was in India on business in November and may need to return. Having just got home from vacation in Hawaii, I'd prefer to return to Hawaii, instead.Paul |
Toasted Buckwheat Porridge Sourdough Bread
A lovely recipe by Melissa over at Breadtopia. https://breadtopia.com/toasted-buckwheat-porridge-sourdough-bread/Here is my bake in more detail. A lovely delicious bread that toasts up a treat.
e371eb24378f38db33ed71f185a15a9a3e3fb951_2_666x500.jpeg | Great colour and crumb! So
Great colour and crumb! So whole groats in there? Must be an interesting texture and flavour.I made some toasted buckwheat (30%) sourdough English muffins recently. Great flavour though transferring the proofed doughs to the griddle was a trick. |
Hamelman's Durum Bread
So I set myself a challenge last week, can I make a starter from scratch and bake a bread within a week. Well so far the answer is "no". But the challenge is still on. At first I thought I was going to succeed. The initial bubbling up came quickly and vigorously as expected then funnily enough wh... | Durum Flour 100% (150g)Water 65% (97g)Yeast 0.1% (0.15g) Final Dough:Durum Flour 300gWater 240g (I used 200g making it a 72% hydration loaf instead of 80%)Salt 10gYeast 2.5g (I left out the yeast)Biga 247gLiquid Levain 112g This is my reworking of the recipe for one loaf! Method:1. Combined the flour and salt. Placed ... |
Yeast water - can I use Raspberries
I have plenty of raspberries in the garden at the moment, oranges and lemons too. Is this an option to get a yeast water going?Leslie | I'm all for raspberry yeast water!
Squash a hand full in a cup of water and go for it! |
Autolyse?
I have a recipe that calls for a 5 hr autolyse before mixing in starter but due to various reasons I ended up leaving the flour water mix for more than 15 hours before starting the mixing and fermentation process. What changes can I expect or what changes do I need to make? | Which flour and what temperature?
:) please |
Effect of bulk ferment and final proof times on oven spring
I've been having some issues with flat loaves. I'm fairly sure it's due to wrong proving times (sometimes over, sometimes under). Pondering some questions/thoughts and was wondering if anyone might know the answers.If you know you've overproven on the final ri... | Yes, you could add more flour
Yes, you could add more flour, water, and salt and rework the dough as a pate fermentee. Also, regarding overproofing, if you don't degas, the crumb will be bubbly and open although the loaf deflates in a way. Imagine a bubblegum bubble: before peak, it is partway inflated and the skin is ... |
Hamelman's Durum Bread Question
I'm following this recipe http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/32420/durum-breadDurum Bread by Hamelman with a Biga and Sourdough Starter.If I were to retard this dough do you advise...1. At the end of the bulk ferment and before shaping (stages 5-6)? 2. After shaping (stage 7)? The retard w... | Yeast
You could always leave out the yeast and treat it as straight sourdough. I made his semolina with corn, millet and semolina soaker last week. It rose more slowly than my usual bread so after an overnight bulk retard in the fridge I had to leave it on the counter for a couple of hours before shaping and final pro... |
2 week old starter smells right, but no rise!
Hello all, a few years back I had a pretty successful white 100% hydration starter, which I unfortunately lost in a move between cities. I have been baking yeasted bread on a fairly regular basis since then, but recently I decided I wanted to get back on the sourdough path.... | Can you describe
The life of your starter till now? Did it ever rise but then go quiet? Have you been feeding it everyday even during this quiet period? If so, what are your feeds like? How much fresh flour to starter ratio? Are you keeping your starter warm? |
Beautiful big hole loaf from Pane Francese 1 flavorless & gummy
During the Big Snow in Portland Oregon I stayed home and decided to make a loaf or two...Using the Pane Francese with a few minor mods this beautiful loaf came out. Not sour, kinda gummy, but better after it's toasted. I read a post somewhere that the brea... | Your loaf looks great!
Since you're slicing then next day, I don't think the gumminess is a case of you slicing too early. Perhaps, add an extra few minutes to the baking time. Or try baking for 40 mins as usual, turn off the oven and leave the loaf in there for another 5 -10mins? Hope this helps :) |
Optimal time to use starter for a levain build?
Hey guys so what is the verdict on the float test for starter? I have a 100 % hydration starter that I feed twice a day for a couple of days before baking (it's all rye flour), I took it out the fridge Wednesday evening fed it, fed it Thursday morning and fed it Thursday ... | rye starter, what are you missing...
When weather gets colder, it can be that you need to have a larger amount of starter to feed to keep with your 4 hour schedule. If in summer you fed 30g of starter, then you might meed 60g of starter to get the same behaviour. (more info would be helpful)About the floating... seem... |
poolish again
I made poolish and refrigerated it for 24 hours brought it to room temperature and made a loaf which came out great. If this was my sourdough, I would then discard half, feed with water and flour and sit in warm area until it was ready.If I use some poolish do I also discard half, feed with flour and wat... | Poolish Again...
From my understanding a poolish is made up of flour and water at 100% hydration, with a sprinkling of yeast. The purpose of the poolish is to develop flavor compounds that will be added to the final mix. The yeast consume elements of the water/flour mixture and leave flavor and color in their wake.In t... |
Freak Starter
Earlier I took a picture of two of my starters to post a question here tonight, and I just read Lechem's post about his Frankenstein starter. Interesting.OK, so these two starters were fed within 45 minutes of each other today, and this picture was taken about 7-1/2 hours from feedings. The one on the rig... | In!
I don't know the answer, but I'm here listening in the hopes that someone will have some insight. Fascinating! |
Sourdough Danish Rye/Rugbrød på surdej
All this talk of rye made me crave a Danish Rye bread. And of course for the recipe... https://theryebaker.com/sourdough-danish-rye/ Used a dark rye flour which is described as perfect for Scandinavian Rye Breads. Didn't have any coarse rye so substituted it for spelt grains rough... | Looks like a great recipe,
Looks like a great recipe, sure to be very flavourful! Looking forward to the crumb shot and tasting notes. |
Sourdough early hooch (day 3 new starter)
Just a quick question with respect to caring for my first young starter (named him Timmy :) ). I currently have one going with 50/50 AP whole wheat at 100% hydration. So my starter began seemingly normal, with strong activity on the night of day 2 (tons of bubbling with the sme... | Is this hooch or...
Separation? You mention 'floating on liquid'. Might be overly hydrated for the flour. Why not just thicken it up with some whole Rye flour and then see how it reacts. You're on the right track on how to get through this lull. After this small 'feed' carry on with the waiting game. |
starter too active
Hello all. I tried to make a new starter, 2 days ago, and after using AP flour, 100 hydration, in less then 24 h it was very active, at least doubled in size. the temperature in the kitchen is at least 24 degrees. Could it be contaminated? I switched to whole flour, and after only 3-4 hours, it doubl... | It happened to me too...
When I made my starter, it doubled in less than 12 hours on the first day and smell a faint sweet-acidic smell like a banana, then after feeding it doubled after 3 hours. Up to the second day there was a huge activity then it suddenly stopped at the third day. Most of the time it happens when p... |
What is the best way to build strength for high hydration dough?
I am wondering about both during the autolyse/mix phase as well as during the bulk fermentation. I know that some people also knead the dough after mixing in the salt, I looked at the Rubaud Method for that didn't get the results that I wanted. During the... | http://www.breadwerx.com
http://www.breadwerx.com/Take a look at the video for handling high hydration doughs. Great method for all doughs.Hmm, googled that method and first video was from the above site. Nevermind. |
Gummy starter
I am a total novice trying to start my own sourdough starter. It is about 3 weeks old and through lots of research and trial and error I feel like I might be getting somewhere. I started it with organic AP flour and switched to organic WW flour 2 days ago. it is doubling in size within 10 hours or so and... | Starter consistency
It should deflate when you feed it, as you need to stir it quite vigorously to get everything blended in well. You should of course be letting it rise (sit at room temperature) for several hours after you feed it, right? Does it bubble and double in size then? Is it light and puffy? Does it float in... |
poolish substitute for sourdough starter
I have poolish left over from another project and need an easy recipe for it. It is ready now! Can I just use a sourdough recipe and substitute poolish for the sourdough. I'm a rookie and only know enough to be dangerous. I don't under stand the formulas so please be easy on... | Sure! Why not!
You don't really have anything to lose but a bit of flour if it doesn't turn out. |
2 different pan loaves
Hi all! I was working on the pan loaves. My last 2 different pan loaves came out really nice!One was mostly white pan loaf, recipe from Trevor Wilson, and the other was 90% white whole wheat, recipe adapted from Maurizio's recipe. They both are delicious, but taste very different. I really apprec... | 2 different pan loaves
Beautiful loaves and beautiful photography skills as well.I'm jealous ATM.Paul |
rye sourdough starter sinks
i read somewhere on this site that i could test the effectiveness of my starter by dropping a teaspoon in water.i dropped 1 teaspoon of the rye starter in cold water & it literally form a coil on the bottom of the glass. i thought it was supposed to rise.please tell me what i did wrong.thank... | Never used the float test,
Never used the float test, but my understanding is you do it when the starter is at its peak. If it doesn't float, is not ready.How old is it? |
Making Sourdough work during the work day
Hello Everyone, I have been making artisan breads for the past couple of weeks with the purchase of FWSY. I am a decent baker making sandwich breads for a while and have had quite a bit of success with FWSY White Poolish recipe. Almost 2 weeks ago I started my starter using htt... | The fridge is your friend. You can use it
at any time in the bread making schedule to have the bread meet your schedule instead of the other way around. I have retarded starters, levains dough at every stage with no problems at all. What happens is that you might need to fridge it more than once and it will take an ... |
dough not rising
HiHope someone can help me.I have just started with sourdough breads a month ago as I was only using yeast so far. Got trouble to get the right bread as all come flat, After mixing all ingredients and S & F for couple of hours the dough gets nice and elastic but it does not rise at all from the first b... | Does your dough
End up like goo? What does the structure feel like after the bulk ferment? When you take it out of the banneton does it hold its shape? |
Kvass report
As I promised to keep you updated on my kvass creation, here you go, but I am sorry about the delay... I wanted to give you more details as the kvass was still fermenting over time and became even better after 2 weeks! In my opinion, the recipe called for too much sugar. The drink is supposed to be more ta... | Following
I saw your previous post about wanting to try to make kvass. I googled around a bit for some background, and then still curious, I asked my office mate (who is Georgian) if he was familiar with the drink, and he was. A week later, he brought me a 2-liter bottle of it try. I actually really liked it! It was ni... |
Weird question about dough volume
Hi there,I know this might sound super strange, but I was wondering if it's possible for sourdough during the bulk fermentation to double in volume and still not be properly proofed?Yesterday I made some sourdough and even when it was almost doubled in volume, it had relatively few sma... | Short answer - yes. But, this
Short answer - yes. But, this bulk as it's called is not proofing and any relation between the 2 is pretty irrelevant. X hours of bulk and not getting the expected result - well, hours are also kinda irrelevant. A dough is ready when it's ready and it tells you, clocks won't do that. Outsi... |
Today's Bake - And A Shout Out To Trevor J., + Others
Good morning!Anyone who's read a few of my posts knows I've struggled with any hydration over 70%. While I've had great success with doughs between 65-68% hydration, I knew my "handling skills" were lacking so I have been making a conscious attempt at higher hydrati... | Your loaves are gorgeous!
I've been obsessing over Trevor's videos lately too. I totally agree, they're incredible. Well done, so glad you're getting great results :)Happy bakingRu |
Starter finally rises and falls, now what?
So, I have now a starter that rises & doubles (beautifully) has lots of bubbles and air-pockets & even falls by the end of a 24 hour period (I can see that faint mark above the surface on the glass, good sign?. I have fed it at the ratio 1:2:2 with 50%wwf & 50% bf.It's been qu... | Certainly looks like a nice starter
Appears to be healthy and strong. Do you do the float test when peaked and are you careful not to knock out the air bubbles?The smell is interesting. It should have a nice smell when peaked and bubbly. If left longer then it will take on an alcoholic smell. Once it starts to fall, ev... |
Can I take my starter on flight?
I'm traveling to Kyoto and Taiwan next week.Is it possible that I take my starter on flight, through either carry-on or checked luggages?If not, what's to best way to store my starter at home?Thanks for your advice! :) | Travelling with starter
I recently went from Canada to the UK for six weeks. I took a container of liquid starter (100% hydration) with me in my checked luggage with no problem. The container was in a zip lock freezer bag in case it leaked and it made the journey just fine.My starters at home, I fed and left in the fri... |
When to feed prior to baking?
I suspect that this is one of those things where everyone has their own method and it works for them. So it's like asking "What's the best kind of music?" But... I'm making my first attempt at sourdough bread in a dutch oven tomorrow. I'm going to need to start mixing everything with ... | .
. |
Troubleshooting my starter
Hello!So this is my first post, so forgive me if I do not follow some of "The Fresh Loaf" etiquette. I have attempted to make a starter a few times now, but have not had much luck. I have been following this starter recipe. My first attempt was with 100% whole wheat flour, and my second attem... | Welcome!
Nice to have you on board. For a starter to go quiet after the initial bubbling up is very normal! The first burst of activity is from bad bacteria. After which they die off and then the good bacteria and yeasts take hold. This interim period appears quiet but things are happening. Unfortunately you gave up on... |
First Sour Dough Loaf
So i did my first loaf last week. It was good and tasty, but maybe a bit too tough? More like Ace baguette texture. Looking for more of a french loaf consistency. Very soft on inside, slightly crispy on outside. I cooked it in my dutch oven for 25-30min covered then another 25 uncovered. I'm a... | Kneading, proofing and flour
First, try using a blend of bread flour and all-purpose flour (assuming you use a high protein flour). That will make the crust and crumb a bit more tender. You can also add a little bit (half a tablespoon) of olive oil to the dough to make it softer.Second, I'm a fairly strong advocate of ... |
Question about Glezer firm sourdough starter
My question concerns the feeding schedule. Week one starts on Sunday, as calendar weeks usually do. Week 2 starts with a Saturday refresh. Is this Saturday two days later, which is technically still week 1, or am I to wait until day 9, which is actually the first Saturday... | Looks like to me
Two days later after the first Thursday. Technically not worded right but you wouldn't wait 9 days between feeds. |
Starter adj based on recipe Active Yeast requirement
Hello,I'm just getting into bread making so very new. I have a few recipes i would like to try but they call for 10ml active yeast350ml water250ml starter700g flour Trying to apply a few diff methods like the 1-2-3 1 part starter, 2x for water, 3x for flour. But t... | Hybrid recipe
You are correct; that is not a 1-2-3 recipe. It's called a hybrid, where you use both starter (with wild yeast) and some active dry yeast. Where did you get this recipe? Two teaspoons (10 ml) of yeast is an awful lot to use with 250 ml (1 cup) of starter, unless the starter is completely inactive and is u... |
Sourdough isn’t proofing after 15hrs in the fridge.
Sourdough isn’t proofing after 15hrs in the fridge.New starter, different flour and awful results. I am using organic high extraction white bread flour (14% protein) from Farmer Ground Flour in upstate NY. I would like to keep using it, (have KA artisan select as a b... | The first loaf looks like over proofed to me
Judging just by color I would say that all starches are already eaten and therefore can't caramelize. Just a guess. The flour you are using is much better that I can get so I have no doubts about that. I would try with shorter bulk fermentation and would not let the dough to... |
New to sourdough
I'm a little confused about hydration when it comes to percentage or how it's measured in any bread, for that matter. can someone explain a bit? thank you. | The percentage is based on the flour
being considered 100% all the time. So if you have 1000 grams of flour and you have 800 grams of water, that is 80% hydration. It is the same for dough and for starters/levain/whatever you want to call it. |
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