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Starter Gift - How to Feed?
Yesterday I went to a local bakery co-op and was given some starter that had previously been gifted to the bakery by yet another bakery co-op, so it has good pedigree. What I got at the bakery looked like dough, not like the starter I created myself at home, which is fairly thin (hydration l... | Keep it dry
1:2:3 starter:water:flour will give you about 66% hydration, a nice ball of dough.Congratulations on your acquisition! Good luck. |
A mystery - please help
I am making Hamelman's sourdough seed bread according to the instructions on this website for almost a year - a wonderful bread. I am using a very successful starter that I started myself. Recently (about a month) the bread has a taste of soap ??? You take a bite, and first it is unnoticed. But ... | an older thread ... similar?
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/11366/bread-has-chemical-taste |
How much starter do you really need to keep?
Hi TFL,I used the Bread Bakers Apprentice to make my seed culture and barm for my sourdough starter... I'm not getting ready to start my sourdough bread and I'm using the recipe for the basic sourdough bread in the same book. When you finish the starter and make the barm, yo... | You're right, how much you
You're right, how much you keep depends on the recipes that you make (how much starter those recipes need) and how much you bake. I try to keep the smallest amount possible. I bake once a week, and it's not always sourdough, so I usually keep no more than about 200g of starter at any time. If... |
When to move from Phase 2 to 3? (re Reinhart's pineapple seed culture...)
Hello,
Obsessive neophyte here. Reading Peter Reinhart's "Artisan Breads Every Day" and after reading Debra Winks letter on pineapple juice, I decided to try Reinhart's seed culture recipe last Monday:
Monday evening, Day 1, Phase 1: 3 1/2 TB wh... | Oh boy. After reading posts
Oh boy. After reading posts for 1/2 hour I think my culture will go hungry if I don't feed it so I've decided to give it 2 oz whole wheat flour and 2 TB spring water. Now it looks like porridge.
This starter is very different then anything I've read elsewhere but I've committed to it so I'll... |
Sourdough starter question
Hi everyone, I making my sourdough starter now already for a week and the starter will not grow at all. I use very good flour mixed with Rye flour 50/50. I keep it in my kitchen cabinet because my house is cold (72F). Has anyone some pointers for me to guide me to succes? I discard 80% of my ... | starter
Hi Frank, 72F is too low for frequent daily feedings. Let it sit undisturbed longer to accumulate the numbers of yeast cells. At 72F leave it for 3-5 days undisturbed, covered with a layer of flour to prevent mold growing, and only then resume feeding by taking out 20% and feeding it with the flour of your choi... |
Hydration Level of Rye Sourdough Starter
I've been reading Hamelman's BREAD and he appears to be very fond of rye. I have used rye but not as the main flour, and I want to give it a shot. I just activated some rye starter I received from the generous folks at NY Bakers. Is 125 hydration the most common level for rye so... | I keep mine at 100%.
I keep mine at 100%. |
My first sourdough bread
I baked my first bread today with a home - made sourdough starter! It was adapted from some of the recipes I have seen on the net and the bread turned out to be dense [ but soft] with a very hard crust that was difficult to slice. The sour taste of the bread did'nt appeal to me either.My start... | Improvements
Hey Devi,Looking over your post, I have a couple suggestions. First off, a two day old sourdough starter is a VERY young starter. Two or three days is about the amount of time needed to get rid of some nasty bacteria that can take over a starter early on in its productive life. Generally about a month is t... |
Hydration Levels - Tartine Loaf - Too Wet?
I have been making the Tartine loaf for a while with inconsistent results. The bread always tastes great, but I have been struggling to create sufficient surface tension, and the oven spring has not been satisfactory.I decided to use less water this time (650 grams instead of ... | HUH?
I don't see a thing wrong with that loaf. The ears and grigne are great. The major advantage to wetter doughs seems to be bigger holes so that your honey dribbles down your shirt. ;>} |
My sourdough starter...
I showed my wife my starter yesterday. Me: "This is the sourdough starter that I made two weeks ago..." "I've been feeding along the way!" My wife: "Did you give it a name?" Me: "Uh, no... " My wife: "Good answer" Photo just after feeding: About 4 or so hours later: Nice and bubbly:Bread to ... | Naming your starter
Mine is named Nancy. She was given to my friend Nancy BY Nancy Silverton. I have had her for about a year now. |
Creating a levain without existing culture, is there a way? please help
Hi all, currently travelling and did not manage to bring my smidgen of my culture with me. is there a way to create a levain without using an existing culture? Am actually baking tomorrow and have about 12 hours to create one in order to create a b... | Try using buttermilk,
Try using buttermilk, clabbered milk, sour cream, or yogurt to replace all or part of the water in your preferment to give you some sourness. A bit of IDY, and you're good to go. It's not sourdough, but it's pretty good.cheers,gary |
whole wheat levain scent
Hello,I began a starter from scratch several months ago using Hamelman's procedure, and maintain it at 125% hydration and primarily AP white flour. I do spike it with some whole rye from time to time. I've never once had any bad scents with it, except for a bit of the wet-paint smell if I h... | What Hydration?
I have been keeping a 100% wholewheat "desem" style levain. I keep it at around 60% hydration feeding it with freshly milled flour and cool water keeping it at a cool temperature - 18°C (64°)I am biased though. I prefer the smell of firmer starters. I can appreciate and judge a batter type starter but I... |
Feeding a stiff starter ...
I have a question. I looked for an answer but didn't fine one.It has been indicated that when feeding your sriff starter to add 1 unit of water for every 2 units of flour. But there are no indications on how much starter to use. It has been stated to use 2 ounces of 100% starter to 5 ounces... | A few questions.
Hi,The feeding of a starter can be adjusted depending on a few variables....a couple of questions will help with a response.How often are you feeding it or wanting to feed it?Is it living on your bench or the fridge? (ie what temperature range is it living in)What flour are feeding it with (Wholemeal, ... |
Baguette crumb versus Boule crumb?
Good morning -For those of you who regularly bake both of these shapes -- do you notice that your baguette crumb is always more holey, with holes throughout the crumb, versus your boule's with a more dense crumb (but perhaps a little more holey at the edges)? I think my boule shaping ... | Good observation, neoncoyote.
Made with exactly the same dough and with good dough handling technique, a baguette will have a more open crumb than a bâtard which will have a more open crumb than a boule of the same weight. The reason is simple mechanics. The larger mass of dough pressing down on the dough below it will... |
Anyone have Chilkoot Pass Sourdough Starter?
I'm looking for a source for the Chilkoot Pass sourdough starter (from the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush)If anyone has it and would be willing to prepare it for mailing by drying as per the following video ...http://www.breadtopia.com/drying-sourdough-starter-for-long-term-storage... | Yukon SD Source
http://www.sourdo.com/home/cultures/yukon/Hi PAHunter62,Ed Wood seems to be the master of sourdough starter collections from around the world. He has a great website and lists the various starters he maintains. He has a Yukon starter available for $10. Hope this helps. Began my own starter this week.... |
Anyone have a vinegar mother to share?
My son-in-law, Bill, who brews killer beer, has decided to explore the mysteries of acetic acid and asked me for a vinegar mother. Unfortunately, I don't have one (at least not one that will produce fine vinegar). Does anyone out there have some to share, or is able to point me ... | I started fermenting my own
I started fermenting my own wine vinegar a few years ago. When I started, I was under the common misconception that vinegar mother is the cloudy looking stuff at the bottom of an unfiltered bottle of vinegar. I've since learned that the cloudy stuff is just cellulose and other byproducts o... |
Lievito madre from scratch - how to
Hello Everyone, can some tell us how to correctly start a lievito madre from scratch?There are a lot of instructions on the internet but i always have the same problem.After a few refreshments of the starter, everything is getting sour and the gluten is beginning to break down and i ... | Michael, I simply convert my
Michael, I simply convert my liquid starter to solid but I know I have instructions somewhere on how to build LM from scratch. I'm pretty sure it involves refrigeration every night for the "rest" period...but I'll double checkEDIT: refrigeration is for a long rest (more than one day); for o... |
More sour with hydration
I recently converted my storage starter to 50% hydration to see if I could get a more sour flavor. Not sure how I should apply this to my reciepes. If reciepe calls for 280 grams at 100% hydration should I just bring it to correct hydration and weight with several feedings, wouldn't that bee th... | Do you have some references
Do you have some references that you could point to that describe how a lower hydration starter results in a more sour flavor?
Your actual bread starter hydration would be more important than your storage starter, you would likely lose most flavor related to the storage technique if you were... |
Pineapple starter question
I'm on my fith day of starting a new pinapple juice starter from the Debra wink recipe. At this point she recommends taking 1oz out of the jar and adding 1oz of water and one 10z of flour daily. Not thinking it out too well and wanting to get out of the land of 0z into grams I pulled out 50 g... | No Problem
The weight proportions are the same, everything will be okay. 1oz = 28.35g.Jim |
Question: Building my SFO Sourdough Starter
I'm busy activating my SFO sourdough starter. I'm at the point where I am feeding two jars and the directions say to throw away all but 1 cup of the mixture every 12 hours. Can I use the throw away parts to make a loaf? | Yes
Use it along with yeast as a flavor component (pre-ferment). Add a little flour, if needed, to adjust it to the consistency of your final dough.Jim |
I think my starter may have made me sick.
Guys I really need some advice. I have been maintaing a starter for about 4 months. I usually bake a few consecutive days a week and keep my starter in the fridge the rest of the time. After I am done using the starter I throw about 80% of it out, refresh it and put it in the f... | Better safe than sorry
1. It smelled different and not in a pleasant way -- a bad sign.2. You cooked with it anyway and got sick.Seems a no brainer to me. Do not feed that bread to anyone else and make sure you drink plenty of liquids to restore your electrolytes. Food poisoning is no laughing matter. If you contin... |
Herb Sourdough Bread?
Can I add herbs to a sourdoug bread and the flavor come out ok? My Sourdough Potato Flake Bread is turning out wonderfully. It does have a fairly sweet flavor. I was wondering if I add some itallian herbs to it to go with my Lazanga how it would turn out. Any suggestions or should I try a quic... | I don't see why not. If using
I don't see why not. If using dry herbs you may want to soak them in a little bit of water first just to soften them. If you're worried that the essential oils in your herbs are somehow going to interfere with dough fermentation, you could always add them at the very end. For example, if y... |
Searching for starter in Lake Chapala region of Mexico
We recently moved from British Columbia to the Lake Chapala region of Mexico. Frustratingly I seem unable to get a starter started here. I've ordered a dried one from Breadtopia, but the mail is quite iffy here. I'm wondering if there are any other fresh loafers... | starter
Pablo, have you tried different types of flour? Have you tried different hydration amounts? I'm fairly certain that there's some boogers in the air that would love to make your flour sour! Wow, that even rhymes! :)Just my 2 cents. Good luck finding a (your) starter! Thomas |
Real Basic Question
So, I have a starter that is a few months old, and usually, when I feed her, she perks right up and bubbles like crazy. (Not that that has always translated into great rising bread, sigh). Anyway, today, I took her out of the fridge and fed her, and she's bubbling, but just barely. Maybe she's ju... | Probably tired
CSBaker,Sounds like Vivian is just tired. A stay in the refrigerator can do that to a starter. It's generally a good idea to take her out a day or two before you plan on baking and feed her a couple times. That will give her enough time to warm up and get to the task of raising dough.My starter, Bret, di... |
Sourdough doesn't bake through properly
Hello, first post here.I've been baking for about a year now but only seriously since around January. I finally have had some success baking with sourdough after months of miserable failures. My kitchen is very hot (78-82F year round--the heat in winter is insanely strong) so I'v... | thiols
Hi a_pummarolaHave a good read through this thread. Debra Wink has many sound words of help for you here.http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/22004/never-saw-dough-break-downBest wishesAndy |
sourdough starter
I have a sourdough starter from fresh ground red wheat. It seems active enough and has a sour taste , sort of yogurty ,not like vinegar , but it is 5 days old and doesn't have an odour like sourdough ,more like tumeric . Should I wait and see or start over ? Regards Ggage | don't start over
Don't start over. Give it 10 more days. In about 5 more days, start feeding it 2x per day. Leave your starter at room temp. Give it time, be patient, you cannot rush sourdough. It will work out just fine! |
How do I make my sourdough starter more sour?
I have a very active sourdough starter, but it isn't very "sour". The bread I make tastes great, but I wouldn't call it "sourdough".How do I get my starter to be "sour" dough starter? | Recipe?
Just because it's called sourdough doesn't mean the final loaf will be sour. In the U.S. when people hear sourdough they think it should be very sour. If it's a San Fran style loaf then yes pucker up. In other countries sourdough is generally not very sour.It is easy to ruin a storage starter by attempting to m... |
Hollow loaves, no ear
Hey fellow bakers, I'm at my wits' end with sourdough baking and am hoping for some guidance on what I'm doing wrong.My loaves are coming out terrible! Massive holes, it can almost be an empty calzone, also no ear whatsoever, just flat and shiny. I've tried so many different recipes, read many for... | Your crumb shows typical
Your crumb shows typical classic signs of underfermentation. Tight crumb with large tunnels in the upper half of the bread. Because you are using a very young levain you’ll need to allow for a longer time in bulk than what you did, either more time or warmer temperature or both. I believe yo... |
My Sourdough Is Too Dense
Hello, my fellow bread bakers,
I have a question. Why is my sourdough bread always so DENSE? From what I can tell, my sourdough starter is highly active, because I feed it 2 to 3 times a day and it bubbles right up each time. I also measure my ingredients by weight in order to make sure the ... | many things
If your loaf is too dense, it could be many things, here's a few
Sourdough too weak
Didn't let your final dough rise enough
Not enough gluten development in the dough
Recipe hydration is too low
Other recipe variables
It would help to know what sourdough hydration you have, but we can look at other thin... |
something odd about my sourdough Firm starter. Please advice
Hi TFL,So I'm making my first sourdough and I'm using the seed culture and barm recipe from the Bread Bakers Apprentice. The barm turned out amazing. I just refreshed it today using 150gs and using 50% dark rye flour (I was out of bread flour) and 50% water. ... | Kind of too much going back
Kind of too much going back and forth between grams and ounces... missing info, too. 4 oz barm, 4.5 oz flour - how much water here? I'm a little lost.A firm starter will flatten on the top a bit - blame gravity! That's normal. The roundness on the sides is, of course, expansion - also normal... |
how to get a good crumb and crust?
So I'm starting my very first sourdough bread and I've made the sourdough starter. I'm using the instructions in the Bread Bakers Apprentice book. I've made bread before (never sourdough) and always had problems with the crumb and crust and I want to make sure I dont have this problem... | Your on the right track, but...
Dear Beginner,We've pretty much all been there. It's great that you've asked the group. In my 40 yrs of baking, I'd say that the absolute best thing you could do is find someone nearby to bake with. Second choice would be to invest in a bread-baking class. You can use this website to... |
question about possible proofing problem...
Hi there, Does anyone have any input on this: I just started two cultures, one Bahrain and one San Francisco. They launched just beautifully at first but after checking on them in the fridge for a few days I see that the hooch is on the bottom of the mass not on top! Also the... | liquid separation
The liquid on bottom could just be liquid separation (i.e., water separating from the starter), which does happen sometimes. It's probably not hooch. What hydration are you maintaining your starters? These are two new cultures? If so, they probably shouldn't be living in the fridge. You should only re... |
Adding new yeast to old starter?
Is it ok to had fresh yeast to a sourdough starter if it is acting lazy or is it best just to wait it out. I am not the most pacient person when it comes to getting the starter viable. | time and flavor
When it comes to sourdough starters, time = flavor. Over a period of months, the flavor of a starter develops depending on the conditions it is kept in.By adding yeast, you're interfering in the natural lifecycle of the microorganisms growing in the starter. Naturally-occuring yeast are, right now, esta... |
Can this starter be save?
I have been following Peter Reinhart's starter recipe and today was day 6. My starter had doubled + in size and I proceeded to the last step prior to mother starter. I am looking at it and it seems too firm to possibly rise anymore. It's the consistency of a kneaded bread dough. Should I add m... | Starter should be ok
NancyB - It sounds like you've added more flour by weight than water. Reinhart (in BBA) calls for equal weights of both. In any event, if so, you've just overfed it. That means that it will take the yeast and lactobacilli a little longer to consume the really big meal you've put on their plate. ... |
Maui travel with sourdough starter?
Friends -
I'm traveling from Oregon to Maui at the end of this month and will be staying with friends I want to bake for. They've asked for sourdough, and I've seen some hints here for traveling with starter, but does anyone have advice for keeping it alive on a long plane flight?
If... | Keeping it alive
Toneweaver- I doubt the trip to Maui from Oregon is going to take much more than 12 hours (if that), so feeding your starter isn't an issue. The issue is how to transport it most conveniently (and so TSA doesn't decide it's a liquid that's over the limit in ounces). It'd feed it before leaving for th... |
Sourdough Debate
I've been trying to make sourdough bread for quite a while now and, though it tastes great, it isn't very sour. But, that isn't what this question is about. I know there are a ton of threads that go through this issue very thoroughly. This is the issue at hand:I was speaking with my roommates (none of ... | nonsense
The level of sour has to do with the bacteria developed in the starter. That's not to say there may be some climate relationship, but the bacteria that exists in starter is found all over the world, not just ocean climates. Overall cnvironment clearly has something to do with it though: check this thread where... |
starter rises, bread doesn't
I have a young starter, who is just lazing about. It is only three weeks old or so, & I am new to sourdough so I have really no idea what I am doing. I made a loaf of bread using the 1-2-3 dough last week, came out really nice. No problem. This week, nothing will rise, except the starte... | Hi -
A 3 week young starter
Hi -A 3 week young starter should be able to raise bread, but it's still not very stable. A lot of variables there depend on how you started it, and whether or not it went through all of the 'normal' phases. Also, whenever I talk about a 2-3 week period, it's from the point where it starts r... |
help with basic principles of starter usage....
I have a new starter going that is just getting ready to be used for the first time, but I am unclear on some general principles. I hope you all can clear them up for me please...a. when a recipe calls for starter, how soon after "refreshing/feeding" are they expecting ... | Re: help with basic principles of starter usage....
a. In general you want to use it when "it's hungry", not when "it's full". It's hungry after not being fed for a while. That's when you want to use it. Adding it to other ingredients when it's hungry will feed it, a lot, and make it very happy. Hungry yeast burp and f... |
Bloating
My digestion seems to be an anomaly! I'm mildly wheat intolerant (ie I can eat small amounts without getting sick, but not huge amounts), and my husband gets very bloated after eating normal bread, so sourdough sounded like a great idea. I made my first loaf (from a commercial rye starter) and was blown away b... | Bloating
"Normal bread doesn't bloat me, but sourdough does? I have the same reaction to cultured butter (but not to yoghurt?)."Something that has helped my digestion is fermented foods. Sourdough is that but since it is baked and healthy bacteria die in temps over 118* you are not getting them. (tthe bread is howeve... |
more starter shenanigans - starter acidity
I have a 100% hydration 50/50 whole wheat and white flour starter. A while back, I was having trouble maintaining its health. No matter how faithfully I'd stick to feeding schedules, it would develop a weird rotten egg smell. I believe that this was due to discarding too much ... | Long Shot
It may have something to do with the water. I've noticed a rotten egg (sulfur) smell in water while vacationing on the southern U.S. east coast.Jim |
Pouring Off
I was reading another post and think I may have figured out the problem with my starter. When pouring off some of the starter, Do you mix back in the part that rises then pour off? What exactly does "pouring off" mean? I am thinking I might be pouring my healty yeast down the drain and not keeping the "g... | Pouring Off or Feeding
I'm not exactly sure if I understand your question but I'll take a stab at it non the less.As you feed your new starter every 12 hours, if you didn't dump or pour off most of it at feeding time you would soon have a gallon or more, when a few Tablespoons will do. When I feed my starter, I first r... |
Stiff levain fermentation
As a serious home baker, I'm learning without a net. I have no bakery experience or the patient ear of a mentor so it's a long learning curve. Here are a few questions to anyone who has been down this road. I'm fermenting my stiff levain for 48 hours at 46 degrees before mixing. I'm shoot... | hard to say
Does this amount of stiff levain fermentation cause any problems I should be aware of? It depends on the activity of the levain, and the amount of levain you use in your recipe. A levain stored cold for 48 hours is going to be pretty slow. If you're using a lot of levain in your final dough, it might lead t... |
large holes in crumb
I am recently getting large holes in my crumb over a 50 cent piece size and am after any thoughts as to why this is happening it is only a recent problem and would like to get my breads back on track. the dough is a white sour with only white flour used and is refrigerated over night. Thanks | A pic or two would be
A pic or two would be helpful... most artisan bakers strive for 'open' crumb like that, especially in sourdoughs, but that's of course open cumb relative to the overall crumb. It's hard to say without seeing it whether you did something good, or not... heheWide holes are generally achieved by high... |
Question about typical rising time
What is the typical time it takes the bread to rise after mixing up the bread but before punching it down and seperating it into bread pans for the second rising?I mixed up the bread yesterday morning. It has been 11 hours but the bread has not even doubled yet and I was expecting it... | If you overmix the dough it
If you overmix the dough it will break down, it sounds like one of the following scenarios happened.a) too much salt and it killed the yeastb) no yeast added by mistakec) your yeast is badTest your yeast by proofing it in some water + sugar, if it foams you can rule out C. |
Question about Potato Flak Starter
Having a starter that uses the instant potatoes; does it is still get left out on the counter and fed twice a day? | Does the feeding
Does the feeding plan/schedule call for feeding with potato flakes at each feeding?In general, yes, you need to feed an active starter regularly. 2x per day is a good schedule to maintain starter activity. |
Question about how often I can bake from my starter
I have a question:I made a fresh starter last week fed it and did my first baking this past weekend. It turned out pretty good.Now I want to set up a schedule to bake at least once a week but having trouble with that. How soon after I put the left over starter back ... | If you're baking more than
If you're baking more than once per week, it makes sense to keep your starter at cool room temp and just feed it daily, preferably 2x per day. Some people bake with starter right from the fridge, that doesn't work well for me. If you keep your starter in the fridge, I recommend feeding your s... |
Milk reduces loaf shelf life?
I am experimenting with milk instead of water in sourdough using fresh pasturised full cream milk. The bread comes out very moist, very chewy with most delicious aroma.However, the shelf life seems to be much shorter in side-by-side experiment:Water based: retains structure until it driesM... | using milk
I bake bread two or three times per week. When I have too much milk in the fridge I often use it instead of water. The only difference we've noticed is that the loaves with milk brown faster and deeper. |
Salt Rising Bread
Anybody have a good experience with Salt Rising Bread?Locations for recipes, tips, tricks, things to avoid, etc.? Thanks for any help. gdubya | Salt Rising
gdubya,
I have no personal experience with making salt rising bread. I remember eating some that my grandmother made back when I was in elementary school and not really caring for it. Mom's yeasted breads were more to my taste. Dunno what I would think of it today.
You could start here: http://home.comca... |
The secret to true San Francisco sourdough
revealed!** CAUTION! Contains spoilers! **http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-wjBgbKf9Idiscuss...- Keith | Hmmmmmm..................
............looks like I've been doing it the hard way. |
Issues activating dried starter
I ordered the Oregon trail starter a while back and finally decided to activate it. I have a lot of experience with starters but never revived a dehydrated one before.I followed the instructions and have been slowly building it up for a week now. I see activity in the form of bubbles bu... | My experience.
I used to use Carl's Oregon Trail starter.If remember correctly, it took a few days, maybe 4, for the dried culture to "bloom", then another 3 or 4 days before I baked with it.Possibilitiies:- did you use chlorinated tap water? That would kill it. Use bottled spring water, not bottled filtered/purified ... |
Adapting Jim Lahey's recipe to Sourdough
I recently discovered Jim Lahey's no knead bread recipe. By far the best I have yet tried. MUCH better then Bread in 5 Minutes a Day! I am wanting to expirament, and try using my sourdough starter instead of yeast, but I'm not sure how much I should use, and how much to then red... | In general, just substitute
In general, just substitute 1/4 cup sourdough starter for the instant yeast.
No other adjustments really required, but some folks may back off on the water a bit, to 1 1/2 cups. Even without the sourdough conversion, many feel that the 1 1/2 cups water works better in the "real world".
Easy ... |
Sourdough culture question: differing cultures
Let's say that I have a "special" culture, from Egypt or something, purchased from Sourdo.com. For months I feed it with King Arthur AP flour. Can someone who really knows their stuff please explain to me how my culture does not eventually become dominated by the yeast tha... | Taste difference?
Hello, I bought two different starters (from e-bay) and there was a definite odor difference in them after a few days. One smelled sweet/yeasty, the other a little more sour, but my inexperienced nose and palate could not tell the difference in the breads or pancakes I made. Now I read above that yeas... |
Does anyone sell their "sourdough starters"?
Please help. I have tried on several occasions to make my own sourdough starter and then used it unsuccessfully to make bread. Maybe someday, I would try it again. Is there a ready-made starter that can be purchased at the grocery store or from a catalog online? Or does... | Location
Rose,Please tell us where you're located. I'm sure someone living nearby would give you some.Jim |
Sourdough troubles
Can anyone out there give me some troubleshooting advice. I've had a starter going for 3 weeks now and it doubles every time i feed so i'm thinking it's healthy but the last two recipes i've made the bread has come out dense. The first time I think it was because i used all whole rye in the recipe bu... | Could you provide a link to the recipe?
There are many variables that result in poorly leavened bread. It may not be your starter. Could you provide a link to the recipe? That might help us troubleshoot.Rye breads can be airy, but it takes a lot of experience to get there. I've been baking bread for over a decade (ryes... |
Sourdough disappointment
I can see that sourdough requires a certain amount of chemistry, which may be why I'm not doing well at it (I've never studied chemistry).I made another attempt at it. My starter is doing quite well. It's USING the starter that's a problem. I used someone's basic dough recipe off this site and ... | Hi, Amateur
All what you've
Hi, AmateurAll what you've said above is synonymous to a Weak Starter. Your starter is not fed properly or overfed, both which leads to a weak starter. don't be fooled by the apparent rising activity of your starter, rather, watch the duration of its rising. In other words, your starter shou... |
Using starter for breads with different flour
Can you use your white flour starter for other breads like rye, whole wheat? Instead of having several different starters. how does it effec the outcome? | Re: Can use white starter with other flours?
Think of your white starter as a mother starter.When you want to make rye bread, make a rye starter using some of your mother starter.How do you make a rye starter? Rye flour + water + a bit of mother starter.Ditto whole wheat, durum, buckwheat, etc.When you want to make who... |
Conversions
Hi!!I was wondering if anyone had a good way to do a starter conversion for a bread recipe that uses dry instant yeast ..in other words how much starter to replace dry yeast. I have a great recipe that I have been using and would love to try to use my new starter with it. Thanks!! | Converting IDY to starter
The short answer is that there isn't any one-to-one conversion formula. You are, in essense, converting the bread from one that is commercially yeasted to one that is a sourdough- or levain-based bread. The two will taste differently, proof differently, etc.That said, most levain-based bread... |
BBC Radio 4 program on Yeast
Hello,I just became aware of this program on the subject of Yeast, on BBC Radio 4:http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b012wcl6The program starts at about 1:15 in.I hope this is of interest to bakers (and brewers) here on TFL.:^) from breadsong | Food Programme
This is BBC Radio Four's flagship programme on food, and a "must" listen for me to keep abreast of food matters.The programme features John Downes, Vincent Talleu and Andrew Whitley.Need I say more?Thanks for posting this link to the board breadsongBest wishesAndy |
Sourdough Starter Matainence
I need a little advice :)I've been feeding my starter for over 2 weeks now , i've used some and made my first loaf and had a nice sucess with taste at least not enough rise but i think that was due to the sort of flour I used in combo with recipe....anyway the starter is doing great, everyt... | Refrigerate
I see nothing wrong with refrigeration. I do it all of the time and the sarter revives nicely. I suspect yours will do so also, since it is now doubling with each feeding.Ford |
Uneven browning on my sourdough loaves
I have been baking with sourdough for about 3 years now and have managed to make well structured and yummy bread. However, I cannot seem to get pretty well browned loaves like I see in most of your pictures. Mine come out spotted and unevenly browned. I usually use steam five m... | spotted loaves
If your loaves are spotted (like a cheetah), it's likely that you're overfermenting your dough. That means there are few sugars left for caramelization to take place. Don't let your dough rise as long before baking it. Read about the "poke test" to determine when a bread is ready to bake; it should expan... |
Tired Starter: Refresh or Restart?
I have a starter that I've been regularly baking with for around 6 years. Unfortunately, when the pandemic hit I had a very difficult time finding flour! As a result, my starter went beyond the normal one week in the fridge breaks (Maybe a few months passed without a feeding-whoops!).... | Always worth a shot, could be
Always worth a shot, could be interesting. But bringing it back to optimal would be almost like restarting. Thing to do is take a little starter very little, feed it something like 25 to 1, don't let it get to cold, and stir 2-3 times a day. It'll come back slowly, so don't expect to see m... |
Using locally ground corn for a starter
In my VERY LIMITED research of sourdough starters using wild yeast, there seems to be some debate over the origins of the yeast. Is it caught from the native environment or is it already on the flour used in the starter. I figure I can garauntee local yeast if I use locally groun... | Flour for starters
Todd, I don't know if corn flour will work, but I do know that store-bought white flour (AP or BF or WW), and rye flour work just fine.Bob |
Starter HELP!!
okay I ventured out to make my own starter first using the recipe from "wild fermentation" book. I used 1cup of rye flour and 1 cup of filtered Water covered with a cheesecloth and put on the counter. 12 hours later it doubled in size so i stirred it and added just 2 tbl of each water and flour(followin... | keep feeding it for 7-10 days
keep feeding it for 7-10 days and you'll be fine.You should save 1/2c of starter and add 1/4c of water and 1/2 cup flour at each feeding.Feed it twice a day, especially if you're keeping the starter in a warm place. 7-10 days of this schedule is what it takes for starter to get established... |
Can store bought starter packet be used as a base for ongoing starter? How?
I bought a packet of ready sourdough culture, says to just add it to bread dough, intended for make at home one shot sourdough, says add to 10-35 oz of flour (just add to base bread formula). I found this 'all natural ready sourdough' starter, ... | Re: can packet be used as a base? Yes
Sure. First figure out the amount that you need for your bread recipe, then build 200 grams (7 oz weight) more than that. At some point in the process (after the first build or first rise), remove that extra and start feeding it per instructions on this site:http://www.thefresh... |
Will all sourdough starters I make eventually taste the same?
Hi!This is probably a stupid question, but I've just barely gotten up and running with sourdough, so bear with me. :)I have a nice River Cottage rye sourdough starter bubbling away in my fridge (started with 1 cup dark rye flour and 1 cup bottled water), and... | sourdough flavor
Not a dumb question. Many people think that if they cultivate wild yeast by using ingredients such as milk, honey, grapes etc, that their final loaf will have these flavor profiles. These ingredients are generally used as a facilitator helping along the wild yeast that is found in the flour or on the... |
Question on my sourdough hydration and build calculations, double checking
Hi! I found in Jeffery Hamelman's Bread the section on "Building the Culture (also known as "Elaborating")", page 146, and while I'm pretty sure I understand it, I need some verification.I started my rye culture, and have fed him, 1 measured cup... | Hmmmm, You've got me confused
First of all a cup of water is 240ml, therefore 240 grams.... although I won't quibble with 237.Flour is always 100% and hydration is measured in relation to it by weight not volume. You are quite correct in saying a cup of water to a cup of flour is about 200%. If we replace your 227g of ... |
Tartine Starter Attempt 1
I love breadmaking and love the look of the Tartine breads so this is my new goal as far as what I want from my bread. I have made successful starter for my pizzas and now attempted the tartine starter from the book.I have a glass jar and filled it halfway with water and added a handful of 50/... | Oh My
I don't understand why Chad gives precise measures for the doughs yet is so vague about the starter. Wish we could e-mail him. If you have a good starter use that.Jim |
Sourdough newbie questions.
New tosourdough and here is my question. How long before i make bread do i need to take my starter out of the fride and how many times do i need to feed it and at what ratios?It is a 100%starter.Also do i need to feed what i put back in the fridge and should i let it peakfirst. Thanks fo... | I can only tell you what I do
I can only tell you what I do.I feed mine before I return it to the refrigerator, and return it to that place immediately after feeding. I did not begin refrigerating it until it was clearly working well at room temperature, which was a couple of weeks after starting it. I keep the conta... |
I am so sad
I have killed my starter. Yes it's a goner mold across the top and um im not sure what kind of bug was starting to grow. The smell almost knocked me out! I had it for 7 months and each loaf was getting better and better. I have since started another one same method as before PJ Juice and Rye flour I am curr... | Sorry about your starter.
You're just about there! It should respond anytime now. The aging process may take longer... May the force be with you!Mini |
refrigerating the final dough
Back in the early spring when I was making sourdough bread I would mix the final dough and let it rise over night. Because of the weather it was ready 6 hours later or so to be shaped. Now the weather is hot and humid and the dough rises to fast for my liking. I am wondering if I can mix t... | Retarding in the fridge works very well
Hi,I mix my sourdough in the evening, autolyse, gently stretch and knead for about ten minutes, bulkferment for about two hours (sometimes less) with an occasional stretch&fold. For the bulk fermentation I keep the dough in a warm environment (switch on the oven for a few minutes... |
Substituting starter for instant yeast
I had some extra starter (who doesn't?) and remembered a no-knead recipe that suggested substituting 1/4C of starter for the 1/4 t of instant yeast. I was surprised at the wonderful very obvious difference in texture and moistness of the bread. Is there a rule-of-thumb about subst... | Starters vary pretty wildly
Starters vary pretty wildly in terms of strength, activity and hydration. There is no minimum or maximum amount of starter that you can use in a recipe. Of course, too little and your dough will ferment very slowly, too much and your dough will ferment very quickly. That said, I think a good... |
My lievito madre is acting up - help please!
Hello fellow bakers!Since November I've been diving into the world of lievito madre and panettone. I started it using apple yeast water, then I made a liquid starter, then I converted it into a stiff starter. I was using about 35-37% hydration with Manitoba flour from Molino... | LM
What is your typical maintenance routine, times and temps? |
starter is very thick and stretchy
This is my first starter, and I know its alive because it bubbles when I feed it. But, I keep reading that it will be the consistency of pancake batter, and mine is very thick and very stretchy. For example, it won't "pour" it more just globs. Is this the way it's supposed to be, or ... | I'm thinking
It seems you are measuring not weighing. To get the batter effect add a little more water. Use a chop stick to stir as often as every 3 hours if possible, wild yeast like a little air. What method are you following? What type of flour is in there?Jim |
Orange streak - is my starter contaminated beyond help?
Hi, I'm a newbie to bread baking and have learned a lot from the accumulated information on this site. Hoping someone more knowledgeable or experienced can advise me on this.
About 1 1/2 months ago, I created a starter using whole wheat flour and pineapple juice t... | Is there any kind of test I
Is there any kind of test I can do to find out if it's ok? I'd hate to throw it out if it's still salvageable. |
Updated with Pics - Help with First sourdough loaf - Carl's starter - Simple Sourdough Pan Bread - Low Knead
Hello all,I'm in the middle of mixing my first sourdough loaf. I'm pretty good with commercial yeast breads - but this is my first sourdough attempt.Starter: From Carl's FriendsFully activated starter.Using this... | Welcome!
Hi, Chirpy.Welcome to TFL and to sourdough baking!In answer to your question, you can refrigerate your sponge overnight at pretty much any stage. It probably would have been better to do it earlier, but it will survive.Before you mix the final dough, you probably should give your sponge an hour or so at room t... |
totally confused and overwhelmed, please help.
So, I have made quite a few loaves of yeasted breads, and those are getting better all the time. I decided to take it to the next level and made a starter, which after following the day by day directions on this forum, it came to life on Day 6, and I named it Vivian.Anywa... | 1-2-3
Do a search for 1-2-3 and you'll find a simple formula. Enjoy! |
Really Stupid Question Time
So sorry to ask this, so far beneath most of your expertise . . . Here goes: how tight should the plastic wrap be on the starter? Tight? Loose? Rubber-banded? Maybe a lid? | I leave it loose.
Or you could use dampened cheesecloth secured with an elastic band. |
What is thiol and how is it getting in my bread?
Here is my original post: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/23847/dough-gets-thin-and-runny-bread-won039t-riseI just went through this! 4 weeks ago I wrote here and got wonderful help and seemed to fix things, then everything went bad again! My first loaf looked fine, ... | Thiol is the chemical term
Thiol is the chemical term for a family of chemicals with a certain chemical composition. It refers to the presence of sulfur in a compound where normally there would be oxygen. In general it makes the compound stinkier.Sulfur is present in the proteins of wheat flour. It is the reactions ... |
starter in hot weather
I know this is beneath the level of expertise of most of you seasoned bakers, but here goes . . .So, I'm just about to take the plunge and mix up my very first starter. But, it's pretty hot here, and almost everywhere I read that the temp should be in the upper 60s to low 70s. I fear that my h... | Since I'm not a seasoned
Since I'm not a seasoned baker compared to most of the rest here, I'll reply. *wink* I do live in a house without AC, and I keep sourdough cultures, so I guess I have some experience if not expertise.Leave it on the counter and let it bubble. You might have to feed it every 12 hours instead ... |
Help, my starter is DRUNK!
My fault, I know. This started off as Apple YW, now a 100% hydration flour starter that I've neglected a bit and it's been in the fridge. The weather here is finally warm (hot, actually) so I decided to bring it out, feed it up, and convert it to whole wheat while I was at it. I underestima... | Otto will be fine.
Whole wheat and rye starters are total drunks.Leave them alone somewhere warm and comfy, and you'd better hide the matches.I wouldn't put it in the fridge right after discard and feed, however. I'd let it sober up at room temperature and, after maybe a feeding or two, put in the icebox (the fridge). |
Refreshing a sourdough starter
Hello,I have a few basic questions that I hope some kind person(s) can answer!1) Why is an older starter better than a newer one? My bread is less tangy in flavour than a year ago, but I can't really notice any other discernable difference. I guess that doesn't say much for my bread maki... | You are on a good path
To tell if your starter is doubling when you are asleep, just put it in a clear glass jar (I use a canning jar) and when you are done stirring the feed into it, clean the glass to the level of the starter. If it rose and fell before you awoke, you will see the level it rose to. It should, indeed,... |
? protease in starterh
I normally use my starter weeky but bought bread for the past 2 weeks. When I got the stater out of the fridge it hadn't risen at all & smelled more acidic than usual. I fed it twice and got no rise and also noted a change in texture; slimey and gelatinous -kind of the way chewing gum goes if yo... | Please
Please! |
trapped gas in starter build container
The container that I use to store my intermediate starter build has a tight sealing lid. After it's been fermenting for awhile the lid bulges and "pop"s when I release it, indicating a gas buildup trapped in the container. I wonder if that has any effect, pro or con, on the star... | Calling all microbiologists
The answer to your question is, "Yes." The explanation will have to come from Debbie Wink or one of the other microbiologist on this forum. (Perhaps Dan or SteveB know the answer too.)
See the article here.
--Pamela |
underproofed?
Hi fellow bakers,I'm back at it again. Trying achieve that lacy crumb. And big ear. This was a big fail in that respect. Is this underfermented or maybe the oven wasn't hot enough? It still tasted delicious. Any feedback is greatly appreciated. ThanksLL | That's a beautiful open
crumb for the flour (ingredients) and oven you are using whatever they are. (Any reference links to previous posts?)You are most likely to find your desired tweak somewhere in the rising & shaping of your technique. |
Separate starters?
I've been baking bread for about a year, baked 45 loaves at home in the last month. All with instant yeast and delayed fermentation. Many people seem to feel that sourdough is the better bread. I've begun reading about it here and in books. I've begun making a starter, but I have two questions. I'm s... | SImply
3 different starters are not needed. Commercial yeast is a different strain of yeast than sourdough yeast. The bacteria in sourdough give it the different flavor profile. Not everyone loves sourdough, it's not necessarily better, just different.Jim |
Help with rise?
My starter is 3 weeks old and very strong; I decided to try my hand at making my first loaf of sourdough since I have so much time on my hands this weekend. I did not get much of a rise, I used the 1 2 3 Method from Flo (found on this site). The crust was crunchy and chewy, the taste was mildly sour ... | Shaping is the answer, for now
I'll say from the start that I'm a fan of Flo's 1-2-3 formula for sourdough loaves. On the rare occasions that I follow procedure perfectly, I get a great looking loaf. Much of the time, shaping my loaves is less than perfect and I get the deserved result. Without knowing more about your ... |
New to sourdough - what to do?
Okay, I'm sure this has been covered many a time; my apologies.I have sourdough starter in a crock-pot in the kitchen. No mold. Brown stuff on top - hooch, is that what it's called?I made a loaf out of it. The loaf didn't rise. Even after two days at room temperature. I finally gave up an... | steps to a healthy starter
Hi,I'd start with reading the "Lessons" section of TFL, there is a list of sourdough articles. My guess is your starter is not yet active enough to bake. Here are some things you need to do:If your starter has hooch, it means it may be starving. Be sure and feed it 2x per day if you are bakin... |
Questions about yeast water dough
I have been working with yeast water for the last month or so and am trying to get a handle on this strange creature. I started with a banana yeast water and then converted it to raisin yeast water for the last few bakes. I had wondered if I could get the kind of gelatinized crumb ... | The crust came out pale, but
The crust came out pale, but the crumb was pretty much what I had hoped for. Why did this happen? I have had trouble with flowing dough before but only when I had a high percentage of whole grains in the starter. Is there something about the yeast water that contributes to this behavi... |
Sharing my incredible stupidity with all of you :-)
Just thought I would share my funny/sad/stupid story with you all....last weekend my Dad was visiting and I wanted to make him some sourdough...however my starter was cold in the fridge. So, I fed it up and stuck it in the oven with the light on to get it moving a wee... | I read literally hundreds
of stories identical to yours;-) The oven is not the place for a starter, however cold your house may be, really! |
Proofing after refrigeration?
Hello,I usually bake a version of Jeffrey Hamelman’s Vermont Sourdough, adapted from a website. The instructions call for 1 hour and 45 minute proofing, followed by refrigeration for 2-16 hours. Unless I've misunderstood, some posters here have talked about proofing AFTER overnight refrig... | Definitely
I almost always put dough in the fridge right after shaping. I let it retard overnight (usually), and then take it out of the fridge about two hours before I plan to bake. Some people probably leave more or less time after removing the dough, but you'll find what works. |
Crust bitterness, which vanishes after an hour or so. What?
I know I've made a thread about a similar issue in the past, but the plot has thickened. I've been using a KAF starter lately, and this has happened with my homemade starters in the past as well. It's very odd since I have no idea what would be causing this.My... | Bleached AP?
Why in the world are you using bleached flour? The bleaching process oxidizes flour components that are important for flavor. Maybe that's the source of your crust bitterness.David |
Starter starts nice, goes iffy, then bitter. Help?
Hello again...I've had the same thing happen twice now. I start the culture with half AP half WW/rye, gets going, increase % of white flour and feed more each feeding (every 12 hours), after a week or so strong rise, nicely sour and lemony, makes good bread. After anot... | Try KA
King Arthur sells their starter as a 1 oz semi-stiff sample in a small plastic screwtop container. I like it in part because you don't have to put up with the uncertainty of reconstituting a dried starter (i.e., from Sourdough International - which is another option and they have a large selection as well) and ... |
Norwich Sourdough & Lessons Learned
I've been experimenting with different sourdough recipes lately and decided to go with Susan@Wild Yeast's Norwich Sourdough, which has gotten a lot of attention both on her blog and on TFL. I made the whloe recipe (which, by the way, is a LOT of dough) and made a batard, a pizza crus... | But so delicious looking !
That is the problem with using a starter and fermenting for a couple of days, the taste is definitely quite sour.Anna |
Newbie:First starter is high achiever! what do I do?
Started my first Tartine starter yesterday- and it took off! Doubled in volume and bubbling in 30 hours. When do I feed it? Doesn't fit any descriptions of any posts I've found. Tartine talks about feeding on day 3 or 4 when it is barely bubbling. Don't want t... | First off: what does it smell
First off: what does it smell like? Because that will tell us a LOT. |
Weird SD bread crust...Why??
Hi everyone, I just made the Bread Code's SD bread and ended up with a crust that is a bit unusual on my 2 loaves: it's as if it had been torn, or ripped, I don't know how to explain...Does anybody have a clue about what happened? I think my dough was on the under-proofed side as I was so a... | The answer is right in your post.
I think my dough was on the under-proofed side |
Am I over feeding my starter?
I started my starter on 06/10/11 using a dark rye flour and pineapple juice method; it did well and but when I started feeding it AP flour on day 4 it did nothing for 3 days so I added half wheat flour along with the AP and off it went after 24 hours and feeding it 2x a day. I fed it this... | Keep up the good work
I don't think you are overfeeding. Keep going; you might even try making a loaf now. The starter is not mature, but I'll bet it will still make an acceptable laof.Ford |
Drying a starter. Is it possible?
Hi,I've recently discovered this website and think it looks fantastic.I've just been wondering recently if it is possible to dry, and therefore keep indefinitely, a soughdough starter.If you were to spread some starter out on a baking tray, let it completely dry out for a few days and ... | Absolutely possible,
Absolutely possible, dehydration is how many companies sell starters via mail-order.
Chocolate and Zucchini recently outlined the process:
http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2011/02/dehydrating_your_sourdough_starter.php |
Need Help With Sourdough Whole Wheat Bread Problem(s)
This is going to be kind of a long story. I am making 100% whole wheat sourdough bread in a hearth loaf pan. I am working towards the goal of a bread that can be used for sandwiches. It needn't be light and fluffy, but breaking in two when squeezed around the fi... | Another kefir lover!
I have never seen the technique of flooding the pan with whey before baking. Very interesting and accounts for the smooth crust. Almost the same concept of boiling a bagel before baking. Is the crust the same texture as a bagel crust?The dough looks like the hydration level is fine. You already lea... |
Juggling fridge and oven times for multiple loaves.
I have enough dough for 4 loaves.I only have 2 round bannetons (which I've never used, though they've made pretty wall decor, oy!)And the bigger kicker, I only have one baking stone and oven. How in the world do you juggle multiple loaves like this? I'm doing the firs... | 30 minutes apart from frig
I find that overnight proofing my loaves, covered in plastic bags, in their bannetons works great. I take them out of the frig, one, two, a few, at a time, ' about ' 30 minutes apart for baking inside. Adding in a firing and baking in my wfo, is another step. I sometimes also have to add... |
Salt fermented sourdough
I followed along to this recipe including the recipe for a salt fermented motherdough and it is wonderful. Very very happy with my results. http://www.northwestsourdough.com/discover/?p=1648 | Wow
Breads with warts - just kidding, they look beautiful. Interesting technique.Karin |
Starters and going away for 2 days
I just started my starter on Friday afternoon and my little yeasties are well on their way (YAY)!! Now I will be out of town from Friday thru Sunday, so I won't be able to feed them on Saturday. Will this hurt them?? Or will it be okay if I miss 1 day? Sorry in advance if this has... | If you only started the
If you only started the starter from scratch on Fri., I'd be concerned that what you actually have is a starter and not just the beginning stages of one. Since I'm not sure which Fri we're talking about, can you tell us how many days since this starter was born (that would be the first day you a... |
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