18 sourdough basics you should know

[@the_bread_code]

Gluten Tag. You can read my book for free here: www.the-sourdough-framework.com/ There's the hardcover version available here (in case you want to support me): breadco.de/hardcover-book And there's a super short condensed version for you to print at home (TLDR): breadco.de/tldr Happy baking all of you. No matter how your bread turns out, every homemade bread is a win!

[@mvl6827]

It has helped me greatly, right from the start of my 'journey' ... thanks a lot very much appreciated

[@lexrooker7334]

Love the fact that you left some of the bloopers in. Makes us amateurs feel there's hope for us. Went straight to Amazon and purchased the Kindle version of your book to help support your channel. And yes, I hit that subscribe button as well!

[@the_bread_code]

Thank you! It might not be 100% up to date on Amazon, you can use this direct link: www.the-bread-code.io/book.epub

[@evanbartlett1]

This post is another great example of my active point by point note taking, while simultaneously giggling at Hendrik's endearingly approachable style. (In English: aliquot -- AH la kwaht)

[@the_bread_code]

Thanks! AHLAKWAHT - like this? :-D

[@Cbbq]

Excellent overview. Been watching your videos for over four years and taking your advice. Finally got my main bread figured out, it took time, but it is now perfect for me. Now going back to older styles, like baguettes, and applying what I learned from my main bred to my other older recipes….and learning more. A big thankyou…. Cheers from Canada

[@the_bread_code]

Great to hear and thanks for the kind works!

[@candywalker483]

Thank you! You guided me through my ☺️1st few years of sourdough baking. Never had success when I tried to 50yrs ago. Ok with commercial yeasted breads but didn’t know enough about sourdough. I have been fermentalyse the last couple years, starting when I started milling my own flour which is a challenge all its own.

[@maryjohnson1694]

Thanks!

[@Amysdad07]

I think your videos are full of so much useful information. I have read your book end to end and it is full of great info too. However I personally seem to learn more from interactive videos like this after I have digested the science behind it. Love your work! Please keep it up and one day I will get all my conditions like temp, environment, flour quality etc correct for me. This was a great help in looking at more things to try. My sourdough is okay atm but I want to it be more flavourable. again thank you. Frohes Neues Jahr

[@MichaelRei99]

I like to autolyse. I find mixing the dough and leaving for an hour than mixing in my starter and salt followed by a Rubaud mix gives me the best results. I recommend your channel anytime anyone asks me about making sourdough. And finally I tell people is there is no easy sourdough. It takes knowledge and effort.

[@the_bread_code]

Thanks Michael! That totally works. If you ever feel like trying the fermentolyse, give it a shot. Please send me some pictures of the results. Happy baking!

[@RachelRyanMedia]

This IS a LOT of information and somewhat overwhelming, but I’m a visual person and this information is SUPER helpful and this all makes sense. Science, man. It’s a whole science. Truly.

[@gerwigpoeschl3492]

Thank you for your super good advise! I bake now since nearly 5 years sourdough breads and you were the catalyst for that process!! I bake 2 breads per week 1.5 to 2 kg each. I buy bread only in dire cases of emergency 🤣. Living in the sand box it is nearly the only way to get real bread. Greetings from Dubai Gerwig

[@carolinefreak]

Oh. My. Goodness! Thank you for this video! I'm new to sourdough and these tips are great and will totally save some of my sanity. I'm located in a higher elevation, in a dry and colder climate and this alone adds enough to the guesswork and frustration for a newbie.

[@lecoeur1231]

Thank you, Hendrik! I'm so happy to see your video, you're adorable. 😊

[@angieludlam6419]

Thank you for the tips and recommendations! This has been a loonnnggg process for me; began trying to make a starter in September! After three weeks it turned green and I got frustrated and threw it the the garbage. After a couple weeks I watched a zillion more videos and started over... finally made my firt loaf end of November which was a complete flop! (no rise, gummy and ugly!) But we ate it!!! But I kept going and as of today, just pulled out my 8th loaf which looks amazing! I've watched this video a few times and applied some of your hints which probably contributed to this loaf being the best yet! Appreciate the encouragement and also, the sense of humor!!! Happy New Year!

[@the_bread_code]

Yay! Glad it worked out the way you wanted it to. Trying for 10 loaves initially is the hardest part, but now you have a working process :-)

[@UltraUpham]

I loved the bonus tip! It's what I tell everyone I try to teach how to bake. I even repeat that mantra to myself when I definetly did a poor job shaping or over feremented my dough. It will always taste way better! Thank you for the many lessons you provided me on my journey through sourdough! Can do a video on desert sourdough loafs?

[@sallyb6161]

Awesome video as always!! Thanks so much for all your insight

[@mariafrancis715]

I love your videos and really miss making bread with wheat especially the feel of dough watching how beautiful your dough is. Unfortunately i have been diagnosed with coeliac disease and have been struggling with a good flour blend that gives me what I want. I have made a fabulous starter though so that's a start lol. Thank you from UK

[@lnesset7308]

Thanks for this Hendrik. I’ve been following your technique for a couple of years. Interestingly I found when I switched to a 1:1 starter instead of a stiff starter my dough would rise more quickly (good for my cool house) in 12-14 hours instead of 18-24 hours with a stiff starter. The longer ferments would result in gluten breakdown and flatter bread. After watching this video I don’t understand why a 1:1 starter would work better for me.

[@dermon_71]

Thank you for sharing this and happy new year Hendrick!

[@ift1991]

Good lesson Hendrik! Thank you and Happy New Year!

[@the_bread_code]

You too! Thank you!

[@tomrippen6570]

So much good advice here. Some are commenting that it’s almost too much but just use what might fix a problem you’re having. No problems? Great. For me I regained some structure (volume) I lost by bulk fermenting less and proofing more.

[@hu_b]

So you are putting your dough into the banneton sooner and leaving it there longer?

[@tomrippen6570]

Yes, there’s only so much food in a dough for the microbes to grow on so splitting the fermentation time between steps, before and after forming the loaf, is a consideration. I proof a boule in a covered dutch oven. I know it’s heresy but you can add a tablespoon of inulin too for a bit more vigorous growth.

[@hu_b]

@@tomrippen6570 I have done the same to give the shaped dough more time to expand undisturbed. As long as the dough strength is sufficient I don't see the downside. I presume there's a reason for the typical method of a longer bulk ferment, but I haven't heard it articulated. Or maybe I have and just forgot 😀

[@tomrippen6570]

I agree. It just makes sense but then sometimes things make sense only because we lack deeper knowledge. I don’t profess to be an expert but I think I overextend the bulk rise sometimes, leaving too little for final proofing and good oven spring.

[@stevedimartino683]

Great job, I really enjoyed it

[@Hudinibutter]

Great videos as always! Making my mext starter from my current dought is defentively something I will incorporate 💯😁

[@the_bread_code]

Such a time saver!

[@TheLookingGlassAU]

Most helpful point for me was the moisture content of the starter - my starter is quite wet, so I'll try to fix this. 👍

[@tegernsee29]

Yes, this was something i took from Hendrik a couple years ago was the tip on a dry starter. I use 20g starter 50g water 100g flour. This seems to give me consistent result with the bread, I believe it also helps me with days I forget about feeding the starter, or just forget about getting it into the fridge and it is sitting in a jar on the counter. I have never in all my years had my starter go bad. So yes - dry starter was the game changer for me.

[@joaocastro7678]

Clear and insightful explanations as always, Hendrik! I appreciate the depth you bring to all your videos. I have a couple of questions I’d love to hear your thoughts on: 1. For a 12.7% protein white flour (King Arthur Bread Flour), assuming 25°C and a regular 100% hydration starter made with the same flour, what would you consider the optimal range of percentage volume increase for the dough prior to baking? I currently aim for around 100% (dough doubling in volume), but I’m wondering if a lower increase-perhaps 50-75%-might yield better results based on the parameters I provided. As an engineer, I’d love to understand the science and get more precise insights on this. 2. How much seed starter (or ‘chef’) do you typically keep, and how do you feed it? I plan to maintain 30g of starter in a 30ml glass jar. I’d use 50-80% of it (15-24g) to build a levain at 1:4:4 and feed the remaining 20-50% at 1:2:2. Does this align with your approach, or would you suggest adjustments to improve efficiency or consistency? For context, I’m originally from Brazil but now live in the US. I use King Arthur Bread Flour with 12.7% protein, though I’m looking to branch out into baking with whole and ancient grains like rye and einkorn soon. Thank you for sharing your expertise!

[@simplybeautifulsourdough8920]

Right on all points! Although I do manage to shape with no flour. 😉 (And it's nice to know I'm not the only one who has multiple repeats! 😅)

[@PCRoss2469]

Awesome video man, thanks

[@snyderkr0822]

Nice reminders. I find myself using a small travel refrigerator for both/either bulk fermentation and proofing, and sometimes even to prep my batch of leaven. It depends on my schedule and the temp of the kitchen. Sometimes my granddaughter has to start a batch of leaven for me to start a batch of dough when I get home from work, or the dough I'm working on isn't going to be bulk fermented when I need it, or other scheduling issues arise, and my travel fridge can be set to anywhere up to 70°. I don't know how I'd do without it if I was in a warm and humid climate. I think it cost me about $100, so it wasn't a big investment. I'm just limited in the size of container for fermenting or proofing.

[@the_bread_code]

I considered this too - a fridge with a specific target temperature. Must be amazing!

[@jow8230]

I’m a new baker & use your recipe 100 whole meal 400 white 325 water 100 starter 10 salt, and its going great! Not to say I haven’t had some flops along the way 😅 I’m in Australia 🇦🇺 and it’s hot here now, so your bulk fermentation chart is awesome 😊 My question is, with my starter, I usually take out 50g and feed it 1:1:1 - what would be your recommendation on how much to feed my starter? The bread math ain’t mathin’ for me😅 Also I like the tip of adding a bit of dough to my original starter that I keep in the fridge, I’m scared I’m going to kill it,so I I take a bit out to make my starter for baking. But I discard some off my original starter & feed it at the same time as I prepare the one for baking & put it back in the fridge. Wow that’s the longest comment I’ve ever left but thanks for the tips & the above recipe, it really gives me joy to make beautiful sourdough, I’m obsessed 🍞

[@the_bread_code]

Sounds good and greetings to Australia. I'd change your starter process a bit. Assuming you are making a loaf with 500g flour, you'll need 50g of starter. Take 5g of your old starter, mix with 30g flour, 20g water. Use all except the 5g to make your dough. The rest you can feed one more time with the same ratio and store in the fridge. You can use it directly out of the fridge to make your dough.

[@jow8230]

@@the_bread_code I’m definitely going to try this! Thanks again

[@guyeshel9316]

You're the nicest guy out there

[@the_bread_code]

Lol thx.

[@kisieloski]

True high quality content! Thank you so much for sharing this amazing video! I have been baking sourdough well over 10 years now and I have never came across such perfect rundown of rules! 7:19 this is first time I am hearing about lowering starter hydration to be so helpful. I will definitely give it a try! Is this okay to increase overall dough hydration while using stiffer starter? So I would add usual 20% of my starter but hydrated at 80% and then go with the dough hydration higher than usual?

[@dodystiller3718]

You keep surprising me with your ideas and testing different methods, I just love it! Thank you for this video ❤ But, there's a few things I'm not sure I'm getting right although I watched the video twice: 1. What is this kneading, waiting, kneading and waiting with the 15 minute intervals about? I'm doing fermentolyse as you call it - with initial water only and not the salt. I use the handle of a cooking spoon and when the going gets rough my dough spatula. Just to get everything incorporated. Then I let it rest for 40-90 minutes till I incorporate the salt with a splash of water 2. For me there is no such thing as kneading going on during this period. 2. The thing with the starter/Levain being matched to the amount of hydration in the dough. I'm going to try this but I'm not sure I understand the why which leads to point 3 3. Enzymatic activity. In the US, Canada, Australia and many other places the flour sold for the specific use of making bread dough has not only added protein to make it more perfect for this particular use, but in many cases also diastatic malt powder (made from sprouted barley) and malt. Diastatic malt powder is THE superfood rich in enzymes to boost the fermentation process and the added malt does help too. The trouble is that with industrial milling the grains/flour are exposed to high temperatures which kill the enzymes and thus the activity. Adding them in the form of diastatic malt powder after the milling certainly makes sense for those who wish to bake bread with the flour. It's not used in Europe though, not the addition of diastatic malt powder, not malt (which they do in the UK). What I don't quite get right now is how I could overcome the problem of lacking enzymatic activity by using a lower percentage of starter with a flour that's technically nearly dead anyway? Would that be something similar to a crutch helping someone to be able to walk? And honestly, apart from the fact that enzymes are helping in the fermentation process i haven't got a clue what in fact they are actually doing? Never mind, thank you heaps for your video, happy new year, and keep the good stuff coming! Big hugs xxx 😻😘

[@the_bread_code]

Thanks for the great comment! 1. By just mixing flour and water you are automatically forming a gluten network. So rather than kneading, waiting will also develop a gluten network. 2/3. It's similar here, most flours are blended to make sure they are the same year over year. The malt (which contains a lot of amylase and protease) still takes time to convert the flour. So I'd still try to go for the 10% starter and aim for a longer fermentation. Hope that helps.

[@dodystiller3718]

@the_bread_code thank you for your reply! I'm currently living in Portugal (Iberian peninsula in Europe). The flours I found available here don't contain malt, and they don't contain diastatic malt powder. If they would contain any of the 2 it has to be mentioned on the package, but there is nothing mentioned. To the contrary: I'm just looking at a packet "farinha de trigo tipo 65" (wheat flour type 65) where they expressly mention: "sem quaisquer aditivos ou auxiliares tecnológicos" which means something like without additives or technological assistants if that makes sense. Most flours available here have a protein content below 12%, something between 9-11% is more the norm. Surprisingly the particular flour I'm just using has 9.6% protein, but with the test (thanks again to you for another great video 👏) I found out it can do 80% hydration! I don't usually use wheat, only since a few days ago when tinkering with baguettes, but this one has really surprising qualities. I wish I knew why?

[@PCRoss2469]

Your videos are great man, thanks

[@Maplesyrupiisyummy]

"Let's make the world a breader place, one loaf at a time"

[@the_bread_code]

So true!

[@Alphastarcar]

Wow, great information - thanks! QUESTION: when baking the next morning, can the dough go directly from the refrigerator to the heated oven or must the dough sit on the counter and achieve room temperature first? Thanks again for the great info and I’ll be looking for your book.

[@the_bread_code]

Ooops. I could have mentioned that in the video. Bake it directly coming out of the fridge. The oven should be pre-heated. Hope that works!

[@Alphastarcar]

@@the_bread_code ❤️

[@hopeup2792]

Great video!

[@the_bread_code]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@toniomahr7630]

Um was für eine durchsichtige ofenfeste Schüssel handelt es sich bei 19:20? Kann man die irgendwo kaufen?

[@the_bread_code]

Das war eine ikea Glas Schüssel. Aber schau dir mal den Brovn an. Der ist speziell dafür gemacht. Das mit der Glas Schüssel war mehr ein hack.

[@hu_b]

Great stuff. Interesting chart at 3:31 . What is the reason the yeast leavened dough breaks down more slowly? Is it because the lack of bacterial component and acidity? Is this why you sometimes see the advice to end bulk fermentation at a higher target volume with commercial yeast than sourdough breads?

[@the_bread_code]

Correct :-)

[@peggylivermore2613]

Some of us love rye bread‼️

[@the_bread_code]

Yay! If you like, you can read my favorite rye recipe in my recipe book: the-bread-code.io/book-recipes.pdf

[@simplybeautifulsourdough8920]

I second that! They don't put enough rye in most American "rye bread." Germans get it right!

[@lml7]

I gave sourdough a try a couple of years ago. Recipes with white flour were fine, but when I was trying some whole grain bread recipe with flax seeds, it kept liquifying more and more by the hour through the stretch and fold process. It was very strange. I tried it a couple more times, but still the same kept happening. I would go ahead and bake it anyway. Even though I was careful to bake it all the way through checking the temperature n all, the crumb was oddly sticky feeling. It sprung back when pressed but stickyish feeling. I was wondering if my starter was too acidic or what else happened. Some helpful info would be highly appreciated.

[@the_bread_code]

That would make sense! Over time the seeds lose some hydration into the dough. I am facing the same issue when making my yearly stollen with soaked fruits. You'd need to lower the hydration of the dough.

[@lml7]

@the_bread_code ok, that makes sense because the flaxseed may be releasing the gel thing they make when in contact with water. I shall try with less water then. Thank you so much for your feedback.

[@s.b.2088]

Thanks a lot Hendrik! Nice overview. And a question for you: Any tips on how to transfer the shaped dough into a *deep* preheated dutch oven if I can't get parchment paper?

[@the_bread_code]

I've burnt my hands a few times trying. Can you place the dough on a layer of semolina flour in the cold dutch oven? Then try baking at 200C for 60 minutes. Remove the lid and wait until it is golden brown.

[@s.b.2088]

@@the_bread_code Thanks for the reply! Interesting idea, I thought it would stick terribly if the dutch oven was cold, but yes, I can use rice flour or semolina. So I would also let it proof first in the cold dutch oven?

[@dodystiller3718]

​@@s.b.2088would you have a cutting board or a scrap piece of plywood large enough for your dough to rest on when you flip it out of the proofing basket? If so, you can sprinkle some rice-flour, semolina or rye flour first on your dough and then on top of the board before you flip the dough onto it, score it, and then use the board like a pizza peel to actively slip it into your hot dutch oven. With the radiating heat of your dutch oven AND the bread dough with whatever you sprinkled on the bottom of the loaf, the bread won't stick. If for any reason your loaf didn't end up in the place you had in mind, you can use any kitchen tool capable to survive the high temperatures to push your loaf to the correct place. Happy baking to you 😊

[@s.b.2088]

@@dodystiller3718 Thanks very much for your helpful reply! That might work... the problem is that it's a deep dutch oven, ~20cm deep with a shallow lid that goes on top.

[@dodystiller3718]

​@@s.b.2088PS: I'm using a high rim oval dutch oven for close to a year now. I've managed to get hold on parchment paper/baking paper or however you want to call it (it's sold in every supermarket where I live) and I use it to drag my dough from the pizza peel into the dutch oven, letting it drop just at the right moment. Meanwhile I've been experimenting with Pizza and ran out of paper one day at the wrong moment. For the Pizza it worked perfectly well. What I really appreciate with the pizza peel is the fact that it's got a round shape instead of straight. If you cut yourself a piece of ply, do yourself the favor of giving it a rounded shape on the side where you would slip it into your dutch oven. Makes it way easier. But, as I said, a simple cutting board will do the trick as well as long as you've got some tool handy to push your dough into the place you want it.

[@andredeboer]

Thanks. Can i ask a question"? Do you have any tips on how to bake a low carb sourdough bread? My flour is advertised as low carb: but how do you think i should proceed?

[@the_bread_code]

I'd recommend to try baking in a loaf pan. It should work 🙏🏻

[@michaelprozonic]

great video.

[@kosmakorwin-piotrowski3410]

Moin! Cooles Video, gute Tipps! Danke

[@mirekkratochvil9341]

Thanks! Is there some good resource about the mentioned liquid starters? (kinda hunting for new flavors)

[@the_bread_code]

Hope this helps www.the-sourdough-framework.com/Sourdoughstartertypes.html

[@doraharrison1642]

thank you

[@MichaelLloyd]

My lineage is German (mom's family) and Welsh (Dad's family), I'm from the US and I'll take a good loaf of rye bread over anything else. Mom's family won that one. 😁

[@omo_aji]

I will try "aloha" temperature for my fave hawaiian pizza as well lol

[@mvl6827]

I have a question about the poke test (I know not part of this video). Am I right in thinking it doesn't work if dough is kept in the fridge for final rise? And if so, how do you determine the readiness of the dough for baking when kept in the fridge? I read it can be kept for 5 to 24 to 48, very variable. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@jenncrawford9604]

i live in Florida. My home is always warm, especially in the summer. I started a sourdough starter last summer and it grew really fast. I discarded and fed every day and after about 4 days, it went flat and got pretty funky. I kept going with discarding and feeding and after 3 days, it was still flat and gross. Is the the warmth and humidity of the environment the likely culprit here? How should i do it in a warm, humid environment? Should I refrigerate it early?

[@michael-mvtd]

All of this is good information but might be overwhelming for a beginner! I also love a rye bread but do you have a favourite recipe to share? When you say you typically make a bread loaf (ie: sandwich bread made in a tin) are you using the same dough as for a boule, just putting it into the pan or do you make a dough with some fat +/- sugar or dairy in the dough mix as many other YT sourdough bakers do?

[@the_bread_code]

Yes! I agree. It's sometimes a bit overwhelming. Regarding rye: the-bread-code.io/book-recipes.pdf. Try the recipe in the book. It's the same as the other doughs, just placed in a loaf pan after the bulk fermentation. When going the rye option, I typically increase hydration to 80%.

[@glenmattson3765]

?? Your bread always look so perfect. After years of making bread, I have never made a perfect boul. Do you put the preformed bread straight from the refrigerator into the preheated dutch oven or bring it to room temperature first?

[@the_bread_code]

Yes! Directly after proofing into the oven :-)

[@glenmattson3765]

@@the_bread_code Thank you

[@mazspork969]

Pre-shaping is not always kneaded :)

[@xeracorocks]

Did you ever tested several loafs with the stiff starter vs 100% hydration starter? And what about salted starter? Thanks.

[@the_bread_code]

Yes :-). The stiff starter makes the loaves more fluffy, the 100% starter more sour. It depends on what you like. Salted starter vs non-salted starter - never tried an A/B test so far, need to do in the future.

[@tastyfrzz1]

When i took the professional baking class taught by Jeffrey Hamelman he repeatedly told us not to knead to the windowpane state as it was detrimental to taste and would make the dough too stiff. Any thoughts?

[@kasei82x]

so... baking stone or no baking stone? my stone lives in my oven for three years now, but i was wondering if i shouldn't use it for different bread, since you didn't in this video and your white bread loafs look always awesome. my goto for my Sourdough-Mischbrot is preheat 1h to 300C, Pan for water beneath the stone and inverted tray above at the beginning of baking (really good tip from your videos) btw what kind of stone you use for water? works but i wonder if i shouldn't do it for airy, crispy white loafs? btw what flour is good in germany, do you use something special or "normal" 550 weizen for whitebread?

[@the_bread_code]

Stone: Not needed as far as I can tell. I bake mostly on a rack + parchment paper. It just saves some time as I don't have to remove/place the stone after baking :-D. Stones - these are Sauna Stones. Flour - T550 is what I go for :-). Find one with higher protein.

[@iilovejooliyah]

is the infographic at 20:50 about to change my life rn..

[@the_bread_code]

You can download it here: ko-fi.com/s/f29a0e827d. Just enter 0$ and you'll be forwarded to the files directly :-)

[@yairdvora871]

I’ve been baking sourdough bread for about 4 years now. Recently my bread became gummy. I don’t know what is the reason. I don’t think I changed anything in my process. I feed the starter at 100% hydration. Do you think lowering hydration feeding will get rid of the gummyness of the bread?

[@akompanas]

I find stiff starter harder to work into the dough.

[@NICEFINENEWROBOT]

The percentage sum ("172%")? Does it mean 1000g flour, 600g water,100g sourdough starter, 20g salt? 100 x flour, 60 x water,10 x sourdough starter, 2 x salt Let x = 10g 172 x gives 100% sourdough (bulk size depending on "x")

[@the_bread_code]

You refer to baker's math right? You can read a bit more on the topic here: www.the-sourdough-framework.com/Makingasourdoughstarter.html#bakers-math. The size increase during bulk depends on the % protein (80% of that is gluten) of your wheat flour.

[@NICEFINENEWROBOT]

@@the_bread_code Baker's math - no clue so far. Lemme read it first. Thanks for the link. 80% gluten, does it mean 20% carbohydrates and 80% protein in the flour? Well well well, let's read the small prints.

[@the_bread_code]

@@NICEFINENEWROBOTif you have 10% protein 80% of that is gluten.

[@NICEFINENEWROBOT]

@@the_bread_code Oh shucks, my grasp of English language... 😳 We arr Gerrmen herre

[@omo_aji]

Deligently note taking while your talking... Thank you so much for this ,,,,really making me happy ...take care

[@BrusselSprout1959]

Thank you so much for this great video. I have used premixed sourdough starter twice and did not have a good experience with either. I now want to start from scratch and hopefully your information will give me the success I am looking for. Somehow I have not been able to get my starter just right so far and I don't know what I keep doing wrong. I think starting over completely and doing it from scratch is the best way to learn and hopefully recognize any mistakes in the process. Maybe by flour was too old, I have no clue. Vielen Dank fuer die prima Tipps .

[@the_bread_code]

You are welcome! Make sure to use a whole flour initially. I hope this chapter in the book helps too: www.the-sourdough-framework.com/Makingasourdoughstarter.html

[@annabell2969]

Hi there! I'm having a problem with my breads: they are sticky, no matter how long I bake them. I preheat my oven to 260°C, with a thick stone in it. When the bread goes in, I lower the temperature to 240, and steam for 10 mn. Then 220°, but even if I bake it for 45mn, it's still sticky inside. Is it because the stone is too hot through the preheating? Should I look into any other stage of the process? My assumption is about the oven warmth, but I could be absolutely wrong. It wouldn't be a first!

[@dodystiller3718]

@@annabell2969 not that I'm an expert, I'm only baking with sourdough for nearly a year, but sticky inside is a typical sign your dough didn't have the time to ferment to the point it's meant to reach, it's not ripened enough. First suggestion: how did your dough look like the moment you ended bulk fermentation? Had it risen something like 20-30% in the container? Were you able to notice activity in the dough like some bubbles pushing up the surface from below? Could you see activity like tiny bubbles in case you were using a clear sided container? What would the dough be doing if you carefully moved the container - would it kind of jiggle instead of playing dead? If you don't find any of these signs, your dough is simply not ready to end bulk fermentation and the result will be a loaf that's sticky inside no matter how perfect you create the environment for the next steps in baking. I wish this will be throwing some light on your struggles. Believe me, I've been there! Happy baking and keep the good work going! Hugs 😘

[@dodystiller3718]

You know, getting it right needs some patience. And we need to be able to come back to nature: observe, watch, smell. It doesn't matter what a recipe says how long something will take, it's us who have to oversee and decide. Baking with sourdough depends a lot on temperature. The dough temperature, the temperature of the environment. 25° C (77° F) for the dough through the whole process would be absolutely perfect. At this temperature it's not only that all the recipes fit the time mentioned, but it's also the dough that behaves in a predictable way. Crank up the temperature and the dough accelerates to something that quickly goes completely out of control. Lower temperature and things go at a snails pace. We usually can't control the temperature of our environment. But: we do have the possibility to use warmer or colder water when mixing our dough. By being observant we've got the possibility to keep the dough at a place that's more matching the temperature we desire. Like at the place behind the fridge where the warm air is coming up, or inside the oven with a glass of boiling water inside. Inventing does a lot of good. I'm sure you'll work it out! Xxx

[@the_bread_code]

Try lowering the hydration of your dough to 50-60%. Sourdough is always a bit sticky as the gluten is broken down, but in your case it sounds like you overfermented. What happens if you toast a slice, are they less sticky? Lastly try baking at 200°C :-)

[@annabell2969]

@@the_bread_code Thank you so much for answering me! I always try to have a higher hydration to have an aerated crumble, but as you said, german flour may not be well-suited for that. I will change 1 parameter next time, to see what does what. I will try the toaster test, next time I do a free standing loaf, as I've been using a dutch oven the last 2 times, and it helped with the stickiness! Thank you so much! I may be bugging you agin with the results!

[@annabell2969]

@@dodystiller3718 Thank you so much! I never knew how to assess the fermentation ! I just wait for a few bubbles before sticking the dough in the fridge, and in that video, I learned that the fridge is not even mandatory. I will certainly pay more attention, thanks to your amazing description! I'm very grateful of your time and advice.

[@ax6070]

I have a question. Can I use psyllium when making bread, and if, what's the right amount to use? Thank you

[@the_bread_code]

Yes you can. Try 10% of the flour to begin with. It might be a bit dry, add more water. Then find out the max.

[@WisePenguin007]

Debugging? The software developer in you is showing up again! 😉

[@the_bread_code]

Couldn't resist 😂

[@SeeNyuOG]

And I'm here after 1 year of trying with weak sourdough starters that cannot bake anything

[@doblofiber992]

Is there a german version of your Sourdough Framework? Oder soll ich lieber in Deutsch fragen? :)

[@georgeboyer1428]

what about 30% starter instead of 10%

[@the_bread_code]

Works well when it's colder in your environment. I sometimes do this when it's very chilly in winter.

[@cachi-7878]

@10:40, I disagree… Autolyse develops the gluten because you have no salt nor leaven (“stutter” 😉). Salt slows down fermentation but also, and what you don’t want is the salt’s tightening effect on the gluten strands. Fermentalyse, is merely adding to your bulk fermentation time because everything is mixed in already, so to me it is not doing much at all.

[@the_bread_code]

Do you think the text in the book is correct? Areas for improvements? www.the-sourdough-framework.com/Wheatsourdough.html#autolysis. Thanks!

[@cachi-7878]

@@the_bread_code I’ll take a look when I have some free time.

[@AleksandarNeskovic-p8s]

there is one thing… after feeding a starter three times, there is virtually no flour from three days ago, so: how is it old?

[@the_bread_code]

Correct! But the microbes will be taken over to the new batch with each feeding. You are growing them :-)

[@cachi-7878]

Sourdough Stutter 😂

[@tinyfishhobby3138]

Ok, I've been making sourdough for a few months now and the bread is good. But all of this information seems super overwhelming and it's making me feel like I'm doing things "wrong"....

[@the_bread_code]

Sorry for that. If you skip to the last chapter of the video there's some good information. Every homemade bread no matter what is amazing 🙏🏻

[@tinyfishhobby3138]

@@the_bread_code A lot of what you presented here in the video is completely contrary to how I've been baking my bread, so it just adds to the confusion a little bit if I'm honest. New baker = ends up overwhelmed

[@katrinkarose175]

@@tinyfishhobby3138 That's the beauty of bread, it really is a pretty simple product. If you like what you're making, you're doing it right. When you're feeling adventurous you can experiment with some different techniques and see how you like it (just don't change too much at once or it'll be hard to track what the effects of each change were). Some changes will improve things and others will get rejected but each time you learn. It took me a year of making pizza weekly before I really settled into my dough recipe and stopped fiddling with it here and there.

[@samdouglas32]

Yeast, bacteria, proteins and enzymes are the real MVPs in bread-making. What we do as bakers is provide an environment for bread to happen, hopefully on our schedule. Some of the stuff we do isn't as important as we think.

[@gschanz]

I've been baking off and on for a few years now. What I've landed on is that there isn't any way to do it "right" or "wrong". There are thousands of techniques out there, each best suited to particular applications (industrial vs. small-scale, environmental conditions, etc.) For example, kneading vigorously at the beginning is really useful if you're a larger scale bakery with limited time to devote to a batch so you put the energy in all at the start. However, if it's grandma in the kitchen on a lazy Sunday, then stretch-and-fold does a similar job with the energy distributed over a longer period of time. At the end, I like to remember that all of the techniques work, I just try each and see which works best for me on that day. Happy baking!

[@mvl6827]

When you say things like 'for a certain period' or 'higher' content without stipulating how long this certain period is or what a 'higher' content exactly means. Well that's not helpful .

[@the_bread_code]

I agree. It's hard to put into a video with all the parameters. I'd you can share some of your details and your setup I'm happy to give better recommendations 🙏🏻

[@mvl6827]

@ thank you!

[@Bright-It]

Never use gestures while talking. It is a distraction, annoyance and unprofessional.

[@the_bread_code]

Sorry

[@hu_b]

@@the_bread_code I guess you're going to have to carry heavy suitcases now whenever you talk to train yourself not to gesture 😄

[@velinaalexsieva7600]

Too much talk , no useful steps to gain skills in making sourdough.

[@the_bread_code]

Sorry!

[@erictaborek3842]

Thanks!

[@yairdvora871]

I’ve been baking sourdough bread for about 4 years now. Recently my bread became gummy. I don’t know what is the reason. I don’t think I changed anything in my process. I feed the starter at 100% hydration. Do you think lowering hydration feeding will get rid of the gummyness of the bread?

[@hu_b]

Flour change?

[@joaocastro7678]

Thanks!