After 8 days of discarding and feeding I found this series. It made SOOO much sense that I was over feeding it. I starved my “Rip Van Winkle” starter for 36hrs and placed it on top of the fridge where he’s a cozy 75 degrees. I just checked on it after 48hr starvation and it has doubled! Now I feel good about discarding and feeding it. Thank you for sharing your knowledge in the videos. I can’t imagine the time/effort/commitment it takes to put them together.
I've been playing with two jars of homemade starter for about a month now. I actually seeded the first with a pinch of yeast which may have been what got me through the sweaty feet smelling phase without bad odors 😅. The second became discard, essentially just a second jar. Anyway after watching your videos, today I put the jars in my oven on the proof setting. My initial most sweet yeasty smelling jar doubled after the addition of rye flour in two+ hours!!! The other jar increased bubbles significantly with the rye. I stirred them up and put them in the refrigerator for the night. Next step... bake! Been a breadbaker for many years but this sourdough starter flummoxed me until I started, as you said looking at it as a houseplant. Genius!
Man I wish I had watched this before I started my sourdough jouuuuuuuurney!!! Thanks for making this video, it’s so helpful. I literally fell into every pit hole you mentioned.
After many years spent completing my doctorate program on TH-cam university I am certain that this video should be amongst the highest ranked of all time. Top quality production my good man! Bravo!!! And thanks for the knowledge. Now if I can only get my better half to agree with what you so eloquently explain. Sometimes the hands off approach is the best approach. 🙌👏👏👏
Jump in! I've collect what I think I'll need to start making my bread. I'm working on my starter. Already working out bumps in the road. Praying to have a good starter in around a week more.
Oh my, i am so happy i found this video. I was in a sourdough starter group on facebook and i kept messing with my first starter cause i kept following bad advice. Feed it on the clock once a day, feed it twice a day, feed it 1:1:1, feed it 1:2:2, feed it like this or that. I threw out entire stuff a few times and started again. Now i waited for 48 hours, for the first time there’s activity, it doubled, and it started deflating, i just fed it now. I finally feel like i have a chance of succeeding! Thank you
Tom, THANK YOU! After being overwhelmed with all the sourdough misinformation out there, I saw a comment on TikTok saying to not listen to anyones advice on sourdough but yours. So I ran to your website and they were CORRECT! I'm on day 3 of my starter following all your advice. Your no-nonsense approach makes so much sense to me, and the guides are beyond helpful. Everything is going great so far in my jar- the false rise occurred & it smells like a** so now I'm just waiting for the first feed and discard! YOU ROCK!!!
Out of all the years trying to have sourdough starter your the ONLY one ive actually had sucess with your methods. THANK YOU and so much appreciated. I'm still learning. Like now I never thought about using the discard to make a batch for baking, instead I've been trying to bulk up my starter. 🤦♀️
Tom, your videos are genius! All the junk out there is enough to make a person insane! Thank you for bringing your scientific mind to the baking world, especially sourdough and sharing with the rest of us! I think all mean well but like you said, they are not taking into consideration the environment in which the starter is trying to survive. Bravo sir!
I clearly have been making this mistake, discarding/re-feeding based off of a set time (24 hrs) rather than waiting for a true rise and doubling of starter volume in the jar. Also, I certainly have mistaken water separation for hooch. I've been doing this for about four days. So, I'm going to need to wait quite some time to let the yeast do it's thing, I think. Thanks for this very informative video, and confirming what I was already beginning to suspect!
Thank you , i am a newbe and i am trying to start a new sourdough starter . The fifth day my starter stopped showing any bubbles. You were right i was over feeding . I stopped feeding for 2 days and did nothing, but i did stir once a day, THANK YOU ! On the seventh day i was going to throw my starter out. Today on the seventh day i have seen a lot of bubbles and decided to feed my starter. Thank you, in less than 4 hours, my starter has doubled in size. Thank you !
I was one of them. Had a starter that started nicely but was "dead" later on (fed every 12h). Did what you said and gave it food with 1-2-2 once it reached it's peak. Two days later it's almost 3x it's size after 6h. Thank you!
This is the best series of explanations of how to manage a sourdough starter that I have ever seen or read!. You must have a scientific background because your explanations are so precise and logical. My failures in the past are many, because I was impatient, and kept throwing in grapes and cabbage to quicken the growth, not realizing that all I needed was flour and water, and tincture of time. I also had no idea when to feed my starter, and what the ratios should be, and how they work. I intend to watch all your youtube videos as I wait a good two weeks or so for my starter to mature!
This was funny but true! Only one important addition to "give it more time" is "put in a warmer environment". A $23 thermostatically controlled 10" x 20.75" seeding heat mat in an old Coleman fishing cooler to regulate how fast I want Stella to ripen. Frozen water bottles will cool it if that's your need. 78 F really gets me quick and consistent and predicable results. Down to 65-70F if I need to kill time. The value of a thermostatically controlled proof box can't be overstated.
You are the king of sourdough! 👑 I have been binge-watching Tom instead of Netflix. Thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge in an easy and entertaining manner.
This tip really worked in my case. What makes this advice so helpful is the fact that the most usual sourdough guideline goes in the opposite direction: feed it as much as you can. Thanks!
Phenomenal advice! I have been trying to get a starter going for the first time and while I had one starting to go, upon doing the advised discard method, it ended up stalling out. You sir have given me INVALUBLE info. Your video is a work of art and science. Highly commendable. My starter (sans discard) is now starting to build itself up. Thank you! Here is an example of where going against the grain and using practical logic has made the difference, between interweb bunk and sage advice. Kudos!
I just bought your book. Thank you for sharing so much knowledge in your book and freely across platforms. Without you, I wouldn't be where I am, just going from beginner to intermediate. You're an amazing performer, too! I love your sense of humor. I laugh out loud thinking about the Barnyard Tragedy!! I know, that's a different video, but I've been known to binge-watch your videos back-to-back!
So glad I found your website and videos today. My new starter just made it to day 4 (first rise happened overnight last night), and I just discarded and fed it for the first time. I was planning to start rushing it but found this video just in time. Thank you! Excellent videos!
Given that a strong starter is the foundation of sourdough success, this video is essential viewing. I've never before seen the problem with premature discarding explained, and you do it with such clarity, finally reinforcing the message with a funny sketch. By the end, the principle of "not feeding a weak starter before it has peaked" appears so obvious, but of course it's not so obvious because so many of us make that very mistake. I'm so glad that I found the Sourdough Journey. You are a great teacher, explaining everything clearly, with a great sense of humour, and backing it up with meticulous experiments. I've learnt a lot from you, and as a result, made a lot of progress in my own sourdough journey. Thank you!
I’m obsessed. Just what I needed, in a way I could understand. So exciting to watch, popped up in my feed. 16 minutes in and I was thinking, he sounds like a science professor, and then you showed your lab trials. Subscribed! Thank you for helping me understand my what was once active starters issue. I created my own starter and it sat on day 3. In summation, I was doing too much. 😂
Tom, you are the best! My starter wasn't doing anything even though I was diligently discarding daily. The funny thing was the contents of my several days old discard bin was doing gangbusters 🙂Hmm, should have been a clue. Your video and diagnostic of the problem was 100%. Your garden expert analogy made total sense and your logic and method for conveying information is among the best that I have seen on any topic. Thinking about it now it is obvious that by diluting the starter daily the yeast is working but the evidence is not there because they are simply not there in sufficient numbers to have their byproducts visible. Two days of doing nothing and the universe is unfolding as it should. Your interpretation of why this happens is also spot on, impatient and lack of experience. Not being able to 'read' the starter. If it hasn't risen, domed and fallen don't do anything, don't feed (maybe stir). Is one of your alter egos is a psychologist? Great content, expertly delivered. Hope your Poinsettia recovers.
THANK YOU ! THIS MORNING DAY 10 MY NEW NAME FOR MY SOURDOUGH STARTER IS RYEANNA 75 % MONTANA FLOUR AND 25 % RYE FLOUR THIS MORNING 8 AM TO 9 :30 AM DOUBLED IN SIZE AT 70 DEGREES THANK YOU ! YOU HAVE THE BEST INSTRUCTIONS I HAVE FOUND ON THE INTERNET. On day 14, I want to start baking with Ryeanna !!! She should be safe to use !
The other day, someone in a social media sourdough group insisted that hungry starter builds a better rise than a peaked starter. I just didn't understand her logic but she kept insisting that when she feeds her starter and it peaks, she gets less of a rise and when she uses hungry starter, the rise is much better. I'd love to see you debunk this myth too. Great job with this video, Tom. I've learned so much from you. Still trying to perfect the ancient grain sourdough. That's another thing I want to see you try someday.
Thank you. The concept of a “hungry starter” is a myth. Yeast cells don’t have stomachs, fat stores or brains. They can’t be “hungry.” Biology doesn’t work that way.
So glad I found this *after* I murdered my starter. I'd had a strong starter for 2 years, neglected it in the fridge for 6 months or so, and couldn't get it back going. Followed a prominent author's instructions about more frequent feedings at higher ratios, and actually got mold for the first time ever. I actually did have the thought once "Doesn't this water it down?" but didn't put it together. I then went to my backup dried starter, again from the same author, basically drowned it and then over diluted. Fortunately I kept about 15 grams of my backup in reserve and am trying now according to your instructions.
As a sourdough newbie, I was happy to find this channel. I am so grateful to this guy! Not only for his sharing of his expertise, but for his brilliant method of instruction!! I love the explanations, modeling, recaps, charts, etc.... I am a happy subscriber.
Absolutely brilliant explanations of the science! NOW I totally understand the mechanics. Phew was chasing my tail following soooo many other versions. Id love to buy your book if you write one day so I can keep in reference. Thank you!!
Absolutely brilliant explanations of the science! NOW I totally understand the mechanics. Phew was chasing my tail following soooo many other versions. Id love to buy your book if you write one day so I can keep in reference. Thank you!!
After trying to find explanations of how to best nurture my starter, you have finally explained it with science - thank you! Most everyone else gives advice based on their experience (or dumb luck) with no explanation of the concept needed to understand how to develop a strong healthy starter. Thank you again for all of your hard work and for sharing your results with us!
Finally an expert that explains the right things! I knew I was somehow weakening my starter but no video I watched this part which is just what I needed to know that those 12 he feedings are actually a bad thing if your starter is not at the point of re-feeding. I will now start looking through your library to find out if it really makes a difference if your starter has whole wheat (or not) when trying to bake a white flour bread. 🥖 THANK YOU, MAESTRO!
Brilliant, as always. Misinformation is the most frustrating thing getting into baking. Best thing is to find a good source. Once I started reading books by experienced bakers it all got much easier (your videos included)
Thanks for your video. When I first started making my first starter well over 2 years ago I probably threw out good beginning starter because I was expecting a quick rise and I should have gave it more time. Later I eventually figured it out and now I have a rather robust starter. All beginning sourdough bakers should see this video before they begin making a starter for future baking.
Thank you. I appreciate the feedback. It saddens me when I see beginning bakers ruining perfectly good starters by following all kinds of inconsistent advice. The advice is well-intentioned (mostly), but just doesn't address the complexities of all the things that can go wrong with a starter. I wish it were simpler, but when people try to oversimplify sourdough baking, it is really a disservice. I participate in a lot of sourdough social media groups, and I estimate the failure and dropout rate is 90%. If it really were all so simple, that wouldn't happen.
I wish I would have found this guy 5 days ago! Today I was discouraged and haven’t fed it but I see it’s what I needed to do! Hopefully it will kickstart it!
Bravo! Well done. I wish I would’ve found this prestigious institution about ten pounds of flour ago. You are perfectly describing what I just started finding out. Yeast doesn’t punch a clock. It deals with the conditions it is faced with to survive. It won’t be forced, but it will cooperate. It’s like trying to figure out a mime’s mood. You have to recognize it’s expression. How else could a starter that had worked well enough (by novice standards, something edible ) the last bake, and work less effectively the next , after a couple feedings? I have every suitable jar in the house involved in a test of what you just stated. Not to prove your statements, but coincidentally just prior to hearing them. The jar I let sit as I fed others, blew the lid off and oozed the most beautiful glutinous web. I had never actually seen a properly fermented starter in the two years I’ve been baking sourdough. It took nearly fourteen hours. That’s what it needed . That’s what it’s condition required. It crackled as I put a spoon into its web. At this point , I can jump right on to the train of your recorded observations. Thanks so much. You have me save a lot of effort ,time and flour. I also have a confession to make. I’ve been cheating. Yup. I admit it. I was putting in a pinch of rapid yeast figuring that a poolish would form and support the weak levain. It worked well enough that others got the mistaken impression that I could actually bake. I dumb lucked my way into a discard loaf , but that wasn’t my goal. You may have just helped make an honest man out of me. I don’t know what your religious affiliations are or even if you have any, but if you find yourself at heaven’s gate, tell Pete I said your O.K. Thanks again. 🥸👍
This was just what I needed. Mine had water on top but never peaked, so I was very confused. Also, we keep our house really cold in the winter, so now things are making sense.
Thank you for this video. This has cut through a lot of the confusion I've had. I started my first sourdough starter a week and a half ago. I followed the instructions that came with the containers I bought. That went well up until I left it a bit long between feedings and I hit the hooch stage. I think that caused some of the yeast population I'd built up at that point to die off. Since then it's shown minimal activity (some bubbles, but not real rise), but I still feed and discarded every 24 hours. Having watched this video, I now know to give it time (especially as we're in winter, so the house is colder) and only feed it when it has hit that peak rise. So thanks again for this.
This video made so much sense to me now. I'm at day 14 and my starter is now doubling. I followed some other You Tube channels (before I found yours) and really not understanding why my starter was so slow. I got to the instructions of feeding twice a day and it got worse. I backed off myself to only once a day, changed the location of my starter near the stove and while cooking dinner I noticed it bubbled and had risen alot. My problem is that I keep the house much cooler and it must take longer.
Thankyou so, I felt I was disrupting he peaking process by following the feeding plan in a recipe. I haven’t made a starter before, I previously used a starter from a friend. Now I’ll look for the signs and feed after the peak. Mines hasn’t peaked yet after 7 days. 🤞all will be good now. My goodness this can be so frustrating but I want to keep going 🤦♀️😊
Thanks for your video! But I'm not sure if I agree with it. Try the following. When you think your starter is "hungry" after it has peaked and collapsed, try to stir it up well, leave for some hours and let me what happens. If it is true that the starter is "hungry" and doesn't have more fuel to grow, it will remain more or less at the same level
@@thesourdoughjourney you’re welcome. You can get the “second rise” well after it has peaked. That is my point. The level point or “ripeness” of the starter doesn’t necessarily mark the optimal time to feed your starter or making bread.
Thank you! As a person with a science background my intuition was taking me there - I was feeding too frequently - your video confirmed my suspicions so thank you! I will watch more of your videos!
Now I get it!!! Thank you. Day 6 weak starter ( due to discard/feeding before peak). 20%rise after last feeding a day ago. So now instead of repeating my feed /discard cycle, I will wait and monitor for peak. Only then discard down to 30g and feed 30g:30g. Patience.... is difficult.
Here’s a better video describing this issue specifically for new starters. The First 10 Days of Your New Sourdough Starter: Troubleshooting Tips th-cam.com/video/_OAhPvQ5Ngo/w-d-xo.html
Thank you so much! This is my second time trying to make a starter from scratch. The first time I don't know what went wrong I just threw it away. This time I have finally gotten the courage to make it once again. I tried to watch so many youtube videos but nobody was talking about this specific thing. Like they say I am supposed to maintain a 1:1:1 ratio on the feeding. But suppose I took 15g of water, 15g of flour on day 1. Then next day another 15g of flour and 15g of water. Third day I just give it a stir. 4th day I am supposed to discard and feed it for the first time. So now i have 15×4=60g of starter. To maintain a 1:1:1 ratio let's say I discarded half of it. So I have 30g of starter now. So I add 30g flour and 30g water for feeding. So now I have 30×3=90g of starter. But the next day just like you said I am supposed to discard 2/3 of the starter to maintain that 30g of flour and 30g of water measurements. Those people keep saying I should discard half of it and continue the 30g water and flour thing like it made no sense to me. It just ruins the 1:1:1 ratio. I can't thank you enough for answering my question!
I'm so glad I found this video! My starter has been sitting in the fridge for about 2 weeks & I decided to get it out & feed it. I fed it about 11 PM last night & was expecting double the starter when I woke up this morning. (9AM) It only was about half! There are bubbles, so I know that is a good sign. So, I'll give it a couple more hours and see what it does. While looking for some answers, I came across your video, and you saved my starter. I almost discarded and fed it, but with your video & me searching, "We" saved my starter. Yayyyyyyyy! Thank you so much for an awesome video. I have one question. After I use my starter for a bake, I'm going to do,can I transfer my starter that's to a clean vessel? I wanted to use something with a larger mouth on it, but I didn't want to damage my starter. Thank you again for the video, and I hope to hear from you! BTW, I'm in Columbus, Ohio.😊
Oh my gosh!! Thank you. Last week I actually threw my starter out! I got so mad because it just didn't work for me!! I, indeed have been making this exact mistake. Well, if at first you don't succeed, try try again. Thanks again 😊
This is excellent! I left my very young SDS on the kitchen counter today without doing the 12 hour discard/feeding and thought it would be ruined. Now I realized that it may not even be giving it enough time to peak. Thanks for the video.
This video was SO helpful to me! I have a new sourdough starter and was panicking, thinking I needed to discard and feed. Now i know to just give it time!!!!!!!!!
Your video on how to start sourdough was very clear and informative. I used your method more than 4 years ago. I use my sourdough to make a loaf of sourdough bread every other week. I keep the starter in the frig and feed only one time between baking. So that is only about once a week. It is very vigorous. Once when we were on vacation, I didn’t feed it for two weeks. I fed it and used it the next day. I was so surprised that it was still alive.
I am following a starter recipe from the King Arthur Baking Company website. The recipe told me to start feeding twice a day on day 3. On day 2 and on the morning of day 3, before feeding, my starter looked as though there was activity. I am now on day 6 and my starter looks so weak that there is just a few bubbles. There has been no rise from this new starter either, since the recipe's recommended twice a day feedings. After watching this video I now understand why. My kitchen is about 72-75 throughout the day, which may be a bit cool side. I am new to sourdough baking and have realized that this endeavor is far more frustrating than I could have imagined. This current starter is my third attempt at trying to successfully get a starter off the launch pad. The first two ended in a catastrophic moldy ball of fuzz that still gives me nightmares. Thank you for making this video. I think I'm going to put my starter in the microwave, which is slightly warmer than my kitchen's ambient temperature. I am also going to end the twice a day feedings per the recipe I had been using. My last resort will be to buy a starter if I can't meet with success. Thanks again for the great content... great channel.
This was so informative and makes so much sense, now I know the WHY behind it and will not just blindly follow random advice hoping it works. THANK YOU!
OMG!! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. 2 years ago I was having more successful bakes with my starter. I didn't complete discard it all but started over. I've been doing what you described here. Earlier in the week, I added more flour to my starter just to thicken it because it was slack. It rose beautifully with great vigor. I discarded and fed. Nothing. I put in oven by the light and it rose half as much. Last night instead of discarding I split it into 2 jars. Very little has happened. Some bubbles in top and sides. I am now going to wait. Again! Thanks
I have been making sourdough at least weekly x 3 years. I have made the mistake occasionally thinking it would like more food (flour) the more frequently I fed. Not giving it time to peak Occasionally. SO glad I found this video. Thanks!
Starter was fed last week- I let ferment 3 hrs then put in fridge before peak. Yesterday, start measured 3.76pH using Apera PH60s Sphere probe that I calibrated right before measurement. I fed starter 1:10:10. Some bubbling but no signs that it rose, it is runny like thick pancake batter- smells pleasantly acidic - measured 3.64pH after 24 hours (I did not measure new starter right after mixing). Today, I took 5g of that starter and did 1:5:5 feeding- I measured new starter at 5.03pH right after mixing. Kitchen was 68F overnight (now 70F). I'm going to feed 2-3 more times.. hope to down the acidity. (I did not discard the initial 1:10:10 so it can potentially continue to develop, but without rising I can't ascertain peak.)
Hooch vs Water separation! Thank you for clarifying this. I took my starter out of the fridge, discarded the hooch and left a small amount of starter to feed. Fed it and it didn't rise at all in 6hrs, but had activity and water on top. I thought it was a strong starter and also thought it had already risen and fallen and that it was STARVING, so I fed it again. I think I overfed. AS IN I WISH I HAD SEEN THIS BEFORE I DISCARDED AND FED AGAIN. We will wait and see....
@jamiebeighton4009 Mix the hooch in! I found that it is counterproductive to discard the hooch because you drastically alter the hydration to unpredictable levels that can seriously alter your hydration %.
Thank you!!!!! I just started my starter 2 weeks ago. Baked bread, pitas, and sourdough muffins. Fed my remaining starter and continued on a 2x a day schedule and 2nd day into this feeding schedule. My starter stopped rising, and what did I do?? Kept discarding and feeding..lol after 2 days of research, I finally came upon your video, and I will now go about my day and put my worrying aside and let "Bob" recuperate.
What a great video. I learned a lot! So I was one of those concerned individuals. I like to make sourdough pizza, but in the winter it’s too cold to go outside to my oven to cook it, so I don’t use my sourdough starter that often. I end up putting it in the refrigerator. Well this last time my starter was in the refrigerator for sometime, and I got the hooch. I drained the hooch and immediately separated it into two containers. I fed one 1,3,3. The second container I did a 1,1,1. Now I have a clear understanding on what to do. The container with the 1,1,1 looks active while the 1,3,3 one looks a lot slower. Thanks to you I have placed elastics on the container and I will watch for peek and then feed as the curve begins to drop. Thanks again
Thank you for this video, Tom. I really appreciate your work in the name of sourdough culture. I’m very new to this. I did fall for that “feed and discard” mantra without knowing exactly what is truly happening to my 6 week old starter (which I nearly got rid of to start over with a new one). Today, I am going to sit out and wait for my starter to wake up and will do something else instead of feeding and discarding it to death. Thank you and merry Christmas
Great vid for all levels of home bread bakers. Only comment would be to spend more time on ambient temperature. One of my best investments was a proofing box. Greatly simplifies all aspects of sourdough baking.
Thanks for the tip! Yes, thanks. Temperature is the best way to speed up or slow down the time to peak. I have 4 different proofers I testing now, including three that can heat and cool. I find the cooling versions are better for my starter because it stretches out the time between feedings. I'll be posting a video on these devices in the next month or so. Thanks for the feedback!
@@thesourdoughjourney If you can, please describe some DIY proofers. Used styrofoam shipping containers can be had (for free!) but the heating source I'm using does not have a thermostat (and the cats want their heating mat back).
Such a spectacular video. I wish there wasn't so much contradictory information thrown around. It's amazing how people think they know things and it just gets regurgitated over and over and it's all wrong. It's hard to sift through the garbage and know what is actually correct. Your videos are what I'll stick to. Thanks so much Tom!
Thank you! I’m new to sourdough starters, I had the water separation and couldn’t figure it out. Your video is brilliant! Fills in so many gaps for me. I gave it a stir to get it going again. Patience is my new name. 😅 Now I understand the dynamics to this process and can’t wait to bake my first bread. New subscriber! 🙋🏼♀️
Everything sounds great. There's nothing one could dispute in this. One thing I'd like to word out and believe me, I'm pretty lazy to comment, there is a method to the madness when one should consider using a crazy ratio to feed. I've found it beneficial to do a silly ratio like 1 or 2:30:30 when I have a really old starter in the fridge. Like 2-3 months old. That kind of starter is basically fermented absolutely, usually turns gray, has a lot of hooch and the smell is REALLY strong. restarting/feeding it with a crazy ratio, I get rid of the sharpness in general asap. Both in smell and acidity. Tho it does take a bit more time to peak... After that first "purge" I continue as usual. 1:3:3 as that fits my schedule in relation to the temperature of my kitchen. I kind of get the feeling I get to the desired end result quicker. Thank you for your comprehensive tests and an amazing presentation. I've seen no better thus far. Cheers
This is kind of in response to the dilution situation of making your starter weaker. Diluting it heavily. Just give it time and temperature, feeding ratio can be used to your advantage. Now I wonder why did I even write this. There's no call for it. Nevermind, I'll leave it anyways
Thank you. I agree. I plan to do a whole separate video on feeding ratios and de-acidifying your starter. It was too complicated to add that in here so I tried to keep it simple with the 1:1:1 throughout. But in reality I do very large feeding ratios like you describe (some even higher) to refresh a very sad starter. Thanks for the feedback!
@@thesourdoughjourney Great talk, Tom. You had me cracking up at least twice! Will you be teaching us about T.T.A. total titratable acidity? I understand it is quite different than PH.
My starters live in the refrigerator usually unfed, and it's just whatever doesn't come out of the jar when I made the last batch of dough so I'm usually using a very small amount of very spent starter and it works pretty well for my "enh, whatever whenever" sourdough processes in my cold kitchen, with only feeding it before I need it about once a week. Just shows how important it is to figure out what works for you, your climate and your available time!
Wow! I started my about 7 days and there was a lot going on in the Beginning but then it slowed down. I noticed less bubbles. This makes so much sense!
Wow! I leaned so many things from you. My new starter is Day 4 now it’s so excited to check everyday :) The best explanation of stater ! And all your another video I’m watching too ! Thank you for responding all of us . I’m a new subscriber !
OMG - your videos and explanations are awesome, I'm learning so much, but being impatient gets challenging sometimes. But I'm trying to master reading my starter and waiting to understand all the stages so I feed when its ready.
Thank you. You can speed up or slow down the process by warming or cooling your starter or dough. This is the real art of sourdough -- controlling temperature to control the timing so it works around your schedule. I cover this topic in some of my recent videos.
Day 3 yesterday, mine doubled in size ..kept at 69ish° covered in back of cabinet..cant wait to check it today!! Feels a 🤏🏻 like Christmas!! Apparently mine is doing ok(?) 50/50 whole wheat and unbleached white(didnt do bread flour..started before I saw that) but from what I've been following so far..it's well on its "journey (?)"! 👍🏻💪🏻
Great video. This and others. I was making several errors to start out based on other info online. Once i corrected these, which included flour type mix, feeding cycle, temperature, excess starter, and more patience, i got my starter to rise 3x after a couple of 1:2:2 feedings. I was about at day 7 and CO2 bubbles but little to no rise. Now i just need to repeat this a few times to be confident it is reasy for baking.
My Cousin that lives in Maine asked me for my sourdough recipe so I sent this youtube video and she said it would not let her watch without a subscription. so I sent your webpage. I have sent your youtube pages to many people and never had a problem.
thank you, this is gold. I'll be referring to your videos from now on. I was so confused with the feedings and getting my starter weaker every time. I didn't understand why since I did what sooo many people told me. This makes so much more sense.
Hi Tom, this video has made all the difference in my starter! I’ve been doing exactly what you said not to do until now! This time, by giving my starter time to rise, it’s consistently more than doubled in size in shorter time even at 18C in my kitchen. Can’t wait to bake with it this weekend and see if my loaf improves! Thank you so much!
As a newbie, thank you so much….I have probably wasted quite a $$$$ on throwing away what I thought was dead starter. Thank you also for the plant analogy…I now believe I threw away a perfectly fine poinsettia 😫
I watched your video on warmers (and coolers) for starter and dough and am deciding on which solution to implement for maintaining a desired temperature, as my kitchen is just too chilly. My starter grew mold before doubling in size - it just took too long. Your advice is so practical, and much appreciated.
Thanks! The warm/cold proofers are all quite new and some are finicky. If you are just looking for something to keep your starter in, the Brod and Taylor Sourdough Home is a good unit. If you want something to bulk ferment dough in, the size is really critical. For example, if you plan to make 1,2 or 4 loaves at a time. If you just want a warming device, the Cozy-Bread Warm Mat is excellent.
This makes perfect sense for the first time! Thank you. What I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around is when to put in the fridge to store. After a feed? If so how long after? or do we store after it has peaked and so, put it in the fridge “hungry” ? Depending on which scenario, how much and how long before intended use does one feed when you are ready to bake? like many here, i am new and trying out different methods, but so thankful for this video!
If I’m putting my starter in the fridge I usually feed it and wait until I can see it begin rising. Then I move it to the fridge. Then I always feed it once or twice when it comes out of the fridge - usually if it’s been in the fridge for about 1 week.
That’s a really good tip about using warm water for feedings when the kitchen is cold. Tom, lots of good tips here. I’m just a beginner and have made only one ‘sourdough’ boule so far, and many no-kneads, but now I’ve got a second and third starter that are ready to go. They all smell different! Can’t wait ‘til this weekend’s bake! Thank you thank you thank you! 🩷
@@thesourdoughjourney just wanted to note I grew up in the Midwest and really love listening to your accent. I’ve lost mine as I’ve been away for several decades.
In lamens terms if you start with 1cup of flower maintain that ratio when feeding. The water will vary based on humidity altitude and time of year. If your starter looks runny discard and add flour and water to create a thick pancake batter like consistency.
Interesting, probably one of the few mistakes I haven't made often enough to matter. Thanks for mentioning the temperature issue. My starters don't peak until about 8h in the non-summer months because my kitchen is too cold, but they make great loaves with plenty of oven spring so I know they're healthy enough to get the job done. When it's really cold or if I'm in a hurry, I'll use warm water when I feed it, and if it's particularly cold (we had a cold snap recently where it took 12h to even start rising cause I didn't use warm water, and 24h to peak), I will put it in the oven with the light on, or just turn the element on for thirty seconds (counting to thirty out loud helps me not forget and bake my starter) every couple hours. I refrigerate mine usually unfed for a week, week and a half at a time and the only time I actually do daily feedings with discards is when it's gotten sluggish from disuse after I go on vacation or something, or if I forgot it out on the counter after making the last batch of bread. Usually if that happens I feed it and let it get started before I put it back in the fridge, then use that particular discard for pancakes when I feed it before I want to make loaves. I typically do 100g flour, 100g water and the tablespoon or two of scrapings left in the jar as my feedings, that amount of starter works well in my lazy-butt sourdough method using 1000g flour and 800g water or my pizza dough using the same amount of flour only all white instead of 50% whole grain, and 700g water, and some oregano and garlic powder. Also makes a great pancake batter if you add an egg, some vanilla, a quarter-tsp of baking soda and a handful of frozen blueberries... I'm working on an accidental perpetual pizza dough, I saved some from last time we did pizzas so I could make more, then thought we were going to have more guests than we did so I added flour and warm water right to the leftover dough that was probably starting to get to the overfermented stage, and did stretch and folds every half hour for a couple hours, ignored it a couple more hours, then made great pizzas with it. I'm tempted to do it again before we do the next pizzas!
I love your videos! This is exactly the information I needed! I can’t thank you enough. I’ve had so many failed attempts at my starter and now I know why!
After watching this Tom, I need to change up my whole game now. I will bake this weekend and see any new changes. Haven;t been getting the oven spring I think I should. Thanks Tom
So glad I was able to watch this video. You explain the process so well and make the steps much more clear. There are several videos out there that provide conflicting information. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Will be watching all of your videos.
Wow. So important this video is, it explains how the starter works. I never did that but I also never really understood what I was doing, even if I was doing the "right" thing. Thanks, thanks thanks Tom.
I love this! Just want to make sure I got this down. I fed my starter 1:3:3 before finding this series and it’s on day 9 later tonight. The only rise that it has gotten was double and triple on days 3 & 4 when I skipped a feeding. Haven’t had any rise since because I kept doing daily feeds after. Pretty much just wait until there are pinhole sized bubbles? Nevermind a few thick bubbles, wait until I see smaller bubbles?
New starters can be tricky to read. Check out the tops near the end of this video for how to read the bubbles. The First 10 Days of Your New Sourdough Starter: Troubleshooting Tips th-cam.com/video/_OAhPvQ5Ngo/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for this video, the vulgarisation level is really great and the information is really clear. However, there are two things that pops in my head when I analyse your advice. First, I get that most of the problems appends before peak, but if the lactobacteria becomes dorment, other types of bacteria could start growing leading to mold. Second, I get that it is true that feeding an already established starter before peak leads to a weeker starter. But, then, why is the method of starting a new starter is to discard and feed until we start seeing activity teeling us we are ready to bake ? Thank you for your time !
Thanks, great questions. The lactobacteria will never become dormant with this method. It usually too strong and you are simply try to get it a little Lisa strong, but it is never weak. With a new starter, there are bad bacteria in the flour, so it is sensible to discard a little more frequently to get those bacteria out of the mix in the early days. But the same principles apply. If you discard and refeed too frequently you can weaken a new starter also.
Do you feed your starter and immediately put in frig? And when you takeit out in5 days, do you feed it right away? Good videos that you produce. Thanks for all of the info.
Generally yes. I only put my starter in the fridge if I know I'm not going to be using it for 7 or more days. So, I feed it and refrigerate it immediately. When I take it out, I usually let it come up to room temperature to see how it looks. There is usually still unconsumed flour and it will rise, coming out of the fridge, without another feeding. Then once that peaks, I'll discard and feed again. Good question. Thanks. I recently posted another video here th-cam.com/video/sFO532C3EAM/w-d-xo.html that demonstrates how I do this.
![[#2024MAMA] ROSÉ (로제), Bruno Mars - APT. | Mnet 241122 방송](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/dgGqD28J6aQ/mqdefault.jpg)
After 8 days of discarding and feeding I found this series. It made SOOO much sense that I was over feeding it. I starved my “Rip Van Winkle” starter for 36hrs and placed it on top of the fridge where he’s a cozy 75 degrees. I just checked on it after 48hr starvation and it has doubled! Now I feel good about discarding and feeding it. Thank you for sharing your knowledge in the videos. I can’t imagine the time/effort/commitment it takes to put them together.
Thank you. I appreciate the feedback.
I’m sitting at 46 hours of starvation and nothing has happened. (9 days old) Im kinda worried it’s not going to rise haha any tips?
@@rachelmuhlig3026 rye flour or whole grain flour wil fire it quick.
Is it ok when maintaining you do 1:2:2 so that it peaks slower especially when feeding every 24 hirs
I've been playing with two jars of homemade starter for about a month now. I actually seeded the first with a pinch of yeast which may have been what got me through the sweaty feet smelling phase without bad odors 😅. The second became discard, essentially just a second jar. Anyway after watching your videos, today I put the jars in my oven on the proof setting. My initial most sweet yeasty smelling jar doubled after the addition of rye flour in two+ hours!!! The other jar increased bubbles significantly with the rye. I stirred them up and put them in the refrigerator for the night. Next step... bake! Been a breadbaker for many years but this sourdough starter flummoxed me until I started, as you said looking at it as a houseplant. Genius!
Man I wish I had watched this before I started my sourdough jouuuuuuuurney!!! Thanks for making this video, it’s so helpful. I literally fell into every pit hole you mentioned.
Thanks. Good luck on your next try.
After many years spent completing my doctorate program on TH-cam university I am certain that this video should be amongst the highest ranked of all time. Top quality production my good man! Bravo!!! And thanks for the knowledge. Now if I can only get my better half to agree with what you so eloquently explain. Sometimes the hands off approach is the best approach. 🙌👏👏👏
Thank you! I appreciate it. I also make comedies. th-cam.com/video/M8SiQJzFrrw/w-d-xo.html
TH-cam university 😂😂😂🤣
Jump in! I've collect what I think I'll need to start making my bread. I'm working on my starter. Already working out bumps in the road. Praying to have a good starter in around a week more.
Oh my, i am so happy i found this video. I was in a sourdough starter group on facebook and i kept messing with my first starter cause i kept following bad advice. Feed it on the clock once a day, feed it twice a day, feed it 1:1:1, feed it 1:2:2, feed it like this or that. I threw out entire stuff a few times and started again. Now i waited for 48 hours, for the first time there’s activity, it doubled, and it started deflating, i just fed it now. I finally feel like i have a chance of succeeding! Thank you
Thank you for the feedback. Good luck!
Tom, THANK YOU! After being overwhelmed with all the sourdough misinformation out there, I saw a comment on TikTok saying to not listen to anyones advice on sourdough but yours. So I ran to your website and they were CORRECT! I'm on day 3 of my starter following all your advice. Your no-nonsense approach makes so much sense to me, and the guides are beyond helpful. Everything is going great so far in my jar- the false rise occurred & it smells like a** so now I'm just waiting for the first feed and discard! YOU ROCK!!!
Thank you!
Not only did I learn more from you than anyone else so far, but likely more important is that you filtered out a lot of misinformation. Thank you!
Thanks!
Out of all the years trying to have sourdough starter your the ONLY one ive actually had sucess with your methods. THANK YOU and so much appreciated. I'm still learning. Like now I never thought about using the discard to make a batch for baking, instead I've been trying to bulk up my starter. 🤦♀️
Thank you!
Tom, your videos are genius! All the junk out there is enough to make a person insane! Thank you for bringing your scientific mind to the baking world, especially sourdough and sharing with the rest of us! I think all mean well but like you said, they are not taking into consideration the environment in which the starter is trying to survive. Bravo sir!
Thank you!
I clearly have been making this mistake, discarding/re-feeding based off of a set time (24 hrs) rather than waiting for a true rise and doubling of starter volume in the jar. Also, I certainly have mistaken water separation for hooch. I've been doing this for about four days. So, I'm going to need to wait quite some time to let the yeast do it's thing, I think. Thanks for this very informative video, and confirming what I was already beginning to suspect!
Thanks!
Thank you , i am a newbe and i am trying to start a new sourdough starter . The fifth day my starter stopped showing any bubbles. You were right i was over feeding . I stopped feeding for 2 days and did nothing, but i did stir once a day, THANK YOU ! On the seventh day i was going to throw my starter out.
Today on the seventh day i have seen a lot of bubbles and decided to feed my starter. Thank you, in less than 4 hours, my starter has doubled in size. Thank you !
Great. Thank you.
A must watch video for newbie sourdough bread enthusiasts. Great explanation!
Wow, thank you!
I think not only newbies but advanced bakers can learn a lot from this video.
I was one of them. Had a starter that started nicely but was "dead" later on (fed every 12h).
Did what you said and gave it food with 1-2-2 once it reached it's peak. Two days later it's almost 3x it's size after 6h.
Thank you!
Thank you. Science!
This is the best series of explanations of how to manage a sourdough starter that I have ever seen or read!. You must have a scientific background because your explanations are so precise and logical. My failures in the past are many, because I was impatient, and kept throwing in grapes and cabbage to quicken the growth, not realizing that all I needed was flour and water, and tincture of time. I also had no idea when to feed my starter, and what the ratios should be, and how they work. I intend to watch all your youtube videos as I wait a good two weeks or so for my starter to mature!
Thank you. Also check out my website. thesourdoughjourney.com
SO happy I found you! I was doing everything wrong, starving my starter until I see her rise!
Thanks. 🙏
This was funny but true! Only one important addition to "give it more time" is "put in a warmer environment".
A $23 thermostatically controlled 10" x 20.75" seeding heat mat in an old Coleman fishing cooler to regulate how fast I want Stella to ripen.
Frozen water bottles will cool it if that's your need.
78 F really gets me quick and consistent and predicable results. Down to 65-70F if I need to kill time.
The value of a thermostatically controlled proof box can't be overstated.
Yes. I a big advocate of thermostat controlled warming mats.
You are the king of sourdough! 👑 I have been binge-watching Tom instead of Netflix. Thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge in an easy and entertaining manner.
Thank you. 🙏
This tip really worked in my case. What makes this advice so helpful is the fact that the most usual sourdough guideline goes in the opposite direction: feed it as much as you can. Thanks!
Thanks. I’m happy it worked for you.
Phenomenal advice! I have been trying to get a starter going for the first time and while I had one starting to go, upon doing the advised discard method, it ended up stalling out. You sir have given me INVALUBLE info. Your video is a work of art and science. Highly commendable. My starter (sans discard) is now starting to build itself up. Thank you! Here is an example of where going against the grain and using practical logic has made the difference, between interweb bunk and sage advice. Kudos!
Thank you. I appreciate the feedback.
I just bought your book. Thank you for sharing so much knowledge in your book and freely across platforms. Without you, I wouldn't be where I am, just going from beginner to intermediate. You're an amazing performer, too! I love your sense of humor. I laugh out loud thinking about the Barnyard Tragedy!! I know, that's a different video, but I've been known to binge-watch your videos back-to-back!
Thanks. I don’t have a book for sale?
So glad I found your website and videos today. My new starter just made it to day 4 (first rise happened overnight last night), and I just discarded and fed it for the first time. I was planning to start rushing it but found this video just in time. Thank you! Excellent videos!
Given that a strong starter is the foundation of sourdough success, this video is essential viewing. I've never before seen the problem with premature discarding explained, and you do it with such clarity, finally reinforcing the message with a funny sketch. By the end, the principle of "not feeding a weak starter before it has peaked" appears so obvious, but of course it's not so obvious because so many of us make that very mistake. I'm so glad that I found the Sourdough Journey. You are a great teacher, explaining everything clearly, with a great sense of humour, and backing it up with meticulous experiments. I've learnt a lot from you, and as a result, made a lot of progress in my own sourdough journey. Thank you!
Thank you so much for the thoughtful feedback.
This is great, so good to have explanation of what’s actually going on with the starter rather than random contradictory advice
Thanks.
I’m obsessed. Just what I needed, in a way I could understand. So exciting to watch, popped up in my feed. 16 minutes in and I was thinking, he sounds like a science professor, and then you showed your lab trials. Subscribed! Thank you for helping me understand my what was once active starters issue. I created my own starter and it sat on day 3. In summation, I was doing too much. 😂
Thanks!
Okay, the Houseplant Example is killing me 🤣🤣🤣
😀😀😀
Soon as I saw that I knew where he was headed. And that visual in my mind, before the trimming, made everything completely click!
Tom, you are the best! My starter wasn't doing anything even though I was diligently discarding daily. The funny thing was the contents of my several days old discard bin was doing gangbusters 🙂Hmm, should have been a clue. Your video and diagnostic of the problem was 100%. Your garden expert analogy made total sense and your logic and method for conveying information is among the best that I have seen on any topic. Thinking about it now it is obvious that by diluting the starter daily the yeast is working but the evidence is not there because they are simply not there in sufficient numbers to have their byproducts visible. Two days of doing nothing and the universe is unfolding as it should. Your interpretation of why this happens is also spot on, impatient and lack of experience. Not being able to 'read' the starter. If it hasn't risen, domed and fallen don't do anything, don't feed (maybe stir).
Is one of your alter egos is a psychologist?
Great content, expertly delivered.
Hope your Poinsettia recovers.
Thank you for the feedback! I appreciate it.
Not a psychologist. Just a guy trying to explain things. (The poinsettia is recovering). 👍
THANK YOU !
THIS MORNING DAY 10
MY NEW NAME FOR MY SOURDOUGH STARTER IS RYEANNA
75 % MONTANA FLOUR AND 25 % RYE FLOUR
THIS MORNING 8 AM TO 9 :30 AM DOUBLED IN SIZE AT 70 DEGREES
THANK YOU ! YOU HAVE THE BEST INSTRUCTIONS I HAVE FOUND ON THE INTERNET.
On day 14, I want to start baking with Ryeanna !!! She should be safe to use !
Thanks you! Good luck.
The other day, someone in a social media sourdough group insisted that hungry starter builds a better rise than a peaked starter. I just didn't understand her logic but she kept insisting that when she feeds her starter and it peaks, she gets less of a rise and when she uses hungry starter, the rise is much better. I'd love to see you debunk this myth too.
Great job with this video, Tom. I've learned so much from you. Still trying to perfect the ancient grain sourdough. That's another thing I want to see you try someday.
Thank you. The concept of a “hungry starter” is a myth. Yeast cells don’t have stomachs, fat stores or brains. They can’t be “hungry.” Biology doesn’t work that way.
So glad I found this *after* I murdered my starter. I'd had a strong starter for 2 years, neglected it in the fridge for 6 months or so, and couldn't get it back going. Followed a prominent author's instructions about more frequent feedings at higher ratios, and actually got mold for the first time ever. I actually did have the thought once "Doesn't this water it down?" but didn't put it together.
I then went to my backup dried starter, again from the same author, basically drowned it and then over diluted.
Fortunately I kept about 15 grams of my backup in reserve and am trying now according to your instructions.
Thank you. Here are my instructions for rehydrating. thesourdoughjourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/How-to-Rehydrate-Dried-Sourdough-Starter.pdf
As a sourdough newbie, I was happy to find this channel. I am so grateful to this guy! Not only for his sharing of his expertise, but for his brilliant method of instruction!! I love the explanations, modeling, recaps, charts, etc.... I am a happy subscriber.
Thank you. Also check out my website. Lots more content there. thesourdoughjourney.com
Absolutely brilliant explanations of the science! NOW I totally understand the mechanics. Phew was chasing my tail following soooo many other versions. Id love to buy your book if you write one day so I can keep in reference. Thank you!!
Absolutely brilliant explanations of the science! NOW I totally understand the mechanics. Phew was chasing my tail following soooo many other versions. Id love to buy your book if you write one day so I can keep in reference. Thank you!!
Uhrichsville Ohio here, I am so glad I found your channel. I was totally ready to give up and you have given me hope. Thank you.
Thanks!
After trying to find explanations of how to best nurture my starter, you have finally explained it with science - thank you! Most everyone else gives advice based on their experience (or dumb luck) with no explanation of the concept needed to understand how to develop a strong healthy starter. Thank you again for all of your hard work and for sharing your results with us!
Thank you.
Finally an expert that explains the right things! I knew I was somehow weakening my starter but no video I watched this part which is just what I needed to know that those 12 he feedings are actually a bad thing if your starter is not at the point of re-feeding. I will now start looking through your library to find out if it really makes a difference if your starter has whole wheat (or not) when trying to bake a white flour bread. 🥖 THANK YOU, MAESTRO!
Thank you 🙏
Brilliant, as always. Misinformation is the most frustrating thing getting into baking. Best thing is to find a good source. Once I started reading books by experienced bakers it all got much easier (your videos included)
Thank you! 🙏
Thanks for your video. When I first started making my first starter well over 2 years ago I probably threw out good beginning starter because I was expecting a quick rise and I should have gave it more time. Later I eventually figured it out and now I have a rather robust starter. All beginning sourdough bakers should see this video before they begin making a starter for future baking.
Thank you. I appreciate the feedback. It saddens me when I see beginning bakers ruining perfectly good starters by following all kinds of inconsistent advice. The advice is well-intentioned (mostly), but just doesn't address the complexities of all the things that can go wrong with a starter.
I wish it were simpler, but when people try to oversimplify sourdough baking, it is really a disservice. I participate in a lot of sourdough social media groups, and I estimate the failure and dropout rate is 90%. If it really were all so simple, that wouldn't happen.
I wish I would have found this guy 5 days ago! Today I was discouraged and haven’t fed it but I see it’s what I needed to do! Hopefully it will kickstart it!
Good luck. Also check out my website. thesourdoughjourney.com/encyclopedia/
Bravo! Well done. I wish I would’ve found this prestigious institution about ten pounds of flour ago.
You are perfectly describing what I just started finding out. Yeast doesn’t punch a clock. It deals with the conditions it is faced with to survive. It won’t be forced, but it will cooperate.
It’s like trying to figure out a mime’s mood. You have to recognize it’s expression.
How else could a starter that had worked well enough (by novice standards, something edible ) the last bake, and work less effectively the next , after a couple feedings?
I have every suitable jar in the house involved in a test of what you just stated. Not to prove your statements, but coincidentally just prior to hearing them.
The jar I let sit as I fed others, blew the lid off and oozed the most beautiful glutinous web. I had never actually seen a properly fermented starter in the two years I’ve been baking sourdough.
It took nearly fourteen hours. That’s what it needed . That’s what it’s condition required.
It crackled as I put a spoon into its web.
At this point , I can jump right on to the train of your recorded observations.
Thanks so much. You have me save a lot of effort ,time and flour.
I also have a confession to make. I’ve been cheating. Yup. I admit it. I was putting in a pinch of rapid yeast figuring that a poolish would form and support the weak levain. It worked well enough that others got the mistaken impression that I could actually bake.
I dumb lucked my way into a discard loaf , but that wasn’t my goal.
You may have just helped make an honest man out of me.
I don’t know what your religious affiliations are or even if you have any, but if you find yourself at heaven’s gate, tell Pete I said your O.K.
Thanks again. 🥸👍
Thank you 🙏
This was just what I needed. Mine had water on top but never peaked, so I was very confused. Also, we keep our house really cold in the winter, so now things are making sense.
Thanks. Good luck.
So thankful someone shared this with me. I was over feeding and making it week based on a feeding schedule not waiting for it to rise. 😅
Thanks!
Thank you for this video. This has cut through a lot of the confusion I've had.
I started my first sourdough starter a week and a half ago. I followed the instructions that came with the containers I bought. That went well up until I left it a bit long between feedings and I hit the hooch stage. I think that caused some of the yeast population I'd built up at that point to die off. Since then it's shown minimal activity (some bubbles, but not real rise), but I still feed and discarded every 24 hours.
Having watched this video, I now know to give it time (especially as we're in winter, so the house is colder) and only feed it when it has hit that peak rise. So thanks again for this.
Thank you.
This video made so much sense to me now. I'm at day 14 and my starter is now doubling. I followed some other You Tube channels (before I found yours) and really not understanding why my starter was so slow. I got to the instructions of feeding twice a day and it got worse. I backed off myself to only once a day, changed the location of my starter near the stove and while cooking dinner I noticed it bubbled and had risen alot. My problem is that I keep the house much cooler and it must take longer.
Thanks. A cool starter will rise more slowly, but that does not mean it is weaker, just cooler. You can keep a very strong starter at cool temps.
Thankyou so, I felt I was disrupting he peaking process by following the feeding plan in a recipe. I haven’t made a starter before, I previously used a starter from a friend. Now I’ll look for the signs and feed after the peak. Mines hasn’t peaked yet after 7 days. 🤞all will be good now. My goodness this can be so frustrating but I want to keep going 🤦♀️😊
Watch and wait.
Thanks for your video! But I'm not sure if I agree with it. Try the following. When you think your starter is "hungry" after it has peaked and collapsed, try to stir it up well, leave for some hours and let me what happens. If it is true that the starter is "hungry" and doesn't have more fuel to grow, it will remain more or less at the same level
Thanks. Yes, I’ve seen the “second rise” by stirring it near the end. I over-simplified somewhat here as a teaching mechanism. Thanks!
@@thesourdoughjourney you’re welcome. You can get the “second rise” well after it has peaked. That is my point. The level point or “ripeness” of the starter doesn’t necessarily mark the optimal time to feed your starter or making bread.
If this is true, it answers my question about stirring down.
Thank you! As a person with a science background my intuition was taking me there - I was feeding too frequently - your video confirmed my suspicions so thank you! I will watch more of your videos!
Thank you.
Now I get it!!! Thank you. Day 6 weak starter ( due to discard/feeding before peak). 20%rise after last feeding a day ago.
So now instead of repeating my feed /discard cycle, I will wait and monitor for peak. Only then discard down to 30g and feed 30g:30g.
Patience.... is difficult.
Here’s a better video describing this issue specifically for new starters.
The First 10 Days of Your New Sourdough Starter: Troubleshooting Tips
th-cam.com/video/_OAhPvQ5Ngo/w-d-xo.html
Thank you so much! This is my second time trying to make a starter from scratch. The first time I don't know what went wrong I just threw it away. This time I have finally gotten the courage to make it once again. I tried to watch so many youtube videos but nobody was talking about this specific thing. Like they say I am supposed to maintain a 1:1:1 ratio on the feeding. But suppose I took 15g of water, 15g of flour on day 1. Then next day another 15g of flour and 15g of water. Third day I just give it a stir. 4th day I am supposed to discard and feed it for the first time. So now i have 15×4=60g of starter. To maintain a 1:1:1 ratio let's say I discarded half of it. So I have 30g of starter now. So I add 30g flour and 30g water for feeding. So now I have 30×3=90g of starter. But the next day just like you said I am supposed to discard 2/3 of the starter to maintain that 30g of flour and 30g of water measurements. Those people keep saying I should discard half of it and continue the 30g water and flour thing like it made no sense to me. It just ruins the 1:1:1 ratio. I can't thank you enough for answering my question!
I have 2 other videos and various tools describing how to create a new starter. You can find them here.
thesourdoughjourney.com/faq-starter-creation/
@@thesourdoughjourney I will check it out thanks!
Great information for us newbies! I grew up in SW PA but have lived in central VA since 87. I smiled hearing your familiar accent :)
Thanks! I grew up in NW PA.
I'm so glad I found this video! My starter has been sitting in the fridge for about 2 weeks & I decided to get it out & feed it. I fed it about 11 PM last night & was expecting double the starter when I woke up this morning. (9AM) It only was about half! There are bubbles, so I know that is a good sign. So, I'll give it a couple more hours and see what it does. While looking for some answers, I came across your video, and you saved my starter. I almost discarded and fed it, but with your video & me searching, "We" saved my starter. Yayyyyyyyy! Thank you so much for an awesome video. I have one question. After I use my starter for a bake, I'm going to do,can I transfer my starter that's to a clean vessel? I wanted to use something with a larger mouth on it, but I didn't want to damage my starter. Thank you again for the video, and I hope to hear from you! BTW, I'm in Columbus, Ohio.😊
Thank you 🙏
Wow! Absolutely the best explanation of starter science and how to maintain a healthy starter. Thank you from a SD newbie.
Thank you! Also check out my website at thesourdoughjourney.com
your analogy with the poinsetta plant was hilarious....and made so much sense!
Thanks!
Oh my gosh!! Thank you. Last week I actually threw my starter out! I got so mad because it just didn't work for me!! I, indeed have been making this exact mistake.
Well, if at first you don't succeed, try try again.
Thanks again 😊
Thank you. Good luck on the next try!
This is excellent! I left my very young SDS on the kitchen counter today without doing the 12 hour discard/feeding and thought it would be ruined. Now I realized that it may not even be giving it enough time to peak. Thanks for the video.
Thanks.
This video was SO helpful to me! I have a new sourdough starter and was panicking, thinking I needed to discard and feed. Now i know to just give it time!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for the feedback.
Your video on how to start sourdough was very clear and informative. I used your method more than 4 years ago. I use my sourdough to make a loaf of sourdough bread every other week. I keep the starter in the frig and feed only one time between baking. So that is only about once a week. It is very vigorous. Once when we were on vacation, I didn’t feed it for two weeks. I fed it and used it the next day. I was so surprised that it was still alive.
Thanks for the feedback!
I am following a starter recipe from the King Arthur Baking Company website. The recipe told me to start feeding twice a day on day 3. On day 2 and on the morning of day 3, before feeding, my starter looked as though there was activity. I am now on day 6 and my starter looks so weak that there is just a few bubbles. There has been no rise from this new starter either, since the recipe's recommended twice a day feedings. After watching this video I now understand why. My kitchen is about 72-75 throughout the day, which may be a bit cool side. I am new to sourdough baking and have realized that this endeavor is far more frustrating than I could have imagined. This current starter is my third attempt at trying to successfully get a starter off the launch pad. The first two ended in a catastrophic moldy ball of fuzz that still gives me nightmares. Thank you for making this video. I think I'm going to put my starter in the microwave, which is slightly warmer than my kitchen's ambient temperature. I am also going to end the twice a day feedings per the recipe I had been using. My last resort will be to buy a starter if I can't meet with success. Thanks again for the great content... great channel.
Thanks. Yes, slow down your feedings and wait until you see activity.
This was so informative and makes so much sense, now I know the WHY behind it and will not just blindly follow random advice hoping it works. THANK YOU!
Thank you! 🙏
OMG!! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. 2 years ago I was having more successful bakes with my starter. I didn't complete discard it all but started over. I've been doing what you described here. Earlier in the week, I added more flour to my starter just to thicken it because it was slack. It rose beautifully with great vigor. I discarded and fed. Nothing. I put in oven by the light and it rose half as much. Last night instead of discarding I split it into 2 jars. Very little has happened. Some bubbles in top and sides. I am now going to wait. Again! Thanks
Thank you.
I have been making sourdough at least weekly x 3 years. I have made the mistake occasionally thinking it would like more food (flour) the more frequently I fed. Not giving it time to peak Occasionally. SO glad I found this video. Thanks!
Thank you. It is very tempting to think that refeeding or overfeeding will strengthen it. Everyone does it.
You give all our attempts at making Starter HOPE! Thank you for your in depth knowledge and understanding of Sourdough Starter 😁👍💗
Thank you!
Starter was fed last week- I let ferment 3 hrs then put in fridge before peak. Yesterday, start measured 3.76pH using Apera PH60s Sphere probe that I calibrated right before measurement. I fed starter 1:10:10. Some bubbling but no signs that it rose, it is runny like thick pancake batter- smells pleasantly acidic - measured 3.64pH after 24 hours (I did not measure new starter right after mixing). Today, I took 5g of that starter and did 1:5:5 feeding- I measured new starter at 5.03pH right after mixing. Kitchen was 68F overnight (now 70F).
I'm going to feed 2-3 more times.. hope to down the acidity. (I did not discard the initial 1:10:10 so it can potentially continue to develop, but without rising I can't ascertain peak.)
Make sure it peaks before discarding and refeeding. It is best to catch it around peak at 4.0-4.2.
Hooch vs Water separation! Thank you for clarifying this. I took my starter out of the fridge, discarded the hooch and left a small amount of starter to feed. Fed it and it didn't rise at all in 6hrs, but had activity and water on top. I thought it was a strong starter and also thought it had already risen and fallen and that it was STARVING, so I fed it again. I think I overfed. AS IN I WISH I HAD SEEN THIS BEFORE I DISCARDED AND FED AGAIN. We will wait and see....
Thanks. Good luck. 👍
@jamiebeighton4009
Mix the hooch in!
I found that it is counterproductive to discard the hooch because you drastically alter the hydration to unpredictable levels that can seriously alter your hydration %.
Thank you!!!!! I just started my starter 2 weeks ago. Baked bread, pitas, and sourdough muffins. Fed my remaining starter and continued on a 2x a day schedule and 2nd day into this feeding schedule. My starter stopped rising, and what did I do?? Kept discarding and feeding..lol after 2 days of research, I finally came upon your video, and I will now go about my day and put my worrying aside and let "Bob" recuperate.
Thank you!
What a great video. I learned a lot! So I was one of those concerned individuals. I like to make sourdough pizza, but in the winter it’s too cold to go outside to my oven to cook it, so I don’t use my sourdough starter that often. I end up putting it in the refrigerator. Well this last time my starter was in the refrigerator for sometime, and I got the hooch. I drained the hooch and immediately separated it into two containers. I fed one 1,3,3. The second container I did a 1,1,1. Now I have a clear understanding on what to do. The container with the 1,1,1 looks active while the 1,3,3 one looks a lot slower. Thanks to you I have placed elastics on the container and I will watch for peek and then feed as the curve begins to drop. Thanks again
Thanks! Good luck.
Didn't realize I would be scolded and called out in front of the entire class 😂😂 I'll go sit in the corner and cry now. Great video!
🤣
Thank you for this video, Tom. I really appreciate your work in the name of sourdough culture. I’m very new to this. I did fall for that “feed and discard” mantra without knowing exactly what is truly happening to my 6 week old starter (which I nearly got rid of to start over with a new one). Today, I am going to sit out and wait for my starter to wake up and will do something else instead of feeding and discarding it to death. Thank you and merry Christmas
Thank you! Also check out my new starter creation tools here. thesourdoughjourney.com/faq-starter-creation/
Great vid for all levels of home bread bakers. Only comment would be to spend more time on ambient temperature. One of my best investments was a proofing box. Greatly simplifies all aspects of sourdough baking.
Thanks for the tip! Yes, thanks. Temperature is the best way to speed up or slow down the time to peak. I have 4 different proofers I testing now, including three that can heat and cool. I find the cooling versions are better for my starter because it stretches out the time between feedings. I'll be posting a video on these devices in the next month or so. Thanks for the feedback!
@@thesourdoughjourney If you can, please describe some DIY proofers. Used styrofoam shipping containers can be had (for free!) but the heating source I'm using does not have a thermostat (and the cats want their heating mat back).
Such a spectacular video. I wish there wasn't so much contradictory information thrown around. It's amazing how people think they know things and it just gets regurgitated over and over and it's all wrong. It's hard to sift through the garbage and know what is actually correct. Your videos are what I'll stick to. Thanks so much Tom!
Thank you!
Thank you! I’m new to sourdough starters, I had the water separation and couldn’t figure it out. Your video is brilliant! Fills in so many gaps for me. I gave it a stir to get it going again. Patience is my new name. 😅 Now I understand the dynamics to this process and can’t wait to bake my first bread. New subscriber! 🙋🏼♀️
Thank you! Also check out my website. Lots of great info here. thesourdoughjourney.com/encyclopedia/
@@thesourdoughjourney thank you, I will!
Wow this video has been more helpful than anything else on starters I’ve watched in the last few days!!! Thank you
Thank you.
Everything sounds great. There's nothing one could dispute in this. One thing I'd like to word out and believe me, I'm pretty lazy to comment, there is a method to the madness when one should consider using a crazy ratio to feed. I've found it beneficial to do a silly ratio like 1 or 2:30:30 when I have a really old starter in the fridge. Like 2-3 months old. That kind of starter is basically fermented absolutely, usually turns gray, has a lot of hooch and the smell is REALLY strong. restarting/feeding it with a crazy ratio, I get rid of the sharpness in general asap. Both in smell and acidity. Tho it does take a bit more time to peak... After that first "purge" I continue as usual. 1:3:3 as that fits my schedule in relation to the temperature of my kitchen. I kind of get the feeling I get to the desired end result quicker.
Thank you for your comprehensive tests and an amazing presentation. I've seen no better thus far. Cheers
This is kind of in response to the dilution situation of making your starter weaker. Diluting it heavily. Just give it time and temperature, feeding ratio can be used to your advantage.
Now I wonder why did I even write this. There's no call for it. Nevermind, I'll leave it anyways
Thank you. I agree. I plan to do a whole separate video on feeding ratios and de-acidifying your starter. It was too complicated to add that in here so I tried to keep it simple with the 1:1:1 throughout.
But in reality I do very large feeding ratios like you describe (some even higher) to refresh a very sad starter. Thanks for the feedback!
@@thesourdoughjourney Great talk, Tom. You had me cracking up at least twice! Will you be teaching us about T.T.A. total titratable acidity? I understand it is quite different than PH.
My starters live in the refrigerator usually unfed, and it's just whatever doesn't come out of the jar when I made the last batch of dough so I'm usually using a very small amount of very spent starter and it works pretty well for my "enh, whatever whenever" sourdough processes in my cold kitchen, with only feeding it before I need it about once a week. Just shows how important it is to figure out what works for you, your climate and your available time!
Wow! I started my about 7 days and there was a lot going on in the Beginning but then it slowed down. I noticed less bubbles. This makes so much sense!
Thank you.
Wow! I leaned so many things from you. My new starter is Day 4 now it’s so excited to check everyday :)
The best explanation of stater !
And all your another video I’m watching too ! Thank you for responding all of us .
I’m a new subscriber !
Thanks. 🙏
Excellent video. Very informative and easy to follow, especially for intermediate sourdough bakers. Thanks.
Thank you!
These videos are not only wonderfully informative and detailed, your sense of humor has me rolling!
Thank you!
OMG - your videos and explanations are awesome, I'm learning so much, but being impatient gets challenging sometimes. But I'm trying to master reading my starter and waiting to understand all the stages so I feed when its ready.
Thank you. You can speed up or slow down the process by warming or cooling your starter or dough. This is the real art of sourdough -- controlling temperature to control the timing so it works around your schedule. I cover this topic in some of my recent videos.
This guy is the real deal. I think he just solved my starter problem.
Thank you!
Thank you fo this lesson! I'm trying to "read" my stater and clearly my starter as been in every stage you have mentioned. Your my savior
Thank you.
Very helpful! I’m starting my first starter! You’re right I over fed her I will wait before I feed again
Thanks!
Day 3 yesterday, mine doubled in size ..kept at 69ish° covered in back of cabinet..cant wait to check it today!! Feels a 🤏🏻 like Christmas!! Apparently mine is doing ok(?) 50/50 whole wheat and unbleached white(didnt do bread flour..started before I saw that) but from what I've been following so far..it's well on its "journey (?)"! 👍🏻💪🏻
Yes, sounds promising.
Great video. This and others. I was making several errors to start out based on other info online. Once i corrected these, which included flour type mix, feeding cycle, temperature, excess starter, and more patience, i got my starter to rise 3x after a couple of 1:2:2 feedings. I was about at day 7 and CO2 bubbles but little to no rise. Now i just need to repeat this a few times to be confident it is reasy for baking.
Thank you. Good luck with your starter.
My Cousin that lives in Maine asked me for my sourdough recipe so I sent this youtube video and she said it would not let her watch without a subscription. so I sent your webpage. I have sent your youtube pages to many people and never had a problem.
None of my videos require a subscription.
thank you, this is gold. I'll be referring to your videos from now on. I was so confused with the feedings and getting my starter weaker every time. I didn't understand why since I did what sooo many people told me. This makes so much more sense.
Thanks!
Impressive work
Thank you, Claudio.
Hi Tom, this video has made all the difference in my starter! I’ve been doing exactly what you said not to do until now! This time, by giving my starter time to rise, it’s consistently more than doubled in size in shorter time even at 18C in my kitchen. Can’t wait to bake with it this weekend and see if my loaf improves! Thank you so much!
Thank you!
How long did you wait by just leaving it alone?
As a newbie, thank you so much….I have probably wasted quite a $$$$ on throwing away what I thought was dead starter. Thank you also for the plant analogy…I now believe I threw away a perfectly fine poinsettia 😫
Thanks! My poinsettia is making a very slow comeback. Maybe by next Christmas. 😀
I watched your video on warmers (and coolers) for starter and dough and am deciding on which solution to implement for maintaining a desired temperature, as my kitchen is just too chilly. My starter grew mold before doubling in size - it just took too long. Your advice is so practical, and much appreciated.
Thanks! The warm/cold proofers are all quite new and some are finicky. If you are just looking for something to keep your starter in, the Brod and Taylor Sourdough Home is a good unit.
If you want something to bulk ferment dough in, the size is really critical. For example, if you plan to make 1,2 or 4 loaves at a time.
If you just want a warming device, the Cozy-Bread Warm Mat is excellent.
This makes perfect sense for the first time! Thank you. What I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around is when to put in the fridge to store.
After a feed? If so how long after?
or do we store after it has peaked and so, put it in the fridge “hungry” ?
Depending on which scenario, how much and how long before intended use does one feed when you are ready to bake?
like many here, i am new and trying out different methods, but so thankful for this video!
If I’m putting my starter in the fridge I usually feed it and wait until I can see it begin rising. Then I move it to the fridge. Then I always feed it once or twice when it comes out of the fridge - usually if it’s been in the fridge for about 1 week.
That’s a really good tip about using warm water for feedings when the kitchen is cold. Tom, lots of good tips here. I’m just a beginner and have made only one ‘sourdough’ boule so far, and many no-kneads, but now I’ve got a second and third starter that are ready to go. They all smell different! Can’t wait ‘til this weekend’s bake! Thank you thank you thank you! 🩷
Thanks! Good luck.
@@thesourdoughjourney just wanted to note I grew up in the Midwest and really love listening to your accent. I’ve lost mine as I’ve been away for several decades.
In lamens terms if you start with 1cup of flower maintain that ratio when feeding. The water will vary based on humidity altitude and time of year. If your starter looks runny discard and add flour and water to create a thick pancake batter like consistency.
👍
I am just starting my sourdough journey. Found your video by accident. Thank you for this educational and entertaining video!
Thank you.
I just stumbled upon your video, and boy am I thankful! I think I was doing everything wrong🤣 Thank you for sharing your expertise.
Thanks! 🙏
Interesting, probably one of the few mistakes I haven't made often enough to matter.
Thanks for mentioning the temperature issue. My starters don't peak until about 8h in the non-summer months because my kitchen is too cold, but they make great loaves with plenty of oven spring so I know they're healthy enough to get the job done. When it's really cold or if I'm in a hurry, I'll use warm water when I feed it, and if it's particularly cold (we had a cold snap recently where it took 12h to even start rising cause I didn't use warm water, and 24h to peak), I will put it in the oven with the light on, or just turn the element on for thirty seconds (counting to thirty out loud helps me not forget and bake my starter) every couple hours.
I refrigerate mine usually unfed for a week, week and a half at a time and the only time I actually do daily feedings with discards is when it's gotten sluggish from disuse after I go on vacation or something, or if I forgot it out on the counter after making the last batch of bread. Usually if that happens I feed it and let it get started before I put it back in the fridge, then use that particular discard for pancakes when I feed it before I want to make loaves. I typically do 100g flour, 100g water and the tablespoon or two of scrapings left in the jar as my feedings, that amount of starter works well in my lazy-butt sourdough method using 1000g flour and 800g water or my pizza dough using the same amount of flour only all white instead of 50% whole grain, and 700g water, and some oregano and garlic powder. Also makes a great pancake batter if you add an egg, some vanilla, a quarter-tsp of baking soda and a handful of frozen blueberries...
I'm working on an accidental perpetual pizza dough, I saved some from last time we did pizzas so I could make more, then thought we were going to have more guests than we did so I added flour and warm water right to the leftover dough that was probably starting to get to the overfermented stage, and did stretch and folds every half hour for a couple hours, ignored it a couple more hours, then made great pizzas with it. I'm tempted to do it again before we do the next pizzas!
Thanks for the info.
I love your videos! This is exactly the information I needed! I can’t thank you enough. I’ve had so many failed attempts at my starter and now I know why!
Thank you. Also check out my website. Lots more info there.
After watching this Tom, I need to change up my whole game now. I will bake this weekend and see any new changes. Haven;t been getting the oven spring I think I should. Thanks Tom
Thanks. Good luck!
So glad I was able to watch this video. You explain the process so well and make the steps much more clear. There are several videos out there that provide conflicting information. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Will be watching all of your videos.
Thank you for the feedback.
The best explanation of how starter works by far.
Thanks
Thanks!
Tom you are the "Einstein of Sourdough"
Thank you for all the Great content.
Wow, thanks!
Wow. So important this video is, it explains how the starter works. I never did that but I also never really understood what I was doing, even if I was doing the "right" thing. Thanks, thanks thanks Tom.
Thank you.
I love this! Just want to make sure I got this down. I fed my starter 1:3:3 before finding this series and it’s on day 9 later tonight. The only rise that it has gotten was double and triple on days 3 & 4 when I skipped a feeding. Haven’t had any rise since because I kept doing daily feeds after. Pretty much just wait until there are pinhole sized bubbles? Nevermind a few thick bubbles, wait until I see smaller bubbles?
New starters can be tricky to read. Check out the tops near the end of this video for how to read the bubbles.
The First 10 Days of Your New Sourdough Starter: Troubleshooting Tips
th-cam.com/video/_OAhPvQ5Ngo/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for this video, the vulgarisation level is really great and the information is really clear.
However, there are two things that pops in my head when I analyse your advice. First, I get that most of the problems appends before peak, but if the lactobacteria becomes dorment, other types of bacteria could start growing leading to mold. Second, I get that it is true that feeding an already established starter before peak leads to a weeker starter. But, then, why is the method of starting a new starter is to discard and feed until we start seeing activity teeling us we are ready to bake ?
Thank you for your time !
Thanks, great questions. The lactobacteria will never become dormant with this method. It usually too strong and you are simply try to get it a little Lisa strong, but it is never weak.
With a new starter, there are bad bacteria in the flour, so it is sensible to discard a little more frequently to get those bacteria out of the mix in the early days. But the same principles apply. If you discard and refeed too frequently you can weaken a new starter also.
Do you feed your starter and immediately put in frig? And when you takeit out in5 days, do you feed it right away? Good videos that you produce. Thanks for all of the info.
Generally yes. I only put my starter in the fridge if I know I'm not going to be using it for 7 or more days. So, I feed it and refrigerate it immediately. When I take it out, I usually let it come up to room temperature to see how it looks. There is usually still unconsumed flour and it will rise, coming out of the fridge, without another feeding. Then once that peaks, I'll discard and feed again.
Good question. Thanks. I recently posted another video here th-cam.com/video/sFO532C3EAM/w-d-xo.html that demonstrates how I do this.
@@thesourdoughjourney thanks so much, I'll watch the video
@@Cementhead48 Sorry, wrong link. Here it is. th-cam.com/video/6GWRkoYo5A4/w-d-xo.html
@@thesourdoughjourney thanks, I thought so. Lol