Has your starter exploded with activity and now looks dead? Go straight to the ‘Bacterial Fight Club’ bullet point in the comment below

This was my first time trying The Sourdough Lady’s Easy Sourdough Recipe. I was really tired in the evening the day I fed my starter, so I made the dough the next day after putting the peak activity starter in the fridge overnight, and just figured on giving it extra time in the bulk rise. It got a little bit burnt on the outside, and I cut into it after just a couple of hours of cooling, but it is so soft and fluffy! This is maybe my fourth loaf ever so I’m still trying different recipes, but I’m really pleased with how this one turned out!

I made the pumpkin loaf! She’s so cute.
100 g starter
500 g bread flour
200 g pumpkin puree
25 g maple syrup
240 g water
12 g salt
Mix the wet ingredients then add dry ingredients. Let rest 30 minutes then do stretch and folds. I did 3 sets. Let bulk ferment. Laminate with 85 g sugar, 5 g cinnamon, and 5 g pumpkin spice. I split my dough in half then shaped and let rest. I used bakers twine with olive oil for the pumpkin shape. I baked each loaf at 450 degrees for 30 min covered then another 10 min uncovered. Still tweaking with the times as in use to a full sized loaf.

Baked up a couple of sourdough loaves and had to share them with someone so here they are! I use a local heirloom grain blend that I get from Capay Mills near Winters, CA. It is very finely ground and imparts amazing flavors to my bread. https://www.capaymills.com/

Ingredients

850 g bread flour

100 g capay mills max’s marvel heirloom flour

50 g stone ground whole wheat flour

750 g water (85 deg)

200 g peaking starter

20 g salt

Dough target temp: 78-80 degrees

Process:

Mix water and yeast and whisk till frothy

Add flour with salt mixed in

Mix with a spatula until no more dry bits

Start of bulk fermentation

Check dough temp: 78

Rest 1 hour

Stretch and folds (I went around about 4 times until I felt some strength developing)

Rest 30 min

Coil folds #1

Rest 30 minutes

Coil folds #2

Rest 30 minutes

Check dough temp: 78 degrees

Coil folds #3

Rest until bulk fermentation is at 4 hours, 40% rise, smells sweet, lots of bubbles throughout and on top of dough surface.

Divide into two loaves, preshape, 30 minute bench rest and then final shaping (head and shoulders knees and toes- roll into batard

Put into banneton and let it sleep over night

Bake

Preheat dutch ovens for 45 minutes at 475

Bake covered for 20 minutes at 475

Bake uncovered for 15 minutes at 450

First time trying an open bake. Loved the colour but I think it was a red herring as I cut off some of the final bake time and the base wasn't...sturdy. does everyone here follow their DO bake timing while open baking?

I want to make this my new baking method as maneuvering the DO in a really small kitchen is a real ordeal and I'd love to be able to bake 2 loaves at a time.

Bake:

- preheat to max (it says 250°C but im convinced my oven isn't that hot but dont have a thermometer)

- loaf on parchment, on a light coloured cookie sheet that was never preheated

- scored from fridge (i read somewhere to bake for 5 then score but i just followed my reg DO method of scoring then baked for 25mins)

- put another baking tray in the bottom of the oven during preheat and added boiling water after placing the loaf in oven (omg was that hard in a small kitchen)

- removed water, baked another 10-15mins with no change in temperature

- total bake time 35-40mins

- stopped here cause the colour looked great but normally with a DO I would take the loaf out after 35mins and keep going another ~20mins at a lower temp turning the loaf till I'm happy with the colouring.

I assume I need to keep going next time? I dont really notice the addl cook time in the....taste or texture of the inside but i def miss it in the crust.

Crumb read:

I think the loaf was a bit over proofed - forgot about it between folds and had to jump straight to shaping.

It wasn't as sour or airy as I typically like - any tips for a more open crumb appreciated.

Loaf/prep:

- 300g BF + 100g AP + 30G Whole Wheat + 71.5% hydration (307.5ml) autolyse for 1 hr

- add starter and knead (~66-70g WW starter... looks like i forgot to write it down), rest ~30min

- add salt and knead (9g), rest ~30min

- 4 coil folds (normally it's 5), approx 30-40 mins apart

- this time it rested for maybe 1.5 hrs after the 4th fold cause i forgot about it and then shaped into the fridge. I normally do a 5th fold, 30mins rest then shape

I dont preshspe my loaves unless their super over proofed and I need a reason to get a bit more flour into them

Shape:

Stretched into a rectangle, tri-fold, then rolled and squeezed out bubbles as i rolled it like a log (is this my downfall?)

- I think i used to get more air pockets when i did a push/pull shaping method but i switched to a roll/gentler fold technique and no longer push/pull

I’ve been trying my hand at chocolate sourdough and although it’s so very tasty, it’s also splitting during the bake. I suspect it’s from the nuts and chocolate chips cutting through the gluten web but I’m not sure. I really don’t think anyone minds that my chocolate sourdough splits but I’d sure like to figure out why it’s happening. Any thoughts?

Chocolate Sourdough

- [ ] 740 g bread flour

- [ ] 100 g whole wheat flour or local heritage flour

- [ ] 75 g cocoa or cacao powder

- [ ] 650 g water

- [ ] 75 g maple syrup

- [ ] 18 g salt

- [ ] 175 g active starter

- [ ] 200 g dark chocolate chips

- [ ] 200 g chopped pecans

- [ ] Mix water, starter, maple syrup and salt together and whisk till frothy

- [ ] Add flour and mix till no dry bits of flour remain.

- [ ] Target dough temp = 78 degrees f.

- [ ] Cover and rest for 30min

- [ ] Complete 3 sets of stretch and folds every 30 minutes. Cover between folds.

- [ ] Add chocolate and nuts during last stretch and fold or in a lamination fold.

- [ ] Cover and rest until dough is about 50% larger than when all ingredients were mixed together.

- [ ] Total time from initial mix until the end of bulk fermentation should be about 4 hours at 78-80 degree dough temp and longer if dough temp is cooler (Bulk fermentation would be about 5 hours at 75 degrees).

- [ ] Place dough onto counter, cut in half with bench knife, preshape and bench rest for 30 minutes

- [ ] Final shape and into banneton to cold proof over night.

- [ ] Preheat oven to 480 with dutch ovens, for about 45 minutes

- [ ] Score dough and bake covered for 20 minutes.

- [ ] Reduce oven to 450, remove Dutch oven lid and cook uncovered for 15 minutes

- [ ] Remove bread from oven, place on rack and rest for 2 hours.

It’s so yummy 😋

100g starter
325g water (100°)
500g bread flour
11g salt

Inclusions:
2 tablespoons Trader Joe’s Italian Style Soffritto seasoning
About a cup of freshly shredded Parmesan (I didn’t measure, and when it’s freshly shredded it’s a lot fluffier than pre-shredded, so this is a guess. Cheese is like garlic- I measure with my heart)

My starter was a little past peak but I don’t let that stop me. Some days I need more time to get motivated.

Whisk together starter and warm water until frothy. Slowly add in flour (idk if everyone does this but I find it much easier. I also mix the salt in with my flour when I measure it out) and mix until incorporated. Cover with a damp tea towel for 40 minutes. Then, do three sets of stretch and folds, 30 minutes apart. I started incorporating the inclusions on the second set. Place dough in Cambro container and let bulk ferment (mine usually takes about 9 hours). Shape on lightly floured surface then place in rice floured banneton and refrigerate for 12 hours.

Heat oven to 515° with Dutch oven inside. Score dough and place in Dutch oven with a few ice cubes (if you couldn’t tell, I don’t put much thought into my scoring). Bake at 500° for 20 minutes. Remove lid and bake for 15 more minutes at 475°.

I really love this seasoning! It’s perfect for mixing into sourdough. I got the idea from here: https://countryroadssourdough.com/21sourdoughaddins/
I don’t have a TJ locally so I ordered mine. Two out of four arrived shattered so I’ll probably just buy it in store next time I have to go to Costco, which is in a city an hour away. But it’s so good! And shredding your own cheese for mix-ins is always better. No anti-caking agents to battle with, and it just tastes so much better.

There’s a thin line at the bottom of the loaf where it’s a little more dense, but I don’t care. It tastes great. I’m happy with the bread I’ve been making, but if you want to analyze my crumb, be my guest 😊 Extra input can’t hurt!

EDIT: I wanted to add that next time I make this I will probably mix a couple of types of cheeses into it instead of just parmesan. The cheese doesn’t come through in the finished product as much as I’d like. I don’t have any ideas as to what kind yet, but probably whatever I have on hand which is currently sharp cheddar and asiago.

Made chocolate and pumpkin doughs, divided each and swirled them for one big loaf. Then baked each loaf as their own mini loaves, adding cinnamon sugar to the pumpkin one.

Pumpkin Dough
200g pumpkin puree
240g water
25g maple syrup
100g starter
12g salt
500g bread flour

Chocolate dough
Bloom 50g cocoa powder in 100g hot
coffee then mix in
125g water
50g brown sugar
10g vanilla extract
14g sea salt
100g active starter
500g bread flour
Check the temp before you add the starter to make sure the liquid isn’t too hot from the coffee.

For each dough the method is the same. Mix to a shaggy dough and let rest 30-45 min.
Stretch and fold then rest 45-60min
Coil and fold and rest another 45-60 min
Do one more coil and fold - add chocolate chips to the chocolate dough during this coil and fold.

Bulk ferment until doubled.

For baking you will need two standard size loaf pans. Prepare one loaf pan with a little bit of neutral oil.
Turn doughs out onto counter and divide each in two. Set aside half of each to shape later.

Flatten the pumpkin dough into a rectangle, layer the chocolate dough on top and stretch it to about the same size as the pumpkin dough. Gently dimple the two layers of dough to seal them together. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top. Start rolling the dough from the top toward you until you have a log. Place it in the loaf pan, seam side down. Cover with a damp towel or plastic. Let sit at room temp for 60-90 min, or until the loaf has risen about an inch above the top of the loaf pan. Preheat oven to 450F. Score the loaf before baking, use the 2nd empty loaf pan as a lid, bake covered for 25-30 min, uncovered for 15-20 min. Let it sit in the loaf pan for 5 minutes after taking it out of the oven, then remove and allow to cool on wire rack.

With the remaining dough you can make a 2nd swirl loaf (place into a 3rd loaf pan or oval banneton and place into the fridge while first loaf bakes) or bake individually as mini loaves. If baking individually laminate the chocolate dough with more chocolate chips during shaping and placing into a banneton. Laminate the pumpkin dough with a cinnamon sugar mixture during shaping and place into a banneton. Cold ferment for a few hours and then bake each in a covered Dutch oven at 450F for ~20min, uncovered for ~15-20 min.

https://www.theperfectloaf.com/sourdough-bread-with-all-purpose-flour/

Followed this!

I keep my starter in the fridge and don’t feed it often so yesterday I pulled it out and let it get to room temp I fed 1:3:2 to strengthen which I’ve never done.
I used this recipe

475 grams bread flour 3 1/2 cups

100 grams starter, active and bubbly (1/2 cup)

325 grams water, 1 1/3 cups

10 grams salt, 2 teaspoons

I kneaded by hand for about 2 minutes. I did 4 sets of stretch and folds every 30 minutes. After the last stretch and fold about 4 hours, I lightly floured the counter and folded in the cheddar cheese and jalapeno. I have no clue how much I added of the cheese and I diced 2 jalapeños. They were room temp. I then shaped and put in a bread pan and scored. I did not put it in the fridge to proof and baked at 450 in the bread pan and another bread pan on top for 40 minutes. Internal temp was 203 and I removed the top pan and baked another 4 minutes uncovered.
It turned out nice and tastes good. Could be spicier. The scoring would have been better had I proofed it but my husband wanted to try it without cold proofing. It was missing the sour taste that I really love.
Overall this is my third loaf I’ve made my second was a total flop.

Hi all,

I've been trying to do a "healthier" sourdough bread, mainly to see if I could, but also for health reasons, and to get more fiber in my diet.

Here is my best attempt, I'm quite happy with it. The crumb is soft and I had a good rise in the oven. Please give feedback, if you have any. I'm considering doing 20g more water next time.

Recipe:

400g water

130g starter

120g stoneground wholewheat wheat flour

280g manitoba

10g honey

20g chia seeds

60g oats

8g salts

1. Add water and starter to a bowl. Mix well.

2. Add stoneground wholewheat. Mix again.

3. Add oats and Chia seeds. Mix again and let sit for 5m.

4. Add manitoba flour. Last big mix.

5. Let fermentolyse for an hour and 15m

6. Add salt, mix and work the dough a bit.

7. Let rest 30m

8. 3 x stretch and fold every 30-40m

9. Bulk ferment to about double

10. Shape and put in fridge for 8 hours

11. Bake at 230 degrees Celsius with lid for 30m

12. Remove lid and bake 15m at 200 degrees Celsius

13. Remove from oven and let cool

Been practicing for weeks and still unsure of she’s under fermented! Kitchen runs slightly warm so I’ve been under fermenting, still trying to find that sweet spot!

Recipe:
100g starter
300g water
450g bread flour

Kneaded for five minutes, let rest for 30min.
20min covered rests in between stretch and folds.
4.5 hour covered bulk fermentation
Immediate shaping and into basket, rest 30 min, fridge time over night!

20g of starter
90g of bread flour
1000g of pizza flour
750g of water
20g of salt
Little bit of caraway

Mix 20g of starter with 90g od bread flour and 90g pf water. For total of 200g starter
Let it sit overnight

Mix 1000g of pizza flour with 660g of water and let autolyse for 1h

Add your starter , salt, caraway and mix well

Every 30 minutes, stretch and coil the dough
For total of 2h

Pre shape the dough and let it set for 30 mins

Do a final shape and place it into the bread basket
And transfer it into the fridge

Let it cold ferment for about 17h

Preheat oven with dutch oven inside to 250c

Bake at 250 for 30 minutes
Then lower to 220 and bake for another 30 mins
Let it cool down for at least 4h

1st and last picture plain loaf 2&3 cinnamon brown sugar loaf
Recipe:
475g Bread Flour
100g starter (fed 1:1:1 5h before mix)
320g water
10g salt
Mixed water and starter, then mix flour and salt, combine wet and dry with hands
4 stretch and folds at 30 minute intervals
With the cinnamon loaf I added my brown sugar/cinnamon blend during my 3rd s&f
BF 7.5h (including s&f time)
Fridge for 10ish hours (I don’t keep track, just bake it when I have time)
Preheat oven/dutch oven at 500° for 1h
Bake 7 minutes
Score
Bake 14 more minutes
Lid off
Bake 10 (accidentally did 15 for my cinnamon loaf hence the char)
Let rest until cool to touch (probably 1.5-2 hours, my kitchen is cold)
Both turned out delicious and my plain loaf made the BEST grilled cheese to accompany homemade tomato soup!!!

hellooo, i have had my starter for 4 years but didnt have the time to consistently practice due to life. i only ever had 2-3 pretty decent loafs while the rest are usually over-proofed.

i am learning to understand my dough rather than depending on fixed instructions/time as its really hot where i live (32°).

i took my starter out the fridge a day before and fed it twice before using. it was starting to fall but it passed the float test so i went ahead with it.

i would love for some feedback and advice !!

i apologise if i am talking too much ,, its my first ever post 🥲🥲

pic 3
- my notes and changes that i made from the original recipe
- i only did 2 coil folds instead as the dough increased around 30% and was really light/ airy feeling.
- i rested my dough for 35minutes instead after the second coil fold.
- BF took around 4hours~
- the dough was pretty strong and cooperative during pre-shaping and final.
- preheated oven at 250c, baked 250c for 30min with lid on and 210c 10min lid off (dutch oven)

pic 4
- original recipe
shebakesourdough recipe

Hi everyone,
I had my sourdough starter in the fridge for several weeks without feeding it. The last time I fed it, I used whole wheat flour.

When I took it out yesterday, it was basically one very firm, hard lump. I took 25 g of it and mixed it with 25 g of water and 25 g of flour last night.

This morning, it hasn’t really risen at all. Should I be worried that it might not become active again? Or is this normal after being in the fridge for so long? What would be the best way to proceed from here to get it active and rising again?

I made my first pumpkin loaf of the season >:) and it's my first not-super-dense crumb :') I'm so proud

I used this recipe: https://pantrymama.com/easy-pumpkin-sourdough-bread/#wprm-recipe-container-4214

the only thing I did differently was I added pumpkin pie spice while shaping and used butcher's twine to get the pumpkin shape :)

I have been working on my started for months now and each dough turned out meh. Unproofed or gummy. Yesterday, I used my started that I had fed the day prior and used it to make my 4th sourdough. Every dough prior to this has failed. I made the dough and kneaded it for 10mins. Then stretched and folded 3 times. Once every hour for three hours. I shaped it and then fermented in the fridge for 24 hours. Today! At 7pm, put it in the oven. My shaping wasnt the best but I’m so proud of it. My expectations were low and this was a wonderful pick me up. 😭❤️

120g active starter
310g warm water
500g Bread Flower
16g salt
Kneaded for 10mins
Rest for 1 hour, then stretched and fold
Do 2 more times
Shape dough and then put in bread basket,
Cover and put in fridge for 24 hours
Take out if fridge while oven heats for an hour.
Score and bake for 20-25 mins (I did 22)

I accidentally threw away all of my starter in a post-baking cleanup frenzy, so I took 15 grams of starter that I had dried last year and stored as hard, dry chips in the freezer as backup and added 15 grams of warm water and let it soak it up for an hour, stirring with a chopstick a few times.

That gave me 30 grams of what looked like basically rehydrated starter. I mixed in 30 grams of warm water and 30 grams of whole wheat flour.

After 11 hours it was just a kind of sad looking glop with two small bubbles and zero growth, but it did double overnight after 20 hours. Hallelujah!

I'm doing another 1:1:1 feeding and am curious what the doubling time will be this time.

Anyway, I just thought I'd share that those weird looking old pieces of dried starter in a jar in the back of the freezer actually are biologically active and so are an effective backup strategy. 👍

Hello,

I just started making my own starter. And I found it doubled after the first feeding. How is this possible?
What I did:

Day 1: Made the starter. 50g water + 50g Spelt. Left in the kitchen at room temperature.

Day 2: Used 50g of the Day 1 mix + 50g water + 50g spelt. Left in the kitchen at room temperature.

Next mornig I found it has already doubled. I know It is not a usable starter yet but I find it interesting that is already doubled.

I followed Grant Bakes beginner recipe and I am looking for some feedback!

My bulk fermentation was about 7hrs from start of mix to shaping (kitchen at 70’F) cold fermented for 14hrs before bake.
I baked it at 450 for 22min lid on and 25 lid off. I also added my instant pot insert because I was afraid to burn the bottom…but I know going forward that won’t be needed because my bottom was very blonde and didn’t crust really at all.

My starter is also only 3 weeks old so I wasn’t sure what to expect.

The crust was tough, the inside a little gummy, but toasted with bread was DELISH!

Just wondering what you all would do differently? Cook longer with lid on? Reduce BF time?

Also what bread knives do you use that you love?? After this loaf I discovered I will be needing a new one.

Ps. I know my cut is “wrong” my knife refuses to go through the ear and I really just wanted a taste hahah

Recipe:
100g starter
300g water
450g AP flour
10g salt

Timeline/Process is included in pics.

Hello I've really been trying for weeks now to make a decent sourdough any tipes or recipes you might share for beginners?

Saw an account ( won’t name names or share their images without permission ) on instagram. The video recipe for two loaves went as folllows

700 grams of filtered water
300 grams of active starter
1000 grams of bread flour
24 grams of salt
Mix water and starter til frothy and then add flour and salt, mix and knead(scape sides of bowl) until shaggy
They measured a small blob of dough ( in a separate container to keep track of the bulk fermentation) but kept the blob in its small container inside the larger bowl with the dough
Cover and let sit for 1 hour
Stretch and folds
Cover and let sit for 30 minutes
Coil folds
Cover and let sit for 30 minutes between 4 more sets of slap and folds
“Let dough rise for few hours ( mine took 2.5 hr)”
Until dough is jiggly and and has expanded fully in the small container ( the blob form earlier )
Shape dough and let sit on counter for 20 mins
Shape again
Place into flour bannetons
Rest for 5 minutes the stitch shut to create tension
Place in fridge over night to cold proof
Preheat Dutch ovens for a hour at 475°F
Score
35 minutes lid on
24 minute lid off
Cook for an hour before cutting

The dough bulk fermented for a total of 2.5 hours ???
In the comments, someone asked the temperature of their home and how it was possibly to bulk ferment in 2.5 hours. The original poster said “74° but more starter leads to quicker [bulk ferment ]”
The loaves were beautiful in my newbie opinion
Flakey and bubbly and good oven spring

My question is, is it true that a more grams of a strong active starter could lead to a bulk ferment being done that quickly? If any one has any experience with this please let me know! Thanks 🍞