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Questions tagged [sourdough]

Questions regarding baking and working with wild yeasts and starters (also known as levains or chefs).

Sourdough is generally used to refer to baked goods made using a culture of wild yeasts and symbiotic bacteria (usually Saccharomyces and Lactobacillus, respectively). This culture may be referred to as a starter, chef, levain, or mother. These cultures are usually maintained by adding a mixture of carbohydrates (such as flour, starchy vegetable matter, and/or sugar) and water to the existing culture and allowing it to rest in a warm environment while the microorganisms reproduce. A portion of this culture is then added when making a dough to leaven it.

For questions regarding other biological leavening agents see , and for questions regarding chemical leavening see or .

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How can I create the equivalent of a fresh cake yeast from my sourdough culture?

I essentially want to wash away the excess water and already consumed flour after I've fed my culture. What I usually do is whisk the culture and pour off the excess down to 1 cup. I then add more flour and water and then store it in a mason jar…
hamzy
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Making sourdough starter with bread flour

Since all of the sourdough starter-receipes call for "flour", sometimes ryr flour, sometimes what flour, or "regular" flour, can bread flour be used instead, to accommodate a bread machine? I ask because the bread machines call for bread flour, and…
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What role does a stoneware bowl play in the baking of Artisan bread?

I'm looking into baking sourdough bread; I've read that I must have a stoneware or earthenware baking bowl in order to make it come out with a nice crust. Is this strictly true? Or can I substitute something else, say, baking it directly on my pizza…
Yamikuronue
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Sourdough hasn’t risen overnight

I mixed 400gr of flour with 200 of starter, plus 280 ml of water and a bit of salt. I worked it with the slap and fold method and left it overnight. Sadly this morning I woke up to find it only about one third increased in volume. I had a similar…
Laura
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Wild Sourdough Starter Never gets more than 1/3 bigger - Am I doing something wrong?

I made a wild sourdough starter back in July of last year. Did some baking with it, but it has never doubled in size the way that I see described in articles online. I initially started it with all-purpose flour and aired-out tap water, but I've…
notovny
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What is this on sourdough starter?

I have a sourdough starter which I feed roughly once every 2-3 days (throw away 95% of it, refill with water and flour). Sometimes I forget and wait 5 days between feedings, and by that time it often has developed what looks to me like mold on the…
John Pardon
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When can milk substitute for buttermilk in sourdough recipes?

I want to prepare buttermilk sourdough pancakes: One part sourdough starter Two parts flour Two parts buttermilk Sugar to taste (about a quarter part, depending on mood) The idea is to leave it overnight and let the sourdough SCOBY incorporate the…
Corbin
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Feeding my starter so that it will be ready when I need it

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…
peteck36
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What is a good feeding schedule for a "creamy" sourdough starter?

I was given a sourdough starter from a bakery that was excellently "creamy" and had light fruity notes, as opposed to a highly acidic starter. My understanding is that a creamy starter indicates a high ratio of lactic to acetic acid. I am interested…
MeowBlingBling
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Sourdough bread crust will not rip open

I have been baking sourdough breads for a little over a year now. I have had great successes as well as terrible failures. Lately, I had to switch the oven I am using because the one in my apartment does not reach the heat required. I am using a…
Timbo
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Modifications to a sourdough recipe

I'm using this recipe, with the following ingredients: 450 grams Strong White Bread Flour 300 grams Warm Water 150 grams* Active Sourdough Starter 12 grams Sea Salt *This amount is can be adjusted to 50 grams for a longer 12 hour bulk…
Michael
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Why stirring an over-fermented sourdough starter caused it to rise a second time to about double the original size?

After feeding my sourdough starter, I let it rise to about 2.5x the original height. It eventually collapsed. 24 hours later, after it was well over fermented, I stirred the starter with a spoon. It then suddenly grew back to 2x in about 1 to 2…
Pat
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Safe uses for sourdough starter discards during building phase

I was wondering if there are any safe uses for the sourdough starter that is discarded during the build phase, i.e. in the first 1-2 weeks before the starter has stabilized. Assuming that there is no obvious mold or acetone smell, is it safe to use,…
user32849
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Using pastry flour for standard sourdough bread recipe?

I am trying to make sourdough bread, but was only able to get whole wheat pastry flour (due to covid). Characteristics of this flour (from Bob's Red Mill) are: 1) low protein content 2) stone ground 3) super fine/densely milled. So far, my results…
Matifou
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How to use sourdough starter?

A week ago I mixed 1 part AP flour 1 parts tap water, keeping it at room temperature (18-24c). I've been discarding a bit and feeding it 1:1 daily. The last few days, the next 4-6 hours after I feed it it double in size, and then it slowly goes…
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