Any sourdough parent here? I started making sourdough starter past few weeks using organic unbleached wheat flour. After continuous feeding, the sourdough starter is only growing like max 50% of its size.

I have looked through a lot of tips from the online website and tried them, but not much successes. I sort of like the sweet sour-ish smell that the started gave out, so was adamant about using wheat flour. Last resort would be to switch to rye flour.

Any tips? Or please do share your sourdough starter and how it looks like?

meet irek & kiwi... rye & wholemeal resp... started from bread flour nothing fancy...

they grow 2-3x when fed... now sleeping...

My sourdough starter is not as bubbly. I feed them wheat flour (organic and unbleached). Tried using filtered water and then boiled ones. Still the same.

Doesn't look healthy, how much flour you feed? Mix a teaspoon of sugar will see the yeast extra active.

what is your feeding ratio & how often... look watery... also looks like a lot...

how old / long have you had it

looks like a bottle... how you get it out

no need to use organic... normal flour will do... but they like rye a lot... very active with rye and wholemeal... I make rye & wholemeal bread so I just feed the same

you can try feeding rye n see how... I just use filtered tap water rested overnight... I just keep a bottle on the counter n use from there a few day nothing fancy

This post has been edited by dwRK: Oct 31 2021, 09:28 PM

I use 1:1:1 ratio, started it from scratch. Typically 30g:30g:30g, water:flour:starter. Thanks for the sugar tip, i will try it next feeding.

It looks big because of the close up. Had it for two weeks, fed it 12 hourly then gradually transition to daily. I started to use different flour and will observed for the next few days.

My mom make sourdough and final product is hard as a rock. Mind to advise what happened?

fresh from the oven... the crust has a crunch but generally tough like leather... we usually don't eat it on day 1

on day 2, crust would have absorbed some moisture and soften up... you still get a nice chew but won't be hard

generally speaking. .. "hard as rock" is over baking but it's hard to say why without more info & pictures

commercial bread is full of bread improver and bread softener... this is what people is used to...

small bakery soft bread & buns are enriched with butter/oil, eggs, milk & sugar... these are natural softeners... techniques like tangzhong and yudane method will also make the bread softer...

traditional SD doesn't have any enrichments, so the crust will never be as soft... it will be similar to baguette and a wee bit tougher because it is baked longer

This post has been edited by dwRK: Nov 2 2021, 09:49 AM

spam time... recent bakes...







This post has been edited by dwRK: Nov 2 2021, 10:49 AM

Wah, looks pretty! Should cut into half and show the cross-section also!

And my starter finally doubled with more visible bubbles! After changing to tepung gandum.

nice... very happy culture now...

good luck with your bake

we purposely shape for this crumb structure... not the big big holes beloved by internet... lol

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Here u go. The rock

Wow sifus.... Can teach how to bake into such perfect piece? 🙇

this is indeed a rock

I've baked this a few times in the beginning... I threw it in the garden thinking the birds, snails, squirrel, etc will eat it... nope... in fact it took almost a year to decompose... I've forgotten about it and one day I saw it again and I was thinking how come got strange rocks in the garden... hahaha

anyways this happens because it's underproof... a few reasons can be not enough starter, the starter not active, and insufficient time for development

Personally prefer thick crust and longer proofing.

Look like yeast has died before baking or not enough proofing.

This post has been edited by icemanfx: Nov 3 2021, 12:27 PM

Is there a certain flour ratio that you follow as well? Eggcited for the weekend to try making sourdough!

i suggest you start with something easy like 65-67% hydration... I assume you are going the autolyse, stretch n fold method... your main objective is learn to develop the gluten and proof it ~50% before you shape, retard and bake

problem is different flour has different moisture content... so it's not a hard n fast rule what % to use... also experience in understanding the dough and how to manage it is important in the final hydration one is comfortable with

example the mrs can manage up to around 70%... whilst I can go 75%... but in reality even at 65% one can get open crumb holey bread... anyways, short answer is 70-72% is our foolproof hydration, using prima supreme bread flour...



This post has been edited by dwRK: Nov 3 2021, 09:49 PM

Has anyone tried 80% hydration and above to get a very airy and light bread