Good info! I've left my starter in the fridge for over 60 days with no feedings.. When I want to bake I create a levain using a 5 to 1 ratio of flour & water to starter. I usually have to feed it 3 times to get it ready to bake and super lively. This way I don't have all of the discard to deal with. I will start a levain of 10 g of starter, 50 g of H2O and flour (rye & AP) flour and do this 3 times or until the starter can double in 6-8 hours. There are many ways to deal with a starter to make good bread.
Thanks! You're absolutely right, so many ways to maintain a starter and make great bread. I think the longest I've gone in the fridge is 3 weeks without any issue. When I'm gone for longer periods, I'll usually dehydrate my starter for storage. I should do some trials with longer rests in the fridge and see if my particular culture can hack it! Thanks for the comments and happy baking 🙂
Thank you! I got my starter from my sister in law on Christmas and it’s just been so busy I have kept it in the fridge. Would you say I could get it back to life?
@@PaytonWarden-gn9qw No problem at all. Feed 10 grams of starter with 40 grams of H2O and flour three timess over 2-3 days and let it double in under 8 hours and bake with it. I freeze dried my startter in 2010 and brought it back to life in 2019 and have been baking with it 3 times a month since.
Hi, Maurizio! My wife gave me your book as a Christmas gift (was on my wishlist). I’ve been sourdough baking for 3 years, starting just before the pandemic hit. I always try to up my baking game. Your book hits all of the points to escalate my baking to a higher level. The science of sourdough baking, the technique, the art and the recipes in the book are spot on! Thank you.
Amazing, Scott! Thanks so much for coming here and for the comment, I just love hearing this-and it's precisely why I do all I do. I hope you continue to enjoy the book and keep in touch! Happy baking 🙂
I always feed my starter with 1:1:1 ratio. I like to be able to build my dough a few short hours later. But this was good to understand that I could use less carryover on a night feeding to have levain ready to go 12 hours later when I wake. I’ve never heard the ratios explained this way. Thanks!
This is a very helpful video, so thanks for that! I live in the Pacific Northwest where it’s cold and damp 9 months out of 12, and my house is always on the cooler side, typically 64 degrees, which is a bit cold to leave my starter on the counter after its once a week feeding. I feed at a 1:1:1 ratio, using half whole wheat, half white AP flours. I warm my oven slightly for two minutes on the warm mode then turn it off and turn the light on. I place my fed starter in the warm oven, where it typically takes about 4 to 6 hours for it to reach maximum rise before it deflates. After that, it goes back into the fridge for another week because I don’t bake too often. 3 days before I do bake, I pull it out and feed twice a day to rev it up, leaving it on the counter between feedings after 4 hours in a slightly warm oven, where it rises and falls. One thing I’ve never had a good grasp on is exactly when I should use part of the starter in whatever recipe I’m using. Do I measure out the required amount at its peak rise, somewhere between 4 and 6 hours, and mix the dough? Is it the same when building a levain, measuring out what I need at peak rise, build the levain, leave it out for 12 hours or whatever then use it in my recipe?
Your approach sounds exactly like what I'd do, Nancy. With regards to when to use your starter, use it when it's at its peak ripeness (this doesn't necessarily mean peak height) to feed or use that to make a levain. When it's at its most ripe, it's the point where bacteria and yeast numbers are the greatest, which is what you want to start with when making a levain.
Really enjoyed the video! I have to say I'm not a very good parent to my starter. I haven't baked (or fed) in probably 4-5 months so I just pulled my starving starter out of the fridge and fed it to bake this week. It always bounces right back after a long rest which I think is amazing. When I was baking weekly last year I kept it out on the counter all week without feeding and just fed a couple times before each bake and it did really well. I only bake 100% whole grain that I mill at home. Maybe the freshly milled rye and wheat flour helps even though I'm not the best at keeping a regular feeding schedule. I'll give it a little love and try out a daily feeding schedule for a while. Looking forward to more of your videos!
Thanks, Jeff! In the end, it really comes down to whatever works for you and your starter. Most starters are similar, but I've chatted with bakers who bake great bread feeding less than I do, but I do find a consistent schedule to really help elevate the results. Give it a shot and let me know how it goes!
Thanks. Well said. Right now, I'm playing with refrigerated, "pasta madre" starter using rye. Like you mentioned, starter, especially rye, is very resilient. I maintain only 60 grams to minimize discard. It takes some planning before a bake to awaken and build it back but that's part of the fun. The final result makes the labor worth it. Learning your flours is a lot of the process. Thanks again.
An issue which confuses me is that advice throughout the net and books say if you take if you take say 100 g of starter from your mother starter then you add back 100g flour plus 100g water ie 100g out but 200g in . Why not 50g flour plus 50g water ie taking 100g out and replacing it with 100g? That confuses me
There's a lot of advice out there for many different ways to maintain your starter... The method I show here is how I've come to do it over the past decade, and have made countless loaves with this starter! So there's not *right* way to do things, just however you prefer. For me, I leave about 20g of starter in the jar at each feeding. That means I scoop out and use or discard the rest. Then I add 100g flour and 100g water. That feeding will last 12 hours before I have to do it again.
For those who do not like to waste flour there are different ways. When my starter goes into the fridge it weighs only about 1 gram. I use a very small 6 or 8 dram, grade 5, plastic medicine vial. Usually every 3 days I pull this vial out of the fridge to feed it- 2 ml water, 2g flour, mix with a chopstick, and bring it to rise during the day. Then, overnight I build the starter, using 5g ripe starter, 10ml water, 10 g flour, @ 68F, or 20C. Next morning, I feed 20g ripe starter, 40 ml water, 40 grams flour for your leaven. If your starter is healthy, it will rise a 30-50% increase in just 2 to 2 1/2 hours @ 80F, or 27C. It's ready to use. I'm only saving a few grams at a time in a separate small vial, just for backup. For the final leaven build I use a 250 ml grade 5 plastic beaker. Everything is straight sided, easy to clean, and non-breakable. I don't always do it this way, but, it's a way that will build a very healthy starter and not waste but a few grams of flour. It goes against my grain all the waste in this world.
Fantastic, Barry. Yes, you really only need a small bit of the culture to keep it going. I find for beginners it helps to have a slightly larger starter to learn the signs and get into a routine, but after that, dropping down certainly works. And I love your use of lab equipment!
Ha ha, yes, definitely should be guilt free, we give our starter plenty of time as it is! I always like to say, our starter should be working for us, not the other way around.
Great video Maurizio, thank you for making it! Looking forward to more videos on here, your presentation is fantastic and your insight is unparalleled. Thank you!
I just found your channel. This is the absolute best how-to guide I have found on making sourdough starter, video or article, that I have found since toying with the idea of making sourdough breads 3 weeks ago. Thank you for the thorough explanation!
Maurizio, i have followed your baking since i first started 5 years ago and have found your writings invaluable in my journey and again amazed and thankful of the free and open sharing you provide and indeed as provided by so many others around the world. Great video so full of answers to the questions that have plagued me for years. And now I know that the feeding “discard” if regular is the start of the next levain. Thank you.
Thanks for all the comments, Leslie! Happy to help. So great to hear you’ve followed along for such a long while and have been baking! Have fun and enjoy 😊
Is there any reason besides personal scheduling preference for why one would want their starter to ripen slower or faster, ripening at a cold temp vs a warm temp? Is there a change in starter strength or taste depending on those variables? For example, I’ve noticed that my starter has the largest rise and activity level on the first feed I give it after taking it out of cold storage in the fridge (typically leaving it for a week or two). Any reason why that seems to be the case?
Mostly it's scheduling, though, I personally get better flavor and starter performance when it's kept at a warmer temperature and fed regularly. I'm not sure why you're seeing that initial boost of activity, but for me, I prefer warm, frequent feedings.
No video (will make one soon), but here's my handy guide over at my website: www.theperfectloaf.com/7-easy-steps-making-incredible-sourdough-starter-scratch/
Thank you for all of this great information. The hydration percentages I have found to be somewhat mysterious, but your explanation clarified it for me.
Hey Maurizio! Thanks so much for this. It's great to see you and hear you - your expertise, reassurance and warmth really comes through. Keep making more of these, please!
This is about the only time I don’t agree with your instructions. I kept waiting for suggestions for those who bake every week or 2. I’ve maintained my Starter in the refrigerator since 2017. I feed it every 10 days or so. If I haven’t baked in quite a while, then I will feed on the counter a day or so, 12 hours apart. However, when I create Levain, it’s usually at peak after 6-8 hours. I generally start with 30grams starter to create levain. The purpose of looking at this video was to see if it might be helpful for some friends who are just getting started and will bake with less frequency. I’m afraid this would not help them. However there is definitely useful information here.
Yes, this is most useful for those baking more often, as I do. You can absolutely use the fridge to slow things down and stretch out feedings, I do this when necessary, too. I talk about this a bit on my storing a starter post: www.theperfectloaf.com/store-sourdough-starter/
Thank you Marurizio, , I’ve learned so much from your recipes and videos. I’ve been baking for 4yrs now but it’s lifelong and ongoing experiment trying different ways of making and learning different techniques in making different types of breads. . You explain things very clearly and slowly. Your one of my favourite teachers. There are so many bakers that make videos that are not good at explaining thoroughly because I started out with some of those videos and made many mistakes…so I thank you for teaching me the right way and helping me understand the mistakes.
Amazingly detailed video with super insight! You did a great job covering the basics and giving people a good idea how to develop their own intuition with feeding and using their sourdough! Thank you for putting together such a comprehensive video!
You can keep it in the fridge! Give it a feeding, let it sit out for 1 hour, then put it into the fridge, covered. Here's a walkthrough: www.theperfectloaf.com/store-sourdough-starter/
You can make a loaf of sourdough in half a day Id say, or longer, I prefer proofing overnight in the refrigerator for more flavor and crust color! Here's a good step by step: www.theperfectloaf.com/beginners-sourdough-bread/
I have a bread book that is well over 40+ years old. I have made the sour dough starter from this which was milk, flour, and yogurt. I am amazed yours is just water and flour! Do I need to be more careful about leaving it out? Book is from sunset cook book of breads. Helped me when I lived in Venezuela and wanted regular sandwich bread that didn’t have mold on it! Lol
Hey there, Janelle! Awesome you have that book, I'd love to read through that. Yes, milk is not needed to keep your starter healthy, it only requires water and the "food" in flour. If I were you, I'd probably leave out the milk, I would be a bit concerned about having that sit out on my counter for 24 hours!
I still use it a lot! It has a great history to the starter. When not using it stays in fridge but the first 7 days or so it was in a very hot garage! Summer in Kansas. Let me know if I can send it somehow to you!
They say in recipe to use instant but had had left over mashed and have always used those here is the recipe 1pkg yeast 5.5-6 ap flour 1/4 c sugar 2tsp salt 2 servings instant mashed potatoes (made up per instructions ) why I use fresh left overs 3/4 milk 1/4 c butter melted and cooled 2 eggs 1 c starter at room temp 1 egg white beaten with 2 tbl water Poppy seeds. Large bowl yeast, 2 c flour, sugar, salt. prepared mashed potatoes, then stir in cooled butter, milk, eggs, starter stir until blended Add wet with dry ingredients and mix with mixer for 2 minutes. Add 1.5 c of remaining flour and beat at medium speed for 2 minutes longer. With spoon mix in enough flour to form stiff dough about 1.5 c Turn out on floured board, knead until smooth 5-20 minutes. Add flour as needed Turn dough over in greased bowl until double. Punch down dough, knead briefly to release air, divide in half make round or BRAID Each half. (I love the braid it is so fluffy and beautiful) Cover and let rise again 45min. Brush with egg mix and sprinkle with poppy seeds Bake 350 F for about 35 min Hope you enjoy. With soup is a real winner Some other sourdough recipes in this book Whole wheat pan bread Cornmeal Sour rye Classic french Whole grain English muffins Regular English muffins Crepes oatmeal pancakes Pancake/waffle , buckwheat , blueberry pancakes, History of early pioneers they guarded the ingredients of their starter. Only shared with worthy friends. It says science has said it is not yeast but harmless bacteria that are naturally present in raw milk. The forms of the bacteria essential for sourdough fermentation are also present in products like aged cheddar cheese, cultured buttermilk, And yogurt
i think about building a good sourdough starter like the selective breeding we do in agriculture with any other plant or domestic animal. with a wild sourdough, youre trying to select for the the yeast and bacteria which most rapidly metabolize the flour and divide. thats why the frequency of feeding and the ratio of old starter to fresh flour and water is important. the more frequently we feed the starter and the less of the old starter we leave when feeding, the more strongly we select for yeast and bacteria that can super quickly break down the flour and multiply. if we feed infrequently, theres no need for the starter to have a lot of rapid metabolizers in order tk consume all the food we give it. still, theres probably a ton of dimishing returns when we get to the extremes of feeding ratios and frequency. and at some point, going for the bubbliest, funkiest starter possibly probably doesn’t help the end product much more anyways.
To a degree, yes, but you're also overlooking the speed at which bacteria and yeast multiply and metabolize. By changing the feeding frequency, we're also affecting the balance between the two.
Good evening Maurício ( It is night here in BRAZIL: I live in the state of MINAS GERAIS ; Land of the famous PÃO DE QUEIJO ) I finally found a website that gave me a very clear vision of what it is to make bread...And why don't you create one online course ??? I saw that you have an academic background in soft (so why not create a course that can have subtitles in other languages and that has Brazilian Portuguese ...🤔🤓 ) Here in BRAZIL there are platforms and I know you've thought about it before, more just wanted to "reinforce" the idea, so you can have one more teaching tool... And thank you very much CHEF !!!
Thanks so much for the comments! Glad o my site has helped. I've been working on a course, I'm currently looking to offer it up to members at my site (so it'll be included in the yearly membership). Coming soon! www.theperfectloaf.com/membership/
If you are at a point where you don't want to or don't need the started, can you put it in the refrigerator and then take it out and feed it and reactivate it for baking???
So you do not do 1:1:1 like 40g sourdough starter, 40gwater and 40g flour? (Using white whole wheat? So confuse because I was advised 1/4 cup sourdough 1/4cup flour 3 tablespoons water but when weighed the G are all over
No, I don't typically feed 1:1:1, which ripens very fast at average room temp, around 3-5 hours. But there are many ways to maintain your starter! If that works for you and your bread turns out great, it might be a good move. If you want a full written walkthrough of how I feed, check out this post: www.theperfectloaf.com/how-do-i-feed-my-sourdough-starter/
Love that you're doing some more videos! I've been following some other channels since I started three months ago and love having another good source. Love your blog too! Eventually here I'll become a member. Thank you for everything you share!
Michael, thank you for your wealth of information on a beginner’s sourdough journey! I began making my starter this week. One day 2, it bubbled and rose twice it’s initial size. It stated inflated with lots of bubbles for several hours. I fed again on day 3 and had no rise, but a few bubbles on the top. Today is day 4 and I fed it this morning using your recommended amounts, still no rise, and not a lot of bubbling happening. I have been keeping it in my oven with temps around 75-80 degrees. Should I keep the course and hopefully it will liven back up?
You're very welcome! (And I think you mean "Maurizio" 🙂). It’s normal to see a burst of activity in the beginning (possibly with lots of bubbles) only to see a decline the day(s) after. Stick with the starter creation process of feeding and discarding and it will eventually take hold. That initial activity is most likely a bacteria we don’t want to stick around in the long run, it will eventually die off when the bacteria/yeast we do want acidifies the culture to the point where other bacteria cannot survive. If your kitchen is on the cold side try warming the water you’re using to feed your starter. If you have a thermometer, try to get the water around 80°F. Keep with it and it will eventually come around!
A problem I continue to have is the temperature in my house. There is no location where the temperature is in the 70’s. It always runs cooler. I would be so appreciative of suggestions to overcome this predicament and a simple remedy.
I mention it a bit in the video, the easiest thing to do is use warmer water when you feed your starter. A dough proofer also helps, or you can keep it in your microwave or oven (with a note to not turn it on) after you feed it with warm water to keep it warm.
Ive found only feeding once daily for me results in a less active starter. I always leave my starter out when baking and feeding twice daily. Summer time the starter ripens too quickly so I adjust using just minimal scraps of the ripe carry over. Some people add colder water to help adjust proofing times. When I bake I try not to wait the entire 12 hours after feeding. Most times the peak rise happens within 6 hours and most active. Different cultures will ripen faster or slower than others. Everything is relative to knowing your starter, the time it takes in your environment for peak use. Consistency is most imprtant to get repeatable results.
If I choose to feed my sourdough starter only once per day and decide to do so in the evening…..does that mean I can use the starter straight out of the jar for my recipe? This is all so new to me and a bit confusing still 😂 I’m on day 6 of building my sourdough starter and can’t wait to use it!!! I’ve asked Santa for your book 😊
Thank you so much for the detailed information. I have questions about the water temperatures. Many videos, including yours, refer to using cooler, room-temperature water for feeding the starter. I am a beginner. Would you tell me the temperatures that you use for your starter? what temperature is "cooler" water what temperature is "warmer" water what temperature is "room temperature" You mentioned this in this video. because the two-feeding schedule gives you two opportunities one of them is to make the levain that "ripens quickly throughout the day" and use it to mix directly into a batch of dough. What is the% of starter you are referring to make the levain ripen quickly if I want to make the bread using morning feedings? and how long does it take for it to "ripen quickly" if I use the Brod & Taylor proofer for the levain to ripen? I know you said it's not written in stone and lots of variables. but I do like to know how/what you use for your specific recipe to use it as a "standard" starting point and then go from there. your book/video/blog are all detailed and I really appreciate that, if you could add the info when you update your blog on water temperature and Brod & Taylor proofer temperature for your specific recipe that would be great for people like me trying to learn and use your recipes. thanks again!
Hey, Austin! In every recipe I list the "final dough temperature (FDT)", that's the temperature your dough should be at the end of mixing, right at the beginning of bulk fermentation. I dont list what the water temp should be because it really depends on what temperature your kitchen is at! If it's cool, you'll need to warm the water more. In my book I have a sample calculation to run to determine all these temperatures, and most importantly, what to heat/cool the mixing water to so you reach the FDT. Here's more: www.theperfectloaf.com/the-importance-of-dough-temperature-in-baking/
I love that you put this video together as much as I enjoy watching your bakes! Thank you. Question please: when you refresh your starter the second time of day (in the evening) do you again discard all but 20g (the 20% recover) and add 100 g flour 100 g water? I’ve been using a ratio of 1:2 (example 20g starter to 40g water 40g flour) which is much less than you and only once a day. Mostly to save money on flour. Does this compromise my starter?
Hey there! Thanks, I appreciate that. Yes, the second refresh is the same as the first (same water, flour, carryover starter). I'd probably do 2x a day with your ratios, assuming your kitchen is warm (72-74F). If you notice your starter is very liquidy and loose when you go to refresh it, it might be a sign it needs another feeding. Another option is to leave less starter in the jar. Instead of your 20g, try 10g.
It's always a goog thing to look at the starter as a living being cause 20% carryover is like having 20 people and giving them a 100 sandwiches. Everyone has to eat 5. They'll go through them pretty fast in a 1:5:5 ratio (1 part starter : 5 parts flower : 5 parts water). In a 5% carryover it's just 5 people eating the 100 sandwiches and it's gonna take some time, so it'll rippen slower with a 1:20:20 ratio. I bake during the weekend cause I work all day and once a week is all I can manage. I feed it a big ratio and keep it in the fridge so it both has a LOT of food to go through AND the cooler temps slow it down so by the next weekend it's not all hungry and sour, it's just finished eating and ready for more. I can't use that much flour every single day without baking and simply eating the discarded dough every single day, I'd go bankrupt and nuts :D
Wise words and I love this analogy for a sourdough starter! Yes, I totally understand the need to reduce feedings/flour/water if you're not using it as frequently as I do-makes sense!
@@theperfectloaf Thanks for giving us all this info, your texts got me into sourdough years ago cause they had details a noob needs to make it work and they were as no-nonsense and to the point like these videos. It was the first time I ever heard of different flours and protein levels and stuff, cause I live in a tiny country where we're used to seeing fine, coarse and "bread" flour and that was pretty much it up until a few years ago when rye and whole wheat etc. started appearing. A week ago I received a packet of the San Francisco starter and it's just finished it's activation period today so tomorrow it's show time - I got the dinner rolls in my sights, as well as those bomboloni and and and... :D I could never go back, sourdough bread you bake at home is an entirely different universe than store bought bread so there.. you're changing lives a world over!
@@SarcastSempervirens You're very welcome! I really appreciate the kind words and feedback, so glad to hear I've been able to help 🙂 Hope the dinner rolls and everything else turn out awesome for ya-happy baking!
Hello Maurizio, thank you for the ongoing sharing. I'm a long-time follower and have learned much from you. My suggestion/request would be how do you recommend calculating how much starter to use in a formula? I've seen anything from 50 grams to 200 grams. What percentage in bakers math do you use? Would it be different for a stiff starter versus this one you shared? Thanks again, congratulations on all the success. I'm looking forward to your book. Best wishes.
Hey, Steve! Great suggestions, I'll add this to my list of things to record. Lots of variables there to take into account, but I agree, a video on how I go about developing a recipe in this way would be a great explainer. I hope you love the book (thx for preordering!) and happy baking 🙂
@Steve Sheffield, General rule is 20% of flour used, however, it could be more or less due to other variables. For instance, I do a long bulk ferment overnight, room temp about 68F, so I use 10-15% with an active starter.
I don't look anywhere near as much into it. I chuck half out or bake with it. Pour a bit of flour back in and make it stirrable but still thick and that's it. It's working. I'm not a master but I make nice bread
Yes, absolutely! No changes, really, you can use it for all the white flour if you'd like. Know that einkorn will likely not show the same signs (large bubbles, tall rise) as you see in a starter with more white flour (modern wheat), but that's okay, as long as you still see the other signs of fermentation!
Hi! What if I'm a weekend baker? Do I still feed my starter everyday with such a high ratio, which creates a large amount of discard. My normal feeding schedule is once a week if I don't bake that week and keep it in the fridge; and I'd feed 2-3 consecutive days before my baking day. My question is how can I strengthen my starter? My starter normally rises to double with a ratio of 1:1:1 for longer than 4-5 hours @20-24C. When I build my levain for baking, it just manages to rise to double with a ratio of 1:5:5 for 12 hours, so I'm thinking if my starter is not strong enough. I look forward to your advice. Thanks.
You're doing exactly as I would. If you want to bake only once a week or so, then keep it in the fridge, take it out 2 days before you want to use it, give it a couple of feedings, then use it once it's showing signs it's strong. Here's how I do it: www.theperfectloaf.com/weekend-baking-schedule/
Can you please tell us your original starter recipe I looked at the videos that you have on your channel and I see how you add to it and make different breads but no original starting starter I would like your starter recipe whether you start with just flour and water or if you start with a packet of yeast please let me know I’m a newbie sourdough person thank you I enjoy your videos because they are so thoroughly educating with all types of things that add to our confidence and end result please reply
I'm working on a video for this, but it's all here in my article, too: www.theperfectloaf.com/7-easy-steps-making-incredible-sourdough-starter-scratch/
Hi, I am on day 10 and realized that i've been putting in 115g of water every feeding ( plus 30g of whole wheat and 70g of all purpose). I've never seen the starter rise double with all the bubbles (from the rubberband) It is only a few cm above the rubberband every 12 hours and it has a really strong gross smell, kind of like stanky feet (I'm looking for the sour sweet smell) If I continue on and make the switch to 100g of water, will this rectify my situation? Thanks!
I realized that when I was on Day 7 i believe (when it changed to 30g ww and 70g all purpose) I didn't change the water from 115g to 100g. Is this salvageable?
Thanks Mauricio. Watching your video, your starter seems to have a gooey nature, where the spatula stretches it, lots of strength. I only experience this in the first few days if starting from dry starter, when I only feed it white flour. My current mix is 5g starter, 10g white flour, 15g whole rye, 100% hydration. In a proofing box, at 23-24°C. After about 12hrs, the mixture about triples in size and I like to refeed it right around the time when its crown starts to collapse. The smell at that time is acidic and the moment I stick the spatula in (or bang it on the table), the starter collapses completely. "Weak" comes to mind... I tried playing with starter amount (down to 3g) and more hydration (120%). No noticeable difference. The resulting. Bread tastes nice and sour (your beginner or spelt/rye) but doesn't rise. Just a little more than a German whole rye loaf... What do you suggest I experiment with next? Thanks
Hey there! It might be that it's fermenting too long and because there's a lot of rye flour, it won't have the same extensibility and strength as a mostly-white flour starter. That should be just fine, though. For me, I try to use my starter/levain when it's very ripe like this-more flavor! If you want to bring more strength to it, try feeding a little earlier, or drop the rye percentage a bit (I usually do around 15-25% to total flour in starter).
@@theperfectloaf Thanks Mauricio. I'll try that . Also just spoke with my flour supplier. Turns out that their "organic" white flour is bleached! That might be another reason. They are delivering a new batch. This time the same floor they use for their 9wn sourdough bakery. Will keep you posted
Hello Maurizio, So, the supplier delivered unbleached bread flour (Free of charge!) and I started over. And I'm happy to report that all is back to normal. 4g of starter, 15g of whole rye 10g of bread flour, 25g of filtered rain water, kept at 23-24°C. It cycles nicely in about 12hrs. I tried reversing the rye/white, but I wasn't getting the same rise. I'll try baking this week. Thanks for the tips!
If you use rye flour for the starter but whole wheat flour for your “best sourdough recipe”, when do you then change to whole wheat instead of rye? Is it just when you build the levain or do you have to start feeding the starter using whole wheat flour one or two times before building the levain?
@@theperfectloaf okay, thanks! Do you think it makes a difference in the final bread to be using rye to feed the starter with, even though the levain is built using whole wheat? Im just wondering because it would be more simple to only use whole wheat and bread flour for everything (starter/levain/bread dough)
I started sourdough using your method, it never changed after day 3 and had it for 15 days and then it died got moldy and like water. I was talking with a friend that uses a different recipe for sourdough and she said she thought it was the water. Does that make a difference the type water? Thanks.
You can use any water that's safe to drink. If you found it got moldy, stir it halfway between refreshments so the top doesn't sit exposed to air for as long.
I’ve followed you a while, but now I know what you look like……..lol. I pretty much follow your method for sourdough. It’s how I learned, but being in FB Bread Groups, a few encourage newbies to use starter right from the fridge. I don’t. I use my starter after it’s fed and rises double or more. I’ve followed Proof bakery also. You might know of them, in AZ. Thank you Maurizio for a great video. Rob in NJ.
Hey, Rob! Yes, the face behind the bread 🙂 I agree, I keep my starter at room temp and use that for baking, I find it's stronger and produces better bread, at least for my starter. I see the fridge as a "hostile" environment, in a way, and my starter needs a bit of room temp time before it's back to full strength. I do know of Proof bakery! Would love to visit them one day. Thx for the comments, Rob, more videos coming. Happy baking!
Do I not need a packet of starter to start? Silly question but do you make everything from scratch or is there some kind of yeast packet to start the whole process with? I am not confused about how to feed just how to make it in the first place. Thanks!
You need to create a starter from scratch (mixing water and flour together for a few days). See my guide here, I go into it all! www.theperfectloaf.com/7-easy-steps-making-incredible-sourdough-starter-scratch/
Thank you for the video! If I remember well your recipes mostly use 100% hydration starter, BSD bread for sure. Nowadays, do you prefer to keep 1:5:5 starter like in today's video? Do you think there's a difference in the bread depending on the hydration of starter you use? I keep mine 1:3:3. Excited for your book and more videos! Maybe one on bakers percentage? How to scale down recipe etc.
Thanks for the suggestions! Will definitely do one on baker's %'s. I keep my starter typically at 100% hydration, bumping it up or dropping it to get the consistency I'm after, but it's typically right around there. I keep it these days just how I talk about it in the video!
I bought my starter from King Arthur and have been following their guidelines to ripen it. It is a 1:1:1 ratio. It rises but it falls before I feed it. Is that good or am I doing something wrong?
That's totally fine, though, I usually feed with less ripe starter left in the jar to lengthen the ripening timeline. If it's overly-fermented by the time you go to feed it, leave less starter in the jar. Check out how I do it with more detail, here: www.theperfectloaf.com/how-do-i-feed-my-sourdough-starter/
@@theperfectloaf Okay I checked your post and see what you mean but can you explain over fermenting? I was trying to go every 12 hrs. I fed it at 7am and it is now noon and is has doubled since it n size and it looks great but if I let it go past 7 hrs it will deflate to less than 1 times it original size.
@@kgoelz0103 it'll be just fine. The key is: leave less starter in the jar each time you feed it. That will slow things down considerably. Keep reducing the amount you leave in the jar until it ripens just about when you want to give it a feeding.
@@theperfectloaf so do you think it is ready for me to make bread??? It has been 7 days since I started it. Also, thank you so much for responding and helping this new bread baker out!
@@kgoelz0103 yes it does sound like it's ready. The important thing is you're seeing the same signs of fermentation each day, and it sounds like you're seeing that. Happy to help 🙂
@@theperfectloaf Thanks! Well... not as I expected... :( I don t know, maybe a little over proofed, or the flour (a new pack) did not like so much water. Hope next time will be better!
my starter is over 20 years old, and it should have died many times due to neglect, months left unfed in the fridge. I always bring it back and currently it is as strong as it gets. You'd be amazed and its will to survive.
Hey, Zach! Yes, these jars are my favorite, I've been using them for more than 10 years. I have them listed on my baking tools page, here: www.theperfectloaf.com/my-baking-tools/
Great info! My starter is 11days old. I do a 1:2:2 ratio and feed at 8am with a temp of 72-74°. From day 9 until today all she does is double in size in 24 hours. That’s it nothing else. When I check her at 8am She is at the same “doubled height” no falling. I don’t understand why she is not growing in a 12 hour period like everyone else’s. I don’t see how I can bake bread. I want to make your recipe but if I’m to create a levain in 4-5 hours (like ur video/recipe) mine takes 24 to double and not get bigger. I sure could use some help. Thank you!😢
@@richardswain537 It's typical to see a lot of rise in the beginning that tapers off on subsequent days. Keep with the routine and it'll gain strength!
If I add freshly milled rye flour, will my starter be stiffer than a store-bought variety? If so, do I need to add a bit more water? Thank you! Love your book!
Yes, add more water as necessary to achieve your desired consistency. Usually, freshly milled flour needs more water. So happy to hear that, thank you for getting my cookbook! Happy baking 🙂
Hi Maurizio thanks for the starter video. For those of us not baking as much as you - I bake once a week - what do you suggest for starter maintenance? To date I feed my 100% rye starter once a week and keep it in fridge most of the time. To build a levain I use the fridge “mama” and add flours and water as you do. It grows over four hours at 78*F
Hey, Collis. I'd probably keep it in the fridge most of the week if you don't want to feed it every day. If you do want to keep it out, you can switch to 1x a day feedings. If keeping it in the fridge, I'd take it out at least a day before you want to use it for mixing, give it two feedings (one in the morning and one at night), and keep it warm. Should be ready for you to bake with. Then after, give it a feeding, let it sit out 1 hr or so, then into the fridge for the next week.
Question: why do you feed a ratio of 1:5:5 for only 12 hrs till next feeding? Don’t you only need a 1:3:3 ratio if a healthy starter rises in 3-4 hours?
Because I lengthen the interval a bit and feed every 12 hours, once in the morning and once in the evening. The smaller amount of ripe starter carryover lets it ripen for longer.
Hi! My starter is started from scratch and is now on day 11. She is doubling in about 6-7 hours. I have been feeding 1:1:1 every 12 hours. When I go to feed her at the 12 hour mark she hasn’t fallen back at all. Should I change my ratio? My temp is around 72-77 consistently and I use a 50/50 mix of bread flour and whole wheat. I don’t understand why she is taking long to double and also not falling at all.
Don't worry about your starter not falling, this can happen depending on your flour. I would say after 12 hours it should be ready for a feeding at those temps (though, 72 is a little cool!). As for doubling, you may not see this, again, depending on your flour. This is particularly why I don't like to go by the amount of rise in the starter, but rather all the signs put together. Let me know if you have more q's, but as long as you're seeing the same signs of fermentation each day (some rise, bubbles, sour aroma, loosening in consistency), it's likely ready for a feeding after 12h.
Excellent video Maurizio. I bake once every week or two. What's the best way to store my sourdough starter? I currently store it in the fridge and two days out from a bake, I will take it out of the fridge leave it at room temperature overnight. Discard some starter then feed it the following morning. Repeat the "discard and feed" the following morning before I use it later in the day to add to the autolyse to prepare for a bake. Is this a sound process? Should I be storing my starter in the fridge but feeding it more regularly? I'm finding my bakes now have less oven spring than when I commenced my sourdough journey (two years ago).
That’s a good approach and what I would do. If you find it loses strength over time you could try keeping it out a week periodically and give it feedings to get back up to strength. The fridge is a bit of a hostile environment over time, but a good way to keep baking and not have to feed every day!
You can save it up throughout the week in the fridge, then use it in a discard recipe (waffles, pancakes, banana bread): www.theperfectloaf.com/my-top-3-leftover-sourdough-starter-recipes/
@@theperfectloaf I am a single woman who bakes once a week. I do not have time to do more. I do not eat pancakes, banana bread and stuff like that. I just like good old sourdough bread -- and one loaf lasts me a week. So, can I feed once a week and still have strong starter?
@@prajnabala I find I get best results out of my starter if I feed it once a day and keep it on the counter. However, you can use the refrigerator between bakes to slow things down. Check out my schedule, here: www.theperfectloaf.com/weekend-baking-schedule/ There is definitely a way to make this work for you 🙂
Hi Maurizio, I recently purchased your new book and am loving it. Chock full of great information. Will definitely require a second and third reading to take it all in. Great job! I have a question about your comment regarding the benefit of using white flour in your starter. You mentioned that using some allows you to observe the progress of the starter more easily. Can you please elaborate on that? Why is that and is it more difficult when you use a higher percentage of rye, whole wheat, etc.? Thank you.
So glad you're enjoying my book, John! Yes, lots in there 🙂 So with white flour, I use some in my starter because it's excellent gas-trapping characteristics helps displays the signs of aeration, rise, and general fermentation really well. Other flours do this as well, but white flour helps specifically that way, plus, it's cheaper (usually), too! There's nothing wrong with using more ww or rye, though, it's all personal preference there. Do keep in mind, though, that more whole grains will speed up fermentation. Happy baking!
First time doing this. I feed the starter once at 24 hours. So, after day 2 it doubled in size, the same after day 3, but after day 4 it was no growth. It means it died? It was ready to bake after the first growth? How many days I have to feed until is ready?
It’s normal to see a burst of activity in the beginning (possibly with lots of bubbles) only to see a decline the day(s) after. Stick with the starter creation process of feeding and discarding and it will eventually take hold. That initial activity is most likely a bacteria we don’t want to stick around in the long run, it will eventually die off when the bacteria/yeast we do want acidifies the culture to the point where other bacteria cannot survive. If your kitchen is on the cold side try warming the water you’re using to feed your starter. If you have a thermometer, try to get the water around 80°F. Keep with it and it will eventually come around!
Your videos have been so helpful. Please keep sharing. It's much appreciated! Is there a video of how to make a starter day by day? I like.your rye/AP combo. My starter is 3 days in and I've been using sprouted stone milled rye but I think I've messed up somewhere already 😅 there's too many methods and I've lost the plot here. Can i discard and carry on from where this video starts or do i need a proper active starter?
Thank you! Working on a starter creation video right now, stay tuned :) I have my full starter creation method, here (you can print it, too): www.theperfectloaf.com/7-easy-steps-making-incredible-sourdough-starter-scratch/ You can discard and carry on with this video with whatever starter you currently have.
@@theperfectloaf after I posted that I saw your link 🤭 oops. It was so helpful! And i did switch ober to your day 3 portions and will continue with your method. Today already it looks so much better! It actually rose today
Mine have been smelling like buttermilk for the past few months and I’m in love 😂 But I wonder why mine never triples.?? Even when I feed it twice a day for a week or so
Hah! That's a good aroma, I'd say. It's ok if it doesn't double or triple, that's mostly a factor of your flour and hydration. As long as you're seeing strong signs of fermentation each day, you're good 🙂
I have but only at about 5% to total flour... Depending on how much barley flour you're using, you won't get as much rise as with wheat, which has better protein/gluten properties.
So hard to say! If need more information (how long between feedings? What flour? Temp?). The answer is, though, either will work if used at the right time. 😊
Thank you! You won’t have that much discard following my method. You’ll end up having around 150g. I bake so often here and that’s the perfect amount for me to make a Levain to bake with every morning and/or evening. If you don’t want to bake, you can save the discarded starter in the fridge and use it in a discard recipe at any time.
This is awesome. I’m trying to switch over to fresh milled flour for sourdough bread (really all baking). Do you have any videos or recipes for fresh milled?
Michael, first, thanks so much for the message and for picking up my cookbook! Unfortunately, yes, there's a small error there on page 34. Follow the ratios and weights on page 34/35 under the Day 3/Day 4 headings instead of the numbers in the chart for days 4, 5, and 6. The chart has a typo there for those weights. So for days 4, 5, and 6, the ingredients in the jar should be: 75g carryover 50g rye flour 50g white flour 115g water The same as days 2 and 3. Again, terribly sorry for the confusion. Please let me know if you have any more questions, and I hope you enjoy my book!
Hey Maurizio i’ve been making sourdough for about a little over a year now and my sourdough starter has come along quite well I feed it daily The one question I have for you is I’ve used the same two vessels to keep my starter in since I started it a little over a year ago and I never have cleaned them do you think that’s a problem? I’ve never had any issues and I know back in the day on the trails they probably didn’t clean it much themselves that’s why I haven’t any opinions? Love your channel love your Instagram great advice always thanks for what you do I’ve learned a lot.
Hey, Joe! Should be ok as long as you don't see any mold anywhere. I typically clean my jar every 2 wks or so (I should have included this in the video!) or once it gets super crusted over. But yeah, I know other bakers who keep it as clean as they can and really never wash them.
Oh man guys. I’m so OCD I guess. I do my feedings in a separate little bowl, and wash out my weck jar every single time. I can’t hang with mixing in the jar and having it on the sides at all. 😂😂😂
I made my starter, it lasted for like a year but then suddenly i still dk what happened to it, the acidity was all gone, the good fermenty smells all gone and it just smelt very very bad, but there was no signs of mould etc... I still took a risk and added it to my idli batter (its a south indian fermented lentil and rice dish) and it also tasted exactly like the bad smell, fortunately i didnt get sick after eating a couple of it. Still dk why my starter went bad. Also this was a 100% hydration starter not liquid or solid, and i fed it once or twice a week and kept it in my fridge. Ive seen chain bakers video (you might know him) and he had kept his starter i think outside for a whole month and still it was fine. My theory is either my flour was somehow infested or my water, or something somehow went wrong, maybe the spoon i used to mix werent clean etc.
Oh gosh, so sorry to hear about all of this!! Usually if the acidity is at a high enough level in your starter there's very little chance bad bacteria can come in.
Once you're seeing reliable rise and fall, you can feed it however you'd like or use it to bake with! Here's how I feed mine: www.theperfectloaf.com/how-do-i-feed-my-sourdough-starter/
Generally, I find most people dont let their starter ripen enough and use it too early. You're probably letting it go longer and letting it develop more flavor!
We are novices to making bread. Actually we have only made one loaf so far which was Ezekiel bread. Sourdough starter does sound interesting but I am not even sure what the reason for it is. We do make Kefir so I assume that principle is the same. Can sourdough starter be made for one loaf at a time. We do not eat that much bread. Actually we do not eat that much food. Eva
A starter is the same principle as your kefir grains, it's what seeds fermentation in new dough. You need to maintain one to make bread. But the good news is, you can use your refrigerator to store your starter when you don't want to make bread. First step, make a starter: www.theperfectloaf.com/7-easy-steps-making-incredible-sourdough-starter-scratch/
Thanks for the info. Am.i correct to say that making and maintaining sourdough is for those who bake often? For a single who does not consume that much bread what do you recommend? I am psychic ginger myself to attempt sourdough but I bake😮 very infrequently. Help!
Is my sourdough starter any worth using if I'm getting as you describe in you video as a nail polish smell from it? Great videos, great insight to the art of sourdough. Thanking you in advance Leonard
Hi, Maurizio.....you mentioned that you mill your flour! Can you recommend a good grain mill that would be long-lasting and do an excellent job? I am grateful for your kind reply! Thanks! 😋
Hi, I'm new to sourdough baking and your videos have been super helpful! I was wondering if there is any downside to just using your ripe starter for baking rather than making a levain?
Yes that works, too! I have a guide to this schedule over at my website. Basically I take it out one or two days before I want to use the starter to give it a few feedings. After using it, feed it and pop it back in.
Don't have a sourdough starter? Check out my guide, here: www.theperfectloaf.com/7-easy-steps-making-incredible-sourdough-starter-scratch/
Do you keep it on the counter all the time or do you have to put in the fridge!?
@@marigoldtrimborn697 counter and warm!
Okay! You’re the first person to explain so well, the hydration percentages of flour and water ratio for the starter.
Thank you :)
Good info! I've left my starter in the fridge for over 60 days with no feedings.. When I want to bake I create a levain using a 5 to 1 ratio of flour & water to starter. I usually have to feed it 3 times to get it ready to bake and super lively. This way I don't have all of the discard to deal with. I will start a levain of 10 g of starter, 50 g of H2O and flour (rye & AP) flour and do this 3 times or until the starter can double in 6-8 hours. There are many ways to deal with a starter to make good bread.
Thanks! You're absolutely right, so many ways to maintain a starter and make great bread. I think the longest I've gone in the fridge is 3 weeks without any issue. When I'm gone for longer periods, I'll usually dehydrate my starter for storage. I should do some trials with longer rests in the fridge and see if my particular culture can hack it! Thanks for the comments and happy baking 🙂
If I’m not getting to my discard, I’ll just give it a good feeding before returning it back to its home in the fridge. 😂
Just get a waffle iron
Thank you! I got my starter from my sister in law on Christmas and it’s just been so busy I have kept it in the fridge. Would you say I could get it back to life?
@@PaytonWarden-gn9qw No problem at all. Feed 10 grams of starter with 40 grams of H2O and flour three timess over 2-3 days and let it double in under 8 hours and bake with it. I freeze dried my startter in 2010 and brought it back to life in 2019 and have been baking with it 3 times a month since.
Hi, Maurizio! My wife gave me your book as a Christmas gift (was on my wishlist). I’ve been sourdough baking for 3 years, starting just before the pandemic hit. I always try to up my baking game. Your book hits all of the points to escalate my baking to a higher level. The science of sourdough baking, the technique, the art and the recipes in the book are spot on! Thank you.
Amazing, Scott! Thanks so much for coming here and for the comment, I just love hearing this-and it's precisely why I do all I do. I hope you continue to enjoy the book and keep in touch! Happy baking 🙂
I always feed my starter with 1:1:1 ratio. I like to be able to build my dough a few short hours later. But this was good to understand that I could use less carryover on a night feeding to have levain ready to go 12 hours later when I wake. I’ve never heard the ratios explained this way. Thanks!
So glad it's helped you! Yes, with a 1:1:1:, it will ripen very quickly, if at a warm temp (like 74-76F), that'll ripen in 3-4 hours in my experience.
This is a very helpful video, so thanks for that! I live in the Pacific Northwest where it’s cold and damp 9 months out of 12, and my house is always on the cooler side, typically 64 degrees, which is a bit cold to leave my starter on the counter after its once a week feeding. I feed at a 1:1:1 ratio, using half whole wheat, half white AP flours. I warm my oven slightly for two minutes on the warm mode then turn it off and turn the light on. I place my fed starter in the warm oven, where it typically takes about 4 to 6 hours for it to reach maximum rise before it deflates. After that, it goes back into the fridge for another week because I don’t bake too often. 3 days before I do bake, I pull it out and feed twice a day to rev it up, leaving it on the counter between feedings after 4 hours in a slightly warm oven, where it rises and falls. One thing I’ve never had a good grasp on is exactly when I should use part of the starter in whatever recipe I’m using. Do I measure out the required amount at its peak rise, somewhere between 4 and 6 hours, and mix the dough? Is it the same when building a levain, measuring out what I need at peak rise, build the levain, leave it out for 12 hours or whatever then use it in my recipe?
Your approach sounds exactly like what I'd do, Nancy. With regards to when to use your starter, use it when it's at its peak ripeness (this doesn't necessarily mean peak height) to feed or use that to make a levain. When it's at its most ripe, it's the point where bacteria and yeast numbers are the greatest, which is what you want to start with when making a levain.
Thank you so much for posting this. I live in PNW and I was wondering how to keep it warm in our cold weather.
Really enjoyed the video!
I have to say I'm not a very good parent to my starter. I haven't baked (or fed) in probably 4-5 months so I just pulled my starving starter out of the fridge and fed it to bake this week. It always bounces right back after a long rest which I think is amazing.
When I was baking weekly last year I kept it out on the counter all week without feeding and just fed a couple times before each bake and it did really well. I only bake 100% whole grain that I mill at home. Maybe the freshly milled rye and wheat flour helps even though I'm not the best at keeping a regular feeding schedule.
I'll give it a little love and try out a daily feeding schedule for a while. Looking forward to more of your videos!
Thanks, Jeff! In the end, it really comes down to whatever works for you and your starter. Most starters are similar, but I've chatted with bakers who bake great bread feeding less than I do, but I do find a consistent schedule to really help elevate the results. Give it a shot and let me know how it goes!
Thanks. Well said. Right now, I'm playing with refrigerated, "pasta madre" starter using rye. Like you mentioned, starter, especially rye, is very resilient. I maintain only 60 grams to minimize discard. It takes some planning before a bake to awaken and build it back but that's part of the fun. The final result makes the labor worth it. Learning your flours is a lot of the process. Thanks again.
Interesting! How do you feel the rye has helped the PM? What I love is there are so many ways to do all this 😀
Using the discard for other baked goods is a really useful way to use up discard, I personally love discard crackers they are the best in the world.
Thank you Maurizio. Because of you, my starter is 2 years old now✌
Ahh that’s fantastic to hear! Happy baking 😀
At least on my end - the viewer, the sound is not synced with your movement. It's a tad bit off. As always, the knowledge you share in invaluable!
Yup, you're right. Early filming issues. Sorry about that!
An issue which confuses me is that advice throughout the net and books say if you take if you take say 100 g of starter from your mother starter then you add back 100g flour plus 100g water ie 100g out but 200g in . Why not 50g flour plus 50g water ie taking 100g out and replacing it with 100g? That confuses me
There's a lot of advice out there for many different ways to maintain your starter... The method I show here is how I've come to do it over the past decade, and have made countless loaves with this starter! So there's not *right* way to do things, just however you prefer.
For me, I leave about 20g of starter in the jar at each feeding. That means I scoop out and use or discard the rest. Then I add 100g flour and 100g water. That feeding will last 12 hours before I have to do it again.
For those who do not like to waste flour there are different ways. When my starter goes into the fridge it weighs only about 1 gram. I use a very small 6 or 8 dram, grade 5, plastic medicine vial. Usually every 3 days I pull this vial out of the fridge to feed it- 2 ml water, 2g flour, mix with a chopstick, and bring it to rise during the day. Then, overnight I build the starter, using 5g ripe starter, 10ml water, 10 g flour, @ 68F, or 20C. Next morning, I feed 20g ripe starter, 40 ml water, 40 grams flour for your leaven. If your starter is healthy, it will rise a 30-50% increase in just 2 to 2 1/2 hours @ 80F, or 27C. It's ready to use. I'm only saving a few grams at a time in a separate small vial, just for backup. For the final leaven build I use a 250 ml grade 5 plastic beaker. Everything is straight sided, easy to clean, and non-breakable. I don't always do it this way, but, it's a way that will build a very healthy starter and not waste but a few grams of flour. It goes against my grain all the waste in this world.
Fantastic, Barry. Yes, you really only need a small bit of the culture to keep it going. I find for beginners it helps to have a slightly larger starter to learn the signs and get into a routine, but after that, dropping down certainly works. And I love your use of lab equipment!
Thank you! Now I have less guilt about my adjusting ratios and sometimes feeding twice a day vs. once a day. Your info is always excellent!
Ha ha, yes, definitely should be guilt free, we give our starter plenty of time as it is! I always like to say, our starter should be working for us, not the other way around.
I’ve been making sourdough bread for the last few weeks with mixed results. I find your tutorials very helpful thanks.
Happy to help, Paul!
I have been baking sourdough bread for 5 years and i also use mix of rye and white flour for starter
It just works so well!
Great video Maurizio, thank you for making it! Looking forward to more videos on here, your presentation is fantastic and your insight is unparalleled. Thank you!
Appreciate that, MacLean! More videos coming 🙂
I just found your channel. This is the absolute best how-to guide I have found on making sourdough starter, video or article, that I have found since toying with the idea of making sourdough breads 3 weeks ago. Thank you for the thorough explanation!
Wow, thank you!
Maurizio, i have followed your baking since i first started 5 years ago and have found your writings invaluable in my journey and again amazed and thankful of the free and open sharing you provide and indeed as provided by so many others around the world. Great video so full of answers to the questions that have plagued me for years. And now I know that the feeding “discard” if regular is the start of the next levain. Thank you.
Thanks for all the comments, Leslie! Happy to help. So great to hear you’ve followed along for such a long while and have been baking! Have fun and enjoy 😊
I am quite encouraged to "roll" into making my own bread now. Thanks Maurizio.
You can do it!
This information is spot on, I cannot thank you enough. I understand so much more. You are a fantastic teacher, clear, concise, and calm.
You're so welcome and thank you Lisa!
Is there any reason besides personal scheduling preference for why one would want their starter to ripen slower or faster, ripening at a cold temp vs a warm temp? Is there a change in starter strength or taste depending on those variables? For example, I’ve noticed that my starter has the largest rise and activity level on the first feed I give it after taking it out of cold storage in the fridge (typically leaving it for a week or two). Any reason why that seems to be the case?
Mostly it's scheduling, though, I personally get better flavor and starter performance when it's kept at a warmer temperature and fed regularly. I'm not sure why you're seeing that initial boost of activity, but for me, I prefer warm, frequent feedings.
Hi Maurizio, do you have video by any chance how to start creating your own starter? Thank you!
No video (will make one soon), but here's my handy guide over at my website: www.theperfectloaf.com/7-easy-steps-making-incredible-sourdough-starter-scratch/
Thank you for all of this great information. The hydration percentages I have found to be somewhat mysterious, but your explanation clarified it for me.
You’re welcome! I have a guide to bakers percentages over at my website, but plan to do a video here, too.
Hey Maurizio! Thanks so much for this. It's great to see you and hear you - your expertise, reassurance and warmth really comes through. Keep making more of these, please!
thanks, I appreciate that! More coming 🙂
This is about the only time I don’t agree with your instructions. I kept waiting for suggestions for those who bake every week or 2. I’ve maintained my Starter in the refrigerator since 2017. I feed it every 10 days or so. If I haven’t baked in quite a while, then I will feed on the counter a day or so, 12 hours apart. However, when I create Levain, it’s usually at peak after 6-8 hours. I generally start with 30grams starter to create levain. The purpose of looking at this video was to see if it might be helpful for some friends who are just getting started and will bake with less frequency. I’m afraid this would not help them. However there is definitely useful information here.
Yes, this is most useful for those baking more often, as I do. You can absolutely use the fridge to slow things down and stretch out feedings, I do this when necessary, too. I talk about this a bit on my storing a starter post: www.theperfectloaf.com/store-sourdough-starter/
Thank you Marurizio, , I’ve learned so much from your recipes and videos. I’ve been baking for 4yrs now but it’s lifelong and ongoing experiment trying different ways of making and learning different techniques in making different types of breads. . You explain things very clearly and slowly. Your one of my favourite teachers. There are so many bakers that make videos that are not good at explaining thoroughly because I started out with some of those videos and made many mistakes…so I thank you for teaching me the right way and helping me understand the mistakes.
Makes me happy to heave I've helped you, Janet! Here's to another 4 years of awesome baking 🙂 Also, lots more videos coming from me here!
Amazingly detailed video with super insight! You did a great job covering the basics and giving people a good idea how to develop their own intuition with feeding and using their sourdough! Thank you for putting together such a comprehensive video!
Thank you!
I am going on holiday for two weeks,what happens to my sourdough starter?
You can keep it in the fridge! Give it a feeding, let it sit out for 1 hour, then put it into the fridge, covered.
Here's a walkthrough: www.theperfectloaf.com/store-sourdough-starter/
Thank you so much.I have learnt so much from you.
How long should it take from start to finish? What time of day should I start? Is there a way to proof overnight and bake in the morning?
You can make a loaf of sourdough in half a day Id say, or longer, I prefer proofing overnight in the refrigerator for more flavor and crust color! Here's a good step by step: www.theperfectloaf.com/beginners-sourdough-bread/
Hi . Such a soothing voice thank you for this video. 😊
thank you 🙂
In praise gratitude and compassion
🙏🏼
I have a bread book that is well over 40+ years old. I have made the sour dough starter from this which was milk, flour, and yogurt. I am amazed yours is just water and flour! Do I need to be more careful about leaving it out?
Book is from sunset cook book of breads. Helped me when I lived in Venezuela and wanted regular sandwich bread that didn’t have mold on it! Lol
Hey there, Janelle! Awesome you have that book, I'd love to read through that. Yes, milk is not needed to keep your starter healthy, it only requires water and the "food" in flour. If I were you, I'd probably leave out the milk, I would be a bit concerned about having that sit out on my counter for 24 hours!
I still use it a lot! It has a great history to the starter. When not using it stays in fridge but the first 7 days or so it was in a very hot garage! Summer in Kansas. Let me know if I can send it somehow to you!
Best is the sour dough pancakes or waffles! There are numerous sourdough recipes. My favorite is the one I use left over mashed potatoes!
@@janellelarson945 Mashed potatoes, wow now that's a new one! I make sourdough waffles just about every weekend-so good.
They say in recipe to use instant but had had left over mashed and have always used those here is the recipe
1pkg yeast
5.5-6 ap flour
1/4 c sugar
2tsp salt
2 servings instant mashed potatoes (made up per instructions ) why I use fresh left overs
3/4 milk
1/4 c butter melted and cooled
2 eggs
1 c starter at room temp
1 egg white beaten with 2 tbl water
Poppy seeds.
Large bowl yeast, 2 c flour, sugar, salt.
prepared mashed potatoes, then stir in cooled butter, milk, eggs, starter stir until blended
Add wet with dry ingredients and mix with mixer for 2 minutes.
Add 1.5 c of remaining flour and beat at medium speed for 2 minutes longer.
With spoon mix in enough flour to form stiff dough about 1.5 c
Turn out on floured board, knead until smooth 5-20 minutes. Add flour as needed
Turn dough over in greased bowl until double.
Punch down dough, knead briefly to release air, divide in half make round or BRAID Each half. (I love the braid it is so fluffy and beautiful)
Cover and let rise again 45min.
Brush with egg mix and sprinkle with poppy seeds
Bake 350 F for about 35 min
Hope you enjoy. With soup is a real winner
Some other sourdough recipes in this book
Whole wheat pan bread
Cornmeal
Sour rye
Classic french
Whole grain English muffins
Regular English muffins
Crepes
oatmeal pancakes
Pancake/waffle , buckwheat , blueberry pancakes,
History of early pioneers they guarded the ingredients of their starter. Only shared with worthy friends.
It says science has said it is not yeast but harmless bacteria that are naturally present in raw milk. The forms of the bacteria essential for sourdough fermentation are also present in products like aged cheddar cheese, cultured buttermilk, And yogurt
i think about building a good sourdough starter like the selective breeding we do in agriculture with any other plant or domestic animal. with a wild sourdough, youre trying to select for the the yeast and bacteria which most rapidly metabolize the flour and divide. thats why the frequency of feeding and the ratio of old starter to fresh flour and water is important. the more frequently we feed the starter and the less of the old starter we leave when feeding, the more strongly we select for yeast and bacteria that can super quickly break down the flour and multiply. if we feed infrequently, theres no need for the starter to have a lot of rapid metabolizers in order tk consume all the food we give it. still, theres probably a ton of dimishing returns when we get to the extremes of feeding ratios and frequency. and at some point, going for the bubbliest, funkiest starter possibly probably doesn’t help the end product much more anyways.
To a degree, yes, but you're also overlooking the speed at which bacteria and yeast multiply and metabolize. By changing the feeding frequency, we're also affecting the balance between the two.
Good evening Maurício ( It is night here in BRAZIL: I live in the state of MINAS GERAIS ; Land of the famous PÃO DE QUEIJO ) I finally found a website that gave me a very clear vision of what it is to make bread...And why don't you create one online course ??? I saw that you have an academic background in soft (so why not create a course that can have subtitles in other languages and that has Brazilian Portuguese ...🤔🤓 ) Here in BRAZIL there are platforms and I know you've thought about it before, more just wanted to "reinforce" the idea, so you can have one more teaching tool... And thank you very much CHEF !!!
Thanks so much for the comments! Glad o my site has helped. I've been working on a course, I'm currently looking to offer it up to members at my site (so it'll be included in the yearly membership). Coming soon! www.theperfectloaf.com/membership/
This a great video...everything I expect... concise, yet detailed......no wasted time. THANK YOU!
Happy baking 🙂
If you are at a point where you don't want to or don't need the started, can you put it in the refrigerator and then take it out and feed it and reactivate it for baking???
Yes, absolutely! Check out my guide, here: www.theperfectloaf.com/store-sourdough-starter/
Thank you so much!! your explanation about sourdough starter has been so clear and good, and also very helpful. Thanks again!!!
You're welcome, I'm glad it's helped!
So you do not do 1:1:1 like 40g sourdough starter, 40gwater and 40g flour? (Using white whole wheat? So confuse because I was advised 1/4 cup sourdough 1/4cup flour 3 tablespoons water but when weighed the G are all over
No, I don't typically feed 1:1:1, which ripens very fast at average room temp, around 3-5 hours. But there are many ways to maintain your starter! If that works for you and your bread turns out great, it might be a good move. If you want a full written walkthrough of how I feed, check out this post: www.theperfectloaf.com/how-do-i-feed-my-sourdough-starter/
Love that you're doing some more videos! I've been following some other channels since I started three months ago and love having another good source. Love your blog too! Eventually here I'll become a member. Thank you for everything you share!
Thanks, Justin! More videos coming 🙂
Michael, thank you for your wealth of information on a beginner’s sourdough journey! I began making my starter this week. One day 2, it bubbled and rose twice it’s initial size. It stated inflated with lots of bubbles for several hours. I fed again on day 3 and had no rise, but a few bubbles on the top. Today is day 4 and I fed it this morning using your recommended amounts, still no rise, and not a lot of bubbling happening. I have been keeping it in my oven with temps around 75-80 degrees. Should I keep the course and hopefully it will liven back up?
You're very welcome! (And I think you mean "Maurizio" 🙂). It’s normal to see a burst of activity in the beginning (possibly with lots of bubbles) only to see a decline the day(s) after. Stick with the starter creation process of feeding and discarding and it will eventually take hold. That initial activity is most likely a bacteria we don’t want to stick around in the long run, it will eventually die off when the bacteria/yeast we do want acidifies the culture to the point where other bacteria cannot survive.
If your kitchen is on the cold side try warming the water you’re using to feed your starter. If you have a thermometer, try to get the water around 80°F.
Keep with it and it will eventually come around!
A problem I continue to have is the temperature in my house. There is no location where the temperature is in the 70’s. It always runs cooler. I would be so appreciative of suggestions to overcome this predicament and a simple remedy.
I mention it a bit in the video, the easiest thing to do is use warmer water when you feed your starter. A dough proofer also helps, or you can keep it in your microwave or oven (with a note to not turn it on) after you feed it with warm water to keep it warm.
Ive found only feeding once daily for me results in a less active starter. I always leave my starter out when baking and feeding twice daily. Summer time the starter ripens too quickly so I adjust using just minimal scraps of the ripe carry over. Some people add colder water to help adjust proofing times. When I bake I try not to wait the entire 12 hours after feeding. Most times the peak rise happens within 6 hours and most active. Different cultures will ripen faster or slower than others. Everything is relative to knowing your starter, the time it takes in your environment for peak use. Consistency is most imprtant to get repeatable results.
I think you just summed up my entire video there 🙂
@@theperfectloaf I like your page. Keep going.
If I choose to feed my sourdough starter only once per day and decide to do so in the evening…..does that mean I can use the starter straight out of the jar for my recipe? This is all so new to me and a bit confusing still 😂
I’m on day 6 of building my sourdough starter and can’t wait to use it!!! I’ve asked Santa for your book 😊
Thank you so much for the detailed information. I have questions about the water temperatures. Many videos, including yours, refer to using cooler, room-temperature water for feeding the starter. I am a beginner.
Would you tell me the temperatures that you use for your starter?
what temperature is "cooler" water
what temperature is "warmer" water
what temperature is "room temperature"
You mentioned this in this video. because the two-feeding schedule gives you two opportunities one of them is to make the levain that "ripens quickly throughout the day" and use it to mix directly into a batch of dough. What is the% of starter you are referring to make the levain ripen quickly if I want to make the bread using morning feedings? and how long does it take for it to "ripen quickly" if I use the Brod & Taylor proofer for the levain to ripen?
I know you said it's not written in stone and lots of variables. but I do like to know how/what you use for your specific recipe to use it as a "standard" starting point and then go from there.
your book/video/blog are all detailed and I really appreciate that, if you could add the info when you update your blog on water temperature and Brod & Taylor proofer temperature for your specific recipe that would be great for people like me trying to learn and use your recipes. thanks again!
Hey, Austin! In every recipe I list the "final dough temperature (FDT)", that's the temperature your dough should be at the end of mixing, right at the beginning of bulk fermentation. I dont list what the water temp should be because it really depends on what temperature your kitchen is at! If it's cool, you'll need to warm the water more. In my book I have a sample calculation to run to determine all these temperatures, and most importantly, what to heat/cool the mixing water to so you reach the FDT.
Here's more:
www.theperfectloaf.com/the-importance-of-dough-temperature-in-baking/
I really liked this video, Marrizio. It is very informative to many of us that has just begun making bread. Thank you.
You're welcome, Travis, glad it helped!
Thank you for this information. If I started with whole wheat flour can I start adding rye flour?
Yes you can!
I love that you put this video together as much as I enjoy watching your bakes! Thank you. Question please: when you refresh your starter the second time of day (in the evening) do you again discard all but 20g (the 20% recover) and add 100 g flour 100 g water? I’ve been using a ratio of 1:2 (example 20g starter to 40g water 40g flour) which is much less than you and only once a day. Mostly to save money on flour. Does this compromise my starter?
Hey there! Thanks, I appreciate that. Yes, the second refresh is the same as the first (same water, flour, carryover starter). I'd probably do 2x a day with your ratios, assuming your kitchen is warm (72-74F). If you notice your starter is very liquidy and loose when you go to refresh it, it might be a sign it needs another feeding.
Another option is to leave less starter in the jar. Instead of your 20g, try 10g.
It's always a goog thing to look at the starter as a living being cause 20% carryover is like having 20 people and giving them a 100 sandwiches. Everyone has to eat 5. They'll go through them pretty fast in a 1:5:5 ratio (1 part starter : 5 parts flower : 5 parts water). In a 5% carryover it's just 5 people eating the 100 sandwiches and it's gonna take some time, so it'll rippen slower with a 1:20:20 ratio.
I bake during the weekend cause I work all day and once a week is all I can manage. I feed it a big ratio and keep it in the fridge so it both has a LOT of food to go through AND the cooler temps slow it down so by the next weekend it's not all hungry and sour, it's just finished eating and ready for more. I can't use that much flour every single day without baking and simply eating the discarded dough every single day, I'd go bankrupt and nuts :D
Wise words and I love this analogy for a sourdough starter! Yes, I totally understand the need to reduce feedings/flour/water if you're not using it as frequently as I do-makes sense!
@@theperfectloaf Thanks for giving us all this info, your texts got me into sourdough years ago cause they had details a noob needs to make it work and they were as no-nonsense and to the point like these videos.
It was the first time I ever heard of different flours and protein levels and stuff, cause I live in a tiny country where we're used to seeing fine, coarse and "bread" flour and that was pretty much it up until a few years ago when rye and whole wheat etc. started appearing.
A week ago I received a packet of the San Francisco starter and it's just finished it's activation period today so tomorrow it's show time - I got the dinner rolls in my sights, as well as those bomboloni and and and... :D
I could never go back, sourdough bread you bake at home is an entirely different universe than store bought bread so there.. you're changing lives a world over!
@@SarcastSempervirens You're very welcome! I really appreciate the kind words and feedback, so glad to hear I've been able to help 🙂 Hope the dinner rolls and everything else turn out awesome for ya-happy baking!
Hello Maurizio, thank you for the ongoing sharing. I'm a long-time follower and have learned much from you. My suggestion/request would be how do you recommend calculating how much starter to use in a formula? I've seen anything from 50 grams to 200 grams. What percentage in bakers math do you use? Would it be different for a stiff starter versus this one you shared?
Thanks again, congratulations on all the success. I'm looking forward to your book. Best wishes.
Hey, Steve! Great suggestions, I'll add this to my list of things to record. Lots of variables there to take into account, but I agree, a video on how I go about developing a recipe in this way would be a great explainer. I hope you love the book (thx for preordering!) and happy baking 🙂
@Steve Sheffield, General rule is 20% of flour used, however, it could be more or less due to other variables. For instance, I do a long bulk ferment overnight, room temp about 68F, so I use 10-15% with an active starter.
I don't look anywhere near as much into it. I chuck half out or bake with it. Pour a bit of flour back in and make it stirrable but still thick and that's it. It's working. I'm not a master but I make nice bread
Sounds great to me!
Can Einkhorn flour be used and if so any changes needed?
Yes, absolutely! No changes, really, you can use it for all the white flour if you'd like. Know that einkorn will likely not show the same signs (large bubbles, tall rise) as you see in a starter with more white flour (modern wheat), but that's okay, as long as you still see the other signs of fermentation!
Hi! What if I'm a weekend baker? Do I still feed my starter everyday with such a high ratio, which creates a large amount of discard. My normal feeding schedule is once a week if I don't bake that week and keep it in the fridge; and I'd feed 2-3 consecutive days before my baking day. My question is how can I strengthen my starter? My starter normally rises to double with a ratio of 1:1:1 for longer than 4-5 hours @20-24C. When I build my levain for baking, it just manages to rise to double with a ratio of 1:5:5 for 12 hours, so I'm thinking if my starter is not strong enough. I look forward to your advice. Thanks.
You're doing exactly as I would. If you want to bake only once a week or so, then keep it in the fridge, take it out 2 days before you want to use it, give it a couple of feedings, then use it once it's showing signs it's strong. Here's how I do it: www.theperfectloaf.com/weekend-baking-schedule/
Can you please tell us your original starter recipe I looked at the videos that you have on your channel and I see how you add to it and make different breads but no original starting starter I would like your starter recipe whether you start with just flour and water or if you start with a packet of yeast please let me know I’m a newbie sourdough person thank you I enjoy your videos because they are so thoroughly educating with all types of things that add to our confidence and end result please reply
I'm working on a video for this, but it's all here in my article, too:
www.theperfectloaf.com/7-easy-steps-making-incredible-sourdough-starter-scratch/
Thank you for sharing! Always appreciate your content.
You're very welcome, Melinda!
Hi, I am on day 10 and realized that i've been putting in 115g of water every feeding ( plus 30g of whole wheat and 70g of all purpose). I've never seen the starter rise double with all the bubbles (from the rubberband) It is only a few cm above the rubberband every 12 hours and it has a really strong gross smell, kind of like stanky feet (I'm looking for the sour sweet smell) If I continue on and make the switch to 100g of water, will this rectify my situation? Thanks!
I realized that when I was on Day 7 i believe (when it changed to 30g ww and 70g all purpose) I didn't change the water from 115g to 100g. Is this salvageable?
Yes, I'd drop the water, it'll help stiffen it up and may slow fermentation a bit too!
Thanks Mauricio.
Watching your video, your starter seems to have a gooey nature, where the spatula stretches it, lots of strength.
I only experience this in the first few days if starting from dry starter, when I only feed it white flour.
My current mix is 5g starter, 10g white flour, 15g whole rye, 100% hydration.
In a proofing box, at 23-24°C.
After about 12hrs, the mixture about triples in size and I like to refeed it right around the time when its crown starts to collapse. The smell at that time is acidic and the moment I stick the spatula in (or bang it on the table), the starter collapses completely. "Weak" comes to mind...
I tried playing with starter amount (down to 3g) and more hydration (120%). No noticeable difference.
The resulting. Bread tastes nice and sour (your beginner or spelt/rye) but doesn't rise. Just a little more than a German whole rye loaf...
What do you suggest I experiment with next?
Thanks
Hey there! It might be that it's fermenting too long and because there's a lot of rye flour, it won't have the same extensibility and strength as a mostly-white flour starter. That should be just fine, though. For me, I try to use my starter/levain when it's very ripe like this-more flavor! If you want to bring more strength to it, try feeding a little earlier, or drop the rye percentage a bit (I usually do around 15-25% to total flour in starter).
@@theperfectloaf Thanks Mauricio. I'll try that . Also just spoke with my flour supplier. Turns out that their "organic" white flour is bleached! That might be another reason. They are delivering a new batch. This time the same floor they use for their 9wn sourdough bakery. Will keep you posted
@@JeanRobertStrele yikes!! LMK how it goes with the new flour
Hello Maurizio,
So, the supplier delivered unbleached bread flour (Free of charge!) and I started over. And I'm happy to report that all is back to normal. 4g of starter, 15g of whole rye 10g of bread flour, 25g of filtered rain water, kept at 23-24°C. It cycles nicely in about 12hrs.
I tried reversing the rye/white, but I wasn't getting the same rise.
I'll try baking this week.
Thanks for the tips!
If you use rye flour for the starter but whole wheat flour for your “best sourdough recipe”, when do you then change to whole wheat instead of rye? Is it just when you build the levain or do you have to start feeding the starter using whole wheat flour one or two times before building the levain?
You can just do the change immediately in the levain, no need to "ramp up" the starter with a new flour.
@@theperfectloaf okay, thanks! Do you think it makes a difference in the final bread to be using rye to feed the starter with, even though the levain is built using whole wheat? Im just wondering because it would be more simple to only use whole wheat and bread flour for everything (starter/levain/bread dough)
@@nikolajhansen15 no, honestly I don't think so. The starter, in the end, will be a very, very small percentage of the overall bread dough.
The hertz rate of this video made my Walmart phone feel alive for a moment of it's life.
Improvements were definitely made after filming that one 🙂
I started sourdough using your method, it never changed after day 3 and had it for 15 days and then it died got moldy and like water. I was talking with a friend that uses a different recipe for sourdough and she said she thought it was the water. Does that make a difference the type water? Thanks.
You can use any water that's safe to drink. If you found it got moldy, stir it halfway between refreshments so the top doesn't sit exposed to air for as long.
I’ve followed you a while, but now I know what you look like……..lol. I pretty much follow your method for sourdough. It’s how I learned, but being in FB Bread Groups, a few encourage newbies to use starter right from the fridge. I don’t. I use my starter after it’s fed and rises double or more. I’ve followed Proof bakery also. You might know of them, in AZ. Thank you Maurizio for a great video. Rob in NJ.
Hey, Rob! Yes, the face behind the bread 🙂 I agree, I keep my starter at room temp and use that for baking, I find it's stronger and produces better bread, at least for my starter. I see the fridge as a "hostile" environment, in a way, and my starter needs a bit of room temp time before it's back to full strength. I do know of Proof bakery! Would love to visit them one day. Thx for the comments, Rob, more videos coming. Happy baking!
Do I not need a packet of starter to start? Silly question but do you make everything from scratch or is there some kind of yeast packet to start the whole process with? I am not confused about how to feed just how to make it in the first place. Thanks!
You need to create a starter from scratch (mixing water and flour together for a few days). See my guide here, I go into it all! www.theperfectloaf.com/7-easy-steps-making-incredible-sourdough-starter-scratch/
what kind of jars are you using?
thanks
They are Weck jars, I talk about them here: www.theperfectloaf.com/the-best-jar-for-your-sourdough-starter/
Thank you for the video! If I remember well your recipes mostly use 100% hydration starter, BSD bread for sure. Nowadays, do you prefer to keep 1:5:5 starter like in today's video? Do you think there's a difference in the bread depending on the hydration of starter you use? I keep mine 1:3:3. Excited for your book and more videos! Maybe one on bakers percentage? How to scale down recipe etc.
Thanks for the suggestions! Will definitely do one on baker's %'s. I keep my starter typically at 100% hydration, bumping it up or dropping it to get the consistency I'm after, but it's typically right around there. I keep it these days just how I talk about it in the video!
I bought my starter from King Arthur and have been following their guidelines to ripen it. It is a 1:1:1 ratio. It rises but it falls before I feed it. Is that good or am I doing something wrong?
That's totally fine, though, I usually feed with less ripe starter left in the jar to lengthen the ripening timeline. If it's overly-fermented by the time you go to feed it, leave less starter in the jar. Check out how I do it with more detail, here: www.theperfectloaf.com/how-do-i-feed-my-sourdough-starter/
@@theperfectloaf Okay I checked your post and see what you mean but can you explain over fermenting? I was trying to go every 12 hrs. I fed it at 7am and it is now noon and is has doubled since it n size and it looks great but if I let it go past 7 hrs it will deflate to less than 1 times it original size.
@@kgoelz0103 it'll be just fine. The key is: leave less starter in the jar each time you feed it. That will slow things down considerably. Keep reducing the amount you leave in the jar until it ripens just about when you want to give it a feeding.
@@theperfectloaf so do you think it is ready for me to make bread??? It has been 7 days since I started it. Also, thank you so much for responding and helping this new bread baker out!
@@kgoelz0103 yes it does sound like it's ready. The important thing is you're seeing the same signs of fermentation each day, and it sounds like you're seeing that. Happy to help 🙂
Thanks, Mauritio! :)
I have in my fridge a „High Hydration Sourdough Bread” that I will bake tomorrow! Thanks for that recipe too!
Excellent! I hope it turns out great 🙂
@@theperfectloaf Thanks! Well... not as I expected... :( I don t know, maybe a little over proofed, or the flour (a new pack) did not like so much water. Hope next time will be better!
@@teod.2779 always next time!! Definitely hold back some of that water when mixing, adding it in slowly as the dough looks like it can handle it.
my starter is over 20 years old, and it should have died many times due to neglect, months left unfed in the fridge. I always bring it back and currently it is as strong as it gets. You'd be amazed and its will to survive.
They are incredibly resilient! Mine definitely has seen a few "close calls" and been just fine.
Excellent video, thanks.
You are welcome!
I love the jar that you use for starter, straight sides non-sealing glass lid. Perfect size also. Do you know where I could find one?
Hey, Zach! Yes, these jars are my favorite, I've been using them for more than 10 years. I have them listed on my baking tools page, here: www.theperfectloaf.com/my-baking-tools/
Great info! My starter is 11days old. I do a 1:2:2 ratio and feed at 8am with a temp of 72-74°. From day 9 until today all she does is double in size in 24 hours. That’s it nothing else. When I check her at 8am She is at the same “doubled height” no falling. I don’t understand why she is not growing in a 12 hour period like everyone else’s. I don’t see how I can bake bread. I want to make your recipe but if I’m to create a levain in 4-5 hours (like ur video/recipe) mine takes 24 to double and not get bigger. I sure could use some help. Thank you!😢
It's okay if it's not on the same schedule. If you want it to ripen earlier, leave a little more starter in the jar when you feed it (discard less).
Thanks you were very educational helped me out a lot thanks again
happy baking, Richard!
My 3 day old starter tripled is size on day 4 day 5 struggled to double is size using same recipe 😀
@@richardswain537 It's typical to see a lot of rise in the beginning that tapers off on subsequent days. Keep with the routine and it'll gain strength!
If I add freshly milled rye flour, will my starter be stiffer than a store-bought variety? If so, do I need to add a bit more water? Thank you! Love your book!
Yes, add more water as necessary to achieve your desired consistency. Usually, freshly milled flour needs more water. So happy to hear that, thank you for getting my cookbook! Happy baking 🙂
This is great! Thanks for the fantastic info as usual!
Glad it was helpful!
Hi Maurizio thanks for the starter video. For those of us not baking as much as you - I bake once a week - what do you suggest for starter maintenance? To date I feed my 100% rye starter once a week and keep it in fridge most of the time. To build a levain I use the fridge “mama” and add flours and water as you do. It grows over four hours at 78*F
Hey, Collis. I'd probably keep it in the fridge most of the week if you don't want to feed it every day. If you do want to keep it out, you can switch to 1x a day feedings. If keeping it in the fridge, I'd take it out at least a day before you want to use it for mixing, give it two feedings (one in the morning and one at night), and keep it warm. Should be ready for you to bake with. Then after, give it a feeding, let it sit out 1 hr or so, then into the fridge for the next week.
That’s what I do as well.
Question: why do you feed a ratio of 1:5:5 for only 12 hrs till next feeding? Don’t you only need a 1:3:3 ratio if a healthy starter rises in 3-4 hours?
Because I lengthen the interval a bit and feed every 12 hours, once in the morning and once in the evening. The smaller amount of ripe starter carryover lets it ripen for longer.
Hi! My starter is started from scratch and is now on day 11. She is doubling in about 6-7 hours. I have been feeding 1:1:1 every 12 hours. When I go to feed her at the 12 hour mark she hasn’t fallen back at all. Should I change my ratio? My temp is around 72-77 consistently and I use a 50/50 mix of bread flour and whole wheat. I don’t understand why she is taking long to double and also not falling at all.
Don't worry about your starter not falling, this can happen depending on your flour. I would say after 12 hours it should be ready for a feeding at those temps (though, 72 is a little cool!). As for doubling, you may not see this, again, depending on your flour. This is particularly why I don't like to go by the amount of rise in the starter, but rather all the signs put together.
Let me know if you have more q's, but as long as you're seeing the same signs of fermentation each day (some rise, bubbles, sour aroma, loosening in consistency), it's likely ready for a feeding after 12h.
Excellent video Maurizio. I bake once every week or two. What's the best way to store my sourdough starter? I currently store it in the fridge and two days out from a bake, I will take it out of the fridge leave it at room temperature overnight. Discard some starter then feed it the following morning. Repeat the "discard and feed" the following morning before I use it later in the day to add to the autolyse to prepare for a bake. Is this a sound process? Should I be storing my starter in the fridge but feeding it more regularly? I'm finding my bakes now have less oven spring than when I commenced my sourdough journey (two years ago).
That’s a good approach and what I would do. If you find it loses strength over time you could try keeping it out a week periodically and give it feedings to get back up to strength. The fridge is a bit of a hostile environment over time, but a good way to keep baking and not have to feed every day!
What do you do with the discard? I assume if you back every day this works. But if you do not, then discarding and feeding every days seems wasteful.
You can save it up throughout the week in the fridge, then use it in a discard recipe (waffles, pancakes, banana bread): www.theperfectloaf.com/my-top-3-leftover-sourdough-starter-recipes/
@@theperfectloaf I am a single woman who bakes once a week. I do not have time to do more. I do not eat pancakes, banana bread and stuff like that. I just like good old sourdough bread -- and one loaf lasts me a week. So, can I feed once a week and still have strong starter?
@@prajnabala I find I get best results out of my starter if I feed it once a day and keep it on the counter. However, you can use the refrigerator between bakes to slow things down. Check out my schedule, here: www.theperfectloaf.com/weekend-baking-schedule/
There is definitely a way to make this work for you 🙂
Hi Maurizio, I recently purchased your new book and am loving it. Chock full of great information. Will definitely require a second and third reading to take it all in. Great job! I have a question about your comment regarding the benefit of using white flour in your starter. You mentioned that using some allows you to observe the progress of the starter more easily. Can you please elaborate on that? Why is that and is it more difficult when you use a higher percentage of rye, whole wheat, etc.? Thank you.
So glad you're enjoying my book, John! Yes, lots in there 🙂 So with white flour, I use some in my starter because it's excellent gas-trapping characteristics helps displays the signs of aeration, rise, and general fermentation really well. Other flours do this as well, but white flour helps specifically that way, plus, it's cheaper (usually), too! There's nothing wrong with using more ww or rye, though, it's all personal preference there. Do keep in mind, though, that more whole grains will speed up fermentation. Happy baking!
First time doing this. I feed the starter once at 24 hours. So, after day 2 it doubled in size, the same after day 3, but after day 4 it was no growth. It means it died? It was ready to bake after the first growth? How many days I have to feed until is ready?
It’s normal to see a burst of activity in the beginning (possibly with lots of bubbles) only to see a decline the day(s) after. Stick with the starter creation process of feeding and discarding and it will eventually take hold. That initial activity is most likely a bacteria we don’t want to stick around in the long run, it will eventually die off when the bacteria/yeast we do want acidifies the culture to the point where other bacteria cannot survive.
If your kitchen is on the cold side try warming the water you’re using to feed your starter. If you have a thermometer, try to get the water around 80°F.
Keep with it and it will eventually come around!
Your videos have been so helpful. Please keep sharing. It's much appreciated!
Is there a video of how to make a starter day by day? I like.your rye/AP combo. My starter is 3 days in and I've been using sprouted stone milled rye but I think I've messed up somewhere already 😅 there's too many methods and I've lost the plot here. Can i discard and carry on from where this video starts or do i need a proper active starter?
Thank you! Working on a starter creation video right now, stay tuned :) I have my full starter creation method, here (you can print it, too): www.theperfectloaf.com/7-easy-steps-making-incredible-sourdough-starter-scratch/
You can discard and carry on with this video with whatever starter you currently have.
@@theperfectloaf after I posted that I saw your link 🤭 oops. It was so helpful! And i did switch ober to your day 3 portions and will continue with your method. Today already it looks so much better! It actually rose today
what do you do with your starter when you are away for a week or more
I place it in the fridge! Check out my guide, here: www.theperfectloaf.com/store-sourdough-starter/
Mine have been smelling like buttermilk for the past few months and I’m in love 😂
But I wonder why mine never triples.?? Even when I feed it twice a day for a week or so
Hah! That's a good aroma, I'd say. It's ok if it doesn't double or triple, that's mostly a factor of your flour and hydration. As long as you're seeing strong signs of fermentation each day, you're good 🙂
My starter jar is super crusty. Should I start a new jar?
Yes, you can! I switch to a clean jar about every two weeks or so or whenever my jar gets too dirty.
I’ve had mine for about the same amount of time. I keep mine in the fridge, and feed weekly.
That definitely works!
And this way you don't waste so much flour.
I sometimes leave mine for months neglected. It takes about 2 days to bring back to health..
Is there a way I can use my discarded sourdough starter rather than just dumping it? Nancy Di Franco
Yes! Check out my recipes, here: www.theperfectloaf.com/collections/sourdough-starter-discard-recipes/
Hello have you ever used barley flour? I am struggling to get mine to rise a lot.
I have but only at about 5% to total flour... Depending on how much barley flour you're using, you won't get as much rise as with wheat, which has better protein/gluten properties.
Is there any difference in the final outcome of the bread if I use a 1:5:5 or a 1:10:10 ratio starter. Many thanks for your advice
So hard to say! If need more information (how long between feedings? What flour? Temp?). The answer is, though, either will work if used at the right time. 😊
Thanks Maurizio your videos are great as is your website. What do you do with 400g of discard every single day?
Thank you! You won’t have that much discard following my method. You’ll end up having around 150g. I bake so often here and that’s the perfect amount for me to make a Levain to bake with every morning and/or evening. If you don’t want to bake, you can save the discarded starter in the fridge and use it in a discard recipe at any time.
This is awesome. I’m trying to switch over to fresh milled flour for sourdough bread (really all baking). Do you have any videos or recipes for fresh milled?
Working on those! I did just post a new freshly milled flour recipe: www.theperfectloaf.com/kernza-sourdough-bread-recipe/
Can you please clarify the error on Page 34 as this is the foundation of the Starter?
Michael, first, thanks so much for the message and for picking up my cookbook! Unfortunately, yes, there's a small error there on page 34. Follow the ratios and weights on page 34/35 under the Day 3/Day 4 headings instead of the numbers in the chart for days 4, 5, and 6. The chart has a typo there for those weights.
So for days 4, 5, and 6, the ingredients in the jar should be:
75g carryover
50g rye flour
50g white flour
115g water
The same as days 2 and 3. Again, terribly sorry for the confusion. Please let me know if you have any more questions, and I hope you enjoy my book!
Hey Maurizio i’ve been making sourdough for about a little over a year now and my sourdough starter has come along quite well I feed it daily The one question I have for you is I’ve used the same two vessels to keep my starter in since I started it a little over a year ago and I never have cleaned them do you think that’s a problem? I’ve never had any issues and I know back in the day on the trails they probably didn’t clean it much themselves that’s why I haven’t any opinions? Love your channel love your Instagram great advice always thanks for what you do I’ve learned a lot.
Hey, Joe! Should be ok as long as you don't see any mold anywhere. I typically clean my jar every 2 wks or so (I should have included this in the video!) or once it gets super crusted over. But yeah, I know other bakers who keep it as clean as they can and really never wash them.
Oh man guys. I’m so OCD I guess. I do my feedings in a separate little bowl, and wash out my weck jar every single time. I can’t hang with mixing in the jar and having it on the sides at all. 😂😂😂
I made my starter, it lasted for like a year but then suddenly i still dk what happened to it, the acidity was all gone, the good fermenty smells all gone and it just smelt very very bad, but there was no signs of mould etc... I still took a risk and added it to my idli batter (its a south indian fermented lentil and rice dish) and it also tasted exactly like the bad smell, fortunately i didnt get sick after eating a couple of it. Still dk why my starter went bad. Also this was a 100% hydration starter not liquid or solid, and i fed it once or twice a week and kept it in my fridge. Ive seen chain bakers video (you might know him) and he had kept his starter i think outside for a whole month and still it was fine. My theory is either my flour was somehow infested or my water, or something somehow went wrong, maybe the spoon i used to mix werent clean etc.
Oh gosh, so sorry to hear about all of this!! Usually if the acidity is at a high enough level in your starter there's very little chance bad bacteria can come in.
@@theperfectloaf True. Mine was very acidic.
My starter is 12days old. Do I need to discard half of it or no need anymore?
Once you're seeing reliable rise and fall, you can feed it however you'd like or use it to bake with! Here's how I feed mine:
www.theperfectloaf.com/how-do-i-feed-my-sourdough-starter/
I notice when I neglect my starter, instead of feeding it when strong, it seems to be stronger and taste better.
Generally, I find most people dont let their starter ripen enough and use it too early. You're probably letting it go longer and letting it develop more flavor!
We are novices to making bread. Actually we have only made one loaf so far which was Ezekiel bread. Sourdough starter does sound interesting but I am not even sure what the reason for it is. We do make Kefir so I assume that principle is the same.
Can sourdough starter be made for one loaf at a time. We do not eat that much bread. Actually we do not eat that much food. Eva
A starter is the same principle as your kefir grains, it's what seeds fermentation in new dough. You need to maintain one to make bread. But the good news is, you can use your refrigerator to store your starter when you don't want to make bread.
First step, make a starter: www.theperfectloaf.com/7-easy-steps-making-incredible-sourdough-starter-scratch/
Thanks for the info. Am.i correct to say that making and maintaining sourdough is for those who bake often? For a single who does not consume that much bread what do you recommend? I am psychic ginger myself to attempt sourdough but I bake😮 very infrequently. Help!
Here's a way to bake only once a week! www.theperfectloaf.com/weekend-baking-schedule/
Is my sourdough starter any worth using if I'm getting as you describe in you video as a nail polish smell from it? Great videos, great insight to the art of sourdough. Thanking you in advance Leonard
Yes, definitely okay to use! Usually that aroma is because it needs a feeding earlier. No harm in using it, just try to feed it a little earlier.
Yes more videos please. 🙏
Hi, Maurizio.....you mentioned that you mill your flour! Can you recommend a good grain mill that would be long-lasting and do an excellent job? I am grateful for your kind reply! Thanks! 😋
Hey there! Yes, I have them listed on my guide to fresh milled flour, here: www.theperfectloaf.com/how-to-freshly-mill-flour-at-home-for-baking/
Thanks, Maurizio, your help is very much appreciated!!! Bless You!
Hi, I'm new to sourdough baking and your videos have been super helpful! I was wondering if there is any downside to just using your ripe starter for baking rather than making a levain?
Nope, you can use your ripe starter just the same! I do find a levain helps ensure fermentation is on point, though.
What about putting the starter in the refrigerator and take out once a week?? Thanks Gary Warner
Yes that works, too! I have a guide to this schedule over at my website. Basically I take it out one or two days before I want to use the starter to give it a few feedings. After using it, feed it and pop it back in.