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Doc.Dough & DanAyo as youngsters
I came across this old image of Doc & I at around 7 or 8 years of age.I'm the cute one, he’s the smart one.“Laughter doeth good like a medicine...”Danny | Keeping alien invaders out of your dough!
Lol! Please report any suspicious characters hanging about your kitchen! So cute! |
Abysmal failure to create a starter
I have been trying for over a month to get a starter going, but it's no use. What frustrates me is that this is not my first attempt at creating a starter. I had created a starter a few years ago, then for various reasons I ditched it and I created it another two times with no troubl... | Best method I’ve ever used:
The Pineapple Juice SolutionPaul |
Hooch and nothing happening
Hi! I'm so glad I found this site! Been reading, watching, and doing some more reading about creating a starter but I can't seem to successfully get mine going ☹️ or maybe i'm just impatient and expect mine to turn out like all of the videos out there! ☹️I'm on Day 4 of my starter/s and I no... | So far, it sounds like you
So far, it sounds like you are doing just right. Something I discovered when I started trying to get my first starter going, was that it does not work like all of those videos claim. Lol For an in-depth explanation of what is going on inside a starter during the beginning of the process, I ... |
Finding it difficult to use starter in summer
Hi allI have a starter which I usually feed 100 grams flour every night to 100 grams of water.During the winter I can usually have my starter ready for baking after a 12 hour feed.Last summer I didn't seem to be feeding my starter enough and once I saw some different than n... | Summer is warmer
and you can do many things to slow down the fermentation of the starter. Try one or more of the following:lower the hydration of the starter. Reduce from 100% to 50 or 60%cool the starter after it starts to rise at room temp, preferably about one third to peakadd salt (4%) if refrigeration is unavaila... |
I can't figure out this flour
Hi All,I was wondering if anyone can help me: I'm at a bit of a loss. This may sound stupid, but I'm having some trouble with a new bread flour I'm using, and it either over ferments really quickly, or under proofs during bulk, despite the dough looking ready. I'm using Marraige's Uppermos... | Flour?
Apart from the tunnel the bread pictured looks pretty good to me.I'm a UK baker and familiar with many types of flours including Marriage's.What flour were you using beforehand? |
Purchased San Francisco Starters
If I purchase a S.F. sourdough starter off the internet wouldn't it eventually lose that S.F. bacteria (and taste) over a period of time when I'm refreshing it here in Ohio? | In my opinion, yes. I have
In my opinion, yes. I have rec’d starters from a number of bakers throughout the US. After feeding them with my flour and placing them in my environment in short order, they become indistinguishable.Others may not agree, but that has consistently been my experience.Danny |
Warthog Wheat for Sour Dough
I have been trying a number of specialty wheats. I just had some fantastic results with Yecoro Rojo. I tried the same formula with Warthog and ended with a flat loaf. So what is going on with that wheat?On Breadtopia it says 13.3% protein which should be plenty, That is where I order it f... | Yecoro Rojo comparison
Here is a pic of the Yecoro Rojo for comparison - same recipe |
My starter smells AWFUL, and isn't rising according to plan :(
I'm on day 10 of feeding my starter 50/50 whole wheat/unbleached AP flours. My kitchen is a little cold but iv been storing it in the microwave with the light on. It bubbles a good bit. It rises, but not very much. It Also smells like vomit sat in the sun f... | Most starters go through a
Most starters go through a period of smelling bad, but this usually happens in the very early days. In the beginning, the first micro-organisms that take root are some not-so-pleasant bacteria, and they can generate some funky odors. As these bacteria do their thing, they start the process ... |
Flying Crust Yet Again...
Please Help me with my flying crust problem!
I've posted on this before when I was using the sourdough recipe from Richard Bertinet's book CRUST. I always had flying crusts and concluded that my home wasn't cool enough for the super-slow rising time, thus over-proofing. Now I'm not so sure t... | So many things that are
So many things that are 'possible' here... realistically, your best bet for concise help would be:
A. Post complete recipe, including any changes you made, and how much actual time you had between each phase. Also include any folding techniques you might have used.
B. Pictures. These will be the... |
Large gas bubble after shaping
I am making Vermont sourdough with whole wheat. I have made it once before and had to add a lot of water (more than the 65% in the recipe) to hydrate during the autolyse. This time with a different flour I again needed more water and added up to 70% which probably should have been enough ... | The hydration trap is an easy
The hydration trap is an easy one to fall into, whether you’re new to bread baking or just new to a specific recipe. During the autolyse stage, there’s always a point where you thin there’s no way in hell that you’ve got enough water, but if you just keep mixing you’ll reach the point whe... |
First Starter Attempt
So a little over a week ago I tried making my first starter... It seemed to be going fairly well, it probably doubled in size within the first hour, before deflating. However, since that first day, I haven't seen it rise at all. It has developed a sour, beer-like scent, but as I said it has remain... | Hi, Bored Baguette! Welcome
Hi, Bored Baguette! Welcome to the wonderful world of sourdough baking, located conveniently at the intersection of cutting edge science and voodoo mysticism! ? You are currently experiencing a very common phenomenon, where the reality of managing the evolution of a colony of living micro-... |
Starting to Get Frustrated
Hi Everyone - newbie to the site here. Been baking bread for almost 3 years, and started to have some issues about two weeks ago. I lost power, fridge temp was too low, everything was overproofing, apartment was too warm - basically everything that could go wrong went wrong. I'm trying to get... | Another angle. I'll cut it
Another angle. I'll cut it open in an hour or two when it's cool and post crumb photos. |
what happens if you leave a Poolish too long?
My GoTo sourdough recipe (I think it was from Kinig Arthur Flour) uses a Poolish as an intermediate step and specifies that it can sit and stew for.... several days under cool conditions.so I usually assemble the Poolish on Day 1 and bake on about.... Day 3 or 4.Usually the... | Key question, key answer please
What temperature was the poolish for 6 days? Did it fluctuate during that time?(Leave it any longer it may become a sourdough starter. I'd say in the quiet stage. But you just fed it .... So how is it behaving? How does it smell? Beery?Ok, so turned out to be a bunch of questions. A... |
I've let my sourdough rise for 3 days and...
I've let my sourdough rise for 3 days as an experiment and...it does have a crusty mould on it..heard you could let it stand for 3 daysShould I bake and eat it???only one way to find out now.. | YIKES!!! I don’t think I
YIKES!!! I don’t think I would eat it, if it’s gone moldy, Joe. And I’m not sure where you heard that you could let it stand for three days, but I highly doubt if that’s correct. It can be refrigerated for several days with no ill effects, but that’s only due to the colder temperatures slowin... |
Building a sourdough starter and adjusting ratios
Hello bakers,I'm currently on Day 10 of establishing my first sourdough starter. Currently I am using a 1:1:1 ratio of starter:flour (50/50 wholewheat/plain):water and the starter is rising about 80-85% in about 3.5-4 hours consistently. I am doing this feed twice a day... | Hi Rick, define "baby sick"
please. Like curdled sour milk? And what temps are your starter? |
Changed home troubleshooting - where to start?
Hi all,I live in the UK and have recently moved homes. Before, I was baking a 70% bread that I was very happy with, with a good over spring and crumb. Now I am finding my bread has a decent crumb, but the scores open little and oven spring is poor (photo attached). I feel ... | When you say “moved homes”,
When you say “moved homes”, do you mean you found a new place three blocks west, or did you move to a new city? Different municipalities source their water from different places, and treat it with different chemicals, so the water may be the culprit. Just because it’s drinkable doesn’t mea... |
Blisters on Crust
I've never seen this many blisters on my loaf.Is this normal?What is this a sign of? | Extra water in or on the
Extra water in or on the dough, or maybe too much steam.(Update:) Here's Teresa Greenway on how to intentionally get blisters by brushing on water: https://youtube.com/watch?v=KeEcgmGGbBs |
Giant and Uneven Holes
My loaf is at 73% hydration and a 6 hour bulk ferment at around 70F. I did one stretch and fold, one lamination, and 4 coil folds. I did something a little different this time where I added my starter and my salt at the same time and then slap and folded. I usually add the salt 30 minutes after I... | "Fool's Crumb"
Google , or use the TFL search box, for that.In a word: Underfermentation.Tom |
Over or underproofed?
Hi all, hoping someone with more experience could shed some light on my baking results. I started making Tartine-style country sourdough loaves a few months ago. I was getting pretty consistent results for months (like pics 1&2, sorry don’t know how to rotate pics) up until this weekend. Didn’t ch... | They seem slightly
They seem slightly underproofed (dense crumb with big holes is usually an indicator).I can imagine it's your starter. Nothing really wrong with it, but it might be that due to higher temperatures the microorganism ratios have changed and now are maybe producing more flavor and less gas, so it takes l... |
Diagnosis Help: Deflated, Yet Open Crumb?
Today, I baked my first loaf that was truly a “flop.” I’m still learning how to identify different results and the factors that led to them.
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93130450-3ACA-446B-9CD2-18BC08E... | Tell us about the bake. What
Tell us about the bake. What kind of oven. What temp and how long did you preheat the Dutch oven for? |
FWSY overnight country blonde : shaping or proofing problem ?
Hi,The loaf seems a bit flat compared to previous ones :1. Does it seem to come from shaping or proofing problem here ?Bulk rise lasted 7 hours (it's about 79°F-26°C and I used 14% levain instead of 12%), during which dough nearly tripled, or perheaps x2,5. ... | The crumb looks alright to me
The crumb looks alright to me. but 7 hours at 79F seems like a long proof.What is the hydration? You may want to look for only 2x rise, leave more expansion in the oven. over proofed dough will not expand well in the oven.maybe lower hydration too, but I dont know what your hydration is. ... |
blue starter
both my ww and rye starters grew a thick blue cover. I tossed them.what would cause that? I'm pretty careful with cleanliness. | How long did you have them
How long did you have them out? what temperature? most starters, especially younger starters will grow mold if you leave it out long enough. Usually more than a couple days. if it just a bit on top, i just scrape it off and use a little of the starter at the bottom for the next feed. a mo... |
Tartine Country Loaf - flat outcome, what is wrong?
Hi guys,Could you please help me understand what I do wrong so that my bread did not open at all and got very flat?I'm basing on the recipe from this link https://www.theperfectloaf.com/tartine-sourdough-country-loaf-bread-recipe/I did it twice and in both cases the o... | Do you have a crumb shot? It
Do you have a crumb shot? It's very hard to judge without seeing how the bread looks inside. A completely flat loaf that still tastes good and has a fluffy crumb is usually overproofed — e.g. higher temperature or more active starter than assumed by the recipe. If it's dense and gummy, it's... |
Pre-refreshment of lievito madre / pasta madre after keeping it a fridge at 4C for a week
Has anyone had success in using a combination of RT/fridge method in order to give a 'night rest' for the lievito madre before panettone refreshment?I am working on preparing my lievito madre / pasta madre to be ready for panetton... | Same situation
Hello, sorry but I'm a year late. Currently in the same situation as you! Living in Singapore with 30C with no chiller. Have you manage to find a work around maintaining it at 16-18c? |
Window of opportunity around very active starter
Hi all - pretty newbie SD learner here.Have messed around for a few weeks now, and managed to keep a starter going.In the UK, and last week was pretty warm, and my starter overflowed it's jar. So I put it in the fridge and pulled it out yesterday. It was grey with a laye... | Best used at it’s maximum.
Best used at it’s maximum. Common consensus is an over ripe starter will contain lots of acids, but the yeast will be weakened. |
Crumb troubleshooting
Hello bakersThis is my first post on the forum, so I would like to acknowledge this wonderful community for sharing its knowledge and experience with everybody - it has been instrumental in my bread baking journey so thank you all!I have been baking whole wheat sourdough breads for a couple years,... | Under proofed
During the bulk fermentation. Try letting the bulk go until you see it domed on the edge of the bowl with some bobbles on top and a jiggle to it. Give it another hour or more. 3 and 1/2 hours is a minimal time. |
Starter smells like rotten eggs
Hi,This is my first post here.I created a starter a couple of months ago and have made some lovely loaves from it. Unfortunately a few days ago it started smelling like rotten eggs after it had doubled in size, stirring it an popping the bubbles produces a very pungent rotten egg smell.A... | Sulfur-eating bacteria
Hi JamD, welcome to TFL. I haven't heard of this problem with sourdough starters, but in once piece of kombucha-making literature (this one), a rotten egg smell is attributed to sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, as you say. The book in question suggests this is caused by using tap water with such bacter... |
My first loaf!
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Not too shabby, for my first loaf. I didn’t get much rise out of it, although I did seem to get a little bit of oven spring. There are a number of things that I’ll do differently next time. I’ll post ... | Beautiful
That's a good looking loaf. show us the crumb. what was the process/oven setup? |
keeping sourdough fresh
im guessing we all have the same problem, loaves generally lasting 1 day before the crumb starts to go harder and 2 days before its pretty much stale? unless you have a family that gets through a loaf a day maybe?and yes i get that its because its more natural, no preservatives etc. ive looked... | What I do
I typically make 2 loaves on either Saturday or Sunday. One loaf I give away, the other one is eaten by me and the family for toast and sandwiches. I typically finish my bake around 4/5p, and the loaves hit the cooling rack until the following morning. The loaf that we are going to eat goes on the cutting ... |
Feeding with bread flour vs all-purpose flour?
Does it matter whether the starter is maintained with bread flour vs all-purpose flour? I started a starter about 2 months ago from a book that says to feed it with bread flour, but my local grocery store has had a shortage of bread flour, and I'm wondering if I can just s... | I'm no purist...
But, in my 20 yrs experience, feed the mother with whatever is handy. Yeast are ravenous little savages that will eat damned near anything you serve them.When you start your build for leavening amounts, use whichever flour you're baking with.g |
For the love of God, WHY?
So I've been baking 2 or 3 sourdough loaves a week for the past few months. In general they're getting better and better and I feel like I'm understanding the importance of gluten development more and more.So then WHY does my dough suddenly seem to just refuse to gain any strength?? I use stre... | It sounds like you might be
It sounds like you might be overworking the dough. So you build and build and build the gluten network and it becomes tighter, but at some point it rips and pools out. Are you kneading by hand or mixer? |
FSWY overnight brown repeated disasters
Hi all,I have been reading this site for weeks and have really appreciated everyone’s wisdom. I’m sorry to ask about a topic that appears to have been done to death but I am at my wits end with this recipe. I have made it eight times and have gotten it to work exactly once. Today... | Flour? Water?
It might be your flour or water.Let us know what city/country you are in and the exact brands and types of flour you are using.Someone might be aware of tips or tricks needed for your specific ingredients or water.--What is your baking arrangement? Are you using a dutch oven, and preheating it? |
Quick question regarding storing starter in refrigerator?
Regarding storing my starter in the refrigerator, should I:1. Feed, let rise then refrigerate? 2. Feed, immediately refrigerate?3. Feed, let sit at room temp for an hour or so, then refrigerate? | For a weekly refreshment, I
For a weekly refreshment, I would feed 1:2, store at your preferred fermentation temp until peaked, then feed 1:1, ferment for 1-2 hours, then refrigerate.Lance |
Sourdough Focaccia opinions and einkorn disaster!!
Had my second go at sourdough focaccia, and I have to say I’m satisfied with it! What do you guys think? Would love to hear your expert opinions ❤️! Oh and I tried making a all purpose and einkorn flour sourdough, and I think I added too much water :( , the dough was s... | Looks great! I agree with
Looks great! I agree with the cold retard...that might be your only hope for the super slack dough. But, it shouldn't be too much of a problem for a pan bread like this. Good luck! |
Another Stab at S.F. Sourdough
I've decided to take another stab at S.F. sourdough, this time using a stiff starter and following the second of two recipes posted several years ago by Doc Dough:https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/17730/divine-inspirationfor-me-it-way-larraburu-brother039s-sf-sd-what-was-it-you#comment-17... | Brod & Taylor Proofer
One amazon.com user reports the following about the $195 Brod & Taylor proofing box:The humidity comes from water in a tray that you set below the rising dough. You could leave the water tray empty. You can set a temperature, but no, you cannot set a percent humidity.So if all it takes is a water ... |
please troubleshoot: underproofed? bad shaping?
New sourdough baker here. I've been making decent loaves with some rise but now 4th loaf ended up with a frisbee. Could I please get some helpful suggestions on where to go next?Previous best loaf:today's frisbee:I got starter from a friend and keep in fridge, take out ab... | If the dough is sloppy when
If the dough is sloppy when using white (bread) and whole wheat flours, with 70% hydration, the bread is way overproofed. And way undercooked. Try lower hydration, cut the bulk ferment time in half. It's not clear from your description how much time you are using in bulk vs final proof. ... |
newbie needing to perfect sourdough
himade a few loaves a few years ago with limited success and am having another go. ive created a rye starter and am using the 'bake with jack' scrapings method, where theres no discard.starter doubles overnight now and thats when i mix. first loaf looked like this which i was happy... | Do you let it completely cool
Do you let it completely cool before you cut it?When it comes out the oven the inside is still cooking and if you cut it before this is finished you disturb this process with as a result gummy bread. |
Dense and Gummy Crumb
So this is my loaf at a 65% hydration. My levain is:20g starter60g whole wheat60g waterand I let that sit for 10 hoursMy dough recipe is:500g bread flour325g water125g starter11g saltI autolysed for two hours then added in my starter and incorporated it. I then let it rest for 30 minutes. Then I a... | A bit over proofed
I guess after 6 our bulk fermentation on 90° with this amount of preferment is to long. When it goes in the oven there is no more food for the yeast.About gummy did you let it cool long enough before you cute in it?if you cute to soon you disturbed the inner cooking process of the bread. |
After autolyse
After a 1 hour autolyse, the recipe I’m using says to transfer to another bowl to start the bulk ferment. I know this may sound like a silly question, but... do I oil the bowl? Will that harm anything for my bulk ferment? | Adding oil will change your
Adding oil will change your recipe and the outcome, depending on how much you add. I do like to add a little bit to my ciabatta for flavor, texture, and ease of handling.if you're doing your stretch and folds in the bowl like me, the first fold or two, it might stick a little, but after th... |
My Established Starter Smells Like loonie Baloonies (Acetone)
My starter is 7 weeks old. I've had this issue for a few weeks. I use a 1:1:1 ratio although I have been adding more flour. I read that it is underfed. So it's 125g of water and starter I am adding 140g of flour. Today I added 150g. Somewhere it said to use... | if feeding once a day I'd
if feeding once a day I'd recommend 1 starter, 2 flour and 1.5 water. That smell is from lack of food. It may even need more food for once a day feeding so keep an eye on it. Enjoy! |
best loaf yet
Hi there. To all the newbies out there, I'm a newbie too and it's been about 3-4months since i started making bread. I just want to say if you've started a starter from scratch, many of your loaf woes maybe due to an immature starter. Yes, you can make sourdough bread from a 2 week old starter, but if yo... | Nice!
That is a loaf to be proud of!It is easy to get discouraged but every single loaf, even the not-so-great-ones, are a learning opportunity. But if we stick with it...we get beautiful loaves like that. Sweet. |
Avice on my Starter
Hi Everyone! This is my first post here. I'm totally new to sourdough and I'm growing my first starter. I'd like some advise on it. My starter it's 12 days old and takes about 10 to 12 hours to double its size. It doesn't float at all. It's 100% organic whole wheat flour, and the feeding ratio is 1... | That looks fine for whole
That looks fine for whole wheat. WW can’t keep bubbles to float but certainly making gas no problem. You can switch to something like a 50/50 whole wheat/white flour mix and do a 2/5/5 ratio to go to a daily feeding. My whole rye looks very similar and it’s a very good culture. |
Under active starter
Hi, All! So I’ve been trying to be patient. Today is Day 22. My starter smells great (very yeasty), but I’m getting only a very little amount of rise from it, and what rise I’m getting takes a very long time before it starts to deflate (24-36 hours). I had stepped it down to 25:25:25 in order to... | My starter
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Timing With the Starter and Autolyse
So I woke up a little late one morning and my starter was already at it's peak. I was debating on whether or not I should put the starter in the fridge to delay the process to make time for my autolyse or feed it a tiny bit of flour and water and let it rise a little bit. The night ... | Would autolysing for a full
Would autolysing for a full feeding period (5 hours) affect the finished product in any way? |
Day 6 Starter Progress - Any advice?
Hi all,I am working on my first ever sourdough starter and would like to provide my progress so far in case any one has any tips/advice.Equipment: Weck jar, spatula, thermometer, scales, organic whole weat, plain flourDay 1: Started with 100g of organic whole wheat + 125g water at 2... | All normal so far. Continue
All normal so far. Continue present course of action - you are almost there. |
Baking sourdough with dehydrated starter
I wondered if I could bake sourdough bread starting with dehydrated sourdough starter so I did an experiment. I'm not talking here about "sourdough spice" which is added for flavor only to yeasted breads. I'm using SD starter that has been dehydrated just like you would for stor... | Interesting
What, if any, discernable differences did you note? You only waited a week, I wonder what your results would have been like a month or even a year later.It would be helpful if you described the procedure you used for dehydrating your starter, as I've read several different techniques, most of which involve ... |
2 months old sourdough starter smells like glue
My sourdough starter has been pretty active for two months and I decided to give it a chance in the fridge. However, after a week or maybe 6 days later my starter came out with a very strong glue like smell that almost burns my nose. I am very upset about it and I wonder ... | Acetone
Sounds like acetone. Lots of references here on the site. Feed it and it'll be fine. |
Oven Temperature Again!!
I've found that most sourdough recipes call for preheating the dutch oven at 500F for an hour, steaming for 20 minutes and then browning at 450F for 20 minutes. I follow those baking temperatures but when I cut into it after it is fully cooled, my loaves tend to end up wet and gummy. The crumb ... | yes.
Yes, that can work. Especially for larger loaves, which need to be baked longer, at a lower temp. With a larger loaf, it takes longer for the heat to reach the center and bake off the moisture in the center. And that longer time requires a lower temp so that the crust does not harden and darken too much.High t... |
Bulk proof is turning my dough into sticky honeycomb !
I’m based in the UK. I have tried making sourdough bread twice now and seem to have come up against the same problem on both occasions. I’ll describe the second attempt…My starter was about 10 days old since inception. I took it out of the fridge in the morning, an... | First thought: lower hydration
Different flours have different characteristics. Add to that the tendency for sourdough fermentation to “loosen” a dough’s consistency. If that doesn’t do the trick, you might then look at more dough development and/or shorter fermentation time. Paul |
Bulk Fermentation
When exactly does bulk fermentation start? Is it after the autolyse? Or after I add in the salt? | When does bulk fermentation start
Autolyse should only be with the flour and water — no yeast.After whatever autolyse time you use, then add salt and yeast (preferably keeping them apart when you start mixing.Bulk fermentation starts after the autolyzed flour and water has the yeast and salt added and is mixed. |
Ideal Starter Temperature
I'm new to bread making... Like I just started this week. I want to make some sourdough bread from scratch, and I've been reading up on it. Everywhere I've looked has said I should keep it at a higher temperature, around 80 or 90 degrees. I was wondering if anyone had any tips or ideas for mai... | Welcome to TFL!
Starting off a new culture, it helps to have a warmer spot for it. I think above 75F is fine. There are recommendations to put it on top of a fridge, or idk, next to your wifi router, where there's a bit of heat. it will help your starter come along faster. I dont know if you want it above 90F though... |
Gummy crumb?
Hi everyone! New user here, and new to the sourdough baking club in general (started around April). I have a quick question regarding the loaf here as I’m not always sure how a “gummy” crumb is defined and wanted to check it this was considered gummy? If so, I may try and fix this by baking for a bit longe... | how soon?
How soon did you cut into it? |
I bought a 1/2" baking steel. What are some dos and don'ts when using steel?
For example, with my stone I can preheat the oven to 550F and then turn it down to 450F when I put my breads (baguettes, batards, etc...stuff that doesnt fit in the dutch oven) on it. The bottoms always look sort of underdone but taste fine an... | Yes, you will either want to
Yes, you will either want to turn down the temp, or shorten the preheat time when using steel.While either a stone or steel will get just as hot in an oven at a particular temperature, each material transfers heat at a different rate. Steel conducts heat much more quickly than most stones,... |
Stinky rye starter?
Hello, I have a problem (maybe?) with a new rye starter I've... started; It smells proper vile. Like, I took a little sniff last night and it made me gag.So what fixes do people recommend? From what I can gather it isn't dead, but has been over run with the wrong kind of bacteria. But you ask 3 peop... | Hi, Jacob! If your starter is
Hi, Jacob! If your starter is only just a couple days old, it sounds like you are on the right track, although you may wish to reconsider the 12 hour feeding schedule at this point. You are correct in assuming that it has been over-run by undesirable bacteria, but that’s a feature, not a ... |
First batard!! Thoughts ??
Hello guys! I’ve been baking sourdough bread for around 2 months, but I finally made my first batard today. What do you guys think?
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432CC193-0C8D-4930-B918-2247D900A36A.jpeg | Great looking loaf!very nice
Great looking loaf!very nice open crumb. so what have you been making before this for 2 months?! |
Please analyze this loaf...
Hi All - New to the forum here and was hoping someone could point me in the right direction. Here are two pictures from my bake today: Recipe:400 Type 85 (Central Milling)25 Rye44 Red Fife301 WaterAutolyse 1 hr Water and Flour10 g Salt25g water95 Levain Levain - Starter fed 8:00 AM 1:1:1 an... | Looks great!
Beautiful loaf! what's your concern? Looking at the number, it's 72% hydration. Oven spring is really good. nice open crumb. How long did you rest it before cutting it open? I would recommend minimum an hour. but better yet, 2 to 3 hours to let it completely cool. Also, I usually bake these for 30-35 ... |
Not doubling Day 8
I know starters can take up to 14 days to double but I need advice as this is my first time establishing a starter.Temp in the kitchen would be on the cool side as it is Winter but it is winter in Brisbane Australia which is 22-24 degrees Celsius.I am up to day 8 and feed half whole wheat half plain ... | You may have diluted the LABS and yeasts
Skip feeding it for a day (to lower pH), then feed once a day, whole rye or whole wheat until stong again. When establishing a new started and it's past the smelly leuconostoc and friends bacteria, I feed 56g starter, 28g whole rye flour and 28g water until it gets yeasty and sm... |
I need some help diagnosing my sourdough
Hey! Long-time lurker, first-time poster here. I'd really appreciate some help diagnosing my sourdough–I'm not getting the results I'd like. My guess is that I’m having problems with my starter, but I’m not sure. I’ve had the same results with the Tartine Country Sourdough, so... | Under Fermented
I'm guessing with 10% starter at 67F six hours wasn't enough. Why did you move onto to shaping after six hours? Was it well risen? Doubled? Aerated and bubbly? If not, then it needed longer. Please also give details about your starter. |
I Made a Stencil
So I made a stencil for my loaf and I was wondering what the best flour was for dusting it? Rice flour? Bread Flour? AP Flour? Or it does it not matter which flour I use? | Rice flour.
Rice flour. |
Tartine Advice
Hi. I'm new to The Fresh Loaf and relatively new to baking in general. I've been essentially baking the master recipes from both Tartine and Tartine No 3 on a weekly basis for about a year.The Tartine master recipe is 90% white, 10% wheat and 75% hydration. I've gotten this one down enough that I enjo... | looking for clues.
Tartine #3 is one of my favorite books. So, you're on a good track. At first glance, your final proof is 12 hours too long. It's most likely that one simple thing. But let's also explore other possibilities. Please clarify this, and please use full description of the flours instead of verbal shortc... |
New starter with no activity on third and fourth day
I decided to make a starter based on wheat flour in addition to my existing one which is wholly made with rye flour.The formula that I used is:Day 1: 50g rye flour to 75ml water.Day 2: 30g of starter to 60g all purpose flour and 60ml water.Day 3 and onward: Repeat as... | I think having whole grain
I think having whole grain flour in there until you get a good reliable culture helps a lot. It took me about 2 weeks to get a really solid starter. first week's activities were hit or miss day to day. i go with a 2-5-5 feeding. 20 grams starter, 50 grams rye 50 grams water. I probably c... |
CO2 Disappearing act
Vacuum sealed for 2 months at ~8C. What was once tightly bound and rock solid due to the intense gas pressure has now finally dissipated. I presume all or most of the CO2 got converted into carbonic acid. As shown below it is the dominant chemical species at low pH.This got me thinking... Carbon ca... | If left to warm up will it
If left to warm up will it expand? |
Tips on Improving This Bake Please?
Hi All,My first post here :) I've started baking sourdough bread about 2 months ago now and am really enjoying it. I have been finding the lower hydration bakes easier but not a big fan of the texture of the crumb. I've been working with a higher hydration bake recently which is st... | Couple of thoughts:Spelt
Couple of thoughts:Spelt flour is less absorptive than other WW flours, and the hydration on your dough is pushing 80% I think, which is pretty high. This will pose some challenges. Additionally, spelt increases extensibility in dough, which means it wants to spread out more. I think there a... |
Tinned Sourdough Monster!
Hi all! I hope you’re all staying safe in these times! I wanted to try something new, so I decided to bake my sourdough in a tin, and I got a weird rip. I want to know what caused it. My suspicion is my really bad scoring :( I can never properly score Room temperature dough! Also, is... | The rip is just scoring. I
The rip is just scoring. I find a straight cut at 90 degrees end to end works best in a bread pan. Seems to give a more even oven spring. The bottom is normal enough. Yeah, a little darker in the center but not bad. Could have been uneven heat distribution, or as the loaf expanded it pulled a... |
What is the ideal ferment temperature
I am wondering if you got a proof box of some kind what would be the to go for temperatuur. Currently I set my proofer on 28°C about 82.4°FI heard Sunne say he set his proofing box on 30°C so 86°F | Ideal fermenting temp for what?
What type of dough (for which bread) do you want to ferment? They vary. |
My inproved loaf, thanks to Benito, ciabatta and others
Just wanted to come back and thank Benito for his encouragement, ciabatta for pointing me to foodgeek’s website ( excellent) also naturaleigh and Pham for further encouragement and explanations. I have been making sourdough for 10 years but despite thinking I unde... | Nice improvement you’ve made,
Nice improvement you’ve made, so glad things are working better now. The mashed potato sounds like a good addition to make the crumb softer. So glad you posted a follow up.Stay well and keep baking.Benny |
Can I bake bread with a mixture of sourdough starter and commercial baker's yeast
hello, I'm a beginner in sourdough, with my first ever sourdough starter ready in these few days. I'm excited about the prospect of baking bread with the starter for the first time but am also worried that my bread may not rise ... | Look Up David Snyder's San Joaquin Sourdough...
recipe on this website. That is an excellent starting point for your first loaf. If your starter is robust you don't need to add any extra yeast at all. David's recipe calls for a bulk fermentation in the refrigerator. If you follow the steps he outlines you will have... |
Gummy Fools Crumb
Hi,Just starting out and struggling with gummy texture and big bubbles at the top.Seeing mixed messages that it could be underproofed or overproofed.Used recipe below at half volumes for one loaf but didn't float test starter so it bit might've been a bit weakhttps://www.theperfectloaf.com/beginners-s... | Crust appears brown enough to
Crust appears brown enough to rule out over. And cool equals longer times for every stage in the process. The big holes can be cured with patting down the dough a tad before final shaping. Don't worry about the float test, it's not entirely accurate. If the starter smells good and is bubbl... |
Sourdough maintainance with minimum starter
I have recently started a new sourdough starter that is approximately 1.5 months old and rises in 6 hours and falls in 12 hours.I have been keeping my sourdough discard for baking other things but it still turns out to be a lot more that I can handle while feeding 20grams of ... | Im actually not to sure. I
Im actually not to sure. I was told to add a 1/2tsp of sugar when feeding with equal amounts warm water and flour. |
Starter Doubts
Hello!!I have been baking for a month or two already and now I have some questions about by starter.I have been feeding my starter when it is at its peak (I heard that will make it stronger, is that right?). If I didn't want to make it stronger then, at what stage should I feed my starter? I guess my que... | Starter questions
Hey Victor! I guess the first question would be how have your bakes turned out? That will tell you more about the health of your starter, when it was best to use it, etc. I think there can be a tendency to stress too much about starter maintenance and catching it at the 'perfect' time for feeds. T... |
newbie needs help please
Hi. I have 2 questions:1. I made the Ken Forkish Overnight Country Brown Sourdough and it turned out great, but now I would like to make it using only whole wheat, rye and spelt flours combined. I don't want to use any white flour. Can someone help me figure out how many grams of each to use... | You need a whole new recipe.
Welcome to the TFL bread club, where some of us are half-baked, but no one is real crummy.--"I'm really stuck as to how to adjust his recipe as written in the book. "That is a typical newbie mistake.One does not change the type of the majority flour in a recipe/formula from refined/white wh... |
Almost no oven spring for rye bread
Hi all,I am getting really frustrated with baking bread, as I get almost no oven spring for the last few weeks. I mostly use a rye starter (a bit over 100% hydration, otherwise it is just way too thick), and it doubles after feeding nicely, so I think it's pretty active. I had succes... | whole grains...
So, whole grains behave differently than "standard" white flours. There are 3 parts to the wheat berry, bran, germ, and endosperm. White flours are made from just the starchy endosperm. Whole wheat flours include the bran and germ. The bran is the important thing here, it's doesn't really soften or brea... |
My starter did not die
Stuck in the back of the fridge for four months. Once I scraped off the gunge on top, the bottom portion was OK. Well, the 100% tub. I didn't like the look of the 70% and washed it all down the sink. Mixed new starters, starting with tablespoonfuls from the 100% tub. The rest of the 100% tub turn... | 4 months isn't to long, I've
4 months isn't to long, I've brought back a starter that was a year and a half in the fridge. Took a week or 2, but it came back. A nice thing about a starter - if it ever did die, it's real easy to get another going. Which I was going to do, but wanted to see if I could revive a starter th... |
Questions on Seeded Sourdough
I'm going to try to make a seeded whole wheat sourdough and could use some help- 20% whole wheat flour, 80% Bread Flour (12%)- 20% Levain~70% hydrationI have the following seeds/grains handy:- cut Oats- rolled oats- white quinoa- pumpkin seeds- sunflower seeds- white sesame seeds1) i know ... | James, you’ll be hard pressed
James, you’ll be hard pressed to make a better seeded dough than Hamelman’s Five-Grain Levain. It is an absolute favorite by many bakers on this forum. You can use any variety of the seeds you have on hand. I have made many substitutions on occasion and they were all phenomenal. It is my f... |
Oven Spring Help Please!
Hello Folks,New to the forum, read quite a bit on here over the last couple of years however, but never posted. I've been muddling my way through the art of bread making with some success. However, I have flat-ish loaves of sourdough about 50% to 60% of the time. I take notes on each bake, b... | Shepherd's Grain AP flour is
Shepherd's Grain AP flour is their low gluten flour. at about 10% protein. 80% hydration might be a bit much for it. How was the dough holding up after your last stretch and fold? window pane test ok? Schedule is definitely different than what I've seen. Normally 3-6 hour Bulk fermentation... |
Giant cave in my bread!
So I've been making sourdough fairly regularly for a few months now and all my loaves have turned out OK. However the last 3 have had the same problem. I get huge cave like holes in the middle and then the rest is quite dense. I think it's to do with the bulk fermentation time which is honestly ... | How long are you bulk
How long are you bulk fermenting and what temperature are you doing it at? |
Cold proofing in Crisper Drawer
My home fridge is very cold (1-2 C, 38-39F) in the main section, and a little warmer in the first crisper drawer (3-5.5 C. 39-42F). I took temperatures using equal amounts of water stored in two glass jars. I tried cold proofing in the crisper drawer for the first time, where I took the ... | It's all about the temps.
It's all about the temps. |
Is there a difference in taste from different salts
Hey fresh loaf Just wanted to find out if there will be a noticeable difference in taste from using different salts in sourdough. Eg. Flake salt, table salt, sea salt, kosher salt.I was curious as a local supermarket was selling artisanal salt and thought it could be ... | I would say no. Unless the
I would say no. Unless the salt is flavored (smoke, herbs), but even then I question it.But it might have a very small different effect on the dough since different salts have different amounts of minerals, crystal size etc. So I would just get a good, proper salt (additive-free, mineral-rich... |
Over active starter?
I am a beginner to sour doughs and wanted to verify if my starter was off to a good start. I began with 1 cup of whole wheat flour and a bit more than a cup of water (I actually used water from my tea kettle that had cooled to room temperature). After 12 hours I saw bubbles forming and by 27 hour... | Overactive Starter
Hi. I'm a newbie with sourdough too, so take this with that in mind. I have read that the first days your starter rises, it is from a bacterial bloom, not from the good yeast that will come later on. The starter may smell off in a couple days, like old cheese or a teen boy's tennis shoes. That will p... |
Favourite part of the baking day
My favourite part of the baking day is when the loaves are cool enough to slice. My better half is keen to attack the end crusts, but I have to stop her from taking from the loaf that is to go to family. The serrated blade deli slicer makes the task easy and fast. These are 10% stone-gr... | Breads and machine look
Breads and machine look awesome Gavin, an eye candy for sure. I have been making sandwich loafs quite often nowadays and would definitely be in need of a machine like this, as my hand cutting is terrible to divide the slides evenly. Thanks! |
Sourdough not sour!
Hi everyone, I've made probably ten loaves over the past few months and none of them have been sour at all! I typically follow Claire Saffitz's recipe from the NYT. It's 500g bread flour, 375g water, 100g starter and 10 g salt. The levain sits overnight, I autolyse for an hour, fold for ten minutes ... | Sourdough is a leavening methode not a flavor.
The are different ways to make ist more or less sour. See https://truesourdough.com/18-ways-to-make-sourdough-bread-more-or-less-sour |
Care to critique my Cranberry Walnut Rye Sourdough?
IMG_3798.jpg
image4.jpeg
I'm fairly new at making sourdough bread. my first attempt at a cranberry walnut version of this. Look for some input/feedback on the outcome. overall I am quite happy with it but have some questionsThis is 70% hydration. ... | image0.jpeg
image0.jpeg
very wet sticky dough. this was preshape. never got a good taunt skin on it. tried not to do too much dusting. i used rice flour. but finally gave in. as the scraper was sticking constantly |
Tartine Troubles
I have been on a Tartine learning curve for a few weeks. I really thought I had it nailed this time. I started w strong starter (doubled in under 4 hrs) and a good levain from it. My dough temp going into bulk was in the 78-82 sweet spot and remained there the whole 3 hrs. Dough rose 30% and domed. Fou... | Looks like the bread is
Looks like the bread is proofed enough. I expect it's either down to hydration levels or more likely during the shaping process. Shaping can have a massive effect on the hole structure. Watch this to see what I mean https://youtu.be/ctCN7E_kwnE |
Underproofed or Overproofed?
Newbie sourdough-er here.Without giving too much info, does this baked loaf look underproofed or overproofed to you?Thanks for your help! | With only this picture I
With only this picture I would say under proofed. |
How do I stiffen up a floppy dough?
I halved this recipe because I only want one loaf at a time, so, halved, it calls for262 g water10 g salt100 g starter350 g AP or bread flourI'm supposed to stretch and fold 4 times, with wet hands, then several periods of resting, refrigeration over night, shaping with very small am... | Hello! I’d guess you’re new
Hello! I’d guess you’re new to the world of sourdough; so am I! I’ve started making sourdough loaves for a couple of months now, and I’ve had my fair share of slack doughs.My tips are:1) lower the hydration: use less water. If you divide 262g water by the 350g flour: you get a 75% hydration ... |
Gummy texture
Hi there. Looking for some advice with this. Getting nice tasting bread but a bit gummy in texture, as if undercooked. Following a recipe which should work. Any help appreciated
1A401CC3-4DF7-4853-9C95-98873061D9D2.jpeg | How long did you let it cool
How long did you let it cool before you cut it? |
Baking after refrigeration help!
I made a starter about a month ago, got it going, made some yummy bread and then put my starter in the fridge. I fed my starter weekly for a couple weeks and then decided I wanted to make bread again... first feeding went good, it doubled in size but didn’t float. So I fed it again, and... | what is your feeding ratio
what is your feeding ratio and what are you feeding with? AP, bread flour, whole grain? i've found that feeding with rye or ww wakes up the starter better than just AP. and rather than a 1-1-1, i do a 2-5-5... e.g. 20g starter, 50g rye, 50g water. also, how is the smell/taste of the starte... |
All purpose flour boule
So I’ve just finished my stock of bread flour???, and I can’t find any at my local supermarkets, so I tried making an all purpose sourdough with some spelt (~ 15%). What do you guys think? Taste wise: it was not that sour , but I think that’s because it was a one day bakes. Next time, I’ll reta... | Success! It will eat just
Success! It will eat just fine. |
starter problem(i think?)
hey ppl, first: i want to say that this forum have been helping my baking life so much and i love u all.let me get to the topic. i've been baking 3 or 4 loafs of bread everyday and i sell them in a small city named Cabo Frio in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.im having some problems with m... | Weak?
Can you tell us a little more about the starter being weak? Is it not raising your bread? Or something else is causing concern?I wouldn't worry about the tiny bubbles. Bubble size has more to do with the hydration and flour type than the strength of the starter.Your starter peaked at 4 hours, more than doubled, a... |
Oven Temperature for Baking
Is the convection setting good at 450F for making sourdough? Or is it better to keep it on bake at 500F? | Oven Spring?
Also, what are some ways to get a good oven spring? My dough rises alright in the oven but I don't see any gluten strands where I've scored the bread. Should I let it steam for longer? It also takes way longer than 20-25 minutes to develop any browning. |
Does sourdough bread need diastatic barley malt?
I make a sourdough rye that's about 80% to 90% rye flour. I add gluten which helps lighten it up, and just bought some diastatic barley malt because I know that the whole rye flour I use doesn't have it.The purpose of the diastatic barley malt is to break down the starch... | No
No you do not. |
Poor rise after longer bulk fermentation
Hi All -I have been trying to increase the sourness of my bread, and I have read that longer bulk fermentation is helpful in this regard. As a related note, my starter is not particularly sour, so I thought that trying a 48-hour bulk fermentation might be a good way to increase... | That is a LONG bulk ferment
There are certainly more experts here on this site, but a 48-hour bulk ferment sounds like a VERY long time to me (without more specific details regarding your method/recipe). I would go with a much shorter bulk (at least half of what you are currently doing) but add a longish cold retard i... |
Underproofed or underbaked?
A 70% sourdough with toasted sunflower seeds. The crumb is glossy but not sticky or wet. Baked in a DO for 20 minutes at 525 F- lid on , and 17 m at 450 F - lid off. The crumb seems a bit dense in the very center? Temp at center was 206 F when I pulled it. Left it in the oven for about 20 m... | Be Happy
Life is too short to worry about it, if it looks good (which it does) and it tastes good (which you claim) just enjoy it. Crumb looks fine to me. |
Traveling with your starter.
Hello everyone, looking for some advices in regards to traveling with your starter. With borders finally opening in EU I decided I will spend the 1 month in my home country. Because I have a dog, I will travel by car and will have to drive over 3000km, that would be 3 days 2 nights. Not onl... | Cooler
Couldn’t you feed it before you leave and keep it in a cooler along with some road trip snacks? |
Sourdough starter doubling in size on first day
I’m brand new to making sourdough, but have wanted to try it for a long time. Yesterday I started my first sourdough starter using 100g of Bobs Red Mill organic dark rye flour and 150g of water.It’s fairly cold in my house (around 65 F) so I put the starter in my off ove... | Since you have a 150%
Since you have a 150% hydration and a fairly warm spot in your oven, it's not surprising to see activity that fast.Higher hydration means higher water activity, which means faster fermentation. Higher temperatures speeds it up as well. Also rye flour is known for boosting starters due to its high ... |
Flour Vs water shaping high hydration dough
So I've been making some 80+% mainly white flour loaves recently. Ive found on my searches that's it's suggested usually to do a wet pre shape and floured shape. With higher hydration doughs I find it much easier to use water for both, is there any reason why it's better to ... | Only thing I can think of is
Only thing I can think of is - if the surface of the dough is very wet before it goes in a banneton it could increase the chance of sticking to it, unless a lot of flour is used and that can create other issues. What works for you is what you should do. |
Need Advice for failed sourdough
I have attempted to make sourdough a couple times. My starter is around a 90% hydration level, and I am using https://amyinthekitchen.com/beginners-sourdough-bread/ as my recipe. All of my loaves seem to have the same problem: blonde crust, little rising and dense crumb. I bake in a Dut... | They are underproofed. How
They are underproofed. How much starter are you using?Can you please give us your recipe and process so we can assess better? |
Sourdough: Hard crust, sticky tacky insides after baked!
Hi community, i am new to this forum but have been reading a lot of advice from fellow bakers here while my sister and I are trying out our very first sourdough.. We have gotten to "Charlie" (we name our sourdoughs alphabetically hoping to get it right before the... | First, good effort, but
First, good effort, but where did you get the recipe from? Generally, a good hydration starting point is 75% or so when working with bread flour, 80% or so with whole wheat. I ran your numbers, and unless my math is wrong, your are above 90% hydration, which is extremely high. To calculate,... |
Help me troubleshoot failed loaf
My wife baked a loaf using the following recipe:https://livesimply.me/homemade-sourdough-bread-spelt-wheat/And the poor thing came out looking like this:As far as I know the recipe was followed to a T except for these changes:In Step One, we extended the 6 hour levain to 12 hours (overn... | Yes.
Yes, either and both of those things would have messed up the loaf. "If you change the inputs or procedures, you change the output."--1. First deviation from recipe: your logic was based on two incorrect assumptions: a) the behavior of yeast. I would go into it, but there is math and science involved. (Lemme kn... |
Need some troubleshooting advice
So I've been noticing that the area under where I'm scoring my loaves has a much tighter crumb than the rest. I recently started baking in a deck oven. Here's my settings for my oven. It's a Revent 649. Preheated to 450°, all knobs turned to 4(highest setting.) Loaves in and steam for 1... | Likely not related to scoring
Likely not related to scoring or the oven, but rather forming and proofing. What is the recipe/formula, and the method (gluten development, bulk ferment, shape, proof)? |
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