Managing Your Sourdough Starter
Before you watch this video on sourdough starter maintenance, please know that it really isn’t a big deal to keep your sourdough culture alive and healthy. A good starter is naturally very hearty and robust. If I were as strong as my starter is, I’d be competing in Iron Man competitions. At a minimum, all you have to do is throw some flour and water in once in a while to keep it alive during periods when you’re baking infrequently. To keep it near optimum health, feed it once a week or so and keep it refrigerated.
If you’re baking regularly, say weekly or bi-weekly, it’s easy enough just to feed it after using the amount called for in your recipe before returning it to your refrigerator. If you really want to be sure your starter is in optimum shape, feed it once or twice the day before baking or the two days prior to baking day. In addition, here are a few points that are worth noting…
- When you feed your starter, feed it with approximately equal weights of flour and water. That equates to about 2/3 to 3/4 cup of water for every cup of flour.
- As a general rule of thumb, the amount you feed your sourdough starter depends on how much of it you have to start with. When practical, you want to approximately double the amount of starter you have each time you feed it. However, if you already have a couple cups of starter on hand and typically only use a cup of starter in your recipe, it doesn’t make sense to have to double the existing two cups of starter. In this case just dispose of a cup or more of the starter and then double what remains.
- If it’s been a long time since you’ve fed your starter and you don’t plan on baking for a while, don’t feel like you have to go through a big rigamarole to keep it happy, just stir in a 1/2 cup of flour and about the same amount of water and forget about it. That will at least buy you a few more weeks before you have to worry about it again.
- If you really don’t think you’re going to use your starter at all for a very long time, (some people don’t bake during the summer months, for example), you could dry some starter and freeze it. It will store this way indefinitely. Then revive it in the fall. See the videos on drying starter and reviving dried starter.
- If you need a whole wheat or rye starter, it’s easy to convert your white flour starter by just a few successive feedings with the flour you want. You may have to adjust the water as some flours are thirstier than others.
- Be sure to store your starter in a container that’s not air tight. This comment from Madelyn dramatically (and humorously) illustrates why.
I’m really belaboring this subject. Once you’ve played around with sourdough starters for a while and baked some with it, you’ll know all you need to know and develop a sense for what works best. If your bread is not rising as much as you think it should (you’re not getting the desired oven spring) then try what I said about feeding your starter a couple of times in the 12-24 hours before starting your recipe.
As with anything on this web site, if you have any questions or comments about anything please ask in the space below.
Jan 13, 2011 Update: In this video I mention a favorite recipe of mine that calls for 2 cups of sourdough starter. It’s been so long since I shot the video (and many favorite recipes ago), that I’ve forgotten exactly which recipe I was referring to. I do know it was in Ed Wood’s book, Classic Sourdoughs. He has many recipes in there that call for 2 cups of starter.
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Yes! Alive and well indeed. And yes, I get up way too early sometimes.
Since it’s new, I would feed one or two more times at room temp just to make sure it’s got its legs then use and/or store in fridge.
It is alive! yea! Eric, thank you for your response on the sour dough starter that I thought was dead- strong smell of alcohol. Your advise was to reduce what I had to a 1/4C, add 1/2C WW and 1/3 c water. Ta Ta! Look at all those bubbles! Alive & well wouldn’t you say. …. Now what do I do ?
Put it in the fridge? Add more flour & water ~ right?? yes? (ya know you get up wayyyy too early – answering E mail like mine at 3:30 in the morning hope you had some bread starting)
[img]itisalive!.JPG[/img]
Sounds really good to me, Wil. I especially like your advise on dealing with hooch.
Erika – controlling for the degree of sour has to be one of the most challenging parts of sourdough baking. When trying to maximize sour, for example, it seems like you can try every suggestion offered and sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn’t. It’ll be a happy day if I can ever do or say what needs to be done to get consistent, predictable results in this area. Or any other area for that matter
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Lucy – I’m not sure if what you’re describing is good or bad. But if you like the way your bread is turning out then I would vote for “good”.
Hi again Erika,
I just noticed I did not answer your question. The hooch is just alcohol and IMHO does not add or take away from the starter taste. At least I have never experienced any. Maybe Eric has noticed. The sourness comes from having a proportionate amount of lactobacilli to yeast, activily working in your starter. You try to achieve a ballance of lacto and yeast. Too much yeast and you get good rise but lack sourness. Too much lacto and you get a nice sour taste but a flat loaf. When you have a new starter, the yeast grows a lot faster than the lactobacilli. That is a reason the new starter has to be refreshed regularly over a period of a couple of weeks before you have a really good starter. Refrigeration will help the little “lactos” to grow but, it will also slow down the yeast production. Over time you get a good balance.
Eric, please jump in and bail me out. I feel my yeastiness is springing me way over my ability.
Wil
Hi Erika,
Pouring off the hooch seems to be a personal thing. Most people just stir it back in. If you are getting hooch you probably are not re-freshing your starter often enough. You can also try a dryer starter, which for me goes a lot longer without refreshing. I store my starter in the refrige and try to refresh it once a week unless I am on vacation. I have not seen hooch in my starters for a long time now.
Eric,
Hi, my starter has the consistansy of … gluey-mass-yet has this bong to it does not coat the spoon rolls off – with bubbles, for example I start to pour it into a measuring cup – if I stop mid pour – it will all go back in the jar.
I get this life of it’s own feeling. Is this good? :-} ??
Having been a successful sourdough disciple of yours for quite a while, I just reviewed your video on maintaining a starter and noted that you recommend pouring out any hooch that develops. In his Classic Sourdough book, Ed Wood recommends stirring it back into the starter prior to feeding. What are the pros and cons of each approach? Does either approach affect the “sourness” of the starter? My goal is always to have the bread turn out as sour as possible.
Help, I made a starter using Nancy Silverton’s book “Breads” it was made with grapes and it took 14 days. Then I let it go for 4-5 days, when I opened it it had a smell that wasn’t nasty but it was rancid kinda. I poured of the yellowish water on top – stirred – added flour & water – reduced it to about 2 cups – changed containers. This time I put it in the fridge.
I fed it for about 3 days saw bubbles, it smelled right ( all is well) then I used it. Well, the dough felt perfect but it really didn’t rise, I mean really DID NOT RISE. Now I have fed it again and it is bubbling and it smells right – WHAT am I doing wrong? I can say that maybe my proportions maybe messed up – I keep a little more than 2 cups I add 1 1/4 of water and a heavy cup of flour. Not exactly accurate, but I thought it was close.
Hope you can answer me soon – as I have some baking to do for a fundraiser and I hate wasting flour. Thanks for your help.
Frenchie,
You should be feeding a new starter twice a day.
I feed my new starters at 6 am and 6 pm as that suits my work schedule. IMHO, sever (7) days of twice daily feeding is the MINIMUM amount of time it takes to get a new starter active enough to bake with.
When I revive a dried starter, I also feed twice a day for about 5 days to ensure full activity. When I remove a stored starter out of the fridge to get it ready to bake, I usually feed twice a day for at least two days to get full activity.
Eric has some instructions on this site and, if it helps, I have instructions on my site, also. http://www.allthingsbread.bravehost.com. Look on the list on the left side of the home page.
Bob
Hi Eric,
I recently started a sourdough starter – 4 days ago and have fed it twice as I got side tracked on day two. When I went to feed it today I saw that it had an awful lot of hooch and no bubbling to it. Am I doing something wrong? Should I have scrapped the original starter when I missed a feeding? Or is it at a point when I should be putting it in the fridge and only feed it once a week? This is the first time I’ve tried making a sourdough starter and you help is appreciated!
don’t throw your starter away! i, too, hate throwing perfectly good food that cost money away. instead – make pizza dough! i can’t take credit for this idea, though.
http://www.sourdoughhome.com/pizzacrusts.html
i know that this isn’t quite no-knead, but it’s a great way to use starter that otherwise you would be throwing away. i keep a quart yogurt container in the fridge that i pour “waste” starter into and whenever i get a hankering for pizza (or the container starts to fill up), i grab it out, stir it up and go. makes a lovely tangy sour pizza dough – also works well on the grill!
i’ve also half-baked crusts and stored them in the freezer for future use. great for late days at work – you can literally get dinner on the table in the time it takes to bake the pizza, if you have the rest of the ingredients on hand.
blessings,
anja
Roni,
I’ll be interested in knowing if the starter survives the heat of the hair dryer.
Well, success with the drying of the starter. Thanks for the help. I have more to dry today and tomorrow. Thin is best, and it does get really flaky when it is thin. It would have taken days to dry on that pan, so scraping it back into the crock and remixing it up with a bit of water helped make the spreadability much easier. I got impatient, got my blow dryer and helped it along. Some spots were thicker than others. I stopped when I realized I was sending flakes all over the kitchen LOL….What was I thinking…geez LOL
Now I have 8 oz of dried flaky starter. I rolled it with a rolling pin to break them down, but not quite to a fine powder. More like minuscule egg shells.
Parchment paper works fantastic, and I have a 4″ flat edged plastic spreader that worked great and fast. (I think it was for painting, but nice and new and clean…I use in for frosting cakes…)
Thanks a bunch, you guys are great…
Roni
Can you still use starter bread if it’s after the 10 day period? I’m on day 12 and haven’t baked it yet.
Roni,
it will also help if you thin out the starter you want to dry with a bit of water. Makes it easier to spread and get a consistent thin coat.
If you will look on my blog, there are some very detailed instructions on reviving dried starters. http://www.allthingsbread.bravehost.com.
Also the care and feeding of starter. Few recipes, too.
Bob
Thank you. I didn’t see the email, but spread out a layer that I realize is too thick now, but did have the tray in the oven. The top dried like rubber, so I just stirred it and put it back in the oven no heat just the light. I think I will scrape this mess back into the starter that is left and feed it. Then try this again tomorrow with your instructions.
Now after I have dried it, and package it up in ziplock baggies or the suck the air out kind…(I have that too.)
How much do I use of my dried starter to make a new starter? Like a couple of tablespoons of dried starter to maybe 1/3 cup water and flour??? I’m just guessing here….
Hi Roni,
I find that smearing a thin layer of starter on parchment paper with a rubber spatula and then drying in the oven overnight with just the oven light on works really well. Once it’s dry it flakes right off and no chemical reactions to be concerned about.
Hello there, I wanted to comment on my “gallon sized crock” with my 1/2 gallon of starter. Have not been baking and cannot bring myself to toss it out. I feed it about every 3-4 days. Stir it every day or every other.
I was feeding it only Bread Flour as I thought the KingArthur Bread Flour had a higher gluten content. This didn’t give much in rise but was active. Had always added the water “distilled”. Well since I am feeding both the Sourdough and Friendship Starter and I don’t measure either as I keep them healthy and active with a 1/4 c sized scoop…semi measured not exact. Sometimes they get 2 scoops, sometimes 1…(I bake 5-10 Friendship bread loaves in one day and get the starter way down in the crock, as it grows quite fast.)
I feed the Friendship Starter GoldMedal All Purpose Flour, but last week I hurriedly fed both starters with the GM AP Flour. I didn’t add water to the Sourdough and stirred in the flour. It became very very active, and I was quite surprised. The most activity I have had yet. I have fed it just the AP Flour one more time with no water, and it did the same thing. Now it is so so so thick bubbly and rising up in the crock more than it ever has risen. It is now almost too thick for even mixing in the flour. I will probably have to add water today to get the flour mixed in good.
Reading other info on SD starters: Some recipes said to “break off a piece of starter”. I am wondering if in the olden days…so to speak…if starter wasn’t quite thick and more “breakable”. Possibly even mixed in with bare hands to get the flour mixed in…(Possibly water was a premium in the Covered Wagon Days….Right?? And the starter was quite thick and not pourable or easy to scoop? I have noticed there is no real science to keeping the starter ongoing and healthy.
I am going to try the dried starter with my SD Starter as I have so much, and I have to leave the State for 3 weeks. (Sister having Brain Surgery) I can’t trust the Husband or Son to care for either of the starters.
I am asking if when I dry this and all my big flat baking pans are Metal, some non-stick….will that affect the starter…? Since, I am a soap crafter, and fully aware of the changes in the use of certain metals with different ingredients, (chemical reactions with various metals)….What about a good non-stick pan and reaction with Sourdough Starter..??
I will be freezing some of the starter as well, and jarring one for the fridge unfed to keep until I return.
Thank You,
Roni
Stuart,
Baguette dough is very wet, so you may have to adjust the water content.
When I stretch my baguette dough out to form them, they are sort of like a slippery snake. I just support them with both hands and gently stretch them to the proper length and put them in the baguette pans.
Or, alternatively, you can shape them on parchment paper and transfer the dough, paper and all, over to the baguette pan. Either way seems to work.
The recipe I use is on my blog, http://www.allthingsbread.bravehost.com. You might look at the recipe and get an idea of how much water you might need to use.
I think this recipe is about on par with the ones I used to get when I was stationed in Paris.
Bob
Hi Stuart,
I have very little experience with making baguettes. But it seems to me that a traditional baguette has only a small amount of whole wheat if any. But if you do adapt the no knead recipe to form a baguette, as many people have done, you may just have to keep an eye on the time as the long slender loaf is likely to finish baking quite a bit sooner that the usual no knead bread baked in a cloche.
Sure seems like it would be worth a try. Please let us know how it turns out if you do.
This site is great. I have been struggling through several starter recipes. The pineapple and flour looks good. I am on day two with it and it is very active. I am using white wheat flour that I grind just before using in the starter. I have convinced myself that it will have more natural yeasts that way. And it is fun to do everything from scratch.
Qusetion: I am trying to perfect sourdough baguettes (white flour) so they have crunchy crusts, many holes in the crumb, and a very sour flavor. Can I use your no knead whole grain recipe and use my baguette pan to cook (instead of a loaf in the cloche) ? What would I need to adjust ? Do you have a video for that?
Thanks so much for responding to my question, when I put the water in , after a while it started to bubble again, so I felt much better, I did not kill it, My husband loved this sour dough bread so much, I will be baking it quite often I’m sure. Thanks again
Genny
Kris,
I am taking the liberty of answering for Eric since he has to earn a living and I just sit in front of a computer all the time.
When you take the starter out of the fridge on Thursday, feed it well and leave it out on the counter unless your temperature in your house are over 85F or so. Realizing it is going into your cooler season now, I think you will be OK. Feed it again Friday.
I have a detailed instuction sheet on the care and feeding of starters on my website, if you would care to look. http://www.allthingsbread.bravehost.com.
That’s the way I handle all of my starters, including that wild, violent starter I got from Eric.
Bob in Oklahoma USA
Hi All,
Eric, I contacted you the other day. Your help was very reassuring. I actually baked a loaf and was pretty happy with the result as I expected much less from my first attempt. Another question. I have about 1/2 cup starter from that loaf that I have put into a jar in the fridge. I want to bake again on Saturday. I guess I should take it out on Thursday – feed it and feed again on Friday. But, do I put it back into the fridge between those feedings?
Thanks…Kris (Australia)
This is a picture of two loaves of my Bob’s Basic Sourdough (as featured on my website) baked with Eric’s starter.
The slightly wrinkled crust is because I rub butter on the crust as soon as it comes out of the oven because my significant other likes a soft crust.
Bob
[img]eric.jpg[/img]
Genny,
Starter is pretty tough stuff. If, when you finally put the water in, it started getting bubbles, you are fine. Starters vary from thin and soupy to almost dough like and they seem to all work. Most of mine are like a thick, barely pourable pancake batter.
Bob
i baked my first loaf of sour dough bread yesterday, it was fabulous. I have a question though, I fed my starter and forgot to put the water in, I went to make pizza today, and discovered what I had done, I added water to it, and I’m wondering if I ruined my starter? thank you for your great video’s, they are just great to follow, I watched the “Managing Your Starter” again, but you did not cover the question of forgetting the water. Please advise.
thanks
Genny Morgan
Check this page, Gramma.
http://www.breadtopia.com/sourdough-waffles-and-pancakes/
I enjoy your bresd recipes. Thank-You for the time it took to do them. Do you have wafle recipes that dont use buttermilk? I would like to try one. Thank-You Gramma
Kris,
I am the owner of a very popular food store and bakery in Newfoundland Canada. For years we produced standard breads with no knowledge of the wonderful properties of fermented dough. To make a long story short, about eight years ago I was presented with a lump of dough by a baker who had agreed to teach our staff European style bread baking. That lump of dough was the basis for all our much improved bread baking since that time. We have continued to feed it and have shared it with many others. It is a stiff dough-like starter just as you described yours. We add only half as much water as flour to refresh it, but if you want a liquid starter just add more water and feed it with equal amounts of flour and water. To do this, break up the piece of starter dough and add it to your appropriate amount of water and using spoon or hand, stir until the dough is more or less disolved, Then add the flour. I use this batterlike version at home for making no knead bread but at our bakery, we use very large mixers and just throw in a large hunk of the stiff starter.
I have experimented with starters quite a lot over the years and as Eric has pointed out, once you experiment for a while you will have no problem switching from dough-like to pourable starter or from whole wheat to white to spelt starters. The dough like starter will keep in the fridge the same as the liquid as long as you feed it at least once a week or so. It is very forgiving if you neglect it for a while. Also ,you can always put a small piece in your freezer and use it months or even later.
That original piece of “levain” I was given by my friend still generates its original flavour which I have found to be quite distinctive from starters I’ve made from scratch. Following Eric’s instructions, I dried some of it about four months ago. Tried restoring it from the dried form this week and it worked perfectly with exactly the same taste.
Anyone out there who wants a sample of the dried starter need just ask me and I will send it along.
If I hven’t been clear, try me again with any questions.
Hi Kris,
Starter can be very stiff or very runny. Mine typically falls in the middle.
I would keep the starter you received in a covered container in the fridge until you get some flour. Then mix it with about a cup of flour and a cup of water. Maybe even a bit more water initially since what you’re starting with is so stiff. It may take a fair amount of hand mixing (kneading really) to get the flour and water incorporated. Then let it set out at room temp until it rises well. That could take anywhere from a few hours to 6-8 hours depending on the temperature.
Now you can just roughly follow the instructions for managing starter at the top of this page. Always have more starter on hand than what you need for baking as your starter “offspring” to perpetuate the process.
Hello Eric,
I have just been to a course on sourdough making and have been given a tennis ball sized portion of starter. However, the starter I have is much stiffer than the one in your video. My teacher just took a chunk of the dough he made ready for baking and gave all the students a piece.
1) Have you seen starter that is not runny like this.
2) I don’t want to bake with it yet as I have to wait to buy myself some breadmaking flour. What should I do with it. My teacher told me I can just go ahead and make a loaf with it tomorrow but I want to keep it. He said that I would leave it until it forms a crust, cover with plastic and place in the fridge.
Your thoughts on this are appreciated.
Thanks..Kris (australia)
One more question. I mention before that my starter has a strong alcohol odor but now I thing it is more like vinegar odor. Is that ok?
Gosia
There’s a wide range of ways you can successfully manage your starter. It’s really something you learn quickly just from doing it for a little while. Sometimes I leave it out after feeding, sometimes not. I feed my starter when I think it needs it. Sometimes I don’t. It all works out anyway. Hopefully you’ll find the same thing.
Hello again,
I use your basic recipe for sourdough bread and I just put a little more whole wheat and less white. I will try to put my starter in the fridge for the night and see if smell lessens. Does it matter when I refrigerated. Right after feeding or do I wait until it rises? Also could you tell me how often do I need to feed my starter. Is once a day fine if I bake daily, so every time I take my 1/4 cup for bread I put back same amount in flour and water.
Thank you for all your help
Gosia
Hi Gosia,
I wouldn’t say that is very normal. It’s not difficult for starter to develop a sharp alcohol smell if it’s been sitting around for a while. But if it’s well fed and you’re using it daily, I wouldn’t expect that to happen. Even though you’re baking daily, you may want to consider refrigerating overnight.
I’d have to know the recipe you are using and bunch of other details to comment half way intelligently on the “flat” question. But your ratio of white flour to whole wheat wouldn’t be a problem with the right recipe and handling.
I just acquired some sourdough starter and left it out all night. Will this hurt the starter or can I just go ahead and feed it and put it back in the fridge? I am not ready to cook anything with it yet.
Is it normal for my starter to have a strong alcohol odor? Also, can I keep my starter out at all times and not refrigerate? I bake daily. During my second rise my shaped loaf doesn’t get too big (it looks a little flat), but does ok in the oven . I use 2 cups of white bread flour and 1 1/2 cup white whole wheat. Do you think I use too much whole wheat?
Thank you
Gosia
I just reread what I wrote and wanted to qualify a couple of things.
The starter is active so it shouldn’t make a big difference when you use it. If it is as active as you say then it will be hungry while it is coming up almost has much as when it has flattened out. If it has come down it is safe to say it it has peeked as far as eating from the flour/water you added and will be fully ready and alive to continue from there on for quite some time.
If you leave it out on the counter a day or two it might be a different story but for now you have a pretty big window for use that starts well before the starter has flattened out.
I would say that you can use it any time. If it is fully active it is just a matter of getting used to the amount you use versus the times you wait for your bread to proof. I have a very active starter and I usually can’t wait more than 10 hours before preparation to cook it(Usually, that prep consist of kneading out the bubbles and letting it sit for another 1 1/2 hours.) or it doesn’t rise nicely. I would say that if you let it settle down as you have been doing you should have a more accurate way to judge its state and will be able to start refining the process you make the bread. Since there is no exact science and all starters are different you will have to find what works out best through repetition. One of the things I have noticed that does make a difference is the dryness of the dough you are working with , so try to get used to it and try to keep it consistent. I would let the dough expand to about 2 1/2 times its size but no more before you squeeze out the bubbles. Erring on the early side is better in my opinion because if you let it sit too long you get flat bread that doesn’t rise much when you get it in the oven and you can just let it sit a little longer if it hasn’t gotten to a decent size before cooking it.
Two questions related to sourdough starter.
#1. Purchased a starter. I have fed it multiple times for four days.
Last night I took a new jar, placed 10 oz of starter, 10 oz of bottle water, and 10 oz of freshing made whole wheat flour. Marked the jar where the final level was. 6 hours later it had doubled in size. 12 hours later it was flat and back to the original level.
This has happened every time …. if this natural? Am I supposed to use the starter when it is at double size and not use it for baking after is has flattened?
I attempted to make the no-knead bread using starter instead of yeast.
First loaf used 1/4 cup of starter per the instructions. dough after final proof was quit sticky. loaf cam out of the oven only 2 inches tall instaed of normal loaf height.
Second loaf – used 1 cup starter (see if it was the starter that caused the issue). Dough after final proof was VERY sticky … loaf came out of the oven very flat again – less than 2 inches tall – tastes good though.
I found a comment on the Internet that suggested the lack of raise was due to the dough being too wet.
Please provide your thoughts.
Thanks – very much enjoy your site.
Joe
Great site here! I have been feverishly reading through much of these questions so as not to have you repeat yourself…so sorry if you already covered this, but my struggle is getting my bread sour tasting. My husband and I enjoy a really sour sourdough and so far I have good texture, beautiful exterior, but no sour flavor. I did see that you had said something about letting the dough rise for a longer period of time or letting it rise slower. Do you have any more tips for a more sour loaf?
I am submitting a couple pics of my Easter Bread, and my bubbling starter. I also have Friendship Starter in the pic in the smaller crock. So I am a busy baker. I bake and I give away my goods to friends and neighbors. I love sharing with others. I love developing my own recipes as well. Sharing helps us all in one way or another. And this site is wonderful.
I thank you for explaining “Why the choice of bowls we use are important”. Spending my life in the retail food industry as well as being a Soap Crafter, I do know how different metals can react with acids/fermentation and they can wreck havoc leaching into foods and products. Not knowing about glazing and ceramics created my problem. Thank you for explaining that to Janet as many people do not realize bad things can happen. Stainless steel is one of those that does not react, and is generally considered safe. I have bought cheap junk made in other countries that was stated as Stainless Steel. And in just a couple of uses rusted and pitted. Good and well made Stainless should not do that, nor should it pit. Good stainless can out last us…as does cast iron if well maintained.
My Bowl problem: Since I am a seasoned cook, and baker and being completely familiar with Friendship Starter I knew that the fermentation process bubbles up to a point that it can explode all over, if the container you choose is not of suitable size, or has an air tight lid there can be problems. I wanted to be able to stir the devil out of the starter when feeding and didn’t want restrictions on size so I can dip my measuring cup into the starter simplifying the baking process. I bought a large lidded old crock not paying attention to the crazing, nor to the pitted bottom. (my ignorance) After about 2 months, and many pancakes, I discovered that pieces of the glaze was in my starter, also, the nick in the bottom had grown from a dot to 1/2″, and the stuff the crock had been made of was in the starter that I fed to my family and myself. Out went the starter. And the crock went back to the store. Having solved the crock problem for my new starter, I still wanted a good BIG bowl, for mixing the bread, and proofing it. Heavy crock type bowls or good glazed bowls maintain proofing temperatures much better than Plastic, Glass, or any type of metal. Some Plastics can impart a plastic or chemical taste and can release toxins into the foods it contains) In the old days many used handmade wood proofing bowls, others could afford the very heavy thick Stoneware bowls for mixing and proofing. I don’t know if they were suitable for baking in tho’. That isn’t my issue. I have a new clay baker, and an old one I only use for baking whole Chicken. Have not used the clay baker yet for the bread, as I wasn’t quite sure about soaking it in water for using on the bread (knowing how to use the clay bakers I thought it would make the bread soggy). I know now from this site that yes you do soak it. Mine although new, came with no instructions for bread. Bought it new unused no box for 2 bucks. Good deal. Since I bake 3-4 loaves at a time, and up to 10 loaves of Friendship bread I want a very large bowl for proofing the bread dough, then separate out the dough when it is time into baking containers. The ones sold on this site are too small for my uses.
I hope my experience can help someone.
Roni
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Janet,
Not QUITE true.
I would never use any metallic container except Stainless Steel for either starter or dough. In addition to my large plastic bowls, I also use two Stainless bowls to mix and/or raise my doughs.
I do sometimes use metal forks or spoons to stir my starters. I have not problem with that since the contact is for just a short time.
And I use Eric’s Polish/Danish Dough Whisk to mix my doughs (and everything else) if I am not using my Bosch Universal. (another shameless plug for Eric!)
Bob
Roni,
I have had dough all over the counter and on to the floor several times. I have two starters that are so active that you have to cage them! That’s one reason I now retard my doughs in the fridge overnight.
Your “saurkratut” jar will be just the ticket.
My routine for starter is that I keep it in the fridge (either plastic or glass jars) all week. I pull it out on Thursday evening and feed it. Then I feed it twice on Friday. After the second feeding on Friday evening, I wait an hour or so to ensure it is happy and content and then build either my sponge or dough, depending on what I am doing.
As soon as I remove what I need from the container, I feed it and immediately put it back in the fridge. Most of my active starters are 3 years old and I have good results.
If I am reviving a dried starter, such as the one I bought from Eric, I feed it at least a week, twice a day, before I use it. And, bear in mind, I only store small amounts of starter in jars like baby food jars or a shade bigger. I build up for usage in plastic bowls, slipped into a plastic bag to keep the other ‘critters” out.
Roni,
I don’t understand the fuss over the crock and bowl. Any container will do.
Bob, Thanks for the input on the glazing, and the crazing. I didn’t think the SD Starter would cause that in a brand new bowl. So that bowl goes back to the store. Then finding a good bowl for my rising is on the agenda. Not glazed.
Yes on the starter taking so long to rise. I have an electric oven. And the light doesn’t seem to get that warm at all. The SD Bread I did yesterday for dinner today did take forever to rise. I was checking it every hour and in between. Then got busy and forgot it. It was about 4 hours when I remembered and it was doubled. I punched it down, and let it rise again. The 2nd rise took 5 1/2 hours and tripled by the time I got around to checking on it. And my recipe calls for a 3rd and last rise, but now in the baking pans, then you bake it. I think the last rise was just too much, or I got impatient and didn’t wait long enough for it to reach the double point. I used a shallow pan too because it is more egg shaped. The bread is delicious, with a sour taste, and crunchy crust. Somewhat holey but not big holes. Your suggestion for a straight sided bowl is a good one, I can mark it and be able to tell from there on the size of the rise.
My starter sits on the counter, in a 1 gal food safe, no toxins, heavy white crock, made in Ohio. It is made for Sauerkraut, and my Uncle made me the wood lid…(we get gnats like crazy here so I have to keep it covered or pick out the gnats. They love moldy or sour stuff.) So as far as my starter goes I have no problem. Sometimes I forget to stir it one day, and the next day it is still bubbling. I feed it maybe every other day or miss that for 2 days. It has no hooch, bubbly top and smells sour, no mold or the like, and not offensive, and has so far given me a sour tasting bread.
My 94 year old Granny, had lots to tell me recently about rising bread.If left alone it will rise up and out of the bowl, and all over the oven. She cleaned that up, and not happy about it….turned right around and did it again. Twice. She was so mad at herself. She raised 8 kids during the Great Depression, on a Railroaders paycheck, very frugal gal she is, and the 4 boys 4 girls, are wonderful, and quite resourceful.
I m ok on the starter. If it gets weird on me, out it goes and I will start over again. It is the rising I am impatient with, and the funny bowls I seem to get that are giving me fits.
Thanks again
Roni
Roni,
I would be very careful about glazed utensils, unless you know whether or not the glaze does or does not contain lead.
If the glazing is scratched or crazed, there is a good possibility that lead might be leaching out and into your breads.
From my readings, glazed baking pots from Germany are certified safe. I have a Romertopf that I used constantly for breads. However, it does NOT have a glazed interior, either.
I personally do not think that SD starter would crazy a fired glaze.
As far as your kitchen being too cool. Since you are putting the dough in the oven to rise anyway, why don’t you try just using the oven light or the pilot if gas? Mine maintains about 78F with the oven light on.
You say it takes 5-6 hours to “double”, but that it “triples” in size. I am a bit confused here. If you use a straight sided clear container, put a mark at the top of the dough and then you can see how much the dough is rising by measuring it.
Bob
Bob
Roni,
I would be very careful about glazed utensils, unless you know whether or not the glaze does or does not contain lead.
If the glazing is scratched or crazed, there is a good possibility that lead might be leaching out and into your breads.
From my readings, glazed baking pots from Germany are certified safe. I have a Romertopf that I used constantly for breads. However, it does NOT have a glazed interior, either.
I personally do not think that SD starter would crazy a fired glaze.
As far as your kitchen being too cool. Since you are putting the dough in the oven to rise anyway, why don’t you try just using the oven light or the pilot if gas? Mine maintains about 78F with the oven light on.
You say it takes 5-6 hours to “double”, but that it “triples” in size. U am a bit confused here. If you use a straight sided clear container, put a mark at the top of the dough and then you can see how much the dough is rising by measuring it.
Bob
Bob
I want to add that my Sourdough Bread the first batch, was quite sour tasting. The sourdough flavor was evident. Texture was a bit finer than store bought sourdough bread and it had a nice crust. It also was a bread flour and whole wheat mix. I fed my starter a couple times with the whole wheat flour. I also, didn’t feed my starter everyday. Much less 2 times a day. I did stir it daily, and always had bubbles on the top. Never any separation or Hooch rising to the top. Always smelled sour and like vinegar. That batch that I had to toss out made some great sourdough pancakes. The pancakes come out barely sour tho’.
This new batch of starter, is already 3 weeks old and smells great. I do have bread to bake for Easter Dinner, of which I added in some whole wheat flour and wheat germ. The dough smells wonderful.
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