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post hurricane water
dunno why it took me so long to realize it, but after the storm, we were not hit that hard, I couldn't get my starter to wake. Normally I use tap and there is never an issue.But I changed to filtered fridge water and boiled it for extra safety. Took a few hours, prolly coz the starter has a bit t... | Ah! Water treatment
went up after the storm. And this slowed down the starter. U R Lucky the starter didn't outright die on you! |
Feeding Rye Sour
I have prepared a rye sour according to the instructions in Ginsberg's Inside the Jewish Bakery: Rye and Other Breads. He says that, once established it should be fed once or twice weekly, but does not specify the procedure. Is it just the same as the daily feeding that creates it over 10 days? That wo... | I would use a much higher
I would use a much higher ratio, i.e. more flour relative to starter. I maintain my rye starter by feeding it around 1:10:10 (e.g. around 5 g starter to 50 g flour and 50 g water) whenever I need to bake, using up most of it and placing whatever remained on the bottom in the fridge. |
Ancient Egyptian sourdough
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2020/08/how-bake-ancient-egyptian-bread/615859/ | Like.
Good article. |
Using a higher percentage of starter results in way better breads for me. Why is that?
I can't figure it out. My breads have been turning out really shitty when I use ~20% starter vs when I use ~38% starter that the King Arthur no knead sourdough bread recommends (which is my go-to). I even put separate dough in a litt... | Clarify your percentages
Are you calculating the starter percentage as the weight of the starter or the weight of the flour in the starter as a percentage of the total flour in the dough?The standard these days is to think of the starter in terms of the percentage of pre-fermented dough. So, for example, if your total ... |
Soupy dough!
Hi everyone, this is not the first time an issue like this has been posted before, and I think I more or less can guess the problem, but I thought it would be good to lay it out and get opinions from more experienced bakers. Background: I have been baking sourdough for a while, since 2016. After a whole st... | 1 - yes, but without more
1 - yes, but without more info can't say, so what's its feed and schedule and everything else.2 - could be but it would have to be pretty bad, and believe it or not that's pretty rare. |
Calculating Percentages of Levain
When calculating the percentage of levain in dough, is the entire weight of the mixture (including water) used in the denominator, or flour weight only? | I have seen authors use both
I have seen authors use both conventions in texts. Ultimately, so long as you know what convention is being used, it’s fine.For my own formulae (I have extensive spreadsheets...), I use the full weight of the levain for the % included in the build, but I include the flour content in the flo... |
Late stretch and fold - extend bulk fermentation time?
I am making Hamelman's Pain au Levain, which requires 2 1/2 hours bulk fermentation with 2 folds at 50 minute intervals. My dough has had troubles coming together so I have decided to give it more folds after the 2 initial folds have been done. At the moment I am t... | I'd do three 30 minutes apart
I'd do three 30 minutes apart. But I'm pretty new to this. |
A near-debacle with a multigrain sourdough
A while back I embarked on a multigrain, multi-day sourdough. One evening I got the biga going and stuck it in the fridge. The next day I put it in my Ank and... gosh, it's wet. I mean, *really* wet, like a batter, even after adding the rest of the recipe's flour. Why is it th... | All's well that ends well
Thanks for a morning chuckle. If anyone asks why such a big loaf, just tell them you've always wanted to bake a miche. Paul |
Chocolate sourdough
Hii everyone!! I want to make a chocolate sourdough rustic bread and was wondering whether or not i can add instant coffee liquid during the autolyse process??or should i just add the coffee after the autolyse? | Het is hoofdzakelijk water
Het is hoofdzakelijk water dus ik zou het bij de autolyse doen. |
Troubleshoot
I made my first loaf of sourdough this morning. A true labour of love! I have attached pictures below of the final product as i would like to improve my load. Few things i noticed:1. Large air pockets, but wondering if my ones are ok? Also any other suggestions on where i can improve on. I used the full pr... | Great First sourdough
:) You are sandbagging us! No way you can convince me that this loaf needs improvement or that it is your first. Amazing! |
Another Starter Question...
Hi all, my first post here. I'm having trouble getting my starter to stay active.I'm using organic whole wheat flour and warm tap water.Day 1 - used 60g of flour, 60g of water. Within about 6 hours it was -very- active, over doubling in size, was very happy.Day 2 - Using a random online gu... | It's normal that in the first
It's normal that in the first days it bubbles, then settles. First the initial yeasts do their thing, but since the whole bacteria colony is still unorganized and imbalanced, it takes some time for lactic acid bacteria to thrive, usually about 10-14 days until your starter is stable.Just k... |
Anyone used a combi oven before?
Do you still bake at the same high temps if the oven can naturally inject steam? Or in other words, do you change the temps in the recipe at all? | Yes
This link might be a good starting place.I have a few oven programs that I use, currently for baguettes BAG-STM2 preheats to 525°F and 100% humidity, then the set point drops to 390°F so that the heaters can be used to supply steam (240VAC split phase wiring instead of 208VAC-3phase so it can only feed either the b... |
Not sure if it's overproofed...
In between 2 bakes experimenting with Anita's AP flour, I was able to squeeze in another SD bake using La Milanaise sifted #50 (equivalent T110, high extraction flour that has some bran sifted out, but still retains much of the germ and so will act more like a whole grain flour), flour t... | They do look pretty solid,
They do look pretty solid, Gaelle. To me it looks like a low protein flour, perhaps coursely ground? You might be better blending it with some strong white roller milled bread flour. Lance |
Sourdough Starter not Starting
OK, I am beginning to think no man has ever truly created a starter from scratch and it is all a big hoax. And all these pictures are Photoshopped fakes, using some secret filter called Fake Your Starter. I have a sleepy starter that I’ve been feeding for what feels like years. At one p... | Hi Patti. What an amusing
Hi Patti. What an amusing description! It seems the ambient temperature of your home is a likely source of your frustration, so I suggest you start by trying out one of the several tips contained in the following link. Good luck. Joehttp://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/40570/tips-how-keep-your-so... |
Morbread Flour
I recently bought a 50lb bag of Morbread white flour. I made my normal Tartine sourdough recipe using 900 g of this flour, 100 g of KA WW and 700g of water. Prior to adding the levain, I mixed flour and water. Instead of the usual shaggy dough, I had a dough with consistency of thick pancake batter. My l... | Not normal for me
I used Morbread for years, until I moved to where it is not available. At 70% hydration it would not normally be that loose, especially with the whole wheat flour in the mix. I do assume it was weighed out correctly, so perhaps your sack of flour is more moist than what you used previously? I alway... |
Pain au Levain dough not forming strong enough gluten structure
Hi there,I have been trying the Pain au Levain with whole wheat recipe from Jeffery Hamelman's Bread a number of times recently but continually run into the same problem most times when I make it. When I get to the time to pre-shape and then shape the doug... | Two possibilities
I've made this bread multiple times and have not had the experience you describe.I think of two possibilities:1. "stretching and folding for about 3 minutes" is not enough. I stretch and fold for 10 to 15 minutes, during which I give myself a couple of rests for about a minute to let the dough relax; ... |
Feedback Friday!?
I apologize if a general feedback thread already exists - if so please point me in that direction!Like many others I hopped on the #quarantinystarter sourdough starter bandwagon in April and I've been baking sourdough for the last few months (a couple loaves every week or two), each time I make one re... | Looks like a nice loaf and
Looks like a nice loaf and nicely scored as well. |
Thick Whole wheat starter with low hydration doughs
Hi, I started sourdough a few months ago with a 100% hydration whole wheat starter. It is so thick it comes out of the jar in one big mass. Compared to my partner's AP starter that is like a thick pancake batter. I find when I try a very low hydration dough (40-45%... | 40-45% !
that’s very low hydration indeed. What kind of flour do you use for that and what kind of bread does it make?my 100% rye starter is like cement mix after I feed it. But it softens up when ripe. You can mix it in your water before adding flour so that it gets distributed well. if the hydration feels too low, wh... |
Larger structure at top of finished loaf
I've noticed on my last two bakes - one a boule and the other a focaccia - that there are much larger bubbles at the top of the structure of the crumb. What does this imply? I'm still pretty happy with how they look, but I'm wondering if it means something that this happened a f... | More pictures, a focaccia
You can see the more open structure at the top of the focaccia.
20200723_152606.jpg |
starter in water vs. starter after autolyse
Some recipes have you dissolve your starter in water, add flour, autolyse, salt, then stretch/poof/retard. They give rough proofing times, but don't say if time in autolyse contributes to the total. I'm assuming it does, since the yeasts presumably are getting to work from ... | You're right, time is
You're right, time is supposed to start from addition of starter. Make a difference? Tried both but not for me. I find it's easier to dissolve and I like easy. |
Starter not strong enough - create new or treat better?
I decided to write after a lot of "kind of" failures with my sourdoughs, where I think clue is maintaining my starter.It is capable of a little more than double, usually about 220% of feeding volume. When I give it more food, like 1:5:5 it grows barely 200%, when... | Your starter is doing better
Your starter is doing better than you think.Take a black marking pen and mark the level of your starter when mixed (the rubber band), then mark it when mature. Now clean out the jar, place it on your scale and tare it out. Fill the jar with water and note the weight in grams. Now add that w... |
Is it safe to preheat this glass cookware and expose it to a cold dough?
Hello, im trying to bake my first loaf of sourdough bread and i will be using a dutch oven made out of glass, my question is: can i preheat it at 500 degrees Fahrenheit, take it out of the oven and deposit a cold dough that just came out of the fr... | I really wouldn't. 500F is
I really wouldn't. 500F is scary hot. Generally I'd think twice before taking Pyrex much above 400F in any situation, especially an old or borrowed piece. Even taking it out of the oven into cooler air could be too much thermal stress. I would really urge you to look around for cast iron... |
Pasta Madre Maintenance - starter turns into soup
Hi everyone,I'm new to the Fresh Loaf, so apologies if this has been asked before! I tried to find an answer here and elsewhere but the internet doesn't seem to have many english resources on pasta madre.I have not had any problems maintaining a stiff starter (40-50% hy... | If your temp is too high,
If your temp is too high, maybe a cooler or styrofoam box could be used along with a cooling agent like frozen "ice packs" and maybe a thermometer.If it gets too cold you can leave the lid open or just crack it a bit |
The Sourdough Framework
https://github.com/hendricius/the-sourdough-frameworkNot mine but I thought folks might find it interesting. The Sourdough FrameworkThe sourdough framework is an open-source book dedicated to helping you to make the best possible sourdough bread at home.Rather than providing recipes this book in... | Gary, just skimmed the index
Gary, just skimmed the index, saw the link to making dough more sour, and read your suggestion of partial baking then cooling, then baking again. Never heard of that before and will be trying that this weekend. Thanks. |
Wait to Feed a New Starter?
Hi all, newbie to the forum, Should I wait for maximum expansion and the start of collapse before feeding each time?Context:Did have a viable starter, then forgot it for a few days and started again, since then haven't been able to get a start up and running:Thought it was temperature variat... | Reviving a starter for a week
Is like making a new starter. If you have been feeding it come what may everyday even if there hasn't been activity then you probably ended up with fresh flour and water. Leave it alone now and see what happens. |
Poolish deflates and rise back
My poolish was in room temp for about 6 hours and then i put the poolish in the refrigerator.. the next morning.. it deflates ... but when i let it sit in room temp it will rise again .. is it normal? Thank you in advance hope you can shed light to this experience fellow bakers. Newbie in... | I wouldn't say normal, but we
I wouldn't say normal, but we know air expands when warm and contracts when cold. Could it just be deflated cuz of the cold in the fridge, and reflating cuz of the warmth when you take it out?Reflating ha, is that even a word. I'm tired - Enjoy! |
Loosing height in my poolish bakes
Hi all - New today to The Fresh Loaf. Enjoying it already. I'm quite new to long fermentation bakes (building my way up from overnight rises to full sourdough starters bread by bread). I'm following the recipes and techniques from Ken Forkish's Artisan Bakers book - which so far have ... | Regardless of method, a well
Regardless of method, a well developed dough should be able to hold some sort of shape (well developed as in a good amount of gluten and strong gluten). If it's fine up up to proofing, fermentation (in this case the poolish) may have gone to long. This can destroy gluten, and gluten is what... |
I truly have no idea when my sourdough is done fermenting and it's frustrating.
I've tried the fingerpoke test. It almost always seems to do the same thing after the first hour: recoils a little but not all the way. Same with the windowpane test: it almost always (after the first hour) forms a thin windowpane and then ... | I don't think windowpane is
I don't think windowpane is any use for deciding when bulk is done. One thing you could try would be to put a small amount of the dough in a straight-side container, and mark the level with a rubber band. Keep it next to the bulk dough, and when the small amount has almost doubled in size, o... |
Where is DaBrownMan?
I have tried reaching out to Dab for some time now and got no answer.If anyone has a n alternate method of contact, try to connect with him and let us know how he is doing.Danny | Was wondering the same thing
ditto |
Crumb Structure of my First Sourdough Bread Ever? (A begginer's odissey)
Greetings from Brazil! I've been lurking for a while here, and wanted an opinion on my first sourdough bread!I'll try to detail what I've done as best as I can remember (notes not with me right now). All temps (water, air, dough) were around 27-29... | I think most would say good
I think most would say good crumb, save for the big gaps I'll call them up near the top. That could be a sign of things being a tad over, probably fermented.The train is on the right track and it's pulling into the station you're about there! |
Reading Bubbles: My Starter Hates Me
Hello,I've had a functioning starter with which I have made bread (25 gr. mature starter, 50 gr all-purpose, 50 gr. rye, 100 gr water) which has now decided to change its bubbles and fail every float test despite rising greatly in volume. I was forced to change the brand of rye I us... | The cause could be anything,
The cause could be anything, but what I can tell is that your starter is healthy and well. It rises greatly and is super bubbly, no mold. When using rye, dough becomes more porous due to poor gluten.The float test is a hit and miss, it's not a reliable answer to whether your starter is read... |
Starter Maintenance Question
Hi all! I have just finished my 2 week feed cycle to creating my starter and have moved it to the fridge to keep and maintain, and I have my first sourdough loaf proving right now! My question is this: I moved my starter to the fridge and it says to feed/maintain once a week (recipe from Co... | You pick!
You can do either one -- starters, once you've got them going a while, are very hardy! I build levains for my bread, which means I only keep a bit of starter in the fridge and whenever I want to make a loaf, I pull a bit out and build from there. The leftover goes back into the starter jar to "refresh" it, bu... |
Back-engineering starter fr genuine Neapolitan pizza dough. Next step?
Back-engineering starter fr genuine Neapolitan pizza dough. Next step? Dear TFL community, I'm seeking help. I'm hoping to reverse-engineer a culture from fully proofed pizza dough w/ a lineage precious to me: 2 different sources, made with a strain... | Panettiera, I hope you will
Panettiera, I hope you will soon hear from those that know what they are talking about ( I don't fall into that camp, though I do make sourdough pizza every week). First, starters are very hard to kill, and though you started with dough, not starter, I don't see that as a problem. In ... |
Do not preheat oven recipe
I have a recipe for sourdough bread where the bread starts baking in a cold oven. After the various rising and resting the recipe states "place the pan with the loaf in your oven, then turn your oven to 350 and bake for 30-45 minutes. Do not preheat the oven" Has anyone else heard of this... | I've heard good things....
About baking bread starting with a cold oven, but I must admit I have never tried it myself. You might want to search around a little on the forums for advice about starting your loaf in a non-preheated oven? Good luck with it, anyhow! |
seeking feedback
Hello everyone.I feel like I'm starting to get some consistency in my bakes but still feel a bit challenged by a couple of things.First, here is my newest loaf. Decent crumb. Good expansion in dutch oven. Flour was 250g bread, 150g whole wheat bread, and 100g rye. 80% hydration.Based on these photos, h... | Looks just right to me.
Why do you want a more open crumb. Looks ok to me. |
Does this starter look healthy at room temp?
I’ve been growing my starter for about 3 weeks and I’m struggling a bit regarding the temperature and growth. We get fairly cold winters, plus we live in a drafty basement suite so I don’t know if I’m keeping it at an ideal temperature. Our thermostat says 69F but I’m pretty... | Smaller feeds for lower temperatures
You could skip a feeding tonight to let it catch up, then try feeding 1:2:2 in the morning for 12 hours @ 69F. It will take longer for those big feeds to mature at the lower temps. See how it does, then reassess. Otherwise, your starter looks good and strong to me :) |
Hello, all, I'm back again
Hello, everyone, I'm back again--and of course I need help desperately.I've actually been around, just haven't had anything to add to the conversations, so just been lurking.Now, I'm at my wits' end. Even though Karina is a very happy starter since the last time I received help here, her dadd... | That dough is over, way over.
That dough is over, way over. As others also come out like this they are also over (fermented proofed or both). Fortunately an easy fix. |
Crumb and Spring Opinion
Hello there! It’s been a while, but I had some issues with my starter, so I had to doctor it for a while. Anyway, I’m back, and I started off small; with a lowish hydration loaf. What do you guys think?
47433183-51D6-4E8C-A84F-096850166BF9.jpeg
0B263130-A735-412B-852D-4E77387B05DA.j... | Looks pretty good
I think you good have bake a little longer because i looks a bit pale. But tha can be a question of taste. |
Potato experiment
I’m thinking of trying a small experiment with my next bake, and adding some instant potato flakes to my recipe (Beginner’s Sourdough Bread, The Fresh Loaf). I’m hoping for a softer crumb than what I’ve been getting, and I’ve read that potato flakes can give that. I’m thinking of replacing about 10-15... | That will soften it, always
That will soften it, always loved potato bread. How much water - whatever is recommended to reconstitute the flakes would be the logical place to start - probably be spot on. Buttermilk, cream, also soften things up - like most fats. Lower protein flour or milled from summer/soft wheat (usua... |
Newbie looking for a starter mentor <3
Hi! I hope you are all staying safe and sane.I made a starter about a month ago with organic whole wheat flour at 100% hydration, with 45g of flour and 45g of water. After the first week(ish, maybe 9 days), when it was rising to about double, I put the discard (roughly 1/2 of the ... | We're here to help
Welcome to sourdough baking! I'm sure you'll find a lot of great, knowledgable people on this site who are willing to help you whenever you need it.Though I am a bit confused; what's your inoculation percentage for your starter? 1 part starter to 1 part flour? Less than that? You only seemed to speci... |
Diluting gluten content with non-wheat flours?
In the search for a lower protein flour than I can procure locally, it occurred to me that it might be possible to get the effect by diluting a bread flour with some other gluten-free flour (e.g., rice, besan, tapioca starch, ...). And absent any usable clues from Google, ... | I hear a little cornstarch
I hear a little cornstarch has been used to make high gluten flour more like cake flour. I tried it once for laughs a long time ago - don't exactly remember how much (couple teaspoons maybe) and didn't really notice much difference in anything. May have been to little to make a difference in ... |
bulk fermentation and retarding
Hi there,Just needing some guidance again. As it always happens, bulk fermentation isn't complete and I'm tired and sleepy so I've put the dough in the fridge to retard. The recipe calls for a 8-10 BF at 21c. and its BF'ed for about 7.5 hrs but it still doesn't look done so i popped it... | LoafLove, please provide the
LoafLove, please provide the formula. 8-10 hr @ 21C is doable, but the Levain should be fairly small. To solve your dilemma you could do a number of things.BF warmeruse a larger percentage of levain (assuming SD)Once we see the formula, other ideas may come to mind. You can control the timi... |
There are white spots on my sourdough starter PLEASE HELP
I started my sourdough starter on June 8th, today is the 5th day. The first three days my starter was fine. There were bubbles, and hooch when my starter was hungry. Starting on the fourth day, I noticed that hooch appeared twice so I fed it twice that day. Afte... | Debra Wink in her article
Debra Wink in her article describes the 4 stages that a new sourdough passes through. Yours seems to be on-trend.I suggest you read this:http://www.thefreshloaf.com/10901/pineapple-juice-solution-part-2Cheers,Gavin |
Testing my Challenger Bread Pan vs. my Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Hey bread bakers,This week I tested out my new Challenger Bread Pan against my standard dutch oven that I have been using for almost a year (a Lodge enameled cast iron dutch oven).I baked the same size sourdough boules (about 860g) in each baking vess... | Excellent video, Grant!
Your comparison seemed non-bias and straight forward. After paying so much for the Challenger Pan you almost have to like it. But you made an excellent comparison...The Challenger is a nice pan and better suited for longer batards than a round pot. If the price is not a consideration and the wei... |
leaven oomph...
I normally make my leaven over night. It rises well beyond doubling by the time I'm ready to mix. I recently was unable to get to it though, and by the time I did it had fallen back down to original levels. I assumed that meant it would not be a good idea to use, so I just made some pan bread out of ... | It depends.....
Depends on the flour type, feeding proportions and depends on how long it is fermented and at what temperature and hydration. Most of the time it works. If you have warmer temps than usual, try mixing up the leaven with ice water and/or set inside a well soaked unglazed terra cotta jar or table wine ... |
Baking staight from the fridge doesn't produce results as good as letting the dough come up to room temperature.
And I don't know why. Its so much easier to score the bread when its cold and it doesn't lose its shape as much. I've read about how almost everyone else gets great results, but I dont. most of the time resu... | What is the fridge temp?
I guess it is a but to far proofed. if the fridge temp is above 39°f it can go go on rising. |
No pronounced ear, nor a satisfying crunch on the outside: Where did I go wrong?
Hello everyone,So it's been nearly 3 months since I've had my sourdough active, and I've been trying to make sourdough bread once or twice every week or so. I wanted to share the latest loaf I baked, because I'm trying to understand where ... | Looks like a lack of
Steam or humidity to me. That and too much top heat compared to the bottom caused it to seal up and inflate until the pressure was released. Maybe try a tin foil tent at the beginning of the bake to prevent the crust from forming too quickly. |
Why is my loaf “pinched”?
Hello bakers,I recently purchased a proofing basket and the 4 loaves that I’ve made using the proofing basket come out with “pinched“ sides when I bake them. I’ve attached photos. I had previously been using a towel lined plastic strainer for my final proofing, and never had this happen! Any t... | More pictures of my loaf
More pictures of my loaf
781E49F2-7D0F-4468-9F04-9336E806EB1C.jpeg |
Is this mold floating on the hooch of my discard??
I've been storing my discard in this mason jar for 3-4 weeks in the fridge, adding a little more discard each day. I've probably fed it fresh flour and water once or twice. Usually there is a layer of hooch on top, but today, excited to make some pancakes, I saw this w... | Is that really a black coffee
Is that really a black coffee brown color? |
banneton liners
has anyone noticed that when using a banneton liner, the bread proofs more than having the dough directly in the banneton? I decided to use the liner on my batard banneton as I liked the shape it gave but twice now the overnight fridge retard has seen the dough proofed up very high and now im getting le... | insulation
The liner keeps the dough a bit warmer for a bit longer in the fridge. Hence a bit more fermentation.There are several ways to compensate, including a few minutes to start out in the freezer. |
Mold issue
Hi - I'm just beginning my foray into baking bread. This is my second attempt at a sourdough starter (my first attempt was going well but alas accidentally ended up on the floor). I'm using pineapple juice and white all-purpose flour and am about 48 hours in. It smells right and I'm starting to get some bubb... | Try scooping a part out that
Try scooping a part out that isn't affected by mold yet and continue feeding. But if you wanna be on the safe side, start over. |
Question on Baking and fermenting
Hi! I have had a healthy starter for a few months now, have not baked bread but one other time but have made endless amounts of pancakes. This week I found a recipe I liked and attempted. During the overnight ferment, I woke to find my dough risen beautifully and smelling great but I f... | That is very strange, and I
That is very strange, and I can understand why it would be cause for alarm. If nobody else has a better suggestion, it might be worth your while to place a small quantity of this pink stuff, along with some sort of food source, into a clean sealed container. If it grows, you’ve got a probl... |
Smart Sourdough - book testers needed
Hi. I'm new to this forum as an active participant, but some of you may know me as the author of "Simple Sourdough," a booklet I wrote decades ago that's been popular on Amazon for about fifteen years.For the past few years, I've been working on a new book, "Smart Sourdough," that ... | I'm willing to be a guinea
I'm willing to be a guinea pig. I have a sous vid and a pressure cooker (though a different brand) and a Brod and Taylor proofer and I mill my own grains (using Mockmill 200). I have saved the pdf. |
Discouraging Oven Spring Issue
Hi all,So it's been nearly a week since I posted my last loafs:http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/65218/dough-spills-out-too-much-not-just-sourdoughI read every comment, multiple articles online and probably watched this video 5 times:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV3at6kqnWwArmed with th... | substitutions?
that video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eod5cUxAHRMcalls for mostly US all purpose flour, some US bread flour, and a little whole wheat flour.In the US, both AP flour and bread flour are white, refined, and basically branless, at .50 to .55% ash content.How did you match that with your UK flours?... |
Dry Yeast Starter
Hi folksHaven't looked in for some time. Hope everyone is well and coping with the worldly woes.Have a question which I instinctively think I know the answer to but this being THE bread forum I feel sure someone will have already done it, got the T-Shirt and can give me the answer.Question:If I take ... | yeast
Hi ElPanadero,If I take a packet of dry yeast, mix with flour and water and keep feeding it in this way like a sourdough starter what do I end up with?A sourdough starter because LAB will grow.This was discussed not all that long ago: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/63715/yeast-doubling-timeAlso relevant:http://... |
Something is wrong with my dough
Hi, I have been baking SD with OK success, I have been using different recipes but I like Tartine country classic.Lately something its happening o my dough, 2 hrs into BF it grows crazy and becomes super stretchy unable to shape really and my bread is flat- takes good, but looks horribl... | Is it very sticky? Stretchy
Is it very sticky? Stretchy is usually a good thing, that's gluten. Sticky on the other hand can be lack of gluten and a much bigger issue. |
Orange specks on starter
I opened my whole wheat starter jar today(born on 16, April 2020) and saw a Stepping stone to success... White fungus at the top of the starter and white and green fungus in the rest of the jar where starter stuck to the walls. The backstory is that I took it along with me a to different place ... | Orangish specks in a ww
Orangish specks in a ww starter isn't unusual, it's usually just the bran showing. The thing to look for is growth. If it's growing and spreading - not good. On another note - "stepping stone to success" "white and green fungus" - did I miss the joke! The mold you're seeing isn't normally associ... |
Starter feeding ratios
I've come to the conclusion that there seem to be two schools of thought with regard to SD starter feeding ratios. I'm talking about maintenance refreshes here, not levain builds.Assuming a 100% hydration starter for simplicity, one school seems to suggest a 1/1/1 or 1/2/2 ratio (starter/flour/wa... | 1:10:10
There's also the 1:10:10 feeding as described by Ginsberg in The Rye Baker for his rye sour culture.I've been using that ratio and usually feed it once at 1:10:10 before I start a rye recipe, as he recommends. Otherwise, it lives in the fridge. It has had some neglect (six weeks w/o food once) but it bounced ba... |
Sick (ropey) Starters?
Hi all! First time posting, but just wanted to say a quick thankyou to everyone for existing; this forum has been my “bible” for the 6 months I’ve been obsessively making bread. You’re all legends!Also, sorry in advance for the length of this post - I will try to cover as many bases as possible w... | Scary stuff!
I have never heard of rope before - it sounds horrendous! I looked it up and found this thread: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/43626/possible-rope-bread-please-help You may have already seen it, but if you haven't it might help you to wipe out any lurking bacteria. I can't really offer any help with your... |
Newbie wanting to improve
Hello everyone! This is my first proper post – yay!Like a lot of new members, I decided that lockdown was the perfect opportunity to finally get into making sourdough and now I can’t believe I put it off for so long! After my first few attempts proved disastrous (I had to literally chisel my f... | Hmmm, well, first, regardless
Hmmm, well, first, regardless of what it looks like - if you like it - it's gotta be good. I don't know where you are - but in the us ap flour is usually 10% protein whereas a cake flour can be around 5%, that's a big difference. With lower protein, you'd have to shorten timings a little a... |
Need Help with Oven Spring!
Hello,I have been baking sourdough for about 5 months now. Lately I am having a lot of trouble with oven spring.I use Tartine method, 75-80% hydration. 45 min autolyse (with starter, Chad's way), then 2.5 hours of turns every 30 min or so, then another 30-60 min rest before pre-shaping. 20 m... | I think the angle of first
I think the angle of first pic makes the bread look taller than it is. In the middle of interior it measures 3.5". I use a 9" round banetton and this is loaf made with 500g flour. |
Unbaked spots in breadloaves
Hi! I'm new to sourdough baking and i have just started baking sourdough sandwich breads and babka. However i noticed that i keep getting unbaked spots and lines especially around the bottom part of the bread. Can someone tell me what went wrong?:( The recipe generally calls for baking it o... | Could be one or several things.
Got any more detail and perhaps a picture? Sounds like loaves could bake longer. Oven set up? Crumb picture? |
Starter and hydration
Hi all. This is my first post on this forum but I've been baking bread for awhile - especially given that I'm working from home a lot more. I have a starter that is very robust and I keep it at 100% hydration. My question is how do I incorporate the water in the starter as part of the hydration ra... | See if this helps
Let's say your final dough mix has 1000g flour.1000g flour in dough120g starter (your 12% - 60g water/60g flour)Total Flour = 106070% hydration = 742g waterWater to add to dough mix = 742 - 60 (water in starter) = 682gThat's how I do it, anyway. :) .....and don't forget the salt! :)Rich |
Leaven versus "Young Discard"
For those of you who always (or often) make leaven for your sourdoughs....When I first started baking sourdough using Tartine method, I would make the leaven, doing it overnight. I was always left with a lot of extra and while Chad suggests using that to start a new starter, I didn't feel ... | That is what I often do as I
That is what I often do as I mostly bake just one 400 - 500g (flour weight) loaf at a time, one every 3-4 days. If I keep ~20g starter in the fridge, it will provide enough leavening when fed at around 1:2:2 and left in a warm place for 5-6 hours. I keep my starter all wholemeal rye flour... |
Panettone and Pasta Madre
Hi. I’m sure like a lot of people on here they picked up cooking and baking during lockdown. So I was wondering if you have anyone has advice on making panettone and handling their pasta madre? Im trying to aim for what a panettone is supposed to be and mine keep coming out almost like one but... | Acidity
Your last panettone looks like its suffering from too much acid. The first one you made though looks great! Difficult to advise a course of action but I'm certain about the diagnosis. Your madre must have been too strong. Just keep at it...Michael |
Dough losing strength
Hi allI am trying to understand what is going on with a new sourdough recipe that I have been trying.I have been making sourdough on and off for several years, but weekly for the past few months (The Covid effect). I always make to a simple, no fuss, 70% hydration recipe that I formulated over ti... | Have seen before - and it was
Have seen before - and it was a starter issue or bad flour. Detailed info on the starter would be helpful - age, storage temps, feed ratios, timings - anything ya got would be a help. Also, any flour change recently? |
Pan de coco
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/05/magazine/pan-de-coco-recipe-bryan-ford.htmlFascinating article. It's behind a NYT paywall, but perhaps you subscribe or have a few free articles left this month. | Thanks for this! I have fond
Thanks for this! I have fond memories of Pan do Coco in Guatemala. Here is a link to his book: https://www.artisanbryan.com/cookbook |
Dough not passing the float test after bulk fermentation
Help Please!!!! I’m following Bonnie Ohara’s book “Bread Baking for Beginners” ... she states that one can know when your sourdough has completely rise during the bulk fermentation by performing a float test (not talking about my sourdough starter but the actual ... | Seriously?
You are doing a float test with the dough after bulk? I have never heard of that. How does that even work? A huge bowl and you drop the dough in the water?I don't believe in the float test for starters let alone for dough. |
Converting a liquid starter to biga prior to baking vs Lievito madre
Hello!Over the holidays I took a stab at making a panettone (Melissa Weller's recipe from 'A Good Bake'). This recipe has you convert a liquid starter with a 100% hydration to a biga (50% Hydration, 1:1 ratio liquid starter to Flour) and letting it fe... | A Lievito Madre
is a type of stiff starter which has a very specific maintenance to keep the targeted pH level and making it a strong leavener. A biga is just a low hydration version of a poolish. It is different to a LM. Both low hydration but very different maintenance and resulting outcomes. I think for an authentic... |
A lava field of goodness
Bloom on a 72% hydration SD looks like a Hawaiian lava field
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D72_2452.JPG
Preferment (Starter 130g total)65g Water (100.0%)65g Bread Flour (100.0%)Dough500g Bread Flour (79.4%)100g WW Flour (15.9%)30g Whole Grain Rye Flour (4.8%)435g Water (69.0%)13g salt (2.1%)... | Nice Bake!
Looks lovely, and I was going to bookmark this recipe, but then noticed I could not find any reference to yeast or starter ;-) |
My Ischia sourdough starter is smelling FOUL!!!!! sourdo.com starter
So I bought two italian sourdough cultures from https://sourdo.com/. I have one Ischia and one Camaldoli. I am new at this so this is my first time doing any sourdoughs period. I follow directions!!!! This company say's QUOTE "wants you to star... | Here's my description of the
Here's my description of the smell - think parmesan cheese mixed with old well used gym socks found in the bottom of a closet - and they've been there for years. But that's how things usually start. Keep following the directions and see what happens - and be patient. |
(Another) Newbie trying to grow a sourdough starter - looking for feedback
Hi everyone!I'm joining the growing ranks of people during quarantine who have become interested in growing a sourdough starter. I've read through a few discussions on this site that have been very helpful, but I'm looking for some guidance to s... | Yup, you're in the right
Yup, you're in the right track, everything normal so far. From the awful smell a couple days in to the decrease in activity at day 5 or 6. Next week you'll be trying it out in a loaf (it's usually within a week after the drop in activity that it's ready to try).And - I'm glad to see your stirri... |
Sloth-like starter
I started my current starter, Eleanor, in January. She has always been fed on a1:2:2 ratio for maintenance. My flour mixture is 60% AP, 30% whole wheat, and 10% rye. She lives in the kitchen, and the temperature in there is always between 68-72. Currently it's about 76 in there. She will always do... | Maybe try different water.
Bottled spring water, with naturally occurring minerals, works best for me. |
Starter - how to change the hydration level?
Dear fellow bakers,
I started out with a KA starter. I am feeding 1 cup of starter 4 oz of water and 4 oz of flour once a day. The starter is very active. By dividing the 4 oz of flour into the 4 oz of water, I conclude that my starter is at 100%. If this is not the case... | yes, 100% hydrated
Yes, your starter is at 100% hydration.
To convert your starter to different hydration, just create a separate starter at the hydration and amount you need.
For example, if you need a 60% hydration starter and your recipe requires 340g of starter, then start with 200g of flour, 120g of water, and mi... |
Dough "spills" out too much - Not just sourdough
Hi All,I'm having an issue with pretty much all my baked goods, but I'm posting here as it becomes more difficult to handle when I now got into sourdough baking.Anytime I follow baking recipes online, for anything, any website, etc. my batter / dough / bread will be "loo... | All baked stuff? Even a
All baked stuff? Even a commercial yeast bread? You are going by weight - not volume? Could be as simple as that. |
Advice needed- close crumb on top of loaves
Hello! I was hoping to get some advice on my loaves. I think that my loaves turned out pretty well except for at the top, where the crumb is very dense. Can anyone help me with this problem? Could this be due to overshaping?
08E9F0ED-7E84-4102-BF7A-46D63F04AF94.jpeg | It looks like
They hit the top of your dutch oven. See how the top is flat? Make your loaves a tad smaller so they have enough room to spring. |
Maintaining Sourdough Activity
Hi All,I keep a 9:1 Unbleached organic white baking flour (13%) and organic Rye flour starter (Sybil). When active I get a nice 3 X rise.To maintain its activity i find I need to feed it 3 times a day and that a feeding ratio of 1:2:2 supports this. I refresh every 8 hours (or thereabou... | Try taking 10 grams off of
Try taking 10 grams off of your original starter and feed it 30 grams of water and 50 grams of white flour only. You’ll have to knead this a little. Keep your original as is. |
Can you fix an under-fermented dough during the proof?
Baking off a batch of 9 loaves today. I was nervous that my ferment was under on the loaves, but had hoped it was just my imagination. Sure enough, I baked off a test loaf and it is way under-fermented. Flat, chewy, and lacking flavor (if it was over-proofed or ove... | Since the same things happen
Since the same things happen during both, just proof till it's ready (you'll have to watch it). Reshaping may be a good idea, just to move the food around a little and even the crumb up a tad (shouldn't notice much difference anyway). |
Starter Feedings
My starter (Sourdough starter from San Francisco that is supposedly 150 years old, so they say) has been a bit sluggish over the last few months. I'm still getting a nice crumb, but the starter is just not that active when I feed it- getting about maybe 20-30% growth at the peak. Typically, I feed it 2... | I'm gonna have to say too
I'm gonna have to say too much feeding - way too much. A good start would be about 122 (sfw) - and once a day. Then keep an eye on it and adjust from there (it's important to note how it does over time so you can adjust feeding when things change - and they will). Too much food will dilute the... |
a question about baker's percentages
if I bake a loaf of bread with 1000 grams of flour and I add 500g of starter at 50% hydration it means that the total flour is 1333gand I add 30g of salt am I using 2% salt or 3%?When calculating the amount of salt you need for the bread do you include the flour weight of the starte... | Yes, you take the total flour
Yes, you take the total flour that goes into the bread including the starter. So 2% of 1333 grams, so 27g salt. |
Cocoa powder and other unconventional starter foods?
https://www.sourdough.co.uk/chocolate-starter-microbial-analysis/I stumbled across this page a while back that explained how creating a sourdough starter with cocoa powder would innoculate it with certain strains of lactobacilli that produce a milder, sweeter levain.... | Potato has been used
for a long time to feed and grow yeast. Cocoa powders are high in fats and rather low in carbs so I can imagine they may not be ideal. Feeding yeast and bacteria will be the challenge....maybe. Vanilla is also fermented. Look into fermentation for other sources. Vegetables, fruit, yeast waters, ... |
Is my starter ok?
I live in a tiny country in the Caribbean. We can't get unbleached flour here so I used regular bleached AP flour. Its been a day and I don't know if I should keep feeding it or if I should give it up. It says it is enriched but I don't know if it will work. | Even with whole grain flour,
Even with whole grain flour, the process may take at least 7-14 days to get something strong/useful. With bleached AP, the process could be longer or may not even work. the issue is that there are likely no good bacteria or yeast in the flour itself and you'll rely on what is in the enviro... |
Started a starter from a dehydrated starter and hardly any activity? :(
Hi all!I recently received an established, dehydrated sourdough starter from an internet gift exchange. It came with the attached instructions on how to feed and restore it, and I followed it to a T.I am now on Day 3, and despite producing some hoo... | Be Patient
HI There,Getting a starter started (or restarted) can be stressful because nothing happens and you end up thinking it's dead. Persevere with it. Leave it 24 hours, and feed again after 24 hours. Repeat this, it may take a few more days.First time i did what you did i thought it had died and threw it away (a... |
Bubbles at surface when proving in banneton
Hi all,Wondering if anyone can help but I'm getting large air bubbles at the surface (seam side) of my sourdough when proving at room temp before baking - these appear sometimes within minutes of sticking it in the banneton. I'm working off a tartine recipe but today had to b... | Long Bulk
6 hours bulk at 25C is a long bulk. Probably only need ~3 hours. 75% hydration with a long bulk, it's likely over proofed and your gluten is breaking down. Do you have a photo of the crumb? an after that you still have another hour for preshape to final shape and final proof. Did you have strong window pan... |
Does how fast the starter rises affect taste/anything?
I can put my starter on top of the fridge and it takes about 5-6 hours to rise to 3-4 times its initial size. I can also leave it on the table in my kitchen and it takes about 12-13 hours to rise that same size. Does the time it takes to rise affect anything? | If all things are equal, it
If all things are equal, it would. But in this case temps wouldn't be equal (usually warmer on top of a fridge) so the change would be expected.If we think of the dough as a big starter (yeah, that's all it really is), different rise times of the starter would be seen as different ferment/pr... |
Factors and their influence - a question
Hello baking friends, I've now made a handful of sourdough loaves and feel like I understand the process more fully, but now I want to get down to the nitty gritty. I've read lots of things and I still feel like I don't have a firm grasp on which factors affect what. For instanc... | a place to start.
To get more or less tang, and lactic vs acetic:https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/62064/want-more-sourhttps://truesourdough.com/best-temperature-for-proofing-sourdough-full-guide-how-to/https://truesourdough.com/18-ways-to-make-sourdough-bread-more-or-less-sour/good luck, and bon appétit. |
Help! Sourdough starter has lost it's power!
Hi everyonePlease help me! I made a sourdough starter back in April and for the first 2 months it was working beautifully every time. The recipe I used was this: Leaven:60g starter (kept in the fridge, taken out the day before and 1/2 discarded + fed so it doubled in size)Fe... | Do you have any pictures of
Do you have any pictures of the loaves and the crumb cut to post? This would help us make more informed suggestions as to what’s going on. Have there been any changes in water, ambient temperature, flour, etc.? lastly, have you noticed any changes in how your starter has been acting? Any ... |
Building a levain
Hi there,I'm starting to experiment with some different sourdough recipes and I am currently making Hamelman's Vermont Sourdough Bread recipe. It calls for using 14g of starter to build a levain, then rest on counter for 12-16 hours. I know that I want to use the levain at its peak, right? So my qu... | You don't have to, but most
You don't have to, but most do as that is when there is a high concentration of our little friends.Hint - more starter will make things go faster. You'd have to experiment to find the right amount to make things fit your schedule (you can always make things fit any schedule by adjusting star... |
Huge tunnel at the bottom of my sourdough!
Hi, I've been reading a lot of posts on this forum and have really appreciated all the help and advise offered!I've been trying to make sourdough and had a peculiar problem on my second try. The dough developed a huge tunnel at the bottom.My recipe is below:All purpose 160 gmW... | If it looked bulk fermented
If it looked bulk fermented properly pre shaping stage then could be a forming issue with the final shaping, when you rolled it did you use a lot of flour? if it doesnt stick well when rolling you're get layers and then big air pockets. |
Should I adapt the percentage of starter used if I change its hydration?
I usually use a 100% or 90% hydration starter when I bake my breads. Now I want to experiment with more liquid starters, with around 150% hydration. My basic bread formula is this:100% Flours70% Water20% Starter at 90% or 100% hydration2,4% SaltWh... | If you feel like doing the
If you feel like doing the math, sure. But in reality a little bit this way or a little bit that way won't make much of a difference. Can't see it from my house as they say in this neck of the woods! |
How to make my starter stronger?
I created a starter a few days ago as discussed in this thread. However, it takes more than 12 hours to double in volume and to show significant activity at 24.7° C ±0.2° C (I use a thermostatically controlled proofing box). The starter is not dead, but it's extremely sluggish.How could... | With the changes there will
With the changes there will be differences. You've had a few changes and would expect some differences. I'm sure it will make bread - sooner or later. Enjoy! |
Rye vs White Starter
Hello! First post here so looking forward to learning. I decided this morning to use a rye starter instead of a white starter for a white sourdough. This is the first time I've used this particular combination. It seems to be going well so far. I guess what I'm interested in is the experience that... | rye has more enzymes
Welcome to TFL.Rye is known to have more enzymes than white/refined wheat flour. It's popular for _starting_ a starter. The enzymes break down starch to sugar. More sugar means more fermentation.The enzymes are mainly in the bran, so higher extraction and whole grain wheat also has this effect.I ... |
Starter gone bad?
Hello! I am still new to sourdough starters and I fed my starter for about 5 days and then placed it in the fridge. After like 3 days in the fridge, I saw some discoloration. (refer to picture for reference). Is this the orange tint that indicates it's bad or is it still fine?
116208099_5952295813552... | It should be fine, probably
It should be fine, probably some dried spots or accumulated bran. If you wanna be sure, continue with a piece of unaffected starter. |
I can't tell when higher hydration doughs (80%+) are finished proofing and I think I always overproof them.
It's really frustrating. If I stick to around 75% hydration I'm fine. But if I go higher, around 80% or so, the dough doesn't seem to behave the same way. It never gets nice and shiny/glossy. It never gets nice a... | I can imagine your flour just
I can imagine your flour just can't handle 80%+ anymore. Every flour is different and can fully absorb only a certain amount of water. |
Underproofed or Overproofed? Please help!
This is my first post, so I'd really appreciate any feedback you could provide. I baked this loaf yesterday, and it turned out very flat (it didn't hold its structure when I turned it out of the banneton), and I've been having that problem a lot. I also had a new issue: the loa... | Hey there, I think it would
Hey there, I think it would be helpful if you shared your recipe, amount of starter and condition of starter, and ambient temps. It generally looks under-proofed, but possibly due to less than active starter. |
High Hydration Help
Hi, I was wondering if anyone could give any insight into what went wrong in my latest loaf. Information:100g levain400g strong white flour (Shipton Mill)100g strong wholemeal10g salt77% hydration I autolysed flour with 360g water for four hours before adding levain and then salt after 20 minutes. T... | The wrinkles make it look
The wrinkles make it look like it's over proofed/fermented. Basically your gluten went South on ya. The times given wouldn't suggest over, but if temps were high, or higher than usual, and starter is very active, it can happen. |
Uneven proofing / dense crumb
Hi Everyone,I am new to sourdough baking and looking for help to improve my bread. My loafs are delicious and crispy on the outside but I struggle with an uneven proofing (big bubbles) and crumb that is on the denser side (see picture attached). I have moved down to lower protein flours fo... | Possibly over-proofed
Hi Manu! What is the ambient temp where you are? If I had to guess, I think your dough might be over-proofed given the large 'mouse holes', flattened shape and light crust (although that could be due to under baking), since it sounds like you have shaping in hand. However, I seem to only have a... |
Baking Sourdough from fridge
Hello! Right now I have some dough proofing in the fridge. My plan is to bake them in the morning and I'm unsure if I should let the dough reach room temperature or if I can throw them in the oven directly from the fridge. | You can bake directly from
You can bake directly from the fridge.A advantage is that it it is very easy to score when it is cold. |
Advice on converting a yeast recipe to a sourdough + yeast recipe?
Hello all!I have a country milk loaf recipe that uses instant yeast. I tried converting it into a pure sourdough recipe (keeping the recipe's original hydration, just removing the instant yeast and adding about 20% in levain and compensating for the add... | "Slightly sweet" - this is
"Slightly sweet" - this is why I still use commercial yeast - some things just don't benefit from a sour/tangy dough. And this may be your biggest hurdle. Can you add some regular yeast, sure can. But then you wouldn't consider it 100% naturally leavened (I do this often, especially to make t... |
Issues with getting a loaf right (suspicion: acidic starter)
I hope I can find a master baker here, who can help me / verify that the most likely source of my issue is the starter / point me in a different direction re/ this problem :) So, new to sourdough baking, I churned out quite a few loafs, but none of them were ... | Autolyse 16:45Mix at 17:45 with 19% mature levain, 70% all purpose, 12% white bread flour, 18% whole wheat flour, 2% salt, 66% warm water and final dough temperature 28C with a room temp at 21C4.5h bulk fermentation (dough cooled down to 23.6C) 22:30 pre shape, bench rest, 23:05 shape and fridge.Bake next morning: Exam... |
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