If you are interested in learning my full sourdough method, take a look at my Sourdough Master Class, here at turnerfarm.ca/products/sourdough-master-class. I welcome everyone into my kitchen to learn all there is to know about bread and baking with sourdough!
I live in Hawaii where it's so humid! I baked my first SD Boule... but the dough was super sticky, it was a little gummy once baked and a little flat too. BUT the flavor was still there. I watched this last night and this morning I just fed my starter using the 1:5:5 ratio you mentioned here along with a separate jar with the typical 1:1:1. the 1:5:5 rose faster and it looks like yours whenI pull the dough away from the jar! GAH IM SO EXCITED to bake tonight!!!! THANK YOUUUUUUU!!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉
I'm going to keep trying. Last one was a doorstop. I sang, she hit him over the head with a stale loaf of bread, did she kill him, well I guess she did. He took my loaf of a doorstop with him when he went out and threw it away 😂😂😂😂😂
@@cindypajarillo8368 I’m no pro by any means! Just a wife and mom who has finally gotten the hang of SD! It could be your bulk fermentation! I didn’t get the master class so I’m no help there. Temperatures of your kitchen and dough are also super important! Keep going… you’ll get there!
Beginner bread maker here. OMG, been frustrated with my starter for over a month now thinking it wasn't ready when in actuality it was. Just needed to go to the next step of making the leaven in order to have enough for an actual recipe. Been waiting on my starter to magically grow enough to do it not even understanding....You gave me that Ah ha moment. thank you sooo much.
Oh my gosh I am new to sourdough I've had so much trouble even after watching hundreds of TH-cam videos. I have thrown away so many failures. I need to tell you that you are the first person that has explained the whole process that I could completely understand. My starter always looked ready had bubbles it grew but it just didn't grow enough you turned on a light bulb in my head and I thank you so much. I am excited to keep going.
I’ve been making sourdough bread since 2016! One day I realized that I had tons of starter in my fridge. Couldn’t bring myself to through them all out. So I decided to share my bread baking techniques with friends and offered a sourdough class! I discovered that I love talking and sharing all the things I’ve learned over the years. It was a success and so I taught more.then a friend convinced me to sell my bread at our local amazing farmers market! Anyway, I say all that to tell you that this idea just happened to come up in my feed this morning! Nothing is by chance! After being so successful baking loaf after loaf, I’ve recently started having problems with my results! I’ve been experimenting with different flours, oven temp, etc. but I think your method of determining the viability of the starter is the key to what I’ve not been fastidious enough to pay attention too! And I’ve never weighed or measured my flour/water/starter ratio!! This could be key to my problem of not achieving a good slash and not getting that ‘eyeliner’ and crusty crust like I used too! Thank you so much! I’m going to link this video and your starter recipe video in my class notes if that’s okay with you! You would also get the credit and more followers! Thank you so much for sharing!! ❤❤
My starter is perfectly active and it is not stiff. It pours out and is slowly runny, it’s perfect. Lots of bubbles all over, very active and you can hear it when you move it around. There’s a lot of opinions out there and I watched countless videos and they all caused a lot of unnecessary frustration and confusion, actually pushed me away from wanting to try. Thankfully I did not give up and am finding with trail and error, experience and time you will find it. Every environment, home and geographical area is different. What works for one person may not work for another. Also everyone has different temps from different ovens. Just think what did people do a long time ago without all that we have now. They figured it out!
Sort of. they lived in large communities of people who shared their secrets and tips and tricks and how to make it better. just like I am doing here. This method shown here has helped hundreds with their sourdough, so I am thankful for the technology to be able to share it, JUST like those people did long before we had all this ;) Thanks for watching!
I've watched a lot of videos about sourdough starters and this is the first one I've seen that has gone into this much detail about the optimum starter state. Thank you!
This was hands-down, the best video that I’ve seen explaining this! Now, I understand why my bread was flat. My starter was more like the runny one, so I probably wasn’t using enough flour. Thank you so much!
I’ve been trying to work out what am I doing wrong with my starter for two days now. Watching loads of videos on TH-cam with no real answers. This video was like a light bulb I know what I’m doing wrong now. Thank you. Subscribed ❤
Same! I baked a TON of sourdough and non-sourdough bread through lockdown like everyone else. But since moving to Portugal 3 years ago I hadn't done a ton of baking. Jumped back in recently and have been SO frustrated because the flour we get here is only 9% protein so my starter and leaven have all been active, but extremely limp. I've been searching for answers everywhere and this is the first time I've really gotten the actual information I need to fix my problem. I have since been able to find some French flour here with 11% and a whole wheat from spain with 12% and even though they aren't the ideal, with the info here, I think I'll be able to make them work. Like you said, a light bulb has turned on!
Your starter tutorial has changed my sourdough bread! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! I have been trying to make sourdough bread for 2 years with very frustrating results. You have truly blessed my baking!!!
People overcomplicate sourdough. You'll know what to look for after you bake a couple/few dozen breads. And yes, your first loaves are not going to be blue ribbon winners, they may even be unpleasant to eat. Learn from your mistakes. Always make notes of consistency of sourdough, ratios in your mixes, ambient room temperature and humidity and baking temp/time. It will seem daunting at first... but; like I said, get a couple dozen loaves behind you and it will become second nature.
@@mvl6827never throw any sourdough bread out or dough. It can be used for a multitude of other recipes. This woman just figured out that discard can be used to make the same loaf as levain, now who’s teaching who??
To summarize,: 1) feed your starter to 1:5:5 (levain, flower, water) 2) Use your starter at peak (or a little before peak), never after peak. If you use after peak, acidity developes and the starter becomes liquid. Suggestion for a follow up video: How much time does a 1:5:5 feed takes to develop ? (compared to a 1:2:2 or 1:1:1 often used in professional bakery) and the importance of a strong flour in your levain.
I am new to making sourdough bread and your explanation was exactly what I needed to making my first bread. I didn’t know when was the best time to use my starter and what that looked like. Thank you!
Exactly what I needed to know!!! Terminology was a bit difficult at first just because I’m new but I fully understood what you explained, very clear & the only person that really took the time to show this distinction in all of the videos I’ve watched so far. Thank you!!!
Great breakdown of the stages of making a leaven! I’ve been baking with Sourdough for about two months now and this video was very timely, I’m ready to perfect my skills. Oh and the weather has changed and with it the timing of my Starter and Leaven has changed. This info gave me the skills to troubleshoot! Thank you Ash 😊
Thanks Ash. I'm just learning all this science regarding the starter from different videos and yours helped a lot to know what to look for 'before' attempting to go for a batch of bread dough to bake. My first one ever failed of course - lol - and I was sad. The next try, using a half batch this time, my dough still didn't double in size and now I'm realizing why (soupy but nicely aged/fermented starter) thanks to your help. I can see the leavening technique would really save everyone a lot of possible grief, waste of ingredients and time due to all the various / changing conditions we have to work with. Something I found useful along the way though was to stir the mixtures with the spoon faced backwards, so things can be blended against the side of the container and also pushed back into it, without getting trapped in the concave part. Have a great day !
There are more ways to skin a cat I guess. I keep my sourdough in the fridge. It's a 500ML container which. It has around 300 Gr in it. Every time when I bake a bread, I take out 150Gr of the sourdough to put in my dough. I add fressh 75 grams of water and 75 grams of flour. After an hour or so I put the container back in the fridge.Keeping it cool this way is just to slow it down. Then I use the 1-2-3 method. 150Gr soudough, 300Gr water, 450Gr flour (9-10 gr salt). After about 5-6 hours on room temperature this is ready for the night. In the morning I bake it in theDutch oven. Works for me everytime. And my Sourdough is always superhappy when it comes out of the fridge, ready to work.
Thank you for teaching us about sourdough bread. My sourdough bread came out a success after learning a few tips from you. Thank you again for being kind, thorough, and passionate about the love of sourdough bread baking.
OMG, thank You so much for this video! I've been struggling with sourdough bread for a couple of weeks, results were always the same - sad, flat loafs... I had no idea that good levain is so crucial to the final effect, now I did all like You explained and BANG - perfect oven spring, beautiful loaf of bread! Thank You so very very very much!
Thank you for this video!I have been struggling with sour dough for a couple months now with it usually turning out bad and I never knew why I followed the directions. Now I am excited to make another loaf. 😂
Have only been making sourdough bread for a year. But have struggled with consistency. Learned more about sourdough starter from your video than any other. Subscribed. Looking forward to learning more from you. Many thanks!
I just adore you. I tried this and it is absolutely spot on. My starter has never looked so good. Years and years of watery weak starter, I had no clue. Thank you. After 10 plus years of sourdough videos, yours is the only one that I actually understand. I think it's your east coast confident nature. No BS. Truly so thankful to you. I hope to someday be able to take your courses.
Very nice. I've had great results using miniscule amounts of crummy watery old fridge starter in large flour/water quantities, say 1:20:20 - You are adding adequate microbes and yeasties without a large amount of watery acidic waste. The levain takes longer, usually overnight, but with such a huge food supply, it blows up nicely and will not peak and withdraw too quickly like a levain made with a larger proportion of starter. So, prep in the evening, by morning it'll be close to peak and ready to go... all temperature dependent of course!
dependent dependent dependent, that's the problems with everyone else on youtube promoting weak watery starter is the results are "dependent" and not ever RELIABLE because they're just spouting off stuff and don't know why they're doing it. She gives you the exact details, not some wishy washy maybe it will maybe it won't just depends instructions, the same ones I've watched on yt for the last 10 years, only able to get good bread ONCE.
This was by far the best video I have watched for what to do with my runny sourdough starter! I am so excited because abuse today I had the perfect starter! I had almost given up after watching so many other videos. Thank you!
Thank you so much! This video is very helpful. I just started my sourdough bread journey, and have made 2 loaves so far. I couldn't understand why my dough turned out so sticky and full of air. It raised beautifully during proofing, but was light as down and never firm. Now I know why! 😊
To me starter and levain are basically the same thing. If the recipe calls for 300g of levain/starter, I would do 135g of flour, 135g water and 30g of my original starter. In your example, would you not be using 30g more levain/starter than the recipe calls for…using the 30g starter, 150g,water,150g flour? You did an absolutely great explanation and example of what the levin/starter should look like when it’s ready to use.
I had been making Kamut sour dough for about 3 years. I have the sourdough book. I have the subscription. Buying the masterclass and now the masterclass being reinforced by this video has totally changed my success rate of making sourdough with Kamut. 1- the water… I was using tap water😳 2- my starter and levin were not thick enough. Total game changers for me. Looking at the starter and leaven for the gluten strands was so much better/easier for me. My levain always floated but it didn’t always make a great loaf of bread. 3- Ash,s bread mats👏🏼 4- the pulp banneton . 2- my starter and leaven were not thick enough.
Thank you! I have been doing sourthough bread for some months now, and your explanation really helps me understand why I have run into issues in my sourthough bread
I get the concept and it seems super strong. I’ve looked for a video of you using this amount of leaven in an actual recipe and I can’t find one. This makes a large amount. Other recipes I’ve seen call for like 100g of starter. This makes much more then that with the ratio being 30g/150g/150g. Can I please get the recipe where I’d sue this entire jar of leaven. Unless I’m missing something….I’m super new and definitely don’t understand. Thank you!!
So what do you do with a starter that has gone down a little but you still want to use it, can you just give it 1/2 cup or so flour and a little water? And wait a few hours for it to be ready again?
I love all your helpful tips! You are without a doubt a pro sourdough baker! One question about your glass jars I’ve seen similar ones from ikea although they have a silicone ring around the lid, I’m wondering if those are the jars you are using except you’ve removed the silicone ring? Is there a reason to remove it? Does it allow yeast in the air to be captured vs a sealed container? Just curious. Thanks again for your amazing content. I would love it if you took your experiments one step further and made the bread from both to show the variance in the final outcome. I’m sure you’ve seen it many times before but for us new to this incredible world of sourdough it may be helpful. Thanks again and Happy new year! It’s a pleasure to support a fellow Canadian!🥰❤️🇨🇦🍁🙏🏻
This video is everything. I used to add flour without thinking of what amounts and what I was actually doing. You gotta keep the right ratios going at all times. It’s ALL about the leaven you’re starting with. 👍👏
I just baked my first loaf and I was CERTAIN I over proofed. Then you popped up on my feed… apparently my airpod is listening to me vent to my husband. This time, I’m glad. 😂
Back in the day, (30 some odd years ago) I kept way too much starter. It took too much flour to feed. I’ve got it down to 3/4 cup (whole wheat/water). Less waste, less stress, and it’s stronger than ever before.
Thank you so much for this video. I got the answers i have been looking for. I have been on the internet searching for answers and you have helped me tremendously.
Could you make a video about how to tell when your bulk fermentation is done? BTW I love the way you teach and your videos! I’ve learned a lot from you. ❤
A lot of that explanations are in my sourdough membership videos and classes! everything on YT I share to set people up for those, thanks so much for watching and enjoying them!
Thank you! Been making sourdough for two years now and they are ok but somethimes they get flat and I just dont know what I do wrong but now I know😊😊😊will do this tonight!
I believe levain is some starter flour and water measured specifically for a recipes needs so you don't have extra and a starter is the main jar of starter you use and maintain pull from and feed
I think also when your starter is soupy, it's because it's been left sitting until more acid has formed, and acid in the starter attacks the gluten. That's why we have to catch it at the right time.
This would also explain some of the issues with “over proofed” bread. But then I wonder, why is it possible to get really sour tasting bread that also has great oven spring?
@@lenavoyles526 I'm working on it! What I should have said is "when you have a thick starter that gets soupy." Bake with Jack has a whole series on sourdough. Maybe something in one of his videos addresses that. I like it sour too.
Check out Ben Starr's videos. He has a simple foolproof sourdough method that I have been using for years. In leave my starter in the fridge for months without feeding it and his dough prep takes very little time.
Don't quit, I'm new to baking sourdough bread, I got excellent resource from "The Sourdough Journey ' a printable pdf. Then picked up more tips from 'Baker Bettie's. Happy baking!!.
Don’t quit. It’s not nearly as complicated as people try to make it seem. Start making your starter with bread flour (12% protein content or higher. King Arthur is readily available) and feed with rye flour (Bob’s Red Mill is readily available) when you need to strengthen it a little bit.
I'm with you. I don't think she's explaining very well why some starters are crap and how to fix them. I feel like I'm doing is wasting flour bc no matter how many bubbles I see my starter never floats.
@@jemsmom97it sounds like you need to strengthen your starter. I think the point of this video is to introduce the idea of building leaven to strengthen your preferment if you use a young starter and so you aren’t keeping such a big starter. I need to work on reducing my starter to a much smaller size and just building a leaven instead. I think this makes sense for people like me who just bake a loaf or two a week. I feel like I’m wasting flour otherwise. The nice thing about a leaven is you can also alter the feedings to either slow down or prolong your ferment time working it into your baking schedule. Making this “offshoot” or “daughter” allows you to make subtle alterations while not disturbing or altering “the mother starter” which isn’t usually advisable once established.
She mixed up the leaven but is it ready to use right away or does it have to sit? When you make bread and the recipe says 150g starter are you supposed to use the leaven in place of the starter?
Very cool and very well explained. One note for viewers from Germany where rye starters are also very common: 8:33 does not work with rye starters according to the missing gluten 😁
Thank you!! New to sourdough and can’t tell you how frustrating it has been. Asked all the ladies at church but no one taught me anything!! Answer to my prayers! ❤
It is cold here in NH. Needed to use hot water 30secs. In mic. Was the only way OH and disguarding every day. I used APF king Arthur 11.7 protein only strong mix on 3rd & 4th day and active will add whole wheat or rye to bring up to 13percent protein. Crazy Process!!!
What an awesome video, thank you! I love the examples you gave, you made it very clear except for the terminology for the very beginner. I learned more through consistency of the starter and how it rises or not than measuring exactly. When I got out of my right side brain and went into my left side, it was way easier! lol. I basically let go of the frustration of perfection and made the dough more of a relationship, if that makes sense. lol. Thanks for the video! Love your kitchen too! ❤
This changed the game for me! I was getting a decent loaf before, but as soon as I changed to a levain, I’m getting great results. Although, I still have a slightly chewy crumb. But maybe that’s normal? Anyway….THANK YOU!
Hi Ash, love this video! Very helpful! 😊 Just wondering when I should make the leaven in the sourdough process? The morning of making bread? The night before? 🤔 How long should it take to be at the optimal state?
Can someone explain to me what does are those numbers of feed written 1:5:5 1:2:2 and 1:1:1 mean ? I am trying to learn making sour dough starter from scratch ,I don't have any at all to add to the flour and water what must I do .?
This is a really helpful demonstration, thanks for sharing. I simply have to disregard any hydration percentages in American recipes and tweak it to fit my Norwegian flour, it doesn't translate right. My starters and doughs come out liquid every time, unless I reduce the water by 5-10%. I wasn't sure about the levain, but now I have a better idea.
This is so darn helpful. I started off strong with some great loaves, but the last few were...not so great. Now I know why. Thank you so much for making this video!
Very helpful info thank you, I’m off to sort my weak starter out, no wonder I’ve been struggling with my bread. So helpful to actually see consistency, a pancake batter in U.K. is different to US pancake batter I think so seeing it has been so, so helpful
Yes, American pancakes are a completely different thing from British pancakes. Thick and fluffy, leavened. British pancake batter is much runnier than American pancake batter. American pancake batter is more like a sponge cake batter, perhaps even a little thicker.
Thank you for this video. Maybe now my bread will come out better. ALSO, my wife watched this video and fell in love with your containers with their great lids. Would you share where you got them and their name please. It would be a great gift to get her. Thank you.
Thank you! Makes so much sense to me now! My loaves were a sticky puddle last night and I thought I over-proofed it. Remembering what my starter was like that I used yesterday helped me understand what happened to my dough. I did over-proof it but my starter was my problem!
If you are interested in learning my full sourdough method, take a look at my Sourdough Master Class, here at turnerfarm.ca/products/sourdough-master-class. I welcome everyone into my kitchen to learn all there is to know about bread and baking with sourdough!
I live in Hawaii where it's so humid! I baked my first SD Boule... but the dough was super sticky, it was a little gummy once baked and a little flat too. BUT the flavor was still there. I watched this last night and this morning I just fed my starter using the 1:5:5 ratio you mentioned here along with a separate jar with the typical 1:1:1. the 1:5:5 rose faster and it looks like yours whenI pull the dough away from the jar! GAH IM SO EXCITED to bake tonight!!!! THANK YOUUUUUUU!!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉
I'm going to keep trying. Last one was a doorstop.
I sang, she hit him over the head with a stale loaf of bread, did she kill him, well I guess she did. He took my loaf of a doorstop with him when he went out and threw it away 😂😂😂😂😂
I bought the masterclass and followed every steps and till gummy in the inside. I have failed more than 10x now and I’m almost ready to give up.
@@cindypajarillo8368 I’m no pro by any means! Just a wife and mom who has finally gotten the hang of SD! It could be your bulk fermentation! I didn’t get the master class so I’m no help there. Temperatures of your kitchen and dough are also super important! Keep going… you’ll get there!
How much to follow your sourdough starter class?
i am here from indonesia
I’ve been on sourdough journey since 2020. This is the very first video explaining the levain and what strong starter looks like. Thank you so much!
I had moldy starter
I agree!!
I agree. Thank you for sharing this information. It's been very helpful for me in making successful sourdough bread.
Same! I didn’t know you had to make a leaven. I need to try this.
Where did you go?
Beginner bread maker here. OMG, been frustrated with my starter for over a month now thinking it wasn't ready when in actuality it was. Just needed to go to the next step of making the leaven in order to have enough for an actual recipe. Been waiting on my starter to magically grow enough to do it not even understanding....You gave me that Ah ha moment. thank you sooo much.
So glad that this helped you!!
That was the most clear explanation of the starter I have seen for several months of learning. Thanks!
Oh my gosh I am new to sourdough I've had so much trouble even after watching hundreds of TH-cam videos. I have thrown away so many failures. I need to tell you that you are the first person that has explained the whole process that I could completely understand. My starter always looked ready had bubbles it grew but it just didn't grow enough you turned on a light bulb in my head and I thank you so much. I am excited to keep going.
Google The Clever Carrot, simple recipes for sourdough starter and breads 😅 I'm 4 loaves in, now using TH-cam to work techniques out 😄
I had more failures than successes thus far.
B@@jamesmoon1841
You never fail until you stop trying, you just learned what not to do😹
I am so glad to hear that this helped you out!
I’ve been making sourdough bread since 2016! One day I realized that I had tons of starter in my fridge. Couldn’t bring myself to through them all out. So I decided to share my bread baking techniques with friends and offered a sourdough class! I discovered that I love talking and sharing all the things I’ve learned over the years. It was a success and so I taught more.then a friend convinced me to sell my bread at our local amazing farmers market! Anyway, I say all that to tell you that this idea just happened to come up in my feed this morning! Nothing is by chance! After being so successful baking loaf after loaf, I’ve recently started having problems with my results! I’ve been experimenting with different flours, oven temp, etc. but I think your method of determining the viability of the starter is the key to what I’ve not been fastidious enough to pay attention too! And I’ve never weighed or measured my flour/water/starter ratio!! This could be key to my problem of not achieving a good slash and not getting that ‘eyeliner’ and crusty crust like I used too!
Thank you so much! I’m going to link this video and your starter recipe video in my class notes if that’s okay with you! You would also get the credit and more followers! Thank you so much for sharing!! ❤❤
My starter is perfectly active and it is not stiff. It pours out and is slowly runny, it’s perfect. Lots of bubbles all over, very active and you can hear it when you move it around. There’s a lot of opinions out there and I watched countless videos and they all caused a lot of unnecessary frustration and confusion, actually pushed me away from wanting to try. Thankfully I did not give up and am finding with trail and error, experience and time you will find it. Every environment, home and geographical area is different. What works for one person may not work for another. Also everyone has different temps from different ovens. Just think what did people do a long time ago without all that we have now. They figured it out!
Yes! I'm new to this and had a similar experience, this video is so helpful for me too :)
Agreed,
I’ve had similar experiences. Try it out. Make mistakes. Even though it’s not text book sourdough it’s delicious.
Sort of. they lived in large communities of people who shared their secrets and tips and tricks and how to make it better. just like I am doing here. This method shown here has helped hundreds with their sourdough, so I am thankful for the technology to be able to share it, JUST like those people did long before we had all this ;) Thanks for watching!
If the recipe calls for 2 cups of starter, how many grams of starter is that please? Thanks. BTW, I love your blog.
I've watched a lot of videos about sourdough starters and this is the first one I've seen that has gone into this much detail about the optimum starter state. Thank you!
This was hands-down, the best video that I’ve seen explaining this! Now, I understand why my bread was flat. My starter was more like the runny one, so I probably wasn’t using enough flour. Thank you so much!
My starter started making big bubbles this morning, and im so proud of myself😊
I’ve been trying to work out what am I doing wrong with my starter for two days now. Watching loads of videos on TH-cam with no real answers. This video was like a light bulb I know what I’m doing wrong now. Thank you. Subscribed ❤
Same! I baked a TON of sourdough and non-sourdough bread through lockdown like everyone else. But since moving to Portugal 3 years ago I hadn't done a ton of baking. Jumped back in recently and have been SO frustrated because the flour we get here is only 9% protein so my starter and leaven have all been active, but extremely limp. I've been searching for answers everywhere and this is the first time I've really gotten the actual information I need to fix my problem. I have since been able to find some French flour here with 11% and a whole wheat from spain with 12% and even though they aren't the ideal, with the info here, I think I'll be able to make them work. Like you said, a light bulb has turned on!
Your starter tutorial has changed my sourdough bread! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! I have been trying to make sourdough bread for 2 years with very frustrating results. You have truly blessed my baking!!!
thats amazing!!!!
People overcomplicate sourdough. You'll know what to look for after you bake a couple/few dozen breads. And yes, your first loaves are not going to be blue ribbon winners, they may even be unpleasant to eat. Learn from your mistakes. Always make notes of consistency of sourdough, ratios in your mixes, ambient room temperature and humidity and baking temp/time. It will seem daunting at first... but; like I said, get a couple dozen loaves behind you and it will become second nature.
A couple of dozen is quite a lot to throw in the bin. I rather get it right from the start.
Yeah well obviously but it's impossible to get perfect bread from the start, plus u don't have to throw them I made crouton from mine@@mvl6827
My first loaf of bread was flat flat flat but I still baked it and ate it. Lol I knew absolutely nothing about sourdough.
@@mvl6827you don’t throw them in the bin, you either still eat them or turn them into bread crumbs or figure out how to use it in a recipe
@@mvl6827never throw any sourdough bread out or dough. It can be used for a multitude of other recipes. This woman just figured out that discard can be used to make the same loaf as levain, now who’s teaching who??
To summarize,: 1) feed your starter to 1:5:5 (levain, flower, water) 2) Use your starter at peak (or a little before peak), never after peak. If you use after peak, acidity developes and the starter becomes liquid. Suggestion for a follow up video: How much time does a 1:5:5 feed takes to develop ? (compared to a 1:2:2 or 1:1:1 often used in professional bakery) and the importance of a strong flour in your levain.
thank you for this suggestion!!
I am new to making sourdough bread and your explanation was exactly what I needed to making my first bread. I didn’t know when was the best time to use my starter and what that looked like. Thank you!
Exactly what I needed to know!!! Terminology was a bit difficult at first just because I’m new but I fully understood what you explained, very clear & the only person that really took the time to show this distinction in all of the videos I’ve watched so far. Thank you!!!
Thanks!
Thank you for taking the time to help all of us ❤
One of the best started videos out there❤
So glad I found this video! My boules have been a bit flat and this helped me understand how to read my starter/levain. 😊 thanks!
Thank you for teaching about this sourdough test . I’m new in sourdough, I didn’t know the test.
Great breakdown of the stages of making a leaven! I’ve been baking with Sourdough for about two months now and this video was very timely, I’m ready to perfect my skills. Oh and the weather has changed and with it the timing of my Starter and Leaven has changed. This info gave me the skills to troubleshoot! Thank you Ash 😊
Thanks Ash. I'm just learning all this science regarding the starter from different videos and yours helped a lot to know what to look for 'before' attempting to go for a batch of bread dough to bake. My first one ever failed of course - lol - and I was sad. The next try, using a half batch this time, my dough still didn't double in size and now I'm realizing why (soupy but nicely aged/fermented starter) thanks to your help. I can see the leavening technique would really save everyone a lot of possible grief, waste of ingredients and time due to all the various / changing conditions we have to work with. Something I found useful along the way though was to stir the mixtures with the spoon faced backwards, so things can be blended against the side of the container and also pushed back into it, without getting trapped in the concave part. Have a great day !
There are more ways to skin a cat I guess. I keep my sourdough in the fridge. It's a 500ML container which. It has around 300 Gr in it. Every time when I bake a bread, I take out 150Gr of the sourdough to put in my dough. I add fressh 75 grams of water and 75 grams of flour. After an hour or so I put the container back in the fridge.Keeping it cool this way is just to slow it down. Then I use the 1-2-3 method. 150Gr soudough, 300Gr water, 450Gr flour (9-10 gr salt). After about 5-6 hours on room temperature this is ready for the night. In the morning I bake it in theDutch oven. Works for me everytime. And my Sourdough is always superhappy when it comes out of the fridge, ready to work.
yep to each their own!
Do you put it in the fridge overnight or leave it out?
Thank you for teaching us about sourdough bread.
My sourdough bread came out a success after learning a few tips from you.
Thank you again for being kind, thorough, and passionate about the love of sourdough bread baking.
You’re very welcome !
Thank you SO much for showing and explaining what a strong, healthy leaven looks like! That helped me tremendously 😊
When the puppy walked in.... had to rewind afterwards, lost what you were saying! LOL
OMG, thank You so much for this video! I've been struggling with sourdough bread for a couple of weeks, results were always the same - sad, flat loafs... I had no idea that good levain is so crucial to the final effect, now I did all like You explained and BANG - perfect oven spring, beautiful loaf of bread! Thank You so very very very much!
Thank you for this video!I have been struggling with sour dough for a couple months now with it usually turning out bad and I never knew why I followed the directions. Now I am excited to make another loaf. 😂
Have only been making sourdough bread for a year. But have struggled with consistency. Learned more about sourdough starter from your video than any other. Subscribed. Looking forward to learning more from you. Many thanks!
This is the best video I’ve watch yet that explains how to get a good strong starter. Thank you so much. Finally!❤
Oh my goodness. You answered SO many of my questions. THANK YOU
Glad you found it helpful! :)
I just adore you. I tried this and it is absolutely spot on. My starter has never looked so good. Years and years of watery weak starter, I had no clue. Thank you. After 10 plus years of sourdough videos, yours is the only one that I actually understand. I think it's your east coast confident nature. No BS. Truly so thankful to you. I hope to someday be able to take your courses.
Very nice. I've had great results using miniscule amounts of crummy watery old fridge starter in large flour/water quantities, say 1:20:20 - You are adding adequate microbes and yeasties without a large amount of watery acidic waste. The levain takes longer, usually overnight, but with such a huge food supply, it blows up nicely and will not peak and withdraw too quickly like a levain made with a larger proportion of starter. So, prep in the evening, by morning it'll be close to peak and ready to go... all temperature dependent of course!
dependent dependent dependent, that's the problems with everyone else on youtube promoting weak watery starter is the results are "dependent" and not ever RELIABLE because they're just spouting off stuff and don't know why they're doing it. She gives you the exact details, not some wishy washy maybe it will maybe it won't just depends instructions, the same ones I've watched on yt for the last 10 years, only able to get good bread ONCE.
This was by far the best video I have watched for what to do with my runny sourdough starter! I am so excited because abuse today I had the perfect starter! I had almost given up after watching so many other videos. Thank you!
Let’s go!! I’m finally starting to understand this levin game. You rock!!
Thank you so much! This video is very helpful. I just started my sourdough bread journey, and have made 2 loaves so far. I couldn't understand why my dough turned out so sticky and full of air. It raised beautifully during proofing, but was light as down and never firm. Now I know why! 😊
To me starter and levain are basically the same thing. If the recipe calls for 300g of levain/starter, I would do 135g of flour, 135g water and 30g of my original starter. In your example, would you not be using 30g more levain/starter than the recipe calls for…using the 30g starter, 150g,water,150g flour? You did an absolutely great explanation and example of what the levin/starter should look like when it’s ready to use.
no. once fermented it will provide exactly what you need for the recipe.
@@turnerfarm yes thank you. I been finding that out lately, because when I measure the amounts out for the leaven as I said…I’m always a little short.
Thanks!
What do you do with your little jar of starter? Do you keep it in the frig? Do you add flour on top to keep it going?
Thank you for explaining the starter. This morning my starter rose out of the jar. So glad I listened.
Love to hear this! Glad the video helped!
I had been making Kamut sour dough for about 3 years. I have the sourdough book. I have the subscription. Buying the masterclass and now the masterclass being reinforced by this video has totally changed my success rate of making sourdough with Kamut.
1- the water… I was using tap water😳
2- my starter and levin were not thick enough.
Total game changers for me. Looking at the starter and leaven for the gluten strands was so much better/easier for me. My levain always floated but it didn’t always make a great loaf of bread.
3- Ash,s bread mats👏🏼
4- the pulp banneton .
2- my starter and leaven were not thick enough.
Finally a full explanation of what, how, and when!!! I want to be successful so bad 🙏🏽
My starter was like the soupy one then I used a high protein flour and the difference was amazing. Thank you.
This was very insightful! You're an excellent teacher.
Thank you! I have been doing sourthough bread for some months now, and your explanation really helps me understand why I have run into issues in my sourthough bread
Glad I could help!
I love the jars!!
Where did you purchase your jars! Thanks for the video!
@@tahochmThey're Weck jars. Amazon has them but I've seen them less expensive from Weck website. .
Yes! I’d love to order some.
WECK. They have several varieties and sell on their web site.
@@brucekangas5645 Great jars from Germany, a little more expensive but for me worth it.
This was so helpful. Thank you for sharing
I get the concept and it seems super strong. I’ve looked for a video of you using this amount of leaven in an actual recipe and I can’t find one. This makes a large amount. Other recipes I’ve seen call for like 100g of starter. This makes much more then that with the ratio being 30g/150g/150g. Can I please get the recipe where I’d sue this entire jar of leaven. Unless I’m missing something….I’m super new and definitely don’t understand.
Thank you!!
My exact question
I was thinking the same thing. If you find the answer on another video will you please share. Thank you
❤❤❤ Wow this was so helpful! Thank you.
So what do you do with a starter that has gone down a little but you still want to use it, can you just give it 1/2 cup or so flour and a little water? And wait a few hours for it to be ready again?
this can sometimes work. but your ratios will be a bit off and you will have to make sure you still weigh out what you need for your recipe.
This is the sourdough video the world needed. Thanks. I’m going to search for the bread video im sure you have. Thanks for this.
I love all your helpful tips! You are without a doubt a pro sourdough baker! One question about your glass jars I’ve seen similar ones from ikea although they have a silicone ring around the lid, I’m wondering if those are the jars you are using except you’ve removed the silicone ring? Is there a reason to remove it? Does it allow yeast in the air to be captured vs a sealed container? Just curious. Thanks again for your amazing content. I would love it if you took your experiments one step further and made the bread from both to show the variance in the final outcome. I’m sure you’ve seen it many times before but for us new to this incredible world of sourdough it may be helpful. Thanks again and Happy new year! It’s a pleasure to support a fellow Canadian!🥰❤️🇨🇦🍁🙏🏻
yes exactly. that is why i remove it :)
This video is everything. I used to add flour without thinking of what amounts and what I was actually doing. You gotta keep the right ratios going at all times. It’s ALL about the leaven you’re starting with. 👍👏
This was so very helpful! Have already figured a couple of things I’m doing wrong. So exited to use your tips next time I bake! Thank you
I just baked my first loaf and I was CERTAIN I over proofed. Then you popped up on my feed… apparently my airpod is listening to me vent to my husband. This time, I’m glad. 😂
Back in the day, (30 some odd years ago) I kept way too much starter. It took too much flour to feed. I’ve got it down to 3/4 cup (whole wheat/water). Less waste, less stress, and it’s stronger than ever before.
Also there are a lot of ways to use the discard so one doesn't feel like it's a waste.
Great video. This is by far the best instruction video on sourdough starter I've ever seen. Thank you for the great info!
I struggle with timing when it comes to making my leaven
Her point is to know and recognize the consistency of a good starter therefore a good levain.
Thank you so much for this video. I got the answers i have been looking for. I have been on the internet searching for answers and you have helped me tremendously.
Could you make a video about how to tell when your bulk fermentation is done? BTW I love the way you teach and your videos! I’ve learned a lot from you. ❤
A lot of that explanations are in my sourdough membership videos and classes! everything on YT I share to set people up for those, thanks so much for watching and enjoying them!
Thank you! Been making sourdough for two years now and they are ok but somethimes they get flat and I just dont know what I do wrong but now I know😊😊😊will do this tonight!
Very helpful. Clear explanations on how to improve your bread. Easy to understand
I'm struggling with your terminology. Please break it down a bit more. Starter, levin, preferment, ferment?
I believe levain is some starter flour and water measured specifically for a recipes needs so you don't have extra and a starter is the main jar of starter you use and maintain pull from and feed
Yes I was lost after a few mins. Haven’t heard anyone mention “ levin” “ pre-fermint. This video is not for beginners .. at least not me .
Levain is a sourdough bread in france, You can buy a Levain loaf
🤯 WHAT! Why is it all I hear is another language? My ears have gone stupid.
@@Heggerud_garddifferent word. Leaven is the same word for the starter she will use for her baking.
Finally someone explains the Levin and how to calculate ratios! Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
I think also when your starter is soupy, it's because it's been left sitting until more acid has formed, and acid in the starter attacks the gluten. That's why we have to catch it at the right time.
This would also explain some of the issues with “over proofed” bread. But then I wonder, why is it possible to get really sour tasting bread that also has great oven spring?
@@lenavoyles526 I'm working on it! What I should have said is "when you have a thick starter that gets soupy." Bake with Jack has a whole series on sourdough. Maybe something in one of his videos addresses that. I like it sour too.
Thank you! This is the most useful information I’ve found so far. You explained it so thoroughly. 👍🏾
ok this is confusing a bunch!! Levain = Pre-Ferment = Starter?? Can we please just agree on ONE term for this?!?
It's all just starter
New to sourdough and was getting information overload on levain, thanks for clearing this up in a simple video.
This makes me quit trying
Check out Ben Starr's videos. He has a simple foolproof sourdough method that I have been using for years. In leave my starter in the fridge for months without feeding it and his dough prep takes very little time.
Don't quit, I'm new to baking sourdough bread, I got excellent resource from "The Sourdough Journey ' a printable pdf.
Then picked up more tips from 'Baker Bettie's. Happy baking!!.
Don’t quit. It’s not nearly as complicated as people try to make it seem. Start making your starter with bread flour (12% protein content or higher. King Arthur is readily available) and feed with rye flour (Bob’s Red Mill is readily available) when you need to strengthen it a little bit.
@@jo-annewoerle3390 I still have no luck with his recipes 🤦♀️
This makes so much sense - I was having the sticky dough problem and I felt my starter was not spongy enough. Thank you.
No this wasn't simple.
She is very overcomplicated. Starter doesn't matter. Search chief ben Starr
I am definitely lost
thanks for this insight.. I can't wait to bake my bread as pretty as yours❤
Why can’t I understand this? Lol
I'm with you. I don't think she's explaining very well why some starters are crap and how to fix them. I feel like I'm doing is wasting flour bc no matter how many bubbles I see my starter never floats.
@@jemsmom97it sounds like you need to strengthen your starter. I think the point of this video is to introduce the idea of building leaven to strengthen your preferment if you use a young starter and so you aren’t keeping such a big starter. I need to work on reducing my starter to a much smaller size and just building a leaven instead. I think this makes sense for people like me who just bake a loaf or two a week. I feel like I’m wasting flour otherwise. The nice thing about a leaven is you can also alter the feedings to either slow down or prolong your ferment time working it into your baking schedule. Making this “offshoot” or “daughter” allows you to make subtle alterations while not disturbing or altering “the mother starter” which isn’t usually advisable once established.
Me too 😭😂
This video made things more confusing 🫤
She mixed up the leaven but is it ready to use right away or does it have to sit? When you make bread and the recipe says 150g starter are you supposed to use the leaven in place of the starter?
Great information 😊
Very cool and very well explained. One note for viewers from Germany where rye starters are also very common: 8:33 does not work with rye starters according to the missing gluten 😁
Does it matter what kind of flour you use to feed your starter? I heard different flours (like rye, whole wheat, etc) will hold gasses better/worse.
Thank you!! New to sourdough and can’t tell you how frustrating it has been. Asked all the ladies at church but no one taught me anything!! Answer to my prayers! ❤
VERY helpful! Love the examples. Thank you so much!
Yes!! 2024 This is the year I'll be successful. Thanks for your help!
Incredible. My last couple days were several examples of why this video was so worth making. I was really messing this all up. Thanks.
It is cold here in NH. Needed to use hot water 30secs. In mic. Was the only way OH and disguarding every day. I used APF king Arthur 11.7 protein only strong mix on 3rd & 4th day and active will add whole wheat or rye to bring up to 13percent protein. Crazy Process!!!
Excellent!
Thx a lot!! Because of your video about how a starter should be I became a beautifull dough 🎉, tomorrow I Will bake them 😊
What an awesome video, thank you! I love the examples you gave, you made it very clear except for the terminology for the very beginner. I learned more through consistency of the starter and how it rises or not than measuring exactly. When I got out of my right side brain and went into my left side, it was way easier! lol. I basically let go of the frustration of perfection and made the dough more of a relationship, if that makes sense. lol. Thanks for the video! Love your kitchen too! ❤
More of a relationship. Love that!
This changed the game for me!
I was getting a decent loaf before, but as soon as I changed to a levain, I’m getting great results.
Although, I still have a slightly chewy crumb. But maybe that’s normal?
Anyway….THANK YOU!
Hi Ash, love this video! Very helpful! 😊
Just wondering when I should make the leaven in the sourdough process? The morning of making bread? The night before? 🤔 How long should it take to be at the optimal state?
Can someone explain to me what does are those numbers of feed written 1:5:5 1:2:2 and 1:1:1 mean ? I am trying to learn making sour dough starter from scratch ,I don't have any at all to add to the flour and water what must I do .?
Those are the ratios of starter:flour:water
After four years of sourdough baking, I don’t have starter problems. But, I LOVED this video. Will pass it on to friends.
thank you!
This is a really helpful demonstration, thanks for sharing.
I simply have to disregard any hydration percentages in American recipes and tweak it to fit my Norwegian flour, it doesn't translate right. My starters and doughs come out liquid every time, unless I reduce the water by 5-10%. I wasn't sure about the levain, but now I have a better idea.
im so glad!
How long do you leave the levin before you use it in a bread recipe
This is extremely helpful. And I LOVE your spoonholder!
Thank you so much for this honest and great video!
This is so darn helpful. I started off strong with some great loaves, but the last few were...not so great. Now I know why. Thank you so much for making this video!
me too. Its going to change thanks to this video!! A friend sent me here!!
Thanks for the great video!! I am really getting the hang of managing a great starter.
Very helpful info thank you, I’m off to sort my weak starter out, no wonder I’ve been struggling with my bread. So helpful to actually see consistency, a pancake batter in U.K. is different to US pancake batter I think so seeing it has been so, so helpful
Yes, American pancakes are a completely different thing from British pancakes. Thick and fluffy, leavened. British pancake batter is much runnier than American pancake batter. American pancake batter is more like a sponge cake batter, perhaps even a little thicker.
Thank you this is so helpful, I've been trying for a year to make a good loaf and no one has explained this
Thank you for this video. Maybe now my bread will come out better. ALSO, my wife watched this video and fell in love with your containers with their great lids. Would you share where you got them and their name please. It would be a great gift to get her. Thank you.
Thank you! Makes so much sense to me now! My loaves were a sticky puddle last night and I thought I over-proofed it. Remembering what my starter was like that I used yesterday helped me understand what happened to my dough. I did over-proof it but my starter was my problem!
Oh my gosh, I've been struggling with gummy flat sourdough bread. Thanks for making this video!