Activating Sourdough Starter & Building A Levain

This video is geared towards the baker who is interested in boosting the activity of their sourdough starter. Every starter culture is different, and there are many kinds of feeding schemes that can work (see towards the end of the video where I show how a 2x/day feed schedule can work as well as a 3x/day feed schedule). It's all about monitoring your starter's behavior and feeding accordingly. In addition to showing how I reactivate my starter after a 2-3 week spell in the refrigerator, I’ll also show you my regular feeding regimen, as well as how I build my levain on a bake day.
Flowchart as a PDF: documentcloud.adobe.com/link/...
Materials and tools used in this tutorial can all be found here: (Amazon Affiliate link): www.amazon.com/shop/fullproof...
**Newly uploaded intermediate-level class (2.5 hours pre-recorded workshop + 30 page booklet) covering everything I know about sourdough starter and levain: www.airsubs.com/pros/full-pro...
How To Build A Sourdough Starter From Scratch: • How To Make A Sourdoug...
How To Make A Basic Open Crumb Sourdough Bread: • How To Make A Basic Op...
How To Dehydrate & Rehydrate Sourdough Starter: • How to Dehydrate & Reh...
Thanks for watching! If you have any questions, please feel free to leave feedback below in the comments and I’ll try to answer back in a timely fashion. If you like this video, please subscribe to my channel, and also check out my Instagram @FullProofBaking for more tips, methods, and full recipes 😊

[@rp9175]

This is the best instructional video I have seen on this simple yet confusing subject. No time wasting theatrics and nonsense to distract and great visuals to back up the info. Brilliant. I fast forward other videos when the host starts babbling, then become worried I missed something important. I'm so glad to not waste an unnecessary excess of flour feeding my starter and great tip on mixing the rye with bread flour. I don't know why I didn't think of that. This answered many questions for me and I've been baking a long time.

[@Elliee1849]

I am so glad I found this video after watching 1000 videos, very clear step by step instructions will answer all of my questions. Thank you

[@scottdavis2036]

Other than the beating drum in the background ,in some of your videos , I not only have learned a great deal of information , your presentation is excellent. No nonsense or gimicry. Excellent graphics to help understand the timing and process. I have been trying for a long time to get the open crumb and oven rise that your breads have. I am going to try to up my hydration and extend my bulk fermentation. I have even purchased a couple of your recipes to hopefully help fund the continuation of your endeavors. Thanks so much.

[@leacruz7311]

Checking the extensibility of the levain is an important tip!

[@rchancock]

Such a great video; excellent detail, camera work, etc. but your voice is so soothing I feel like I just finished a therapy session. I have always fed once on bake day and wondered why I wasn't getting a good open crumb. Now I know. Thanks

[@KogakuKing]

Thank you for your clear and timely responses to questions. Your video presentations are exquisitely produced and perfectly paced. Every bit of their content is relevant and clear. Production value is masterful which makes the learning process a compelling delight. With a background in both videography and teaching I know, firsthand, what it takes to produce quality work such as your videos. Kudos, Kristen! Such a delight!

[@FullProofBaking]

Wow thank you for this amazing feedback - I really appreciate you taking the time to write in. It takes a long time, as you know, to produce these videos and I'm still definitely learning how to make the videos better over time. I'm so thrilled they seem to be helpful to other bakers - the effort and time is all worth it! Thank you so much for your kind, thoughtful comment :)

[@chingwa888]

Thanks for this. One of the best guides I've ever seen. I've been wasting horrific amounts of flour to maintain my starter. This makes so much sense to just keep the quantity small until I need it and will save me a fortune. I now have a TINY jar with just 5 grams of starter, water and flour and it's doing very well.

[@Miriamharc]

Yours are the best instructions I have found, and I have been looking for a couple of months! Thank you so much for your videos! Now I feel confident to start baking!

[@bleujaii]

I've watched tons of videos on making sourdough starters. This one is by far the best. My starter has looked exactly like the video. Thanks!

[@bleujaii]

Question: I decided to buy the Brod & Taylor proofer which will arrive tonight. With the cooler temperature, I want the accuracy. I completed my day 3 feed yesterday. Do I do a day 4? If yes, just repeat Day 3?

[@deniseburchette4113]

I have wasted SO much flour, not clearly understanding starter maintenance and the difference between starter and levain, until today. This explains it all so clearly. Thank you!

[@nssdesigns]

Borderline scientific. Excellent... I tried making a starter before and it worked but I had no idea about levain building and the result was bittersweet brick bread. I hate failure so it's again time to give it another go. This has given me the incentive again. My interest in sourdough came from watching Dick Proenneke videos and his sourdough cooking alone in the wilderness. So greetings from Scandinavia where rye flour is readily available everywhere...

[@AndersSvensson_norrkoping]

HI! Your bakingvideos are so wonderful! The content, the voice ... The best! cred from Sweden!

[@nickycalascibetta9339]

Your explanation of each step is awesome! You're my sourdough saving grace!

[@alexdinev5986]

This is the best explanation I ever seen for making sourdough bread ,very dedicated in details Thank You !!!

[@kidskitchenbr]

Absolutely agree! Wonderful

[@MusicFood]

This woman is a genius

[@scottblanchard9358]

Thank you for the great and very clear recommendations in each of your videos. Your background and attention to details truly show in your baking and your clips.

[@YungZ905]

Quite a joy seeing everyone's different methods of process with their sourdough starter. I like how you use %90 unbleached bread flour and dark rye for the remaining %10. Seems like a nice ratio for a tasty bread. Great work and thanks for sharing.

[@amedeodionisi8477]

I just discovered the best sourdough youtube channel ever! thx so much for all this information, is two years since I started baking and I never found a video so well explained, thx again!

[@gulipek2007]

The clearest and informative video I've watched so far about levain. Now I know the difference between levain and starter :) This morning, I started feeding my starter from Day 1!

[@weisup]

Thanks for describing the ratios! Very helpful

[@micahtycer3971]

Thanks so much Kristen. This is exactly the video I was looking for. I have a really healthy starter, but I realize I need to manage it a bit better to help it reach it's max peak potential. I'm going to be a starter life coach!

[@ktrobert]

This is such an excellent video. No nonsense, well presented and gave evidence for the suggestions given. Thank you!

[@sean1uncut]

This is and your other sourdough videos are the best ever and I have watched a lot.

[@isadoramerconassad935]

I’ve been messing up my recipes because my starter wasn’t active enough. I’m super glad I found this guide! Very well explained and easy to follow.

[@kicknadeadcat]

A bit of overkill though. As long as you keep the starter in the fridge, feed your starter around once a week, you only need 2 to 3 feeding the day before baking. I use 1.3.3 in the morning, 1.3.3 later in the day and 1.3.3, At night. The next morning I bake. Depending on the temperature my starter in the morning will be 2 to 3 times and height. Sometimes if it’s too warm it will rise and collapse. I still use it as is and I haven’t had a problem since using this method. .

[@anastasiiamoralez6763]

Thank you soooooo much for all your help and video about how to boost a starter!! My levain for bread that I prepared today is thriving yahoo!!!! I’m very happy!!! Thank you for such a video! It really helped to boost my stubborn starter ❤️ ❤️

[@patriciagimay9195]

Hi, thanking you for your lovely video. I have a starter that is 3 years old. I feed it once a week as I use it to make bread once a week. I have 300 grams in the jar that is kept in the fridge. The recipe that I use calls for 300grams of Sourdough starter. What I have been doing is taking the jar out from the fridge to come to room temp take out 100grams and feed it with 100 grams of bread flour T65 and 100grams of water and I let it rest in another bowl for about 5 hours which becomes the 300 grams needed for my bread recipe. The other 200grams of my chef starter I toss 100 grams and feed the remaining 100grams with 100grams flour and 100 grams of water which brings me back up to 300 grams that goes back into my jar washed every week let it come to room temp for about 2 hours and then put back into the fridge to sleep till the following bread bake and this i have been doing for 3 years with a lovely rise to my bread every time baked in the pot. I bake too with a cold oven at 260C for 30 minutes then drop to 240C for 15 minutes and then I just watch to see the color that I like sometimes takes 5 to 10 minutes at 200 or 220C just depends with the tapping on the bottom and color.

[@FullProofBaking]

Love this simplicity - if it works, stick with it :) Happy baking!

[@lisamurphy5770]

Wow I just learned so MUCH about my starter and feeding for bake. Ty!

[@michelletran8110]

Finally a channel that is actually understandable and full of patience!

[@tinaboyle1014]

You are a gem! clear, detailed and so very helpful at getting to improve my starter/levain quality. Thank You!

[@kidskitchenbr]

Finally a good explanation about the ratios (and how to make them work in our favor). Lovely!

[@tezerbarutcuoglu1877]

This was the first time I've met you here; many thanks for theese valuable additions for sourdough, from nowon to improve myself will be a MUST for me, thanks again:)

[@teod.2779]

Thank you! So well explained! Now I understand how important is to feed several times the starter before building the levain, if we don't make bread every day. I am making sourdough bread at home for 2 years now, and I think that my next breads will come out better, thanks to you!

[@ABH313]

That's the best starter I've seen on KZbin by far

[@adamnovelli853]

Wow. What a tremendous instructional video. Thank you so much for such concise, succinct, and clear minded instruction

[@esmiscrino]

Excelent vídeo! I learned a lot with it! Thanks from Brazil!

[@ampp3692]

Thank you so much for this video, your explanation is thorough and detailed I’ve learned much more than with others, I’m currently making your starter to bake one of your beautiful breads 🙏🏻

[@FullProofBaking]

So wonderful to hear this! Thanks for the feedback and for the support, I'm truly grateful :)

[@daviddoyle2738]

Thank you for the suggestion of reducing the water content. I live in one of those warmer climes and your advice should help.

[@MsWindigo65]

Unbeknownst to me, I had a sour alcoholic underfed starter. But I knew I had an issue. This tutorial saved my starter! You’re so talented and knowledgeable!

[@iwillsinganewsong]

My foray into sourdough began a couple of weeks ago when I was gifted some starter. I first followed my friend’s instructions on feeding, but your comprehensive video is above and beyond what I have been doing! Look forward to implementing these guidelines to improve my starter and bakes! (Btw, I’ve named my starter ’Fillimi’ meaning in Albanian the beginning or start: Fillimi i bukës ~ the beginning of bread ;)

[@IansWork]

Amazing! SO helpful. Thank you! The science and methodology is so cool.

[@sharonc.2747]

Great starter instructions! Thank you!

[@FullProofBaking]

Thanks for the feedback! Happy baking :)

[@lacievandeweghe7582]

The absolute best starter video I've ever seen!

[@mfhmonkey]

Sure glad I found your channel. I have watched dozens of youtubes on this and having problems. Your videos have more details and I can follow better. I will cut back my starter to recommended in this video and just be patient.

[@ponchan2236]

Thank you so much for helpful information, I was struggling to make Einkorn sourdogh starter ( Whole wheat ). Some reason my starter got so hard using other's Einkorn starter recipe. I'll try again and see how goes and later I'll put comment on. I feel so much better and confident knowing reasons why I should do this way than just guessing and making sourdough starter. Thanks again!!

[@kathiechiu7450]

Absolutely concise and helpful!! Great work ! Thank you so much!

[@user-zc5mf8ti5y]

Wow, best lesson on perfecting a sourdough starter. Thank you so much.

[@ThatGuy-dj3qr]

Thanks for the excellent advice. I was having real challenges with my starter with 50/50 rye/bread flour feedings suggested by others. As well, I wasn't always regular with my feeding schedule and a nasty bacteria seemed to take hold that overtook the yeast and left me with no rise and eventually just a soupy messages the bacteria ate the food supply provided by the new feeding. It was only by using all purpose or bread flour that I was able to revive my starter.

[@unit335]

Best sourdough videos on the internet. You are very. good. at this.

[@richo9142]

Wow, great video/content. What I took from this is the higher % of breadflour is mainly responsible for the extended rise, followed by frequency of feeds per day

[@gregandkyzer2657]

incredible starter can't wait to try it thank you so much.

[@houdajabbar877]

I loooove your videos!! Please keep feeding US with all your knowledge! Thank you very much!!

[@houdajabbar877]

Maybe you can place a video of baking a focaccia ☺️

[@skornatz]

I just want to THANK YOU so much, I have been struggling this winter for how to get my starter active. It was just clearly weaker than the warmer months, even after feeding 1:2:2 every 12 hours. I tried this method and my starter was better than ever and most importantly my bread was better! I really appreciate your videos.

[@suburbanhobbyist2752]

Makes sense, you went from 2 a day feedings to 3 a day with this plan. That is a significant difference.

[@winniebianchi1331]

Thanks for your good work,following your tips and chart for feeding ,its very active now.👍🏾

[@FullProofBaking]

So glad to hear this! :)

[@riclam66]

This video deserve over a million view in coming future. I kind of mess up my young starter 1:1:1 (14 days) and it was very active before it went into the fridge), to prepare for bake, I took 10g of cold starter from fridge today and feed with 1:1:1 but with different flour (a big mistake?), I feed with 10% protein bread flour French made, starter was formerly made by 13% protein Korean bread flour, it has been 8 hours now and no rise activity at all, I worry I have to build this like almost from scratch now (I have done the same to those remain in fridge at the same time). And yes, your voice is sweet.

[@FullProofBaking]

Yes it takes several feedings with the new flour before the starter will jump start again. Give it time - keep it warm, feed at peak, and it'll turn around :) Thanks for your feedback!!

[@quaxenleaf]

Excellent expiation! Thanks for doing this!

[@ochrerevivaldesignstudio5349]

Thank you so much. My starter is finally breathing life!

[@Hiker_who_Sews]

I will definitely try this. Thank you!

[@bbstucki]

Wow! I've been wasting so much flour! This is such an excellent method! Thank you for such clear instructions. I am excited to see how mine behaves with a similar regimen.

[@FullProofBaking]

Great to hear!! ❤️

[@zoltanhorvath1391]

Very good video. Clear and understandable. Thanks

[@laurencobo1914]

thank you sosososos much or all this knowledge and video shots... ugh a life saver for a beginner like me. found you from instagram xoxo

[@u01ijm7]

Your videos are so clear and informative, they are brilliant (fan of yours from Instagram)

[@FullProofBaking]

Thank you, great feedback - I'm very appreciative!

[@JustinDOehlke]

Nice work friend, thank you very much!

[@engy442]

Thanks for your sincerity explanation

[@KyuubiNemesis94]

Wow! The time lapse comparsion at the end of the video was awesome! My starter is nowhere near as strong as yours after 6 hours. Mine pretty much doubles and then sinks back down

[@bybbah]

Hi I just discover your videos ,I started to bake 2yrs ago on and off but because I had more failure than success and it was about how to really wake the starter after long refrigeration.and also I did not know the use of rye as base food for the Levant. So eather my bread won't rise or barely rise .But the taste always great.But the details about the need to know on the the temp and types of hydration I really behind on that.but truly thank you now let me go start waking my starter fresh out of the fridge. Again thank you.

[@meghandonaghy1487]

Great video and info!! Thank you!!

[@katialamanna173]

Great and informative video. Thank you!

[@robingriffeath6111]

Some great ideas here. I appreciate your hard work, and I predict you are contributing to a lot of tasty bread being made :)

[@FullProofBaking]

Thanks for this very kind feedback :)

[@evayang263]

Thank you so much for the clear information, Even my english is very poor but the video help me to build patience and passion！

[@joshuaisenberg1565]

Thank you so much for this extremely well-done and detailed tutorial. I learned about you from Tim Chin over at Serious Eats. I had been struggling to get great results and now understand the rhythm of my starter. After a few weeks of practice, I finally got a beautiful loaf today, thanks to you!

[@latica8278]

Yes, thank you! This has been so helpful.

[@regisd9650]

You are a great teacher! Thanks 👏🏼💓

[@cristianagramata2010]

Very helpful!!! Great video!!Thanks

[@davidclark9086]

Very informative and I am pleased to see my method is very similar. The big difference is my bread because I do not like an open crumb.

[@dointube2]

This is exactly what i needed! my starter is active but not as active as yours.... now i know why :D Thankyou for the video!

[@FullProofBaking]

Great to hear it could be useful to you! :)

[@ashleydavid6139]

Thanks for these great videos!!

[@lorenzogomezmolina2086]

This is such a beautiful video 🙂

[@ulayee9927]

Thank you! Finally I can understand the behaviour of my starter versus learning about proportions, timings and schedules alone. The info about starter picking is especially helpful. I was quite successful in my first bread baking endeavour when using just newly cultivated starter. My second bake was rather disappointing. It appears I didn’t reactivate the starter from the fridge properly. I also felt disheartened by the waste as I couldn’t use all the discard the process was producing.

[@alwynn2233]

Thank you, I learned so much about exactly what I needed to know.

[@syd1982]

Thank u for the vid omgggg i felt like i wasted a whole set of flour AND discard when i was feeding .5-1 cups of flour ugh so helpful !!

[@andreramos773]

Thanks for the useful videos. My crumb has improved a lot thanks to you! My main issue is shaping... if you could possibly cover that one day would be great! Many thanks

[@FullProofBaking]

Thanks for this feedback! Have you seen my recent video titled Basic Open Crumb Sourdough? The link can be found in the description above. Check my shaping technique at timestamp 12:20 :)

[@philipsutcliffe4029]

Very concise and thorough! A joy! Thank you

[@FullProofBaking]

Thanks for this feedback!

[@philipsutcliffe4029]

@@FullProofBaking it's well deserved, A fine channel.

[@giannisgougoulias3443]

this is gold, thank you so much

[@beckyknutson471]

This is great instruction! Thank you so much! One question I have that isn’t addressed in the video is in building the starter with such small amounts, how do you end up with a specific amount called for in a recipe? For example, say I need 100g starter. Do you just do the last feed before building your levain with more starter which increases the amount of flour and water?

[@stevens6654]

A very good question. I imagine one could make too much starter and save the remainder. (I’ve done that.) But what’s the best way to generate an off-shoot starter in a separate jar? Do I just estimate the quantity? Thanks!

[@Robin-hz6kx]

Another fabulous video! Thank you so much for this :)

[@FullProofBaking]

Thank you - always so supportive :)

[@strobelartesao]

Perfect video! Thanks! I'm saving my starter after keeping it tooo long in the fridge. I'll probably see it alive after the next 2 days

[@bhagavanramana9936]

OMG!!! so instructive i wich i had seen this when i started,thank you so much

[@oldeagle1851]

Best informationVideo on the web. thanks for the information you are a true professional. My best wishes and success on all your endeavors. Gracias.

[@binalskitchen6284]

that is such an amazing video, I am hooked to all your videos. could you please also guide us on how to maintain the mother starter?

[@aliciatavizon001]

Thank you so much for this information. I am sure my sourdough will taste better. I notice levain doesn’t get in the fridge between feeds which it was what I was doing before! Thank you again and Happy new year 🎊! “2020”

[@shuvanidev]

Well through your video I realized a lot of things I've been doing incorrectly with my sourdough starter that has probably been the cause of some inconsistency in my baking. Thank you so much!!! Love your channel.

[@FullProofBaking]

Thank you very much! Love to hear they can be useful to other bakers ❤️

[@richbolton7422]

Great video. I have been having problems with my bread raise and I am sure it is my starter. I will give your method a shot and hopefully get an improvement in my bread. Thanks for posting!

[@FullProofBaking]

Very welcome! Thank you very much for the feedback - hope to hear your rise improves! :)

[@richbolton7422]

Full Proof Baking My only suggestion would be to make your flowcharts available in a PDF with a link in Description. Videos are very precise and to the point which I like.

[@FullProofBaking]

@@richbolton7422 Love it! Will figure out how to do this...

[@FullProofBaking]

@@richbolton7422 OK I think I figured it out! Thanks for the feedback and tip :)

[@richbolton7422]

@Full Proof Baking Thanks so much!!

[@teresaolofson8187]

WOW you are SO Sweet and So Awesome THANK YOU!

[@christinemayer3967]

Also, about the starter in your crock. Am I to understand that every couple of months you start the crock over after cleaning it out completely and putting a dump of fresh peak starter in it to keep it strong? I just love your videos. Your method has much more attention to detail and fine tuning that is extremely helpful. It isn’t difficult and of course your tips give the baker the greatest insurance to achieving that great oven spring. Keep them coming please😺

[@FullProofBaking]

Thanks, Christine, for this wonderful feedback - you are very encouraging :) I usually replace the refrigerated stock every 3-4 weeks - just replace it entirely with the starter I always leave out, feeding regularly, at room temperature. It's a nice back-up in case I ever run into any issues with contamination (which so far, knock on wood, I never have) :)

[@christinemayer3967]

Thank you so much Kristen. Your recipe was very good. I just have be sure to work the dough enough and get a windowpane and use flour only when doing the final shaping to go into the bannetons. Practice makes perfect! Awesome videos. Now I have to learn instagram to follow you there too😊

[@FullProofBaking]

@@christinemayer3967 Haha, hope you make it onto Instagram - there is so much inspiration to be found under #sourdough! It's a booming, supportive, wonderful community of bakers :)

[@donnarichey144]

Thank you need to try this one.

[@sergiosette1654]

Fantastic video, as usual.

[@FullProofBaking]

Thanks Sergio!!

[@brightonduder]

Best starter video I’ve seen

[@yuchen5957]

love your video

[@f1remandg]

Hi I’m from UK & have two books on sourdough and one was purchased fairly recently, I have watched videos and tried sourdough recipes! ☹️😔I can honestly and I say this as an x Tutor of products right across the board, for what you call Home Depot, in UK it’s B&Q, I used to travel all around the south and have big sessions of staff and suppliers, to relate the what, when, where and how items for the home and professional worked etc. I have to say, your tube is excellent, I learnt more in the two short sessions than all the others, although of course it helped to know a little regarding terminology, but all the others are like camera manuals or some recipe books, they swap and change, refer one too a different page, that makes things disjointed, of course one has to have an amount of this, but continuity is key, well done! You did all this, with helpful visual aids to reaffirm the methods and reinforcing the procedure. The only aspect I would add, is possibly a PDF sequence of still photos with captions overlaid, like you had in the video, this could be printed and would be easy to laminate to form into a series of visual aids/ref, for each type of method and give a wipe clean surface for in the kitchen. This along with suggestions or mentions that the long procedure, (which I’m sure alienates some from attempting the process) can be incorporated into a day of baking, watching a film, studying, or general day to day at home, using timers for breaks and relieving those other chores. I congratulate you on making something that seems very complicated, into a rewarding improvement in both ones day and health. David. Lyndhurst.New Forest UK

[@halehsasani4730]

Wow best explanation for this method, thanks

[@FullProofBaking]

Thanks for this feedback, I'm most appreciative. Ill keep 'em coming!

[@halehsasani4730]

Full Proof Baking I have made pita bread with sourdough starter and it terns wow give a try you will love it