Bake your first sourdough 🤤

[trummy]

Erm... "Hooch"? What's that? I did a swimming test with Sven but he's not a floater yet either.

However, after I did my step up this evening I went ahead and fried myself up a little Svencake:

View attachment 39563

I nuked it good and proper in the front pan just to be sure but actually it tasted pretty good (will check back in in a couple of days just to confirm that )...

It had kind of a sweet aftertaste which I'm willing to be persuaded is something a little sour or acidic perhaps.

So, fingers crossed I'll be set for my first loaf in a few days

Probably an American term - I had a brown runny liquid form on the top of Percy. Found a reference to it that said it forms when the starter is ready for feeding. The recommended action is to pour it off.

 

[JFB]

I never knew that floating starters was a thing. If it was bubbly and and came close to doubling in volume at some point after feeding then as far as I was concerned it was as good to go as it was going to get for a while.

It's just a confidence thing really for people starting out.
After a few bakes you know how your starter behaves and when it's good
It's funny how you develop a relationship with your starter..

 

[Alastair70]

It's funny how you develop a relationship with your starter..

Too right! My good lady referred to my first starter as “my other wife” and was very resistant to the March lockdown revival of sourdough baking.
This time round I got the kids on board with starter management and threw in pizza bases as a kicker. Now Starter 2.0 is well on its way to adulthood and I still haven’t come up with a name yet.

 

[JohnB]

I'm really late to this thread, but I've been following the method and have Bertie (bubbles) well under way now. but I have a quick question, should he smell of, well slightly sour a bit like vinegar? I feed Bertie every morning (he wakes me about 5am) and he's now 5 days old and growing up fast. I have made my own bread for years - about 2 loaves every week - and this is completely new to me, although I know the principle, I've never had the b*lls to try it! I'm really looking forward to my first sourdough. Thanks to all for the input to a really interesting thread.

 

[JFB]

I'm really late to this thread, but I've been following the method and have Bertie (bubbles) well under way now. but I have a quick question, should he smell of, well slightly sour a bit like vinegar? I feed Bertie every morning (he wakes me about 5am) and he's now 5 days old and growing up fast. I have made my own bread for years - about 2 loaves every week - and this is completely new to me, although I know the principle, I've never had the b*lls to try it! I'm really looking forward to my first sourdough. Thanks to all for the input to a really interesting thread.

Mine tends to smell nice and sweet shortly after feeding then as it falls from its prime starts to smell more sour.
Once you've made a few I find it simpler than baking with bakers yeast
Look forward to seeing a pic

 

[UKSkydiver]

So, I woke Billy up from his fridge slumber a couple of days ago...... (incidentally, Billy has spawned a child and a grandchild. When I split the starter, I gave some to my mate next door. On feeding, his wife said he's going like fury, so got the name Billy Fury. Mr Fury's child has been given to their son, so has been named Billy the Kid!)

Back to my update. Billy actually smelled more like pear drops, than grapes, which I believe is a sign of it being hungry. So I fed him a bit and off he went. I made the dough over 24 hours ago and left it to rise, then shaped last night.

I’m just about to throw him in the oven so let’s see what Billy's second loaf turns out like.

 

[UKSkydiver]

Well. Looks ok, not as high as I’d like, but I do the lazy man's method, so no folding and fannying about.

 

[Skippi]

Hi @JFB

Thanks for the detailed instruction and tips. Have been meaning to get around to trying out a sour dough for a while.
Have been following a bit behind and yesterday baked from the starter for the first time.
Have to say I could not be happier with the results and very tasty.

Some pics of the preparation and baked loaf.

 

[Alastair70]

Starter (in kilner jar) and levian (in the bowl) both went off like a rocket overnight, so making bread dough and pizza dough today.

My bread method, if anyone is interested
11am. Autolyse 352g of flour and 270g water. (I used a 2:1 ratio of white and malted wholemeal today)
1pm. Mix in 80g of levain and 9g salt
1pm-4pm. Three sets of stretch and fold in first hour. 2 more folds and 1 lamination as and when I was passing

It's bulk proving now. I'll maybe laminate once more, or at least give it a coil fold or two, before shaping and putting into a banneton around 8pm. It'll get an overnight retard in the fridge and bake in the morning.

Hydration with this recipe is around the 78% mark. The trick is to handle the dough with wet hands, and always remember which is the outside when you are folding. Then the sticky bit keeps getting tucked inside.

 

[matt76]

If you want to do a few of the twists here's how..
Wet hand. Then grab the dough from underneath. Twist and lift.
Do this about four times and your good.
Your feel the gluten strengthen as you do this.
View attachment 38998View attachment 38999View attachment 39000

I'm a bit confused about the actual making of the loaf...

I've made plenty of normal bread with yeast before so it's pretty familiar...

I'm gonna mix up 50g of Sven the starter with 500g flour, plus some salt and 300-350ml water...

Then I'll leave it to rise/prove overnight (or maybe over-day) - this will take longer then normal yeasted bread, right?

But then what about these twists and turns? Do I do them during the rise/prove or after?

I'm sure it'll all be clear once I've done it once. I think a lot of it is similar to what I'm used to with normal bread, it's just getting my head around the bits that are different

 

[geigercntr]

But then what about these twists and turns? Do I do them during the rise/prove or after?

The way I interpreted was that you do the twists and folds not long after you've mixed together the flour, water, salt, starter. So I guess that counts as during the prove(?)

I found the video below handy to get a feel for (a version of) the technique:

 

[Alastair70]

Morning bake, couldn’t be happier about how it turned out.

 

[Skippi]

Morning bake, couldn’t be happier about how it turned out.
View attachment 39656

Tempted to try adding some wholemeal flour to my starter, that looks great.

 

[Alastair70]

Tempted to try adding some wholemeal flour to my starter, that looks great.

The starter is 100% rye flour (well almost). The flour mix for that loaf was around 2/3 white, 1/3 wholemeal. If I’m doing a white loaf I’ll still add 5-10% of a wholemeal or rye flour to give it a bit more character.

 

[geigercntr]

Well, this one turned out like pretty much all of my previous bread attempts: nice crust, tastes brill, but looks pretty raw in the middle. Doesn't improve no matter how long it's left in the Dutch oven

Followed the guide no probs. After shaping/resting and popping from bowl to ovenproof paper (when moving to Dutch oven), the shape flatterned out immediately. I imaging that my issue lies there somewhere

 

[Skippi]

The starter is 100% rye flour (well almost). The flour mix for that loaf was around 2/3 white, 1/3 wholemeal. If I’m doing a white loaf I’ll still add 5-10% of a wholemeal or rye flour to give it a bit more character.

Thanks @Alastair70 - Definitely worth playing around with the ratios of flour and see how it turns out.

 

[bobukbrewer]

I was given 3 sachets of Lakeland sourdough culture for Xmas (we are on a very tight budget). Instructions were to make enough dough for 2 loaves, bake 1, put other in fridge and bake within a week.

Ha - Ha. I added sachet to 50 gm bread flour and 50 gm water, mixed, left 24 hours, added 100 gm water and flour, left 24 hoursand added 100 gm water and flour. Now fizzing well. When I want to bake I remove 200 gm as starter and replace with 100 water 100 flour. Now made 9 loaves expect to make hundreds more. Will put the other 2 sachets on Ebay..........

 

[Alastair70]

Well, this one turned out like pretty much all of my previous bread attempts: nice crust, tastes brill, but looks pretty raw in the middle. Doesn't improve no matter how long it's left in the Dutch ovenView attachment 39658

View attachment 39659
Followed the guide no probs. After shaping/resting and popping from bowl to ovenproof paper (when moving to Dutch oven), the shape flatterned out immediately. I imaging that my issue lies there somewhere

It looks like you're getting some tunnelling which is giving you the inconsistency in the bake. I'd suggest doing more folding during the early part of the bulk proof, this will increase dough strength and distribute gas within the dough better.
Underproofing can also contribute. If you put a bit of dough in a shotglass and mark the top with a rubber band you can see how your main batch is progressing. Once the shot glass sample is approaching doubling in size you're good to add it back in, pre-shape and bung the lot in the fridge to retard.

I'd be quick to add, I'm not an expert. I had similar issues in my early bakes (I made a lot of flat breads). These steps helped to resolve them.

 

[bobukbrewer]

I mix my starter flour water and salt together in a large jug with a spoon for 2 minutes. I then use my bread maker to knead for 20 minutes. I then transfer to a lined bread tin and let it rise for 12 to 16 hours, before baking at 200 deg C for approx 15 minutes. Very happy with the results I am getting.

 

[geigercntr]

It looks like you're getting some tunnelling which is giving you the inconsistency in the bake. I'd suggest doing more folding during the early part of the bulk proof, this will increase dough strength and distribute gas within the dough better.
Underproofing can also contribute. If you put a bit of dough in a shotglass and mark the top with a rubber band you can see how your main batch is progressing. Once the shot glass sample is approaching doubling in size you're good to add it back in, pre-shape and bung the lot in the fridge to retard.

I'd be quick to add, I'm not an expert. I had similar issues in my early bakes (I made a lot of flat breads). These steps helped to resolve them.

Brill. Thanks for responding. This all seems like sensible advice. I'll have a bash next time I'm inspired to bake. Cheers

@bobukbrewer
...bread maker...

This also sounds sensible. I might have to pull on my Spider Fightin' Boots and get my break maker from the shed
Thanks!