4 Sourdough Mistakes You Can Easily Avoid

These are 4 mistakes you can easily avoid when making sourdough bread. After watching this video you will know how to spot the mistakes and how to avoid them.
My starter: thebreadco.de/starter
The Book: thebreadco.de/book
The mistakes we are having a look at:
1) Underfermented. You didn't ferment your sourdough bread for long enough.
2) Lack of dough strength. Knead your dough more or reduce the water amount
3) Underbaked. You need to bake your bread longer
4) Severely overfermented. You pushed the fermentation for too long. Your bread becomes very flat and the dough is sticky.
#sourdough #bread

[@philme]

I like that "reading the crumbs" has the feeling of a peer review where another scientist has to make sense of and interpret the data. And yet it is also like an art critique, because merely pointing out flaws can be soul crushing for the creator if it doesn't feel like the criticism is "on your side" trying to help. This is a great communal way to learn.

[@miric6224]

What a great idea to critique commenters’ bread. Nice service you’ve provided to all of us. Thanks!

[@the_bread_code]

Thank you!

[@Wdelhagen]

Thanks Hendrik and thanks to all the folks who submitted pics. I'm always trying to be a better proof sleuth with my bread post-mortems and these examples help me calibrate my fermentation detection skillz. Please keep doing this!

[@the_bread_code]

Thank you! It was great fun to look at all the submissions. Thanks to everyone who submitted one!

[@Adrian-ww2jj]

This is exactly the clinic I just needed. Thank you a lot for this video.💯

[@mrgreenbudz37]

Good morning and thank you for all your videos and help. You are correct that even if your loaf isn't a masterpiece it is 100 times better than store-bought bread. My breads are slowly getting better and better with each one I feel. I still have a long way to go. Thank you again.

[@clarabartha1737]

Love this style of video in reviewing bread submission issues!

[@rlwalker2]

Thanks again for all the information and hints.

[@newtkeeper]

Thank you for putting the Fahrenheit value!!! So cool.

[@ShathaAz]

I appreciate your existence. Thank you so much 🌷.

[@janetkl8172]

Thank you 😊 👏

[@carolcheung876]

Thank you so very much for diagnosing various samples of sourdough bread. I have so many failures but I didn't give up.

[@ScrapHappy]

This is one of the most helpful videos I’ve found to help me figure out what’s been going wrong. Thank you!!

[@freeheeler09]

I’ve learned a lot from your videos! Thanks!

[@Joeygoestohollywood]

Mehr davon! I think anyone can learn a lot comparing the different loafs and textures! ❤

[@user-cv7uj4zk8b]

amazing contents

[@turuanu]

I've been watching videos on sourdough for more than a year, but you really only learn by hands-on baking. I bake with 100% whole grain by grinding my own soft wheat. It's the best I can find here in Costa Rica. I recently had a breakthrough with your video on stiff starter. Now, I just may have understood why my bread is not really domey, though delicious and fluffy. I revive the stiff starter at 9. By 11 it's doubled. I make the dough around noon. I do all the stretches and folds, let it grow until 6pm, then put it in the fridge until the following morning. I must say we turn off the fridge at night because we have problems with the solar panel batteries. Anyway, in the morning I shape the loaves, wait for them to almost double, I bake... and they're flat. Today I just used the starter straight from the fridge at 3pm, did the 3 or 4 folding, at 6 I'll put it in the fridge for more than 12 hours, then shape and bake it. I can't wait to see if it makes a difference!

[@innaflanders8445]

Hello! So based on the big air pockets, does it mean that chiabatta bread is also underfermented? Thank you.

[@ExperimentalistBrewing]

I loved this and miss your videos reviewing the sourdough reddit! Also your URL is genius, and really made me laugh. 😀

[@the_bread_code]

🤣 thx. I love URL hacks like that

[@jdfi1403]

Hi from near Toronto, Canada. What is the process of getting your hardcover version to my area?

[@abs9593]

What do you guys think about whether or not there is a relation between how long it takes your starter to double after a feeding and how long it takes your dough to bulk ferment? Everyone I see says that my bulk fermentation should only be about 4-5 hours based on the temperature, but my starter has always taken 8-10 hours to double.

[@kanyiskitchen3331]

Gluten tag 😆. I love your content sir!

[@the_bread_code]

Hi Kanyis. Thanks a lot!

[@MikeR65]

Gluten Tag! Can you do a video showing the correlation between ambient temperature and percentage of rise necessary to properly ferment the dough. Thanks

[@the_bread_code]

Gluten Tag Mike. It's hard to generalise. It depends on your flour and your starter. I'd try to aim for a 50-100% size increase of your dough during the bulk fermentation. That's the most reliable indicator :-)

[@eunyoungcho9814]

Oh how do I submit mine for diagnosis? 😊

[@ginavargak.23]

It worked ❤ 😅

[@ginavargak.23]

How can I send you a picture?

[@francinekeane9900]

Thanks once again Hendrik great video. One question not related. Would adding malt syrup molasses or honey add to overall hydration?

[@the_bread_code]

Thank you! Yes a bit. But I wouldn't worry too much about it. I now typically go with a base hydration. If I feel the dough is too wet or too dry I either add more flour or water.

[@francinekeane9900]

@@the_bread_code Thank you

[@stupidhandles]

There's no hard n fast rules, I feed my (mother)starter every two weeks and never kneed, 2 rounds of lift and fold is all, works a treat for me. I think it's about finding what works for you

[@stupidhandles]

Glass pyrex dish n lid work as Dutch oven, Preheat oven to 250°c then let it get back to temp when putting dough in, as soon as the temperature light goes out turn it down to 230°c

[@j1303901]

I have baked that first loaf a ton of times. Flat and disappointing. My issue was using my levain before the peak. I now always wait until I see my levain start to fall and have never baked like the first loaf again. This would be my number one tip.

[@the_bread_code]

Hi Jake. If I use my starter before a peak I can use a little more. But the fermentation is slower. After the peak it's better to use less starter :-)

[@katecreates7]

Ooo good tip! Love that, I’ll have to try that! (If I can ever get a starter to survive my new homes “extreme” environment. 😒)

[@jasonkh4]

So, my bread smells, tastes, and toasts amazing, but possesses the "fools crumb" large air pocket signs of underfermentation while wanting to turn into a frisbee as if overfermented. I'm actually ok with the crumb being what it is since the flavour, smell, and texture are there, but I am at a loss as to how I can achieve that nice round loaf (since it will be sliced) without the aid of a pan. Since I only have access to the kitchen at my work from 8am until about 4 or 5 in the evening, there's always the 16 or so hours where I have to leave either my mother or levain (which I've switched to using of late) or my loaves in bannetons in the fridge unattended, so it's a bit difficult to know what changes to make within the time constraints. I've tried feeding one jar of mother/levain at the start of my shift, and there does seem to be peak activity before I leave, so just curious whether to feed my mother or levain at the start of my shift, make the dough once I notice that peak activity, and put loaves in the fridge after say, 4 hours bulk ferment in the 30 degree kitchen, during which I perform a series of 4 or 5 stretch-and-folds at 30-min intervals. Not sure how to get around having to leave my loaves in the cooler from 4 pm until 8 the next morning if cold over-proofing is indeed my issue. Any insight is appreciated! Love your channel, cheers ! 🍞🙌

[@katecreates7]

Thanks for the video! Very very helpful! I have a question about my starter. I recently moved and Every time I try and start one this summer it’s okay for a day or two and then right after it starts to fall it starts getting hooch and then even if I pour that out and feed it, it doesn’t work. And in the winter it’s so cold Where I am I can never get it going. I can’t seem to find a warm enough spot in the fall and winter and cool enough spot in the spring to summer… help pwease! 🥺🥺 I miss making my sourdough…

[@the_bread_code]

Hi Kate! Temperature isn't that important! I hope maybe my starter video can shed some light on the topic: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYGUc2qGraaqoZI

[@katecreates7]

@@the_bread_code oh, I always thought it did. I never had trouble in my previous places. Thanks! I’ll check it out!

[@tnasr3254]

Are you refrigerating your starter after it peaks in the summer? Do you let it come to room temp and discard most of it before you feed it?

[@leafster1337]

i like mixing everything with a spoon or whatever then covering and coming back to knead well after 10-15 minutes

[@maly4hard]

Hello! How to known when stiff starter is ready / active? I converted my starter to a stiff according to your scheme then i made two loafs with my regular starter and stiff. I used 20% regular and 15% stiff. After 7 hours on my regular starter dough doubled in size but with stiff maybe 10-15%. After 9 hours i couldn't wait any longer so i put in into fridge. Next day i wanted to end bulk fermentation in room temperature and after 3-4h my dough was overfermented and gluten has been eaten but the sample showed maybe 30% incrase. I was feeding starter 3 days and after last feed i used it after 5 hours. Maybe too early? BTW. My yesterday's breads would fit this thread. They was without strength and came out flat but with pretty good ears. :D

[@the_bread_code]

Great comment, thank you! It sounds like your stiff starter could have needed a bit more time to properly propagate! It seems to have been a bit less active. Maybe try to go for 50-60% hydration on your stiff starter rather than just 50%. Hope it helps! Cheers.

[@candywalker483]

When you say “underfermented” do you mean after the flours, water, salt and starter are mixed, you’ve done your stretch and folds or coil and folds? (I assume). You don’t mean not letting your starter rise/work long enough. Thanks for all your help!

[@the_bread_code]

Hi Candy. So you mix all the ingredients together. This starts the fermentation process as you put some of the starter into your dough. This process is over at some point. That's the moment when you shape the dough and place it in a banneton. The question is when is it over? In case of underfermented the process should have continued for longer.

[@BenMyerson-um8me]

New content from Bread Code!!!

[@EightLegz]

Servus Hendrik, da haben meine missglückten Semmeln (aka „Brötchen 😉) tatsächlich gewonnen. Freut mich. Zum Glück waren das alte Bilder und solche Missgeschicke passieren so gut wie überhaupt nicht mehr. Da hat mir Dein Kanal wirklich geholfen - mir war bis dahin nie bewusst, wie wichtig der Proteingehalt meines Mehls ist. Dank 16%igem Manitobamehl klappen nun auch Brioche Buns. Wie kann ich Dich denn am besten kontaktieren? Grüße aus München Markus

[@notlandon1108]

What I learned. All my loafs look great, if I don’t use whole wheat I’ll have a more open crumb. Am I correct?

[@oscaribf0101]

I'm the first one thumbing It Up! 🤗

[@the_bread_code]

Thank you Oscar!

[@frankoptis]

1:52: For me Stephanies image on the left looks like she also forgot to slice her loaf on the top before putting it into the oven? That also prevents rising...

[@dineshnegi8136]

I am a baker and pastry chef but I somehow I have a combi steam oven and I have to figure out perfect heat and steam for baking sourdough

[@jessicagoss8030]

When are you kneading? My recipe doesn't say to do that

[@WhyDoYouCare6503]

hi👋I have a question if you don’t mind.😊 I tried my very first time baking Sourdough bread the other day but I was SO disappointed because my sourdough is kinda wet inside and the crust is very hard like a stone🥹😩 After the final shaping I put my sourdough in the fridge for 2 days because I was working so I baked on the 3rd day.🤦🏻What happened to my sourdough? PLEASE help.🙏🥹 Thank you. Appreciate it.

[@lydzphens]

❤️❤️❤️

[@jordhuga271]

My first sourdough was flatter than flat.

[@MereCashmere]

😊

[@anthonyman8008]

Say no to gluten, I can handle flat bread!

[@BabyBoomerDad64]

The difference betweeb dough and bread is heat. While fermentibg and baking...

[@Jan46]

👍🍞