How To Bake Your FIRST SOURDOUGH Bread | Detailed Beginner's Guide

So, you have made your starter and it is nice and active. Now you are ready to bake your first sourdough bread. It is simpler than most people think. Follow my easy instructions for success. This recipe is as easy as it gets. Just keep an eye on it as it ferments. The times given in any bread recipe are to be taken with a grain of salt because the conditions in every kitchen are different. Your bread might take longer to rise, or it may rise more quickly. You must react accordingly.
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Principles of Baking bit.ly/principles-of-baking
The Steps of Baking bit.ly/steps-of-baking
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#Bread #Baking #ChainBaker

[@ChainBaker]

📖 Find the written recipe in the link below the video ⤴️ 🌾 If you would like to support my work click here ⤵️ www.ko-fi.com/chainbaker 🔪 Find all the things I use here ⤵️ 🇺🇸 www.amazon.com/shop/ChainBaker 🇬🇧 www.amazon.co.uk/shop/ChainBaker 🥨 To learn more about bread making click here ⤵️ Principles of Baking bit.ly/principles-of-baking The Steps of Baking bit.ly/steps-of-baking

[@arnoldkotlyarevsky383]

I know this is late, but I wanted to let you know that your particular approach in this video has given me the first sourdough loaf I felt confident would work....and it did. I want you to know that you are doing really great work here. This is a similar recipe to others, but your approach of providing calm, detailed, thorough explanations for each step has really payed serious dividends for me. My bread baking has substantially improved and I credit you and your channel for that. Thank you so much. Youre a real mensch.

[@ChainBaker]

Thank you, Arnold! I'm happy for your baking success. On to many more great loaves. Cheers!

[@v01dma1n]

You kick ass... what a refreshing instruction compared to all those people who talk too much about their kitchen, utensils etc. Just got to the point. Love it.

[@DianaMoon11428]

"...you won't be able to stop." Truer words were never spoken.

[@tomchambers3061]

For two years I've been screwing around and generally failing at sourdough. It was this video that has resulted in my very first successful loaf! Thank you sir!

[@ChainBaker]

That is awesome to hear! On to many more successful bakes!

[@stefanonati513]

Very helpful thank you!

[@KaiSub]

For some reason this channel makes bread baking seem like a breeze. I've always found it intimidating before, but now I'm really interested to try baking more often.

[@banuergin4166]

many thanks! done exactly the same and got the first one in a great form

[@calebschoonraad6810]

Thank you so much! You're videos (& bread) are awesome. So well explained, detailed and thorough.

[@roger55es]

Thank you very much I have learnt so much from this chain baker he's a great asset to learn from So easy to follow and get the best results

[@harrytraskos5964]

Thank you very much!! First try and it was perfecto :D

[@deebop3539]

Bro…this is now one of my new favorite food channels. It was challenging to find a good channel like this. Thanks for all the great content.

[@ChainBaker]

Wow thank you so much! :) I'm so glad you're enjoying it. I got many more projects coming up. We're only getting started. Welcome to the channel. Happy baking!

[@Butteredthanatoast]

What other ones have you found? I've just started, if you could save me some time it'd be much appreciated.

[@deebop3539]

@@Butteredthanatoast Chinese cooking demystified Joshua Weissman (all food/baking) Maangchi (Korean) Cooking with Dog (Japanese) CHEF’S LABO (Japanese) Tasting History Rick Bayless (Mexican) French Cooking Academy The Bread Code And any video with Jacques Pépin and Marco Pierre White cooking.

[@MarceloSilva-kq5dm]

I’m on my fifth loaf and they keep getting better and more flavorful. Thank you much for the starter and dough recipe. You are the best.

[@Csd2583]

3:16 I FINALLY got a fantastic loaf of sourdough…THANK YOU! The videos you have are fantastic, very helpful, especially on folding and handling the dough. I have the levain for 2 more loaves going now…..oh and you need to add that gorgeous walnut cutting board to your shop too! That is a thing of beauty….❤️❤️

[@juanmazapan9044]

Thanks for your work

[@ChainBaker]

🙏

[@CandCandCandD]

Thanks so much for this. Used my mixer 😁 for 4 mins then followed the rest of the instructions. Great result. 👍

[@michicojay6497]

A lot of very useful information!

[@ChainBaker]

Thank you! 🙏🏻

[@soconn14]

in 2 weeks when my starter's active, i'm really looking forward to making this. love the videos man, super informative!

[@ChainBaker]

Awesome! Let me know how it turns out :)

[@mariazato7793]

I've been doing my own yeast at home since 2016, and I'm starting to train to get a good sourdough bread since a year now. May sound exaggerated but it takes time to get used to it and to learn the multiple tips to get a good result . This is , by, far, the best video I've ever watched about sourdough bread making . So complete, detailed and fully explained. Thank you so much.

[@nalanerol2732]

I just wanted to thank you. I've tried many sourdough bread recipes over the two years. Then somehow I came cross your recipes. I've tried bilays and high hydration. They turned out awesomely nice and yummy. All the other recipes and ratios tucked away; I do not need them anymore. Next adventure of mine will be your rye bread. I hope in the future you will add sourdough french baguette and sourdough pullman sandwich bread. Thanks and have a wonderful years of work.

[@waqup4054]

I've learned so much from watching you work my friend. My bread and technique has improved exponentially in just a few days and the end result is irresistible to the whole tribe. The only down-side is that now I have to bake fresh bread every day. But with the advice and instruction from you in regard to sour-dough starters and the like this has become a great pleasure for me and I am developing new techniques all the time. So thankyou and happy baking!

[@ChainBaker]

That is awesome! :) I'm so glad you're enjoying it! On to many more great bakes. Cheers!

[@xbuniekx]

You are pro, now when I think how I do sourbread, I feel like a rookie, I use too many shortcuts :p great tip with pan, I will use something similar to keep steam in

[@dennisdecoene]

I've watched pretty much all your video's at this point and I love how you debunk so many old wives tales and myths. Like salt and sugar and yest and such. Your a 💎

[@ChainBaker]

Cheers, Dennis! 😁

[@robfirth6501]

i just landed my first sourdough. i wish i could show you a picture ;) it’s frikken delightful. thank you. i can’t wait to explore your channel more and learn more and hopefully this becomes instinctual

[@ChainBaker]

😎👍

[@HeyWatchMeGo]

I think there's a Chainbaker group where you can show pics... Seems I read that in the comments before.

[@coryweaver7984]

Your delivery of the content and instructions set your video far above the rest that I’ve tried to watch.

[@liltay1470]

I made this bread for a weekend project and served it to guests. Hands down and thumbs up! Everyone was in agreement that it EXCELLENT! This was my best ever sourdough bake in the last 3 years. Easy too make and excellent video production and instruction. Thank you Chain Baker for sharing your expertise.

[@ChainBaker]

Cheers! ✌️

[@N495illithian]

My first sourdough was an amazing success. I am so impressed at the flavor improvement over using commercial yeast. I learned a lot from the preferment methods but this is at another level. I did skip the cold proof and I will have to try with it, but this is going to be hard to top. Thank you for all your detailed videos, my technique has improved greatly and I attribute much of my success to you!

[@ChainBaker]

🙏

[@AmarEnergy]

I love your method! I've been diving into Sourdoughs for the past few months. I am ready to start adding things like herbs, olives, dehydrated onion, etc. I'd love a video on how (and when) to put the additional flavor elements, and any requisite adjustments to the flour/water ratios. Thank you for such an amazing channel! You've given me at LEAST 4 more months worth of recipes. :)

[@ChainBaker]

Hi Andrew. There are a few good ways of adding ingredients. It all depends on what they are. It it's something small like seeds, then those can most of the time be added in the beginning when mixing. Raisins etc can be kneaded in towards the end of the mixing process. Something chunky like olives can be added when folding during bulk fermentation. I have examples for all these in videos scattered around the channel, but I will make a dedicated video to adding ingredients sometime in the future 😄

[@Alpemomi]

Thanks for that mate! I've been sourdoughing succesfully for several months but fuck is my starter management a pain in the ass. So the tip is awesome: Jar 1 for the Starter. I named mine Inochi, Japanese for Life. Jar 2 for the Levain, for the baking. Keep 'em coming!

[@asaleminik]

Excellent video thank you! I really appreciate your channel because I've read Flour Water Salt Yeast cover to cover and your videos have been a godsend for learning the techniques in the book. One question, if my proofing basket is round (it's like a half-dome), what is the technique to shape the bread properly?

[@ChainBaker]

Cheers! :) Flatten the dough and then fold the edge over the middle whilst going around in a circle until you have a nice tight ball. It is the same method I use when folding a lower hydration dough. You can see me performing this method in most of my videos 😉

[@mikey19608]

I was so happy to see your folding method on Foodgeek's folding experiment.

[@ChainBaker]

Seeing that video made me want to pull my starter out the fridge and get back into sourdough 😁 It's been a long while..

[@jenniferalmaden5276]

Hi, is it possible if you could do a comparison video of sourdough bread using steamer cooking pan vs. oven?

[@neilbingham1853]

Made my first sourdough today ill let you know what it’s like when I cut it I’m hooked on baking.

[@CRIMINAL827]

7:39 "Just know that good things come to DOUGHS who wait!" 🤣🤣🤣

[@MaireadRohiniJoyce]

Thanks for the videos. Do you think I could use a glass oven proof dish with a lid instead of the cast iron skillet?

[@ChainBaker]

Definitely! It will work just as well ;)

[@ludmilamelnic5071]

What an awesome guide to sourdough! Thanks man! Made my first bread! Burned it a little but i was delicious. Now, what kind os vessel would you recommend to use for baking more than one bread at once? We have clay oven and used it before for regular baking, do you think it would work for sourdough as well?

[@ChainBaker]

I don't know of any that would fit more than two loaves. The clay oven sounds like a good option. Try it and see.

[@catpawsandplay]

I love your videos please dont stop making them! Btw Is it also ok to skip the overnight proofing? Thank you for your time

[@ChainBaker]

Yes, you can just final proof at room temperature :)

[@catpawsandplay]

@@ChainBaker ooh You mean i after 2 times of 1 hour and fold my last is 3 hours right? Thank you chainbaykah! (with british accent)

[@bendetorcy9202]

Hey Charlie, I baked my first one last night! However since I didn't get much of a rise during the 12 hr fridge cold proofing section (fridge is at 4 Celsius), I decided to leave it longer. 24 hours longer for a total of 36 hours with a series of folds in the process. The bread came out beautiful. The texture is absolutely perfect. The taste is a bit too sour for my taste, probably because of the extra fridge time. I will try the Pain au Levain recipe next as that should help with the sourness. Thanks again!

[@ChainBaker]

Awesome! :) I think the pain au levain is the right choice :)

[@southafricanrhino]

I am learning lots from your channel. Thank you! I'm a newbie sourdough baker and would love to see a comparison between kneading/shaping method you're doing on this video and the no kneading/shaping method. The only thing I've done with my bread so far is very minor pick/slap or minor stretching in the bowl. I wonder how the two methods would differ in terms of texture or even taste if any. I am definitely not good enough to do my own comparison.

[@ChainBaker]

The same principles apply as for yeast dough. You can find videos about shaping, folding, not kneading, etc., in the Principles of Baking playlist 😎

[@mishugupta5601]

Hi. I really like your easy to understand videos. I don’t have basket, so what can I use instead? Also I do have skilet pan but no cover so what can I use for covering the bread? Thank you.

[@ChainBaker]

Mishu Gupta thank you so much! :) Instead of a basket you can use a cake tin or a bowl lined with a tea towel and sprinkled with flour. For the skillet just use it without a lid. The lid is there to trap steam inside. To create steam in the oven without a lid you can place a baking tray in the bottom of the oven and when you place your skillet with the bread inside to bake then just splash the baking tray with a 1/4 cup of water which will create steam and help the bread rise.

[@mishugupta5601]

CharlieBud thank you. 😃🙏🏻

[@ChainBaker]

Mishu Gupta anytime! :)

[@dkvalic]

I've just made this recipe! The bread was gone in an instant! 😃 Of you ever run out of ideas, I would love to see a video about different flours and how to use them.

[@ChainBaker]

Glad you enjoyed it! :) I will definitely make a video on that in the future. Cheers 😉

[@emilystumpf1483]

I love this recipe. However, for some reason the cold proofing doesn’t work for my dough, I’ve tried it several times. I know I need to watch more baking principle videos and some on cold proofing but letting mine rise on the counter all day works wonderfully for me. So grateful for these videos and techniques. Keep them coming :)

[@ChainBaker]

Your fridge may just be cooler than mine. You can try and keep the dough out at room temperature for longer before chilling to make up for it ✌️

[@alejandrodavila3411]

Hi, there, thank you for all your videos. So, what is the ideal temperature of the dough to go into the dutch oven and bake? I usually cold retard overnight already in the basket, and the next day just score and bake it right away. I don't think I am getting enough oven spring every time. Should I maybe leave he dough or some hours before baking (hence my initial question). Thank you

[@ChainBaker]

Sometimes you can get a better rise when letting the dough warm up a bit. I like to bake it right from the fridge most of the time though.

[@sunithag8160]

Hi, for the main dough can I use 50% whole wheat and 50% bread flour

[@guytimmermans952]

Hi, I love the way you show your skills. I often hear “strong” flour. I usual use bio flour and cannot get the results you show. What can I do.?

[@ChainBaker]

What is the protein percentage of the flour you use?

[@AnthonyLeighDunstan]

Thanks so much mate. This is perfect for my situation too. Exciting embarking on my first sourdough! 🎉 Question: if I want to shift to a new locally sourced flour, how might I do that? Kinda proud to say I managed to begin a 100% Dutch starter in Holland and bring it back to Romania. The flour is windmilled on stone in Soest, the Netherlands. But now I’m faced with the task of deciding whether to import the flour from Soest to Deva or not… the purest in me wants so badly to do whatever it takes to keep this little bundle of bacteria Dutch… but cost and logistics are real… any advice welcome.

[@ChainBaker]

Yeah as soon as you start feeding it with different flour the characteristics may change. I'm not sure if I personally would notice it. Try it and see. You can always revert back to the original.

[@amyeung0609]

Thank you for this recipe. I’ve finally taken the plunge onto this sourdough journey. The starter I made is 15 days old. Made two beautiful loaves with this recipe. My question is that is it normal for the dough feel quite dry? When I shape the doughI almost have to push it together. Thanks again!

[@ChainBaker]

Your flour may be stronger and able to absorb water better. Increase the amount of liquid to make up for it.

[@amumwithasystem8472]

Does it matter if you do the cool proof before or after the room temperature proof? This is the first time i see it in this order so jjst wondering. Great video, i wish i found it sooner!

[@ChainBaker]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIHSmH6ciqufn80 😉

[@sheydaallahverdiyeva6836]

I cannot seem to find strong bread flour where I live. Can I use regular all-purpose instead? If yes, what kind of adjustment should I make? Thank you for the great work you have been doing in this channel)

[@ChainBaker]

All purpose will work here because the hydration is pretty low anyway.

[@melodydsouza3734]

Hello chainbaker, do you allow the dough to come to room temperature once out of the fridge? And then do you shape the loaf?

[@ChainBaker]

Shape it straight from the fridge. It's easier that way :)

[@lucianosmurf7037]

I finally nailed my levain and went to make this today. Weird thing happened when mixing my water and salt with the levain. It turned into a rubbery dough instead of mixing in well. Very strange. I don't have a way of temping my water so maybe it was to cold out the tap/filter and gonna have to get a thermometer that goes that low. Gonna see how it turns out none the less :)

[@troy5659]

Hello Charlie, What size Banneton did you use in this video? Mine is the #14 Rectangle (23x13.5x9cm) and the loaf seems small inside of it. Thanks

[@ChainBaker]

It's 20cm long, so bit smaller than yours. You could increase all the ingredients by about 20% to make up for it ✌

[@MAKINGITWITHMORAES]

Thank you for the recipe. I made my very first sourdough and it came out perfect. I will try to make half a recipe next time and was wondering if the baking time should also be reduced in half. Any advice?

[@ChainBaker]

Reduce it by 15 minutes and check.

[@MAKINGITWITHMORAES]

@@ChainBaker I did, and worked perfectly. Thank you!!!!

[@elitemusiccompany7833]

Hi I really love your videos and thank you for helping all of us learn. Please can you send me the bakers percentages for this sourdough recipe. I am trying to understand your salt grams and water grams in your linked recipe for this video. 10g salt???? 265g water ????? - how do you get these numbers. I simply cannot figure this out. Much appreciated. Thank you.

[@ChainBaker]

Baker's percentage kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGrXgYuKoceMrq8 ✌️

[@sergiomontalvosoto8403]

Question when you make the levant do you use part of that water and flour from the main recipe ?

[@ChainBaker]

Yes! Here is a guide on how to convert any recipe to leaven/preferment - kzbin.info/www/bejne/qIO5ZIJsbddsapY :)

[@avishayran2189]

Hi, i have a question: You don't do autolyse at all? and if you do, how do you keep the temperature stable so you will have more time to mix without going beyond 24c? thx!

[@ChainBaker]

Avishay Ran I only autolyse when the dough has a higher hydratiom. It was not required this time. On that day my kitchen and my flour were only around 20-21C. So used water that was around 20C. If your kitchen is warm then just use colder water. A dough like this does not take a long mixing time so not that much temperature is added during that time 👍🏻

[@kayprins6779]

I have acquired a big bakers oven on the cheap(lucky find on a garage sale together with the dough mixer of 35 liter), so if I where to do 10 or so loafs, where in the process would I split the bulk into smaller portions?

[@ChainBaker]

After bulk fermentation. Then pre-shape, rest, shape, proof.

[@YnnubTibbar]

Hi! I'm going to try this bread tomorrow but due to time constraints, I can't take the dough out of the fridge after 12-16h on the following day, but 24 or a bit more. Do you think that will be an issue? Maybe I could reduce this time by letting the levain ferment for a couple more hours, so that I can mix the dough a bit later tomorrow, but I'm not sure if that's a good idea. What do you think? Thank you!

[@ChainBaker]

24 will be just fine ✌

[@markocahoon]

What should the internal bread loaf temperature be when it is fully baked? Thank you 😊

[@ChainBaker]

Above 94C (200F), but that is not always an indicator. Judge it by the crust colour first and only then probe it :)

[@CKgamering]

Hi There, sorry for the question on an old video. This video has been the single most helpful one on my baking journey, I have probably made 15-20 this way and they turn out very good. I have a question though. If I want to "Skip" the fridge proofing, how many hours outside of the fridge approx would that be equivalent to? The method currently has 5 hours outside of the fridge, but assume that some of that will be it coming back up to room temperature? So would a total of 5-6 hrs outside of the fridge (at a normal 22C room temp) be about right?

[@ChainBaker]

Hey CK. I'm glad to hear that it has been helpful. I would do the bulk fermentation for 2.5 - 3 hours, fold, ferment for 2.5 - 3 hours, do the final shaping and then the final proof for another 2 hours or so, then bake. You may need to do some adjustments to tweak it to your environment.

[@CKgamering]

@@ChainBaker Thank you for taking the time to reply - the loaf turned out great!

[@terbhang]

Getting ready to start making my first levain, and I wanted to ask, what's the reason for using cling film during the proof? Can I substitute a damp clean tea towel or some bees-wax wrap?

[@ChainBaker]

I only use it to give you a better view of what is going on :) A tea towel or bees wax wrap will do perfectly!

[@troy5659]

Hello Charlie, I'm making my first loaf and in this video at time 3:55 when you are stretching out the dough to do the first fold it looks soft and moves easily, My dough feels hard and is not easy to stretch and tares a little. Is this normal or did I do something wrong? Thanks again you are helping understand how to make bread. Also, what is "Strong white flour"? here in the US I don't think we have that.

[@ChainBaker]

Perhaps your flour is stronger and produces a slightly tougher dough. You can increase the amount of water in the recipe slightly to compensate. Strong flour is flour that contains upwards of 12% protein.

[@ricweidner9116]

About cold fermentation, which is better to proof a bread in a fridge before shaping or after shaping in a banneton? Thank you, Love your channel:-)

[@ChainBaker]

Both work well. Try it and see which one you like best 😎

[@ricweidner9116]

Yes, I just took out my bread from the fridge and shaped it and waiting / praying? Thank you

[@martinapeiper]

Your videos are so to the point and informative. I love all of them. However, I understood the hydration in your instruction is at 63% and copying this my dough is absolutely not looking like yours at the point of taking it out of the bowl for the first kneading. Mine sticks to my hand, the bowl, the counter... a mess. I added flour just to be able to handle it but this will make the bread heavy and too firm, right? What am I doing wrong and how can I change it?

[@ChainBaker]

What kind of flour are you using?

[@kathy518]

When I try baking in an enameled Dutch oven the bottom of the bread gets very hard. Do you have any suggestions? I love your recipes. Thanks for doing them

[@ChainBaker]

Try using only the top heating element of your oven if that is possible. Or place the pot on a higher rack.

[@troy5659]

When making the levain when is the best time to use it to make this bread? Thanks

[@ChainBaker]

Once it has at least doubled and it's nice and bubbly then it's time to use it.

[@troy5659]

@@ChainBaker Thank you, Is it necessary to mix it first?

[@troy5659]

Hello Charlie, how are you doing? good I hope. For this recipe how did you determine what hydration to use? How old was your starter? Thanks

[@ChainBaker]

I wanted a dough that is easy to handle for a beginner, so I went with a lower hydration. Not sure how old my starter was. That was too long ago 😅

[@troy5659]

@@ChainBaker Thanks, I did this recipe at 70% hyd. and the dough was flat and soupy. So it was the starter or the method, but I did everything you did in your 80% hyd. bread recipe so it must be the starter.

[@ChainBaker]

Perhaps it was over fermented?! But it would take quite a lot for it to break down that much.

[@troy5659]

@@ChainBaker Thanks, So my flours were 12.7% protein white and 13% whole meal and I'm seeing how high of a hyd. I can go with this flour combo and testing my starter at the same time. I did four stretch & folds in the bowl every hour and bulk fermented at 26 - 29 C for around 6 hours then in the frig for 18 hrs in a banneton and then straight to the oven. I realized it was a fail when I put it in the banneton and it poured in. I'm thinking I did not do enough to build gluten strength OR that hyd. was too much for the flour combo. Thanks for your help.

[@ivor7539]

How can I modify the times for these proofing? It's not really working for my schedule. Like instead of final proofing for 3-4 hours, can I cold proof for 8-10 hours?

[@ChainBaker]

Proof it at room temperature for an hour or so and then refrigerate it. On the next day let it come up to room temperature while the oven is pre-heating.

[@TheMyHalo]

Ive seen a lot of your videos over the last days and cant believe your channel has not more views, your videos are great. One thing Ive seen is that you cut all your bread, is there a special reason you dont let your bread naturally break open, baking with the seam up?

[@ChainBaker]

I only recently learned about seam side up baking. I like both methods and I will definitely try and include more of the non-scoring one in the future. Here is the recipe btw - kzbin.info/www/bejne/joWTnpePbq-WmMk

[@mikearst2940]

Thank you for this video. Does an autolyse step ever play a part in your sourdough baking?

[@ChainBaker]

Only when I make higher hydration dough like in this video - kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqnUqaaXjqabrpY

[@mikearst2940]

@@ChainBaker Thank you. Also hoping for guidance about something perplexing. (I haven't been baking for very long.) No matter which kind of recipe I'm using, I have a consistent problem of bread coming out of the oven with a very dense, overly moist, spongy crumb (I'm using a Dutch oven). I have yet to understand what causes this. The last recipe involved overnight cold proofing, and the result was the most dense crumb yet. The starter I'm using seems active enough, so this result has been confusing. Thanks in advance...

[@ChainBaker]

You can try baking it for longer perhaps. Does it rise well before baking? If not, then just leave it to puff up a bit more before it hits the oven :)

[@mikearst2940]

@@ChainBaker It hasn't been rising well. The starter itself seems very active, though. The internal temp. following baking has typically been 205 degrees F. or higher. (96 C.)

[@vitoacct9666]

Two successful loaves so far - Thank you for the amazing videos. I started "Lerxst" in December, and since then, I have learned what "strong starter" and "strong Levain" really are. I have noticed that the bottom of my bread has been burning. Not enough to ruin the loaf, but not as even as yours. From what I have read, this is a potential oven issue (temp or rack). I moved the Rack up a notch the last time and lowered my temperature slightly but still way darker than the rest of the loaf. I also read not to use dark cookware - that obviously is not an issue for you. Any advice?

[@ChainBaker]

Perhaps you could only pre-heat the lid of the pot and leave the bottom at room temperature?!

[@vitoacct9666]

As addicted as I am to making these loaves I will certainly try that and report back! Thanks for the idea.

[@vitoacct9666]

@@ChainBaker OK - that worked for the burning, but it made the loaf stick (bad!) to the pan. When I try again, I will use more flour but maybe the pan being cold is a issue for sticking? You would know better than me.

[@ChainBaker]

Ah yes I did not consider that 😅 use some non-stick baking paper. That should help.

[@annamawarbercadar2377]

Hi , i wanted to know when u bake ur bread are u using below heat than changed to upper heat or u set upper and lower heat to bake any of ur bread..pls help me

[@ChainBaker]

For best results use both 👍

[@Chris-op7yt]

is there an alternative to proofing for that long in the fridge?

[@ChainBaker]

Sure. Just ferment it at room temperature. Bulk fermentation may take around 3-4 hours and final proof around 2.

[@Chris-op7yt]

@@ChainBaker : thank you. turned out great. nice and sour and crusty

[@gasperbaloh]

I tried this method but sadly my bread was very underproofed after 18h in the fridge and 3h in banneton. Maybe my fridge is too cold at 4°C. Love your videos though! Really helpful, very informative and to the point!

[@ChainBaker]

Was your leaven nice and active before you used it? What was the final temperature of the dough after mixing?

[@wekencook]

Can we also cold proof it in the bread basket and stick it in the oven immediately after similar to the high hydration dough video?

[@ChainBaker]

Definitely. Stick it in the fridge right after shaping and leave for up to 24 hours I'd say.

[@wekencook]

@@ChainBaker Thanks for the help!

[@wekencook]

@@ChainBaker I attempted this and unfortunately my dough seem to have been underproofed when baked it probably since my starter wasn't as active as yours. Would you recommend letting it proof until its almost ready at room temperature before cold proofing the dough?

[@ChainBaker]

I would not recommend leaving it until it's almost ready, but you can certainly leave it to ferment for a bit before refrigeration. Also on the next day when you take it out and it has not puffed up then you can leave it at room temperature until it rises before baking. But most importantly make sure that starter is nice and lively 👍

[@wekencook]

@@ChainBaker Thats probably the reason it wasn't ready by the time it was out of the fridge. I'll try again!

[@sunithag8160]

Hi again, the levain here is 1:2:2 ratio which should rise in about 3 to 4 hrs according to your video on maintaining starter and building levain. However u say here to leave it for 12 to 16 hrs. I’m confused on how long I should allow for the levain to be ready.

[@ChainBaker]

When I was filming this video it was winter and it took a lot longer to rise. When it comes to sourdough breads and starters I always say that you have to learn how your starter reacts. Every one of them is different. What may take 10 hours in my kitchen might take 8 or 16 in yours. The times are specific to my starter. It’s up to find out how long your one shoud take :)

[@sunithag8160]

Noted thanks for your prompt reply.

[@bar___]

I tried making it twice. Both turned out great. The second time even better. But I couldn't get it to be the same colour as yours, which is what I really wanted. Any idea how I can achieve that? My utensils, my ingredients and my dough were really similar to yours all throughout the process but after baking it my loaf was more golden than brown. I didn't achieve that caramelised, rye tone. Oven time could not be increased otherwise it would burn the bottom.

[@ChainBaker]

Perhaps it is the flour. They're different all over the place and maybe the one I used had more of a tendency to brown when baking.

[@donboehner6005]

I’m going to give this sourdough a try. I’ve been holding off because it seems difficult and time consuming. What I have learned by making different kinds of bread is the longer the proofing the better tasting the bread. What is the reason for two different flours and will the bread turn out ok with just bread flour? Love your channel and I’ve baked many different kinds of bread using your recipes. Isn’t it amazing the number of recipes you can make with only three or four ingredients?!

[@ChainBaker]

It will work just fine with bread flour. The whole wheat is there for extra flavour. Btw here is a better version kzbin.info/www/bejne/anSynpyoop17mcWhake this instead 😉 And yeah you're right about the variety of breads. I have a list of 500 recipes I have to still work through 😁

[@neverendingblending4711]

Remember that the effect depends also from how strong is the flour. How high proteins level U can find in the flour. If U want to leave the dough for longer try to use stronger flour specially created for that kinda process. A lot of things also depends from how old is Ur sourdough... If U sourdough is young the time for rising dough can be much longer.

[@ferretneck]

Is there anything to consider when doubling this recipe? Or is it simply a case of x2 everything?

[@ChainBaker]

It is!

[@ferretneck]

@@ChainBaker mega, thanks as always!

[@Blibber57]

I watched "How to make a starter" and then this one right behind it. My question is, when I'm ready to make bread, can it be made in a loaf tin like yeasted breads? I don't have anything to cook it on/in when round... Thank you.

[@ChainBaker]

Definitely. Makes no different what it's leavened with 👍

[@michaelurig3887]

This is the 3rd sourdough recipe I'm trying. The problem I had was getting the dough to rise at times and I figured out why. My house would get warm during the day and letting the dough rise was no problem. But later in the day the A/C would kick on and the vent in my kitchen would blow the cold air right where I had the dough sitting. So now I place it in the garage if it's not too warm or I place it in the oven with the light on. Right now I have the dough in a basket in the oven with the light on. The dough is pretty firm but pliable so I hope in 3 hours or so it will be ready to bake. How long do you think I should wait before I bake it ? Question, how cold is your fridge ? Mine is at 42 degrees . Thanks again Chainbaker

[@ChainBaker]

It depends on your starter and the temperature. 3 hours final proof should do it if it's not very cool. My fridge is 41F.

[@39zack]

I tried to calculate the hydration for this recipe but not used to how to do that with sourdough starter, but can it be correct that its around 50/51%?

[@ChainBaker]

Divide all the liquid in the recipe by all the flour in that recipe. 315g : 500g = 0.63 (63%)

[@39zack]

@@ChainBaker aha so thats how you do it :D You dont count the water and flour already in the starter your using, because thats what was confusing me when I tried to add it up.

[@ntheq3982]

HOW can I make my sourdough taste a bit sour, like San Francisco sourdough. I can't seem to ever get that sour taste in Texas. Been trying for years. The natural sourdough starter is always active, no problem with the rise. Thx for any tip

[@ChainBaker]

The longer you ferment the dough the more intense the flavour will be. Also, cold fermentation makes it more acidic.

[@debbieemes5580]

Do you have a recipe for a mild sourdough? Kids don't like strong taste but for health reasons ( Child with Crohn's disease) I need to make bread with starter. Thank you

[@ChainBaker]

This one is pretty mellow kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZmOtiH2NrNmIjM0 😉

[@debbieemes5580]

@@ChainBaker thanks for getting back so fast! Will definitely try it today. Thank you from Philadelphia USA

[@paulwarren6062]

Hi, I'm following your exactly recipe, but using a rye starter. I mixed the preferment (using white bread flour) and left it out for 14 hours. However my preferment looks more soupy than yours in this video. It does have plenty of bubbles, and smells fine. But I'm just unsure about the consistency, is it still ok to go ahead with the recipe?

[@paulwarren6062]

Update #1 - Ok, so I continued anyway. Made the dough, and let it bulk ferment in the fridge for 20 hours. I figured the more time the better. However, when I checked the dough I seemed to get minimal rise, if any at all. Maybe the fridge is too cold? Perhaps my levain was overproofed? Anyway, I went on to shaping and the dough felt very dense and heavy. It definitely didn't get the light and airy feeling that I was expecting. Dough is currently in the banneton right now. So I'm just gonna wait as see what happens. Hopefully sitting at room temperature gives it a kickstart to fill up with gas...hopefully...

[@paulwarren6062]

Update #2 - 10 hours of proofing later, I baked off the loaf. Surprisingly it turned out ok, not great, but better than expected considering all the doubts I was having. It took forever to proof, and after 2-3 hours, even 4-5 hours, I thought about giving up and throwing the dough away. It was rising at such a slow pace I thought something was wrong. But I stuck with it, and it bake up pretty alright. Hopefully my next few tries work out better.

[@ChainBaker]

I'm glad it worked out! :) I would suggest trying this recipe - kzbin.info/www/bejne/anSynpyoop17mcU It is similar, but it works better.

[@paulwarren6062]

@@ChainBaker One more thing, Charlie! Some recipes require a cold bulk ferment, while other recipes tell you to cold proof. Is there a reason to do one or the other? Should I bulk ferment at room temp, then cold proof? or perhaps the other way around?

[@ChainBaker]

For sourdough it's better to do a cold final proof, but for yeast dough a cold bulk proof. At least in my experience :)

[@deebop3539]

Yo chef, how can I make my sourdough taste stronger (more sour/tangy)? I made your recipe twice and it was great but I would like to make a very strong flavoured sourdough bread. Any suggestions? Thanks you.

[@ChainBaker]

The more leaven you use the stronger the taste will be. Fermentation time also affects this as a longer proof will make it more acidic. Cold proofing also makes the bread taste stronger. Keep in mind that adjusting one parameter will affect others so If you use more starter, then you have to adjust the water and flour content in the main dough and perhaps make it cooler so it does not ferment too quickly thus missing out on the long proof that creates more flavour. I would say that cold proof is the best way to go. Make the dough as you would. Refrigerate it an hour after final shaping and then bake it from the fridge 24 - 48 hours later. The longer you ferment it the more you risk over proofing, but with a couple of experiments you should nail it! If your dough is fermenting rapidly, then you may want to refrigerate it right after the final shape to sow it down a bit. Hope this helps. Cheers!

[@deebop3539]

@@ChainBaker I will try these options out. Thanks for the in-depth response!

[@Csd2583]

Newbie here……just trying this and the first loaf is currently baking….🎉 but when you describe “strong bread flour” is that the equivalent of all purpose flour or is it what we call in the US…bread flour. Just wanted to confirm.

[@alicantuncer4800]

Do you have a video or some tips about how to make the sourdough bread taste more sour?

[@ChainBaker]

Preferment more of the total flour or lave the dough in the fridge for longer. Both will make it more sour :)

[@alicantuncer4800]

@@ChainBaker Thank you!

[@kamitamimar]

Scalded sourdough spelt bread. Would such a combination work?

[@ChainBaker]

I don't see why not. That would weaken the dough even more, but you could lower the hydration slightly to compensate.

[@kamitamimar]

@@ChainBaker Thank you! Really appreciate your advice!

[@armandohero]

hello, i was wondering how big your baskets are?

[@ChainBaker]

23cm (9in)

[@armandohero]

Thanks, I love your channel

[@TheBassManCometh89]

If I wanted to add things to my loaf e.g. cheese and jalapeño, what would be the best stage to do this?

[@ChainBaker]

Add those ingredients while folding during bulk fermentation. They will get incorporated into the dough by the time you finish handling it after final shaping. 👍🏻

[@TheBassManCometh89]

@@ChainBaker so incorporate whilst whilst doing the final fold before the overnight proof in the fridge or add during the first fold to help distribute the added items or would either work? Thanks again for replying. You've always replied to my comments and I really appreciate the help 😁

[@ChainBaker]

Yeah just fold them in as soon as. Just don’t add them while mixing that’s the most important part! ;) anytime! You know if you want you can DM me in Instagram. That would be even more conveniet for both of us 😁

[@TheBassManCometh89]

@@ChainBaker perfect! Thanks again. I generally message on here just because I follow the recipes on here as well but I will make sure I DM you on Instagram if I'm not on here following the recipe 👍

[@isaiasvelasquez118]

😋

[@zulj.1643]

Ah... ive been trying 3 times now. Each time it turn out flat, and it sticks to the basket linnen. Should I lower the hydration? Malaysia is humid thats for sure

[@ChainBaker]

Perhaps it is over proofing?! The heat may accelerate the fermentation. Try making it cooler if possible or lower the hydration to avoid it sticking. A lower hydration will make it ferment more slowly too.

[@camilleflores8118]

My sourdough starter is two years old, and I've been making a particular recipe for no-knead for some time, always struggling to get the proof time better. This month I'm visiting my daughter, and the whole family loves my sourdough; but I decided to try your recipe. I'm experienced at kneading and learning about folding. Sorry to say that I think the environment here is just too different from yours. I had a very difficult time getting the dough cold enough to begin with (for the first two rises). Then the dough came out of the fridge this morning very stiff; it didn't look like it had moved at all. I didn't bother measuring its temperature 'cause I could already tell it was a bust. But I continued--even tried some extra time in warming oven, but no go. It came out of the oven a very beautiful color, impressive. But very small, burned on the bottom, incredibly dense, about 112 degrees inside temp, and very salty(???????). Other than something being wrong with my daughter's scale (which I suspect and will try getting a different scale), could this failure to rise possibly account for the salty taste? Anyway, I'm going to try another of your sourdough recipes tomorrow. :>

[@ChainBaker]

The salty taste could be a scaling issue. It could taste acidic and fermented but not salty. Perhaps your fridge is colder too. Try this recipe instead kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZmOtiH2NrNmIjM0

[@akhduke]

So I’m prepped with my sour dough and it’s 12am. Should I leave the sourdough to proof at room temp or place in the fridge.

[@ChainBaker]

Depends on when you want to bake it. You can just do it on the same day if you have the time :)

[@daviding78]

Is this considered 63% hydration? I am trying understand the hydration when using sourdough starter here. 450 flour + 50gm water from the starter + levain = 500 flour 265 water + 50 water in starter, levain = 315 water 315 / 500 =0.63 aka 63% Am I correct?

[@ChainBaker]

Correct 👍

[@daviding78]

@@ChainBaker thanks for the reply now I am trying a 70% hydration version The one I made following ur recipe was a success using anova precision oven, thank you chainbaker!!

[@Luka-ek4cr]

You mention 12-16 hours for cold fermentation. What is the equivalent at room temperature for making this a same-day recipe?

[@ChainBaker]

Around 3 - 4.

[@Luka-ek4cr]

@@ChainBaker thx bro👍🏻

[@sunithag8160]

This bread was my first success story with sourdough . Though the shape was distorted 🤪. Thanks for your support. Much appreciated.

[@ChainBaker]

Thatm’s awesome! I’m so happy that I could help :) well I’m sure it tasted great no matter the shape :) on to many many more delicious breads 👍🏻

[@ChainBaker]

Thatm’s awesome! I’m so happy that I could help :) well I’m sure it tasted great no matter the shape :) on to many many more delicious breads 👍🏻

[@alexmed2646]

This is the 1st time when I couldnt make a recipe from you :( I started to make the sourdough starter for almost 2 weeks, feeding it daily (even twice a day sometimes). Its kind of bubbly (doubles in size, but it doesnt have big airpockets), it smells sour but its somehow creamy. My bread just didnt rise well at any stage. It has some volume, some small airbubbles, but definetly it doesnt look close to yours. It ended overproofing (its too sticky and soft now). I started to think that my starter is the problem (which is a shame cause I put some efort into it).

[@ChainBaker]

It was probably just the state of the starter at that moment. The starter itself is totally fine. Perhaps it was over fermenting if it was all creamy and not with many air pockets. Try and adjust the feeding ratio and see how it reacts. Use more flour and water in relation to starter when you feed it. Hope this helps. Sorry for the late reply.

[@alexmed2646]

@@ChainBaker yea, thats exactly what i did. Probably it was too hot at the time i was feeding the starter (40C outside) and the bacterias just overcame the yeast. I changed the feeding ratio (2flower:1water) and now i feed it with 1:20:20 again (cause its not that hot, but still hot). I made my 1st sourdough bread 2 days ago and it was pretty good (beside the fact it didnt grew much in a 8C fridge). I didnt give up :D

[@refiloendlovu6518]

Do you need the wheat flour?

[@ChainBaker]

You could use spelt instead, but it's still part of the same family.

[@corinayuen2487]

Why is my crust so thick? Is it because I overbaked it? Thanks.

[@ChainBaker]

If your oven is a bit more powerful, then it may have over baked in the same amount of time, but it should not be that much different if you baked it at the same temperature as in the recipe. Cold fermentation also makes the crust a bit thicker, but that is normal.