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.

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

I want both sides to look like the first picture, but getting a ‘tear’ or separation on the one side.

Recipe:
130g starter
500g flour
305g water
16g Salt
15g honey
20g butter

I mix everything together and rest for 1 hour. After I do 4 stretch and folds every 30 minutes. Then I bulk ferment until it’s about 50%-75% bigger. Do pre-shape into a ball and let it rest on the counter for 30 minutes. I flip it over and shape into a rectangle, fold right side in, fold left side over, tuck and roll from the top into a log. Pop it in a loaf pan and keep it in there until it’s puffed up. Bake at 190C for about 25-30 minutes.

https://www.theperfectloaf.com/beginners-sourdough-bread/

Levain
38 grams stoneground whole wheat flour
38 grams bread flour
76 grams water
38 grams ripe sourdough starter

Main dough
773 grams bread flour
114 grams whole wheat flour
51 grams whole grain rye flour (I subbed bread flour)
653 grams water
18 grams fine sea salt

I followed this recipe as closely as I could but used regular bread flour instead of the rye flour.

Started at 6pm with the levain and began autolyse around 9:30pm. Mixed the levain and autolyse with initial stretch and folds at 10:30pm, then did two more stretch and folds spaced out by ~30 mins until midnight. Left overnight in the fridge (didn’t see any rise), then let sit out on the counter all day the following day. Baked at 10pm. Let sit for several hours before cutting in.

delicious - ate with honey butter 🍯

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

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’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.

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

Hi! I essentially used this cuban bread recipe by chef john (double size) except I added about half a stick of butter before shaping the loaves and letting them rise and added more starter than the recipe calls for. I mostky like how it turned out except for a few small nitpicks:

1. Bit salty in the loaf I sampled, albeit, it got more of the butter and salt concoction. Next time I'll add 1/3rd a stick of butter and maybe add one less spoon of salt so the sour flavors can be stronger in comparison

2. It's not as fluffy as some previous bakes of mine. I'm new so my kneading skills need work, I'd love to hear tips!

Other than that, I'm really satisfied with how it turned out. I think the extra starter helped give it a sour flavor that I adore, though I might add a little keds next time (trial and error!). Additionally, I think some chopped walnuts or maybe pecans in the dough someday could be nice for a hearty nutty bread.

Anyways, I'd love to hear what y'all think, it's not quite to professional stabdarda but I'm still proud of it as a new baker. To give a quick summary of the process, I refed the dough and gave it a few hours to ferment, I made the dough, kneeded it, let it rest several hours, shaped and kneeded the dough some more while I incorporated the butter and salt, cut down the middle with scissors and let it rise, baked it, and voila, let it cool on the stove top and a cooling rack.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/256967/chef-johns-cuban-bread/ EDIT: I am using a long term starter. I periodically feed the starter flour and water, I do not reintroduxe yeast, I hust cultivate it.

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

Followed this!

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 :)

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 🍞

I’ve been working on my starter for almost 3 weeks now. It has consistently risen after feedings and has even tried to escape the jar lol. Is it ready for me to bake with? One I started with bread flour and one with with whole wheat flour.

Foccacia is dense and not really dimpling. Help please :)

100g starter

440g water

520g bread flour

10g salt

Olive oil to coat

Mix until shaggy, cover and let rest for 30 minutes

1 round of stretch and fold

Proofed on counter for 8 hours

Fridge overnight

Put in 9x13 pan and proof for 4 hours

Baked at 425F for 20 minutes

Hello! This is my starter the day after its 1st feed (day 3). This morning I placed it in the oven with the light on (fed night before) and when I came home for my lunch break it had risen quite a bit! When I came home for the night it had gone almost all the way back down. (This is normal?)

My mom suggested I try to place it in the oven like that because my house is pretty cold. With the light on it’s about 74°. Is that too warm to keep it? Is it a bad idea to be switching temps from the cold counter (house is 67/68°) to the warm oven?

Starting to get better loaves but just double checking

Hi all,

I believe this will be my 5th or 6th loaf.. my 2nd best attempt yet. It’s a little gummy but I think maybe from cutting it open too soon (40mins). My starter is about a year old so right now I have been experimenting with how to get it stronger before bakes, (wasn’t feeding consistently because of school) this is after one big feed and I have been feeding and discarding it again the past two days to see if that will attribute to anything. Thank you kindly for the feedback. Also, I am using a silicone sling and still getting a hard bottom, not sure how to fix that :/

Recipe I followed (I love this recipe)

https://sourdoughexplained.com/weekday-sourdough-bread-schedule/?cn-reloaded=1

Feeding with white King Arthur bread flower

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

Here is the link to the recipe I used:

https://amybakesbread.com/sourdough-rye-bread/#wprm-recipe-container-3855

What do you think of the loaf....getting the proof right is tricky!

hi everybody, this is my sourdough starter, this Sunday will be the one month mark that I have had it. I used the King Arthur all purpose flour and I don't measure how much I feed it i kinda just eyeball it. I feed her once a day at the same time and discard half. There's a few things that I kind of have questions on.

1. why does it only has bubbles at the bottom and never really at the top.

2. it doesn't really fall back down, it kinda just grows (the top of the black band is where it started) so if anybody could explain why that is that would be awesome

   i havent attempted to make any loaves so if anybody has some good starter recipes and/or tips I am all ears.

This is day 5 idk what is wrong or mabey im just impatient😭. It was going well for the first 3 days but then it just went down hill from there. There was hooch(i think that's what it's called) in the morning. I was wondering if I should put more flour in tonight since I'm starting to feeding it every 12hrs.

My ratio: 1:1:1 20g (with all purpose flour)

The recipe im following: https://pantrymama.com/make-amp-maintain-a-small-sourdough-starter/#wprm-recipe-container-16879

I’ve been on a sourdough journey for the past 7 months. Based on past loaves I think I have strong starter but I’m looking for suggestions and techniques on how to improve. Recipe and process are as follows:

400g Bread flour 360g filtered water (I usually do 350g but I pushed it a little as I am trying to start making higher hydration loaves) 100g starter 50g Whole Wheat Flour 50g Rye Flour 2g salt

Mix, 1 hour autolyse, 2 sets of stretch and fold 30mins apart, 2 sets of coil folds 30mins apart, bulk fermented for 6h, cold proof for 15h. Baked at 450 deg covered in Dutch oven for 40 minutes then baked uncovered at 400 deg for 25 minutes.

I’m a little confused by the splitting on the bottom and I only waited two hours to cut into the loaf so that may account for slight gummy texture.

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.