How to get your Sourdough Starter Ready for Baking | Sophia's Kitchen

In this video I take you through how to maintain your sourdough starter, how to tell if it is ready, how to monitor the health of your starter and how to fit it around your schedule! If you need to know how to create a sourdough starter from scratch, please check out my previous video: • How to make a Sourdoug... .
L I N K S
Check out the first part of this tutorial - how to make a sourdough starter: • How to make a Sourdoug...
S O C I A L S
Instagram / sophiaskitchen.world
Facebook facebook.com sophiaskitchenHome/
Pinterest www.pinterest.co.uk/sophiaski...
W E B S I T E
Blog: sophiaskitchen.blog/
S H O P
Worldwide: thermishop.co.uk
AU and NZ: thermishop.com.au
F I L M
Video and edit by Rebecca Munroe

[@maddiemayhemthewestie4989]

I have watched numerous tutorials on sourdough starter and this is BY FAR the best. I love the very detailed information you provide. Thank you for the excellent video!

[@ashleye.harvey7362]

Ioo

[@franciscogarcia7280]

This is a great video of us beginners . With clear detailed instructions. 👍🏽

[@paulblegg]

Finally a video on when is the right time to use your sourdough starter. Fantastic detail. Keep it up Sophia 👍

[@sonia_rose]

Yes, this explains a lot for me! I hopefully now can get some consistency to my bread rising. Makes sense when you think about it.

[@MissFoxxy91]

The problem I always have is trying to get those airy bubbles in the crumb or how she called it, an "open crumb". I'll get my starter ready in the morning and then start making my bread by mid day, but it seems at that point my starter is at its most peak and I thought that's what I needed, but with her water test explanation it seems I'm using it too late and it's already starting to decline which explains why my bread doesn't rise as much in the oven and the crumb is soft but not airy. This makes so much sense and every other sourdough starter video NEVER EXPLAINS THIS! 😭 brb gonna go make some bread lol

[@senordockman1138]

We don’t discard or sourdough starter but make pancakes breakfast biscuits and cheesy muffins with it. All are very good and it doesn’t waste the flower that we’re putting into it.

[@cookwannabe8596]

Senor Dockman what flower 🌸

[@chrisbrown2211]

Recipe?

[@esalenchik]

Chris Brown For crumpets 1 cup of discard & 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda & 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Heat a griddle or cast iron pan to med - high, butter ring molds and the griddle and then mix your crumpets. Fill the rings to half way and cook until the tops are dry, takes 8 to 10 minutes depending on your heat level. Flip over, removing the rings and cook the top for a minute or two. Cool them on a rack. Toast a crumpet, add butter and enjoy.

[@chrisbrown2211]

@@esalenchik what about pancakes?

[@ridef0rlife]

You can also just fry it and it's tasty as heck

[@jennawalton4030]

Awesome, this cleared up a lot of confusion. Thank you!

[@AltafKw]

Great in depth info, thank you.

[@CORZER0]

This was very informative, thank you! I have saved this video for future reference.

[@bevdix]

This is amazing and so helpful. I have listened to many videos and had classes but your video is by far the best. You are telling us the how AND why. Thank you, thank you!

[@Escandella118]

Absolutely great answers to all the questions about sourdough! Thank you very much!

[@JohnTubeOwens]

Brilliant! You did a fantastic job explaining this. Thank you.

[@dashoubious]

Thank you, very helpful!!

[@NolaGB]

Finally, we get an answer to the question of when it's best to bake with our starter!!! BRAVO, Sophia ... BRAVO and thank you!!! Wish I could hit that thumbs up more than once. LOL Now ... anxiously awaiting your book, as I want to purchase it!! Subscribed.

[@BlakePSmith-kc2jy]

This was so informative and I was so happy to find it. I’ve been pretty successful I think my luck about when to use my starter for baking bread. This really fine-tune what needs to be done. Thank you so much

[@thestandenstravel]

Thanks Sophia very in depth explanations 😃 I would love to see you make sourdough and your go to recipe but yes I am also interested in wholemeal sour dough 😃

[@karimajamal5723]

Thank you so much for all the amazing informations and videos 💓 I'm sad when i see a lot of silly channels with a huge amount of subscribers....you deserve better. Wish you all the success. 🌷

[@sheldon02]

this really helped me a lot. Thanks for the time and information.

[@jpk9]

Terrific and very informative, thank you very much

[@minakshisur]

Thanks a lot for this video. I was so confused about whether my starter is ready or not but now there is lot more clarity

[@heatherlaird-mcleod3271]

I've watched so many videos & yours are definitely the best. You really explain properly. THANK YOU

[@rolo8966]

Hi, Sophia. OMG! Like i had a private consultation that answered exactly all the questions i have. Excellent video. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. Cheers!

[@LORalf02]

Finally I am understanding the process. Can't wait for the next video. Thank-you Sophia x

[@sophiapeace]

So glad! The next step is to try it, make lots of mistakes, and get better and better!!!

[@camilaalejandracatalanrios2216]

Thanks you! It’s a perfect video. Now I will try to make my sourdough again 💪🏻

[@ciaelaine10]

This is the best explanation of when to use the starter for baking. Thank you.

[@showtimebabies]

Great video. Thanks for all the helpful information.

[@sophiapeace]

Already filmed!!! Going live very soon!

[@myblackandwhitelife]

Finally our questions answered! thank you

[@jussivali-tainio486]

Lovely! I enjoyed this one, almost scientific.

[@crissylea123]

Thank you! I’ve watched so many videos looking for THIS information...

[@billgeoghegan4822]

Wow. Very specific and clear. I've been watching a lot of sourdough videos and this might be the best. Thank you!

[@naturegirl175]

thank you this is so helpful

[@asmaenourine257]

Interesting information..in details thank you very much

[@christinewiet363]

Excellent video! thank you so much! from Rockford Michigan

[@sophiapeace]

Thank you 🙏

[@annuello1]

Absolutely wonderful video answered all my questions bar one can I mix my old starter with a new starter say 55gms of each so I get a strong taste but good spring

[@heatherk8931]

Great extra info, such as past peak, larger vs smaller bubbles, etc.

[@sophiapeace]

👍

[@Mikeoz378]

Oh wow, such an excellent tutorial on sourdough starter for a beginner like me. I recently received 50 grams of starter and have been feeding it 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of water twice each day for about three days now. It looks happy and alive, but I didn't know if it is ready or not until I now. Thank you for this tutorial. I have subscribed to your channel and please continue to provide excellent tutorials like this one.

[@overlycranked8674]

Only if Mrs Robinson ( my chemistry Prof. ) had Sophia's compassion in teaching I would've could've been a chemist now. Best tutorial on the net for Sourdough bread starter readiness. Thank you Sophia

[@joanray6897]

This video was so useful to me. You addressed points which other videos on You Tube missed completely, like when your sourdough is ready for mixing into dough to make your bread and how to take care of your sourdough. Thank you again.

[@fatemah4444]

Excellent video!

[@emeraldaize]

I found you on instagram and I just realized you have a youtube channel! I really like the way you explain this, very clear, very to the point, quite clear pronounciation(for us non english speakers), and just...great! 😁

[@patphares6258]

Excellent tutorial….!

[@BadWolf002]

You just explained everything, in one video, that tought me what I have had to do a lot of research to learn. Very informative and amazing video. Thank you.

[@rainmaker1011]

Foodgeek channel has a nice vid comparing baking with a starter right from.the fridge and properly feeded starter... No difference :)

[@darioplayonfire]

very nice video Sophia! I am playing with sour dough too, I am a qualified pizza chef, but sour dough is something I've never used and I am refreshing the knowledge I have, this video has great information, well done! you have a new sub!

[@patriciacz8622]

Thank you, Sophia. My first sourdough starter is nearly ready - after 2 weeks plus a day or two. I felt at a loss. WHAT do I do next? Your video really clarified for me that it needs at least one more day of feeding to be perfect. I guess I better watch a lot of videos in the next 24 hours so I will know more about actually using it. lol.

[@erepsekahs]

The first comprehensive video I have found on this subject. There are plenty of vids. to do with sour dough and I find NONE of them tells you everything you need.....except for this one. Thank you so much. No more guessing necessary. HOWEVER can you address the issue of tap water vs. distilled water etc. Thank you.

[@kdolguin]

Just starting to learn about sourdough. Have been making my starter for ten days. You’ve answered so many of my questions.

[@bernabebautista-vb3fi]

Like

[@bernabebautista-vb3fi]

❤

[@davidpflug9725]

Good morning, great video and explanation of what to look out for. My first loaf I made with my new starter (after it passed the float test) was very sticky throughout the process and ended up with a very dense crumb bit a few huge airpockets.... was the starter not mature enough?

[@annettebell3043]

thanks so much Sophia i learnt so much from this video

[@sophiapeace]

I’m so glad!

[@gball310]

Thank you! Great explanation (:

[@bruceules1318]

Thank You. I made my first dough today with my own 2 week old wild yeast. I caught it at the top made a levain and fed my starter . Dough was very good better than dry active yeast. Tomorrow the bake. Again thank you . confidence building.

[@sophiapeace]

So glad this helped!!!!

[@user-gu8vj4zy4k]

Ohhhhhh my goodness, I have seen the light ..... wow thank you - what a brilliant tutorial - thank you :)

[@agisagisilaou4784]

Hi Sophia. Excellent Video. on week based, the 2nd feed i have to discard any starter? Thanks!!

[@georgialandau6870]

Excellent info

[@ozkanyuksel6780]

Great and helpful video. May I ask what size of weck jar you are using in this video? Thank you very much in advance. Cheers

[@nicoleparker7469]

Thank you very much for the in depth explanation. I have baked bread for years, but have never known the intricacies of sourdough starter fully. Now feeling a lot more knowledgeable

[@sophiapeace]

I’m so happy it has helped!!!!!! :)

[@barbmartin4176]

I didn't understand percentages vs grams and she used Centigrade temperature. She did very well explaining starters, feeding, how often how much and how often you bake and feeding.

[@jnprather]

Jesus christ it's bonkers how good you are at explaining this. Your brain works well.

[@Husni123100]

Best advice

[@rossjohnmolyneuxpeat4375]

Thanks for all your very informative videos, they are full of clear information. I've decided to try and bake bread at home but I simply can't get it right. I know everyone and everyones climate is different. I'm originally from Melbourne and I moved to Bali 25 years ago....now retired. I seem to have trouble with getting my mix to rise properly and when I do bake, my bread is very dense. I have made a started and I use 000 flour, (choices here are limited). My question to you is, do you think the fact the climate where I am is hot all the time? It is usually around 30+ every day. I've tried keeping my dough in the refrigerator overnight and doing the usual folding and so on during the day for a late bake. I'm beginning to this bread making is too difficult in the tropics. Any helpful information would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks in advance.

[@heleneata1386]

hello, just watched your video. it seems so easy and helpful. I did a sourdough starter but on day 7 not floating. I want to use it in focaccia. do I have to feed for few days??? thank you. 🙏

[@laurensiaelizabeth5144]

Hello, i'm so interesting to make it. My starter in 24 hours have much bubble but not too much loaf. Is it must discard the starter in day 2 or until the starter loaf 2 times ?

[@chefswole]

Hello there, thank you for the wonderful video. I have a question, lets use an example of 3kg of flour and using 10-15% of starter but i usually only keep a small amount of starter, anywhere between 100-200g. Do i take a separate container, add the 25g of starter and then add the amount of flour and water i need for the new recipe? thanks in advance!

[@marcelbrosius841]

Nice Video Thank you so much. What is the reason behind feeding my starter twice the amount when baking only 1 times a week?:/

[@hadijamshidi9694]

Thank you. A question pops into my mind when comparing an old and a young starter. a young starter is super active and will make the dough to rise up, sure. an old starter, on the other hand is going to its sleep period but still would be happy to be put into the dough, and naturally It starts to feed on the four and rise again! I mean not matter what, both of them would be exposed to large amount of flour, so why should I prefer one over the other?

[@heidischerer9823]

Hi Sophia I’m following your method from your book real bread and just completed 5 days making the rye starter. Would this video also apply to rye starter in terms of discarding all but two tablespoons of starter? Perhaps an idea of recipes of what to do with the discard. So sad to throw it away. Have you made anything with your discard?

[@lostinmyspace4910]

When taking the starter out of the frig, and getting it ready to bake, you feed it for a day or two, but getting it to 27 celcius or 80 fahrenheit , I have a little styrofoam cooler, and I put an electric heating pad standing on edge against the inner wall, and put the jar of starter against the opposite side. I have a lid that sometimes I only put on to cover half of the top, and put inside the box a thermometer. I set it on low, and I can keep the inside temp at 80 degrees, or perhaps 78 depending on the opening of the top. Very successful in maintaining consistent temp, even overnite.

[@sophiapeace]

Cool!

[@bogey19018]

I fed my starter twice in 24hrs and the baguettes were fab.

[@stephanieoliveira7065]

Thank you for this video! When I take my starter out of the fridge to start feeding again, should I wait for the starter to come to room temperature to give it its first feed? Or can I feed it right away?

[@nicolasjara7436]

your explanation is proportional to your beauty! now i know evey aspect of my sourdough :D!

[@ZOULUYANG]

Really helpful tips for using the starter, thank you! One thing I'd like to know is if I am planning to put it in a fridge for a week, do I need to use the rubber seals to seal it? Or should I just put the glass lid on as a loos fitting lid like I normally do?

[@hally-hally]

same question as yours! did you get the answer?

[@esalenchik]

Halima AT no rubber seals needed. Just put on the lid to store it in the fridge.

[@ZOULUYANG]

​@@hally-hally Well, no one actually told me if I should or shouldn't seal it. So I tested it out, I split the starter into two jars, one is sealed one is not. I found that sealed one will last longer and they produced pretty much the same taste. So right now I always sealed it when I put it into the fridge. :)

[@hally-hally]

Thank you for the info!!!

[@ZOULUYANG]

@@hally-hally You are welcome! Good luck with your bread making journey.

[@jamesdangerhowlett]

Thanks :)

[@lorisabo9145]

Do I measure before or after I stir the starter?

[@anthonyholy2001]

Thank you for making and sharing this great video. May I ask, please, wherever did you get those awesome jars and what size are they exactly? I'm a newbie to using a sourdough starter and have experimented a bit with a couple of different size Ball® Mason Jars and I don't think they're quite right. Even the widemouth ones are a little more narrow than I would like. Yours look perfect (I love the glass lid too) and would love to purchase some for myself. Thank you.

[@sophiapeace]

Amazon ;) they are called Weck jars 👍

[@eleanormeyer1435]

I just got some of these Weck jars from Aldi - they are smaller though , love them

[@deemail100]

it is sometimes helpful to use a small bowl rather than a jar...the larger surface helps collect the yeast when you are beginning...after it gets going, you can keep it in anything...

[@humblerepentpraygive5815]

My starter was only started last week. It was very vigorous rising double even tripled until yesterday morning I put in a different flour to feed it. Now it is shrunk down still very rubbery and does have some bubbles. What should I do? I have about 5 jars I was trying different hydration amounts but now they are all kaput. Thank you for your advice.

[@jeffmorl]

Great information here. Lovely showing thank you. One question though; for the loaf you suggest 15-20% starter to flour, I get that. But then how much water do you use? Did I miss that?

[@zoe-huongtran2109]

For beginner, go between 65 and 75%. Meaning for 1000g of flour you'd use 650-750g water. Later on, you can also calculate the amount of water in your start but as for now just don't.

[@jeffmorl]

@@zoe-huongtran2109 thank you

[@pbziegler]

I have been looking for some time for a video that explains this step--using the starter you have produced. But a question. Do you use it in a preferment? What's the next step and the next until you actually put the bread in the oven?

[@lorettakauffman1906]

Thank you for the video. I am finally starting to understanding the process. My question is, do you discard 'EVERYTIME you feed your starter when you want to bake? And always down to 2 tablespoons?

[@sophiapeace]

Yes ;) you do discard every time... otherwise the acids will build up too much. Always down to 2 Tbsp, is a good start. As you get more experienced you can start experimenting with more or less :)

[@roovawal]

I would suggest If you don't discard you'll end up with loads of starter which needs more flour/water to feed it. Unless you're planning on making loads of bread or sharing your starter it's a bit pointless having so much.

[@esalenchik]

roovawal You can freeze it adding to it each day and use it for discard recipes like pancakes, muffins, or crumpets.

[@leonwit5915]

you are great!

[@emilyallen1528]

If my starter seems more liquid than not should I discard all but 2 Tbsp and start over? I'm brand new to this and your video was extremely helpful! Thank you!

[@deemail100]

liquid clear to gray to black, but very liquid? That's 'hootch' and is perfectly normal..some people drain it off before the discard and feed, but just as many stir it in and then discard and feed. Depends on how 'sour' you like it...never be afraid of the hootch, only of actual molds...which you will be able to identify by vision and smell.

[@godoggo407]

What jars are those? Love!

[@brianrogers7543]

Thank you Sophia. I’ve tried making starter several times now and have never been able to successfully get it to pass the float test. I currently have been feeding for about 10 days now following another’s recipe and still doesn’t pass float test. I have been using 50% whole wheat and 50% white bread flour. Could this be the problem? It triples in volume and completely falls back down within 12-14 hours. Also after Watching your video I can see that my starter is not as thick as yours and am using the same measurement 120g water, 120g starter & 120g flour. Any suggestion? Thank you! Kindly, Brian

[@mahima272]

Hi from India! We have major heat at the moment. I m at day 11 of my starter. Trying to make a bread today. My starter has been passing the float test for 2 days now but it's not as elastic as yours. More runny slightly. What I am doing wrong ? Feeding twice a day. 12 hours interval at 1:2:2 ratio

[@nancynguyen4579]

Hello, Sophia. How come mine starter is runny not like yours glueing i want that texture so when I feed mine less water to more flour but mine is raised up still runny I can not do the proof test. Please let me know. Thanks.

[@songlyrics6915]

Thank you so much!!! Can i ask something? It's been 36 hours that my sourdough has been created.. i have feed it but it just bubbly and just rise a little bit.. i feed my starter without discard some of it.. is that okay? Ora i should discard some when i feed my starter

[@sophiapeace]

If you don’t discard any two things can happen. 1) your starter will always get bigger and bigger and eventually you will run out of room! 2) you don’t get rid of the acid in the starter and it will become too acidic and taste horrible!

[@bonniejones4173]

@@sophiapeace 6

[@rolanddotor6616]

We are kin the Philippines. I would like to ask about may starter dough. I am using bread flour. Can i use it while there are still bubbles?

[@avaburnett420]

Dear Sophia, if I keep my starter in the fridge and want to bake a bread let's say on Saturday, so I will take out the starter from the fridge one day before and start feeding it right away or should I wait until it gets to room temperature?

[@natalieruss4418]

So if I keep my starter in fridge,I feed it once a week,do I take out 2 tbs and hundred grams of water and flour? Isn’t that a waste week after week,can I use the discard for anything,and will the discard have to be fed?

[@marylougotman3782]

what if my starter is too thin? Do I then add more flour and almost no water to thicken it?

[@smokumjames6510]

Ok feeding mine for weeks now and its more of a soup than a solid using a scale and feeding equal parts flour and water twice a day? What gives should I do 36grams flour to 18grams water?

[@mycharmedunicorn8715]

Can you make a list of the flowers that are able to be used for new Sourdough beginners? Thank you very much. This video has helped so much.

[@MissFoxxy91]

You can use just about any wheat type flour, the less processed the better. You can still technically use All purpose bleached flour but it will have a very very slow start cuz although it still has the microbes for yeast in it, it is very little. I would suggest to use whole wheat flour, or all purpose unbleached flour, or bread flour. I have a starter that I made with All purpose unbleached flour and its going on a month and it has grown beautifully, I've already made 3 loaves of bread with it and had good results. Crunchy outside crust and a soft crumb. I still need to perfect it since I'm still a beginner but AP flour is a good start. 😊 I'll have to find the video I watched that experimented with a bunch of different flours that you can use for a sourdough starter, very useful information! Edit: found it! kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5CzmJuHqbGNqs0si=S_OYSrMP3Gce_vDl

[@eleanormeyer1435]

Understanding a bit more! I have made a starter successfully with wholemeal rye and wheat and grated apple. So, what do you do with the starter that you "discard"? - basically it goes in the bin? and the revived starter that has been fed is the only one to use for bread? getting my head around it!

[@deemail100]

I discard my extra into another jar with loose lid...give 1 T flour and 1 T water, stir, cover. Leave...next baking day, I add to this...doing the same thing....on the third discard, I have a nice amount to make sourdough pancakes, crackers, English Muffins or biscuits with. I love the sour taste so this is great for me. I use the newly fed and tended starter for my bread, but the accumulated discards are used to make things with a stronger flavor. I want the volume because it can serve as almost all the liquid in your recipes.

[@junecampbell771]

On the King Arthur flour website there are recipes using the discard. I tried the blueberry muffins and they were great!

[@teojamie1384]

Will it still float after I stir the sourdough?

[@healthyfoodie_life9977]

Rich video Loved it

[@helenpang7777]

Can I use a starter that is just 4 days old but it has risen 3x and looks active and even floats in the float test?

[@vittoriabakes]

Great video. You can most definitely use your starter past its peak point, and it will still leaven bread. But your bulk will take longer, and you may not get quite as much oven spring.

[@sophiapeace]

Absolutely :) you’re totally right! you can use starter at almost any point but most people consider peak, or just before, to be optimum.

[@suatteo]

can we use mineral water to feed the starter?

[@anitarastogi5638]

Hi Is it possible to get same consistency of starter with whole wheat flour. I have been baking sourdough bread with whole wheat flour or sometimes with 20% of all purpose flour, it taste very good but it’s a quite dense bread. Do you bake with whole wheat flour.

[@teresaprice5070]

I would love to know what those glass containers you are using and where can I source them?

[@mariel410]

Those are Weck jars. You can buy them on Amazon or the container store (probably other places todo)

[@joeymejia794]

Do I use the what I would discard if I’m baking a loaf? I’m confused any help would be appreciated

[@mattieclark5235]

Where can I get a jar like yours

[@carmieh]

When already Baking, Can you use bleached flour to mixed with starter to make the bread

[@esalenchik]

Carol M I killed my starter with bleached flour. The yeast and bacteria had been killed/reduced by the bleaching process. 😩