Sourdough is super trendy right now and I’m loving it.
Who would have thought, that in 2020, the whole world would suddenly have an interest in ancient methods for capturing wild yeast?!
Anyway, I’ve been making sourdough for quite a while (yes, back before it was cool…) and considering y’all are begging for more info on all things sourdough, I recently wrote about making a sourdough starter and how to make a simple sourdough bread.
However, that has flooded my inbox with questions, which is AMAZING, since it means you are getting in the kitchen and making things happen.
In order to help you out, I’ve put together this GIANT list of the most common questions I’ve been getting about all-things-sourdough and I answered them all as thoroughly as possible. If you look through this list of Q&As don’t find your question, just add them to the comments of this article, and I’ll answer them.
I’ve put this list of sourdough troubleshooting questions into two categories: sourdough starter and sourdough breadmaking.
Common Sourdough Starter Questions
Successful sourdough baking is 100% dependent on the health of your starter (Click here to learn how to make a sourdough starter). A sourdough starter is simply made by combining flour and water and letting it sit for several days to either “capture” wild yeast in the air or to get the wild yeast already in the flour to become activated (you can learn more details in my sourdough starter article!).
Of course if you’d rather start off with a fantastic, mature starter, from the start (see what I did there?) this is a great way to do it.
Sourdough starters are simple, but considering there are a number of factor involved, here are some solutions if your starter is throwing you a curve ball:
How do I know when my sourdough starter is ready to use in bread?
Here are the more dependable ways to tell that a sourdough starter is ready:
- It is doubling in size within 3-4 hours of a feeding
- There are bubbles in it
- The texture is fluffy and foamy
- There is a pleasant tangy, sour aroma
- If you place a teaspoon of recently fed starter in a cup of cool water, it floats to the top
Why isn’t my sourdough starter active and bubbly yet?
It’s natural to feel panicky if you’re on day 4 or 5 and you’re not seeing bubbles in your sourdough starter yet. My first tip would be to be patient. Wait at least 7-10 days before you decide if your sourdough starter isn’t active. Sometimes it just takes time.
You can also look at the following things to help your sourdough starter:
- Warmth. Check if your kitchen is drafty or cool. If it is, try moving your sourdough starter to a warmer location. You don’t want to put it in direct sunlight or on the stove where it can scorch, but try to move it closer to a heater or warm source in your house.
- Flour. If you’re not seeing bubbles after a week, try using a different variety or brand of flour.
- Water. Try a different variety of water, just in case your current source has some sort of contaminant (like chlorine) that could be hampering the growth of the starter.
If you’re still not sure if your starter is active enough to successfully be used in baking, place 1 teaspoon of the starter in a cup of water. If it floats, you’re good to go! If it sinks, it’s still not active enough and needs more time.
Help! I’m on day five of my starter and it’s not bubbling or growing.
I’ve noticed that there’s often a little bit of a lull on days four through six sometimes. Keep feeding it and don’t give up on it at least until you’ve hit day 14 without good bubbles or growth. If you’re really concerned and not seeing any activity, try switching out the flours and make sure your water is not chlorinated.
What if my kitchen is too cold for my sourdough starter?
Sourdough definitely prefers a warm environment. If your house is chilly, you might need to get a bit creative to figure out how to keep it happy. If you have a wood stove like me, you can put your starter close to the stove (in the vicinity of the stove, not too close so the starter gets too hot).
You could try on top of your refrigerator, which is often a warm place in the kitchen. You can also keep your starter next to your oven in the kitchen, as the radiant heat will help keep your starter happy. You could also leave it in your oven with the oven light on, however, that one scares me a little bit because you might accidentally turn on your oven and kill your starter (so be careful with that one).
Some folks have good luck using cooler with a warm heating pad or a seedling heating mat to keep their starter warm and happy. With a little creativity, you can find a way to keep your sourdough starter warm.
Is it better to measure or weigh the sourdough ingredients?
Weighing the ingredients is better. Personally, I’ve kinda learned what my measuring cups look like when there’s four ounces of flour and four ounces of water in them, so I usually just eyeball it.
However, if you are unsure about things, absolutely start with weighing your flour and weighing your water and making sure that matches the weight of the sourdough starter you have. It doesn’t have to be down to decimal point accuracy, but it needs to be close for best results.
My sourdough starter is too watery or too thick. What do I do?
If your starter is too watery, add more flour when you do your next feeding. If it’s too thick, add some more water with your next feeding. Keep trying and experimenting until you get that perfect sourdough starter texture and thickness (which, for me, is the consistency of pancake batter).
Why is my sourdough starter separating? Why does it have black liquid on top and/or clear liquid on bottom?
The most common separation you’ll in a sourdough starter is when you get black or gray liquid on top. This is completely normal. The black liquid on top of your starter is called hooch.
Hooch is the waste product of the sourdough starter. When your starter has eaten up all of its food and wants more, it will begin starts to separate and the hooch will appear.
When this happens, you have a few options here: first, you can discard the hooch (ie black liquid on top); OR you can stir it back in. If you want your sourdough to be more sour, simply stir the hooch back into the sourdough starter.
The other separation issue some folks experience when you have clear liquid underneath the flour layer. This is also very common, especially in new sourdough starters. The clear liquid on the bottom means you need to change your sourdough starter feeding habits. Try feeding it more often, or use a different water, or try a different flour. It’s not a major reason for concern, but it doesn’t hurt to switch up your feeding habits to see if that helps.
Why does my sourdough starter have a pink and/or orange color?
While sourdough starters can vary in color, it your starter becomes pink or orange, it is not a happy starter. Pink and orange coloration means you are on the verge of losing your starter and that it is likely starving to death.
If it has just a slight pink tinge, you can possibly bring it back (this has happened to me…). However, if it’s super pink or orange, it’s probably best to toss it and start over.
Grey or brownish hues in a starter are generally normal and not a cause for concern.
Why does my sourdough starter smell like alcohol or nail polish remover?
Like a pink or orange starter, an alcohol/nail polish remover aroma can indicate your starter is starving to death. Try feeding it more frequently and keep it on the counter with more feedings until it smells and looks better.
Is it normal to see a skin on your starter prior to feeding?
Sometimes. Usually when my house is a little bit hot, I notice that the top layer of liquid evaporates more quickly and the starter will dry out. I usually just
stir the skin back in. If that keeps happening and it’s bothering you, simply cover your sourdough with a lid (instead of a cloth or paper towel) to lock in more moisture.
Why is my sourdough starter moldy?
This has never happened to me personally, but mold in a starter is generally caused from contamination either in the flour or in the jar.
Therefore, make sure you’re always starting with a super-clean jar and if that doesn’t help, try switching out your flour. It’s possible that you are buying flour from a store where it is not properly stored or something is wrong with that particular brand of flour.
Do I have to feed my sourdough starter twice a day?
There are a million different ways and opinions to care for a sourdough starter, and some sourdough connoisseurs will recommend two or even three feedings a day. If you notice that your starter prefers more frequent feedings, that’s perfectly fine.
I usually only feed mine once a day, usually right away in the morning because that works best for my daily routine. You can feed it when it works best for your own routine; there is flexibility with sourdough starters. Figure out the rhythm that works best for you and what makes your own starter the happiest.
*Note* If your sourdough starter is a bit sluggish, try feeding it twice a day until it becomes more active.
Can I use a different flour for a sourdough starter?
You can use whole wheat, all-purpose flour, rye, einkorn, and many others for a sourdough starter. If this is your first time making sourdough, I suggest using whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour in the way I wrote in my recipe. This ratio tends to behave very well for me compared to other techniques I have tried in the past.
How do I make a gluten-free sourdough starter?
I get this question a lot, however, since I don’t cook with a lot of gluten-free flour, I don’t have personal experience with this. However, it is possible. This gluten-free recipe from King Arthur flour looks promising. You can also purchase a gluten-free sourdough starter to get you going.
And if you need gluten-free flour, check out all the varieties you can get at Vitacost! I’m told this gluten-free flour is wonderful.
Can I use freshly ground flour in my starter?
Absolutely! If you have a grain mill (link to where I bought my favorite grain mill used on an almost-daily basis), this is a fantastic option. Many people report that their sourdough starters really like freshly ground flour, while other people say that the freshly ground flour has to age about about 5 days before using it for best results. I’d try both and see which your starter prefers.
How do you switch from one flour to another for your starter?
First step? Make sure your sourdough starter is very active and happy (i.e. feed it well and feed it often). After a few days of feeding it well, divide it into two starters. Put one of them in a jar in the refrigerator as a backup– just in case… Having a backup has saved me heartache several times.
Leave the other half of the starter on the counter and switch out the flour the next time you feed it. You do not have to slowly transition, just switch out the flours. Wait a few days (with continual daily feedings) before you try to make bread with it, however, starters are pretty resilient and switching flours shouldn’t cause any problems.
If I live in the city, can I use tap water in my starter?
You may use pretty much any ‘ol water for your starter, but it shouldn’t be chlorinated. Make sure you only feed your starter with unchlorinated water. If your water is chlorinated, you can still use it for your sourdough starter, but you must evaporate the chlorine first. Fortunately, this is very easy. Simply put the water in a container on your counter overnight uncovered. The next morning, the chlorine in that water will have evaporated, and you can use it in your starter.
Does it matter what size container I use for holding my sourdough starter?
Yes, size matters. Once your starter is active and happy, it will rise up a BUNCH after you feed it. Overflow is a huge mess and hard to clean up (been there, done that). Use a tall container for your starter. (I personally use a half gallon sized mason jar.)
Do you keep your sourdough starter enclosed?
I keep my starter loosely covered in order to keep out bugs, dust, and other random junk from the air. You can use a paper towel or a dishcloth with a rubber band, or anything else that will loosely cover and protect it. I use the canning lid (since my starter is in a mason jar) and I just lightly set it on top of the jar and I don’t screw the lid on too tightly. In order to allow your starter to breathe, you can also try flipping your canning lid upside down (so the rubber seal is facing up) so it has a lid on, but it’s not sealed from getting airflow. Starters like to breathe.
How often do you clean out your jar?
I try to clean out my sourdough starter jar once a month, but sometimes I forget. The build up on the sides happens pretty quick and since flour and water acts like school paste (remember that stuff?), it can be hard to get the jar clean. Try to change jars about once a month, but you can do it more often if you like.
Do I have to discard part of the sourdough starter?
By step three of the sourdough process, you want to start discarding half of the starter. I know, I know– it seems super wasteful at first, but hear me out… If you keep feeding it without discarding some of it, the starter will eventually become enormous and start taking over your kitchen.
Plus, if you don’t discard some of it, you end up having to add more and more flour to make the ratio correct. Since we don’t want to waste flour, it’s actually less wasteful to discard part of the early sourdough starter.
What do I do with my mature sourdough starter discard?
Once your sourdough starter is active and bubbly, you’re gonna end up with plenty sourdough discard. Besides making bread, I’ve got a bunch of sourdough discard recipes in my Prairie Homestead Cookbook. I also talk a bunch in my podcast about my favorite ways to use sourdough discard.
How long after you start a sourdough starter can you use the discard for recipes?
If I’m using a brand new starter, by day two, the discard isn’t really sour yet. It’s just flour and water at this point. I usually feed that to the chickens. By day 3 or 4 and beyond, however, you can start using the discard in various recipes. It’s not active enough to use in bread, and it won’t be tangy yet, but it’s great for discard recipes like crackers and pancakes (basically anything that has an additional leavening agent (baking powder or baking soda) is a great option).
Should I use buy a sourdough starter or use part of my friend’s sourdough starter?
Generally, I just go with the simple sourdough starter method (mentioned here) and skip the commercial sourdough starter packets, but you may go ahead and purchase a starter online if you like.
If you have a friend with a starter, you can absolutely grab a little bit of culture from them and use that instead of starting from-scratch.
Can I refrigerate a starter? How long can it be in there?
There are two ways you can keep a sourdough starter:
1) you can keep it on the counter and feed it every day
2) OR you can store it in your refrigerator for the majority of the time and just pull it out when you want to bake
If you’ll only be using your sourdough once or twice a week (or less), I recommend keeping it in the refrigerator. This will prevent you from having to feed it daily (and ultimately using a lot of flour!).
To transfer a starter to the fridge, first feed it as you normally would. Let it sit out for one hour, then pop it in the fridge (covered). It’s best to continue to feed it every couple of weeks in the fridge, if you aren’t using it much. However, I will confess, there have been times I’ve sorely neglected my starter for many weeks and even months and I was still able to revive it.
To Wake Up a Cold Sourdough Starter:
To prepare a dormant sourdough starter for baking, bring it out of the refrigerator at 24-36 hours before you need to use it. Discard half of the starter, and feed it the 1:1:1 ratio explained above — 1 part starter to 1 part water to 1 part flour (in weight).
Repeat this every 12 hours or until the sourdough starter becomes active and bubbles within 4-6 hours of feeding (this likely will take 2-3 rounds). If you need a larger quantity of starter for baking, or you’re planning on doing a big baking day, you can bulk it up by skipping the discard step in each feeding.
How long can you keep your starter on the counter while using it and feeding it?
If you feed it every day, it can feasibly go on forever. I know many people have 100-year old sourdough starters(!!). This is something you can pass on to your children and grandchildren, as long as you keep your starter happy and healthy.
Common Sourdough Bread Questions
So you have an active starter, but what about the bread? Here’s my recipe for a simple sourdough bread. (I included both the written instructions and a video of me making sourdough bread in that article to help you out.)
I’ve put together the most common sourdough questions and my answers related to baking bread. (And feel free to ask me more questions in the comments section below!)
How much starter do I use per loaf of sourdough bread?
On average, it seems that most sourdough bread recipes use about 1/2 cup of starter (my sourdough bread recipe uses 1/2 cup of active starter). However, this can greatly vary, and there are recipes that use anywhere from 1/4 cup to 1 cup of active starter.
Help! I’m getting sourdough bricks instead of bread!
I’ve been there. I always had this problem when I was impatient and didn’t let my starter become active and bubbly enough before I tried to make my bread.
If you are indeed using active starter, it’s possible that your dough may need a little more liquid next time OR a bit more time to rise.
Also keep in mind– sourdough tends to be a bit “heavier” than my other breads. By its nature, sourdough is a hearty bread, but I like it that way. If I’m in the mood for a super light, fluffy loaf, I’ll make this easy sandwich bread recipe with baker’s yeast and a shorter rise time.
What kind of flour can I use for my sourdough bread?
You can make sourdough bread with many different types of flour, however, if you’re brand new to sourdough, I recommend using all-purpose flour. It far less finicky to use than Einkorn or whole wheat, and it will rise more consistently for your first attempts. You can venture into the fancier flours once you get the hang of a simple loaf.
If and when you want to get a little fancier, I recommend hard white wheat berries if you’re grinding your own flour with a mill like mine.
How can I better handle my super sticky dough?
If you’re struggling with your dough sticking to everything, try dipping your hands in a bowl of cool water before you work it. It’s tempting to keep adding more flour to the dough, but fight the urge. A wetter, stickier dough, while more difficult to handle, produces less dry or crumbly loaves.
However, I’ve been receiving comments and messages from folks saying that their dough is turning out just too sticky to even handle, in which case you might just need to add more flour to your dough.
Why is homemade sourdough bread called ‘sourdough’ when it’s not sour?
It depends on your starter. Some homemade sourdoughs can get pretty darn sour, but they don’t have to be– that’s the beauty of it. “Sourdough” bread from the typical grocery store is usually not technically sourdough. Many store-bought loaves contain normal yeast plus flavoring agents to give the loaf the sour flavor. Keep in mind, this is not the same sour taste that’ll you achieve from true sourdough, as true sourdough is made with wild yeast. If you want a more tangy homemade sourdough, you just have to play around with your starter (read next question below for those tips).
How can I make my sourdough loaves MORE sour?
Here are a few ways to adjust your technique for a more sour sourdough loaf:
- When you feed your sourdough starter, use a higher ratio of flour to water.
- Use whole-grain flours to feed your starter, since the sour-producing bacterias seems to love them.
- If your sourdough starter produces a brown/black/gray liquid layer (aka the hooch) on the top, mix it back into the starter instead of pouring it off.
- Use cool water and allow your dough to rise in a cooler location. This will extend the souring/rise time and produce a more sour loaf.
How do I make my sourdough bread LESS sour?
You will want to do the opposite of what’s mentioned in the question above. Basically, you are going to want to feed your starter more often, at least twice (and maybe three) times a day. You will also want to help the loaves rise faster by putting them in an extra warm location or by using a bit of extra starter in the bread recipe to get it to rise faster.
How do you get a loaf with that pretty open crumb or those big holes?
If you want the loaves with the big open crumb and the bubbles that look like French bakery bread, you need to have a dough with more hydration (i.e. a wetter dough). The downfall to this, is if you’re new to sourdough, wetter doughs are trickier to handle and take a little more finesse.
The first time I tried to make a really high hydration dough, it was a sticky MESS. Therefore if you are a beginner, I highly recommend starting with a more standard dough-texture like my simple sourdough bread recipe. Once you get more comfortable with sourdough bread making, start increasing the water in the dough and play around with different techniques for folding the dough.
How do you replace packaged yeast in a bread recipe with sourdough?
I wish I had a really simple and easy formula for you here, but this is quite cumbersome and complex. My best recommendation is to just find an equivalent recipe online that’s designed for sourdough.
However, if you are desperate and feel like experimenting, you can try doing about a cup of sourdough starter to one package of yeast (the tiny packets that contain 2 1/4 teaspoons of active yeast).
The tricky part is that you’ve just added bulk to your recipe, so you’re going to need to adjust the remaining ingredients in that recipe as well. You’ll have to reduce the flour and reduce the water to get the right consistency. It’s tricky and you will also have to make sure to let it rise at least twice as long as the recipe states. It can be done, but definitely takes a bit of practice.
Can you make a sourdough bread in a bread machine?
I think you would be fine, but since I haven’t used a bread machine in many years, I’m not exactly an expert in this realm. My biggest concern would be if the bread machine is pre-programmed with a certain rise time, because sourdough breads often need a much longer rise time than standard breads. However, as long as you could adjust that, you should be fine.
Do I REALLY have to cool the bread before eating it?
I know, I know. It’s cruel, isn’t it?
Even though your kitchen now smells divine, try to resist cutting into your new homemade sourdough bread until it completely cools to room temperature.
The reason your bread must cool completely is because it is still baking and developing the texture as it cools. This is when the crumb is setting. If you cut open your bread when it is still hot, you will squish it and the crumb will be crushed, not to mention it’ll dry out faster in storage.
How can I store my homemade sourdough bread?
This homestead sourdough loaf is best eaten within 48 hours (which is NOT a problem for my ravenous kids). I store it at room temperature in a basic Ziploc bag, but you can get special bread bags or bread boxes, too.
If you don’t think you can eat the sourdough loaf within 48 hours, you can freeze the leftovers. Simply wrap it in plastic wrap and it will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Why didn’t my sourdough bread rise?
Don’t worry– it happens to the best of us. When sourdough bread dough doesn’t rise, it’s usually because the starter you used wasn’t active enough. To remedy this problem, make sure you’re using recently fed, active starter with lots of bubbles. Also, next time try using warm (not hot) water when you mix up the dough and rising it in a warmer location.
Why did my loaf spread out?
Doughs that contain a lot of moisture tend to spread more than dryer doughs, so that could be the culprit. Try a few more rounds of stretching and folding next time to help develop the tension in the dough a bit more.
Can I make gluten-free sourdough bread?
You can, however, it’s not a skill that is in my wheelhouse. I would recommend checking out this recipe from King Arthur flour.
Help! I am so overwhelmed with the different methods mentioned online for starting sourdough!
I would suggest that you pick a method and you just go with it. Whether that’s my sourdough starting method or someone else’s, you will drive yourself crazy trying to take something from all of them. So just pick one and odds are you’ll be just fine. They all kind of work out the same.
Wanna See Me Address Several of the Most Common Sourdough Issues?
I’ll walk you through some simple changes you can make and how to measure by WEIGHT, not volume in this quick video!
After sitting for 8 to 10 hours, my dough had a thick crust all over it. I formed it into a ball and let it rest , then formed it again and put it in the oven with the light on to rise. Its been over three hours and it is not rising. What did I do wrong?
To help prevent that crust from forming on your dough, try coating your dough ball in oil before setting it aside to rise.
This has happened for me as well, do I peel the crust off or fold it into the dough? Or gasp, start over?
I left my dogh to rise on counter overnight and it did not rise. Should I bake anyway and why did it not rise?
Thank you for any help, I’m a newbie to baking bread!
I have the same question.
I rest my sour dough in the fridge overnight, so I can bake in the morning. I usually have a damp cloth over it so the dough doesn’t dry up. Have done this for a while. Recently, I have found I have some mold spots on the dough. Where might the source be. Could it be my starter, so I have to get a new starter. Or is it from my fridge, which would then need a scrub down…argh..help.
My sourdough behaves nicely until after 7-8 hour fermentation.
It is still slightly sticky and my slashes work but aren’t really clean because the dough is still slightly sticky.
This happens every time but I still get a nice boule.
How do you store the discard until you have enough to bake with?
I keep a quart size Mason jar in the fridge. I discard into this and loosely replace the cap. I stir it up before using in a discard recipe.
I’m new to baking sourdough. Today was my second attempt. The bread looks nice but didn’t rise upwards the way it should. I baked it on the accurate temperatures for right length of time but the the crust is not not thick and hard. It seems thin and easy to press down on. The loaf also didn’t get as dark as it should.
I’m new to using a banneton basket and my dough is sticking. I started using it because my dough would stick terribly to my towel/bowl rising method. I would get a GREAT rise but then it would go downhill fast when transferring to my cast iron.. any tips?
I was having the same issue and someone suggested White Rice Flour sprinkled in the banneton (or on the cloth if you use it). I use a fine mesh sifter to get a nice even, light dusting around the whole thing. I haven’t had any sticking problems since.
I was also having a little trouble with it falling when I went to score the dough before baking. I now put it in the freezer about 20 minutes before I’m ready to score/bake so it doesn’t collapse as much when I score it and holds its shape a bit better by the time it gets to the dutch oven, which I try to do as quickly as possible. (My loaf is coming straight from the fridge and is already cold before I put it in the freezer – I’ve never tried this with a room temp loaf). Hope that helps.
Not an expert myself, but plenty of rice flour has worked for me. Watching the Proof Bread videos on Youtube, they have a big bowl of rice flour on the table, and each shaped loaf is rolled in the bowl, completely covering it in rice flour, before putting into the banneton.
I have the same question. I used a dense multigrain flour (maybe too ambitious). Do I let it sit longer? How long is too long to let it rise before giving up?
Perhaps try to use a cloth liner that is heavily coated with rice flour.
I started my sour dough starter a few weeks ago. It was doing great…doubling and bubbling but it wont ever float. When do I pitch it and start over?!
The float test isn’t the end-all-be-all. To be honest, if your starter is a few weeks old, doubling reliably, and looks bubbly and active, I would go ahead and try making a loaf of bread.
Thank you for this. I am a first-timer and have been feeding my starter for 10-12 days. My first loaf was doughy on the inside and did not rise. Crust was perfect and bottom did not burn. Then I saw the float test. I’ve been feeding ever since and it now triples in size. It has that ‘smell’ and is very bubbly. Since failing the first time, I’ve been waiting for my starter to pass the float test and it has yet to do so. I am so frustrated!
It sounds like your starter is super active, and ready to go! I wouldn’t worry too much about the float test–it can be helpful, but it’s not the end-all-be-all.
Can you save the discard in the refrigerator to use later or do you need to use it right away?
You can save the discard for later use!
Can I feed my sourdough starter left over sourdough bread?
Thanks
If you need help with your starter and what to feed it, check out this article: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2020/03/make-sourdough-starter.html
Bread is a solid and you need to feed your starter a flour/water mixture.
I’m having trouble with my bread. I mix it up, let it rest then cover and place in oven over night. The next morning it has risen. The problem is when I turn it out on the counter it spreads out on the counter like a huge pancake. At one time I placed it in the basket and it stuck badly so it was a big flop. I have made this about a dozen times and only twice did it come out correctly. What am I doing wrong?
My bread looks good on the outside and tastes fine, but is too wet inside and even after baking to 120F. If I bake much longer it will burn on the outside. I checked my oven temp with an oven thermometer and it was spot on. Should I lower the temp and bake longer? I don’t want to lose the oven spring. I use a baking stone and parchment. Is that a problem? I would also like to have larger holes in it.
I bake mine to internal temperature of 195-200F. Sounds like you are underbaking your bread.
Way too cool, I bake in a Cast Iron baking oven at 250C or 485F for 20 mins then take the cover off for a further 20 mins, sometimes reducing the temp to around 200C.
I have tried different recipes, measuring by weight. My starter is actively bubbling. Often my dough is much stiffer than what I see on the instruction video and I don’t get fermentation bubbles. Should I simply add more water until the dough is more sticky? I have tried this and the dough became slimy rather than sticky.
I discard and feed my starter let it rise put it back in fridge and it will not shrink back down
I noticed you did not preheat your pot before putting in the bread. Every other recipe I’ve seen they preheat between 40-60 minutes before. But your bread looked really good. What is the purpose of preheating the cast iron?
Preheating your pan can help with oven spring, but it’s not always needed.
Hii.. i have made many of sourdough breads yet i still couldnt get the nice oven spring and big ear. My sourdough is always 80% hydration. My method is :
1. Autolyse for 1 hour
2. Mix starter and rest for 30 min
3 Mix salt and rest for 30 min
4. Stretch and fold 1 and rest for 30 min
5. lamination and rest for 30 min
6. Coil and fold 3 times and rest for 30 min each
7. Preshape and final shaping
I put it into the fridge for around 9.5 hour. In the morning when i put my dough out of the fridge and put it into baking paper, it couldn’t hold the shape just like other baker’s in youtube. It spreads easily so I always have to score it really quickly and put it into dutch oven. My questions are:
1. Can I re shape it again after cold proofed?
2. Is it because of my fridge is not cold enough? (I dont know the temperature)
3. Is it normal to have so much moisture inside the plastic that cover the dough inside the fridge? So i always have to cover it again with towel then plastic. The towel always get wet.
I am on day 7 of my sourdough starter and have bubbles but my starter is not doubling or floating. From the beginning Process of the starter I have always had bubbles. How much longer should I go with this starter?
I had the same issue. I think it’s just not mature enough yet. Also, mine began rising when I made my starter a little thicker. The weighing out and the 1:1:1 ratio is what helped it. But keep going! Give it some time to mature ?
Give it more time! Some starters can take a while to get established. Also, if you’re having trouble with it doubling, try feeding it thicker. Sometimes a starter isn’t doubling because it simply doesn’t have enough body to do so. Feeding it thicker will help with that.
I had to leave my sourdough in the fridge last summer to battle a brain tumor. I noticed it had black on it and was encouraged when I read these comments. I thought the black meant the end of my starter. I finally decided today to look at it. I though maybe I could save it, then opened the jar and it was hard like a rock. I decided it was not saveable and ran water in the jar so I could get it out. Then I looked at it and it was hard all the way down, so I dumped the water (it was only in there less than a minute) and used a knife to penetrate the top. I cut it into fourths, pried the top layer off and threw it in my chicken bucket, then got the rest of it out of there. It’s dry and I figure not much different than dried starters I could buy, so I put part of it in a plastic bag in the fridge and poured some water in it. I’m rather excited to see what it will do after it’s rehydrated. It smells wonderful! I’m really hoping I can save it!
I should have proofread my comment above. I put part of it in a plastic bag and put it in the fridge, put the rest in a bowl, cleaned out the jar and put the starter from the bowl back in the jar and added water to that.
So sorry about your brain tumor! I hope you’re doing better now. I hope your starter revives for you! What a crazy story!
Thanks. It is better, I think. I had gamma knife radiation and the deafness and facial numbness went away, but they won’t even check on it for a year. I’m hoping the starter will revive. To make this story even crazier, my husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s 6 months before my brain tumor was diagnosed. We’re doing okay.
IT’S ALIVE!!!
I rehydrated that dry starter for about an hour, stirred it, then fed it Saturday night. Sunday night I put the discard in a Tupperware container, fed the starter in the jar and in the Tupperware and just set lids on the top. This morning (Monday), they were both full of active, happy starter. This afternoon I made crackers with the discard in the Tupperware, then made gingerbread with the starter in the jar. I measured out the cup of starter and mixed up the rest of it, and by the time I added the starter (last ingredient), the cup was overflowing down the sides! It is alive and well!
Yay!! So happy for you!
YAY!!! Congrats! 🙂
I am new to sourdough and have found we use the discard more than we use the actual starter! I just made the sourdough crackers from your cookbook and they are so good! They were perfect the first time and my kids and I seriously love them.
We’re so glad you liked the crackers! Baking with discard is fun, isn’t it? And it’s a little bit less pressure than baking with active starter. 🙂
I’ve been babying my first starter for about 2 weeks now (I live in a concrete floor apartment in Alaska – so I have a super problem with finding a “warmer” spot) so I had planned on it being extra slow to get it going. Today I decided to keep my discard and use it to experiment with. (Unread somewhere that adding some lemon juice when feeding can help kick it into gear – giving it a higher pH) I thought I should visit youtube to see if I could find any tips because I started having a little self doubt in my starter. Then I watched a couple videos, and I now have great confidence in my starter and what to do with it. Kuddos for your amazing videos!
I am trying to revive an old and neglected starter. I’ve been feeding it according to your directions every 12 ish hours. It is now developing hooch but isn’t bubbling. What’s the best way to keep taking care of the starter while it’s in this state?
Also, thanks for the video about starters – I’ve been feeding the discard to the chickens and the barn cat has enjoyed it as well!
I would try feeding it with the 1:1:1 method. Basically, how ever much starter you have (let’s say 1/4 C.), you would feed your starter roughly 1/4 C. flour, and 1/4 C. water. If that makes your starter too runny, add less water next time, or add more flour. I personally like to keep my starter pretty thick, about the constancy of a thick pancake or muffin batter. The hooch on top of your starter means it’s hungry. Hope this helps!
Thank you so much for all the amazing information, I am loving your blog!
How soon do I need to use the discard and do I leave it on the counter or do I need to refrigerate if I’m not going to use right away? I’ve been trying to use the discard but I can’t always make something right away.
You could leave the discard on the counter for a day or two, but if you know you’re not going to be using it right away, I would go ahead and throw it in the fridge anyways, to give you more flexibility.
I have a question about this guideline for knowing when a starter is ready to be used
“If you place a teaspoon of recently fed starter in a cup of cool water, it floats to the top” : how recently fed?
I fed my starter last night, hoping to start the dough this morning. It had doubled and I could see bubbles, but it did not float in water… Was it just because it had been several hours since I fed it? It’s a somewhat established starter that I have used successfully in the past week…. I’m a little worried I killed it.
Thank you for your easy recipe and awesome videos!!
Hello! Thank you for posting so much information about sourdough starters! I started one and have made 2 loaves so far. The second one had amazing flavor but needed to rise more I think. My question – I would like to share some of my starter with friends. Can you tell me how to do this please and directions to give them? If I pour off half of my starter before I feed it I am assuming add the 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 cup water to the “discard” and give to them?
The first time I tried the recipe I had success! But my other two times my dough after sitting overnight, went crazy! It grew to the top of the bowl and was a sticky mess. I couldn’t even shape it with my hands without some flour. Then when I tried to score it, the dough was sooo soft. I baked it anyway and it didn’t get very high. Help!
I love sourdough! I have been using the same starter for a couple of years now. One thing that has always been tricky is making bread. Thank you so much for all of these tips and suggestions on how to make it easier!
My starter is very bubbly and Ive used the discard to make a few things now. All very good. My issue is that my starter rises well but falls back to where it was or below where it was by the next day. It’s not nearly rising like crazy like others I’ve seen. Do I need to feed it more often? Our house is cooler, so I’ve loosely wrapped the jar itself in a hand towel and moved it to another room. But it hasn’t helped too much.
It’s supposed to do that. Once it’s consumed all the available food, it will collapse. Most of us use a Sharpie or rubber band around the jar when we feed it so we know what the level was when we started. I use a sharpie and mark a short line at the level of my starter with the time noted beside it. That way I can see not only how much it’s risen, but how quickly. The sharpie wipes off the jar with warm water and a paper towel. The starter will rise well past that mark and double or more. Then it will fall….look for those tell-tale slide marks on the side of the jar….and that means it’s time to feed again. Hope that helps reassure you that it sounds like your starter is doing just what it should do,
Hi Jill, my sourdough starter is on day 8 with not much happening at all now since day 3 following your 1:1:1 ratio with unchlorinated water and whole wheat flour. I’ve been searching around for help and read skipping because the starter maybe isn’t hungry. What do you think? Should I skip a feeding and see what happens? Thanks so much! I enjoy your podcasts on my Iowa farm!
In making your Simple Sourdough bread I had great success with first loaf, but every try since the dough becomes glued to the banneton basket after second rise. I literally have to scrape it off the sides Of the linen liner and of course the whole mess collapses. The liner is completely rubbed with white flour, so I don’t think it’s a case of not enough flour. Should I try rice flour instead? Is dough too wet? Did it rise too long? Would appreciate any insight to help me get back to that first perfect great loaf – I love this recipe! Thank you.
Hi Amy:
I had the same problem, then I switched to using parchment paper for the liner. No need to put any flour on it (dry white flour won’t stick to the parchment paper anyway). Since the parchment paper can go into the oven, after proofing I just pick it up paper and all and put it in the Dutch oven. So much easier! Hope that helps.
Have you prepped your banana tons first? Spray the inside basket really well with water( or I just quickly swirled water in mine and poured out any excess) then while it is still wet, heavily flour that sucker and let it air dry. It forms a slight crust. You then lightly tap out any extra flour and it is prepped for your recipe. Just sprinkle a little more flour in just like you would normally. It stays pretty prepped for a few bakings. Eventually you will want to refresh it again, but it helps sooo much with the sticking.
Banana tons? Thanks spellchecker, that would be the banneton baskets
im having a hard time getting a really nice crispy crust. I’m reluctant to bake longer but maybe that’s the problem?
Thanks, Linda
How hot is your oven when you’re baking the bread? If your oven doesn’t hold heat consistently, throwing an oven thermometer in there may help you know how your oven runs (hot or cold). Other than that, you may have to bake your bread a bit longer if you’re not getting that nice crispy crust.
Hello, my last bread had very large air pockets but only on the top, the bread didn’t appear to raise in a consistent way. I had preheated my oven for 40 minutes. Any idea how to avoid those very large air pocket! it’s really inconvenient to spread the jam!!!
Thanks, Dominique
Sounds like you may have overproofed the dough! Inconstant holes tend to be the result of that. Try proofing your dough for less time and see if that helps.
How long is to long to feed you starter? I leave it on the counter. I made my fist loaf today. It didn’t rise as much as I would of liked. But it tasted wonderful!
Also what are the measurements in cups to feed your starter? I’ve been doing 1/2 cup flour, and 1/4 cup water.
If your starter is on the counter, you should ideally feed it once a day. Now it’s not the end of the world if you forget to feed it for a few days, but if you know you’re not going to be using your starter for a week or so, I’d go ahead and throw it in the fridge. That ratio sounds find, as long as you’re wanting a thicker starter. I personally feed my starter thicker, and I find it has a better time doubling in size that way. You can play with the amounts of water/flour that you feed your starter, and see how it does.
I have made many loaves now 30 plus and they don’t seem to get a good crust on them when baking and are quite doughy when taken out of the oven. Why is this
You may want to invest in an instant read thermometer! The bread should read between 170-200 degrees F when the bread is cooked enough. For a more chewy crust, you can try spraying a few squirts of water into your oven just before baking your bread with a spray bottle. I personally haven’t tried that, but I’ve heard of people who do.
I’ve made your recipe a few times and is very good although I have a hard time handling the dough, it’s not like yours on the video. Mine is very wet and sticky and hard to handle but the last loaf was the best, kind of like a soft French bread! Next time I’ll add a little more flour and see if it gets to the stage I can form a ball. Thanks for all the sour dough tips, it’s my first time making and using starter!
Good morning! My sourdough starter is on day 4. The 2nd day it bubbles and doubled in size. The last 2 days it has bubbled but isn’t rising. It was a lot thinner this morning when I went to discard half of the starter. Since this is my first time trying sourdough starter, I don’t know if it is fine or if I need to start over or just feed it more than once per day. Any help would be appreciated!
Thank you so much for all of your FAQs for sourdough, I have been trying several recipes and I like your beginner recipe the best. However I am having the worst time when it comes to the oven spring, it hasn’t happened with any recipe that I have tried… I am using a dutch oven with the lid one and still it is not rising in the oven when baking. Any suggestions would be greatly apprecaited!
My sour dough doesn’t rise after shaping after proofing
EEEKKKKK!
Was given starter from a friend. Baked my first loaf per your instructions and it was perfect and beautiful and delicious. I store the starter in the frig., feed it the day I want to start preparing the dough. Overnight rise doubles and does what is described it should do. The trouble has begun when removing the dough from the bowl. I gently scrape the edges away with a spatula however the end result is a deflated dough. I continue to shape the ball on the counter, leave it rest for ten minutes, reshape ball to tighten up and put it in the tea towel lightly floured with the seams up. My dough never rises after this step. I even gave it another overnight. Meanwhile I am feeding my started on the counter, daily, to try to strengthen it. Do I need to do that second rise? HELP!
My starter is great; doubles in size in 3-5 hours after feeding, smells good, is quite bubbly. I have now tried three different recipes for sourdough bread, each has turned out the same: after mixing, (specified variously as 10-18 hours), though I have checked it at 2,4,6,8,etc hours (up to 24 hrs) while it doubles in size (as far as I can tell), it simply forms a larger ‘starter’: i.e., it has the same consistency and appearance as my starter. It is pourable, cannot be shaped or kneaded, and is not anything I would consider a ‘dough’. It sits up high in the kitchen for warmth as specified, loosely covered with plastic wrap in a large bowl. The first recipe, I had to add 3 additional CUPS of flour just to get it formable. Baked very dense and chewy, discarded after slicing and tasting (tasted ok). Second and third recipes, I simply discarded it when it refused again to be anything but a giant starter.
I’ve had my starter for several years and it has always made nice tangy loaves. I continue to take care of the starter the same way and the loaves rise and bake up nicely but they don’t have the nice sourdough tang it used to have. Any suggestions how to get the tang back?
I’ve been working on starting a starter for a week now. 50/50 all purpose flour and whole wheat using bottled water. Originally I was feeding once a day in a very warm environment (90+) and my starter rose in the wide mouth glass jar like crazy. Then I read that it was too warm so I moved the same starter to a 80ish environment and started feeding twice a day. (The actual temperature of the starter is around 73 degrees in spite of the room being 80.) The rise diminished drastically and has been getting less and less with each passing day. Yesterday it didn’t rise at all. From several reliable sources that I have read I should expect to see it rise and fall within 2-3 hours at this stage. My sample sinks in water when I try the float test. My starter is going backwards. What happened?
I’ve never fed my starter more than once a day. Sourdough doesn’t “need” a specific temperature to rise, but the warmer the environment, the faster the starter will ferment, and vice versa. Perhaps your starter isn’t getting enough time in between feedings to rise?
Do you have to use the discard right away or can you save it in the refrigerator for another time?
You can save discard starter for later use!
Hi it’s my first time to make a sourdough starter. I noticed that after 24-26 hours ( i.e day 2), may starter has more than doubled in volume, has become very bubbly and sticky making it a bit challenging for me to discard half of it. Not to mention it was smelling sour too. Could it be possible that my starter could be ready in less than 4 or 5 days. I suspect it’s the hot and humid temperature in our house ( 40 deg. Celsius outside and probably above 30 deg inside). I make Milk Kefir everyday with kefir grains and my Kefir ferments only in 8 to 10 hours instead of the usual 24-48hrs. Would appreciate your advice. Thanks
I am trying two different starters – a ‘San Francisco’ sourdough packet and the other is capturing yeast from the air. I’ve been feeding them both daily for a couple weeks. My problem is that although the starters develop hooch, they are not rising and falling. Should I start over? What could be wrong? Help!
No need to answer – I dumped them.
Hi. I’m confused I had a perfectly good starter and my kitchen was very cold so overnight I put it in the oven with the light on. This morning it thinned our And became liquidity. The temp was about 77. What happened. It lost its consistently?
When making your sourdough bread recipe, it says to use lukewarm water. Does this also have to be non-chlorinated water?
Personally I use regular tap water and mine turns out fine. If you are worried about it just leave some water out over night and you should be ready to go
How much Einkorn AP flour should I use in feeding and baking with your recipes? I’ve read Einkorn absorbs more water than regular AP flour. I did fine with regular flour after a few tries but I have a lot of Einkorn to use now. Regular AP flour was still bothering my stomach.
I started my starter on 12/22/20, and fed it for the first time on 12/23/20. It was very red on top when I went to feed it this morning. It doubled in size after yesterday’s feeding. Should I do the second feeding today? Or dump and start over? Thanks in advance!!
After I measured and fed my sourdough it was very dry and scraggly I am afraid of a working yet period is that possible and should I be adding tiny bit of water till it becomes a better texture
First time trying sourdough starter with yeast. All seemed good but my loaves came out with an orange tint..? The sourdough starter looked healthy not orange, no mold or anything. I used I bleached flour. Is that normal?
After feeding starter, I left it on counter top overnight. The next morning it was bubbled over onto counter, I put it in the refrigerator and the next morning the top on bowl was puffed. I am wondering if this is still good or I need to start over.
Hi, I have tried to creat a sourdough starter but it feels like it has a bad consistency. It feels A bit slimy and when I try to pick it up with a spoon and just falls right off of the spoon doesn’t even stick to the spoon or anything do you have any advice?
I have mature starter that I’ve been using for awhile. I’m planning on baking tomorrow, so I started to prepare the starter by leaving it at room temperature and feeding it every 12 hours yesterday morning. Last night it expanded quickly, and this morning (12 hours later) it had collapsed. I fed it again, and within 3 hours I can see it has more than doubled in size. I need the starter to be ready tomorrow morning. I’m concerned that if this happens again, (expanding quickly and then shrinking sooner than 12 hours) the starter won’t be ready when I need to bake. Can I alter the schedule to every 8 hours or so to insure that the starter is at its peak when I need it?
My bread started out beautifully with a split, rounded top. But over time, my loafs have gotten flat. The dough doubles but spreads out instead of getting a nice rounded crown. My starter is good (smells great and floats) and imparts a nice tang. My recipe hasn’t changed but something I’m doing has. I’ve tried making a drier dough which just makes the bread more dense. I’ve tried working it longer but it made no difference. I’m using Gold Medal unbleached bread flour. My dough rises in an oven with the light on.
I discard and feed my starter let it rise put it back in fridge and it will not shrink back down
Should I just add more flour if when I go to make a loafe it comes together runny?
My sourdough bread turns out great but it is damp inside. How do I make it dryer?
I made the starter. The first time I discarded, it was really active. The last 2 nights I’ve discarded half and added more flour and water and it has shown some activity but not doubled by any means. And it smells bad. It doesn’t smell like fermentation, it just smells rotten. There is no pink or orange tinge to it. Did it go bad?
My sourdough bread took most of my starter. In fact, if I’m lucky, there’s only 1/4 cup left. Can I do anything with that?
I am gluten free! I have a really good basic flour mix. Is it even possible to make sourdough bread or something similar to it if I can’t use a sour starter? ??
Thanks!
Trying to make my own starter by scratch and it seemed to be very healthy and bubbly super early on but the smell is questionable. It smells kind of like baby spit up. Sort of a vomitty smell lol. I was feeding it every 24 hours but I read that I might need to feed it more often. So I fed it 12 hours later for the first time which was at night and then I woke up to find it not bubbly at all and has liquid on top. Not sure if I should just continue or what to do!
Hi, My sourdough meets all the requirements listed above (under the question “How do I know when my sourdough starter is ready to use in bread” with the exception of the last one. It doesn’t float in a cup of water? Is that an issue? Also, how long after I feed my starter should I use it? Thanks!
Usually it’s ideal to use your starter 12-24 hours after feeding, while it’s still in its peak. The starter floating can be a helpful tip, but sometimes it’s irrelevant. It your starter is happy, rising well, and bubbly, I would go for it and make some bread. Should be totally fine.
Hello,
although following the quantities in a recipe, the only difference is that we use spelt flour instead of recommended white flour, the dough during the stretch and fold remains rather loose and very gluey.
Any idea why in general during this phase, the dough doesn’t become more firm as we progress through the stretch and fold series?
And how can we prevent it or fix it?
Many thanks,
My starter is about 2 weeks old. I feed it once a day and it is bubbly on top but it doesn’t double in size. It does rise a little but not doubled. It is only about 69 degrees in my kitchen. Is that too cold?
It can take up to a month for a sourdough to get active. Keep at it a bit longer and see if that helps. Also, check that you’re giving it good quality water. If it doesn’t get active in a month, you might want to put it next to a heater vent, a woodstove, on top of your fridge, etc. to see if warmer temps will make it happy. Hope that helps!
finally, my starter is ! doubling after 3 or 4 hours consistently. my question is: how long can i leave it before feeding after it has doubled? I feel pressured to deplete and feed it soon after it doubles so it doesn’t over ferment. thoughts? can I wait to feed it at 12 hours?
If my starter is not in the fridge to slow it down, I feed it once every 24hrs, yes it rises and falls which means it is healthy and active just using up all the nutrients from the previous feed. When ready for making dough, I take from the fridge and let it warm to room temp then feed it a couple of hours before dough time so it is super active, then again once I’ve used a batch
Does the size of the Dutch oven affect the rise? I’ve been making sourdough for several years and I find typically my loaves are more triangular than round (this is hard to describe, but the center rises a good deal more than the perimeter). There are plenty of air bubbles, the texture is great, just wondering if a smaller pot would increase the vertical rise more evenly? (In comparison, when I split my dough in half for two small loaves, they come out much more round.)
The size of your Dutch oven shouldn’t alter anything, except that a small one will change how much your dough can spread. You might need to change your technique for kneading or check the temperature of your oven. I hope you can figure it out!
I am 6 weeks into my sourdough starter process. It’s winter and we live in North Texas. We try to keep our house at 73ish, but we’ve had cold and warm spells since I’ve started. My starter doubles, but it typically takes 12 hours to do so. Sometimes less, but then the next feeding will go back to 12 hours. It also does not generally get much higher than doubling. It has tripled a couple times, but then goes back to only doubling. It smells great and gets super bubbly (it even floats!), so I did try baking a loaf. It turned out like a brick. Do I just keep going and hope at some point it gets there? Electricity-bill-wise I’m really not looking to add on any permanent appliance use for this (using a proofing box forever to keep my starter active, using the oven light all day and night, etc.) and the top of my fridge is not available due to the cabinet above it. What should I do?
Sourdough is as much of an art as it is a science. It takes time to get it right! If you’re tired of using the oven light all the time, you could plug in a seed heating mat and place your starter on it. I’ve heard of people making a coil of Christmas lights for the starter as well. You might want to listen to Jill’s recent podcast episode here: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/tph_podcasts/season-11-episode-14-my-long-road-back-to-whole-wheat-flours She shares her fails with breadmaking as well as a bunch of books that have helped her on her journey. It might help you build confidence AND help you find a good quality book to boost your skill as well.
You got this! The Prairie Homestead team is rooting for you! 🙂
I have started a sour dough, from your cookbook as stated, it’smy first time. It’s bubbly after a day and a half. My questions are for best results should I continue to feed with whole wheat flour and for how long? Or will my results be the same if I switch to all-purpose flour?
Jill switches from flour to flour in her starter w/o issue. She currently feeds her starter freshly ground flour and the starter loves it. Other folks have had opposite reactions, however, and their starters preferred all-purpose flour over whole wheat. Try one and then try the other and see which one makes your starter most happy (or do a blend, if you want!). You’ll know your starter is happy when it’s bubbly and growing dramatically. We hope you have an awesome time with your sourdough adventures!
I got into making sourdough about a month ago . My first sourdough and the 3 after that rose beautifully and looked and tasted perfect! I’m still using the same sourdough starter and feeding habits are the same. It’s super active and bubbles over most days. the last 5 loaves have not risen. The initial rise isn’t much and the bulk rise either. So after cooking it’s flatter and not puffy and tall. I changed my salt to a sea salt. Could this be why ? I also tried proofing it overnight once and it didn’t rise much and it definitely wasn’t overproofed. Could weather changes be causing this ? my salt? i’m at a lost my first few were great
I’m struggling with my potato flake sourdough breadmaking! Everything seems to be going perfectly until the second rise, which isn’t happening! Starter seems good, bubbly and foamy. dough looks perfect after a huge first rise. But it won’t rise in the loaf pans! What might I be doing wrong?
You might want to research ‘overproofing’ which sounds like it might be the issue. You might want to experiment with getting the dough into the oven to bake a bit quicker next time and see if that helps. We hope you keep trying and find some success!
I believe my starter recipe that I use is more hydrated than the one you link to and my dough is turning out quite sticky and runny (not holding shape well). Is it better for the bread to add more flour (of course being careful not to add too much)? Or to reduce the water amount since I suspect it’s an over-hydration issue? Thanks!
It’s better to add more flour to get your starter thick and healthy.
So my first rise when great (about 12 hours), i took the dough out to shape it, let it rise again for 1 hour (it didn’t really rise much) and baked it. The loaf is pretty small. I checked the temp of the bread and took it out when it reached temp but the loaf is so small. I cut into it and the crumb is small and maybe a little dense. Should i have let it rise longer the second time?
Was your starter ready to use? If it was still a bit young, that might be the problem. Also, did you let it rise somewhere warm? If your kitchen/location was chilly, you probably needed a longer rise time. Next time try letting it rise longer and hopefully your loaf will be more successful.
My sour dough starter looks great after it is fed but it smells terrible. I have read on multiple sources that say to feed it more I am not sure how much to feed it I usually feed it in the morning and/or the evening. But after feeding it more than once it has not changed the smell . I just made discard pizza crusts and the taste of that is a very strong sour flavor with a horrible after taste. My discard that is in my refrigerator smells bad too. What am I doing wrong? And should I just try starting over from scratch?
If your sourdough starter smells terrible, it might be contaminated with unwanted bacteria or mold. Have you smelled other sourdough starters? Perhaps you just don’t like the smell of fermenting sourdough…I would check with a sourdough friend (if you have one) and maybe give them a sniff to check. You should also consider starting over and make sure you use super clean jars, non-chlorinated water, clean tools, etc. to avoid contamination issues. We hope you have better luck with your next starter!
I know that you have to be careful not to use water that may be chlorinated, but does the temperature of the water affect the sourdough? The first day, I boiled water and let it cool. Shortly, after that, I was having lots of bubbles and was very excited. I switched over to our refrigerator water, because that has a filter. But it is also cold, and the sourdough seemed to stop bubbling after that.
Also, because I have some separation in my starter, do I need to stir that before I remove the discard? Or does that matter? Thank you!
Temperatures are important. If you use boiling water, you might kill the starter. However, yes, warm water will feed it better. It’s similar to yeast for bread recipes, when you need to whisk it in warm water before use to activate the yeast. We suggest stirring the starter before doing the discard step.
I’ve been baking sourdough for a couple of years now and recently the bread has not been so good. It looks great and rises well but when you cut into it it has a doughy base (good crust on the outside) . I bake at 230c in a Dutch oven for 40 minutes and a further 10 mins uncovered at 210c. Can you offer any suggestions to get rid of the doughy bottom?
A soggy bottom can also be a sign of underproofing. You might also want to make sure your dutch oven is preheated before use so that the bottom of your bread gets a blast of heat right away. If you keep having that issue, you might want to finish cooking on a preheated pizza stone.
I’ve been using your technique for about 4 months with great success. Suddenly my loaves are sticky and don’t have great spring. I decided that maybe it was because the weather has changed and we have higher humidity. My starter doubles within 4-6 hours but the bread dough is a sticky mess that I can barely even stretch and fold. Any suggestions?
You are probably correct with the heat and humidity! This will change things for you. If your dough is too sticky and it’s impossible to work with you can add some extra flour, just a little at a time. We don’t want too much extra flour, so start by just coating your hands with flour and trying to work the dough, and go slow with adding more.
My first loaf of sourdough turned out perfect but since then none of the loaves rise during cold proofing? I am following the same directions.
I started my own starter from scratch and it was doubling + within 3 hours of feeding and passing the float test and I tried baking but it didn’t rise again during cold proofing and when it bakes it’s a hard little rock and seems very dense inside.
Start paying attention to the temperature of your starter. If it’s too cold, it will be sluggish. If it’s too hot, it might kill off the necessary bits that help with the rise. You want a warm starter, try to keep it at between 76–85°F (24–30°C). See if that helps with your breads.
I was given a sourdough starter that was very active. By the next morning, it was not active at all and it did not float in water. I checked the temperature and it is 93. In reading how to revive, I should pour most of it out and start with 3-4 tablespoons. The directions say to keep feeding it.to specific, since I have 4 TBSP, do I feed it 4 TBSP of water and flour? When I go to feed it the next day, do I just add 4 TBSP? Or do I feed it 8 TBSP? Do you discard at any point during this revive process?