How I Feed My Sourdough Starter | How to Maintain a Sourdough Starter

How I Feed my Sourdough Starter | How to Feed a Sourdough Starter.
Learning how to feed a sourdough starter takes time. The more you work with a starter the better understanding you will have of maintaining a sourdough starter. I have been maintaining a sourdough starter since 2007 (WOW that's 15 years) and I have fed my starter in hotels, cars, airports, backyards, hotels and friends' houses.
Sourdough maintenance is a subject that is often misunderstood. To truly develop an understanding of how to manage it can take years of practice. The more you understand the schedule and how to feed your starter the better and more consistent your bread will become. It can be helpful to use a logbook and take notes on when you feed your sourdough starter. You can get intense and track times, water and room temperatures, or keep it simple and simply note the time and inoculation.
If you want to bake often you should feed your starter daily. While many professional bakers feed their starter 2-3 times a day that can be unnecessary at home. If you do not bake often you can store your starter in the fridge and this will slow down the fermentation as discussed in the next section.
I have used many different flours to manage and maintain a healthy start but I have found the best activity comes from a starter that is 90% high protein organic bread flour and 10% whole rye. The rye really kicks up the enzymatic activity and provides extra sugars to be consumed during fermentation.
#sourdough #sourdoughbread #howtomakesourdough
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▼ ▽NEWSLETTER - JOIN THE COMMUNITY
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▼ ▽CREATE YOUR OWN SOURDOUGH STARTER
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▼ ▽ BREAD BY JEFFREY HAMMELMAN
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▼ ▽ TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Introduction
00:28 - What is a sourdough starter?
01:07 - What is feeding a starter?
02:21 - How I feed my starter
03:49 - What flour should you use?
04:07 - Understanding different inoculations
04:30 - Is my starter dead?
04:50 - When to feed your starter
06:45 - How often should you feed your starter?
07:55 - How to track your starter feeds
08:22 - let's feed our starter!
09:10 - Outro
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[@fchai3143]

Thank you for the clear and thorough explanation. For someone starting on sourdough journey, is really helpful. Really appreciate you taking the pains to illustrate how to identify finer details like over developed starter and active starter. Can you help further by: (1) Slowing down a little when you speak, (2) do a video explaining the different types of starter and how to prep them e.g. what is cold, hot, stiff starter (3) Do a video explaining key glossary terms that are commonly used in sourdough/bread baking that beginning bakers might be trying to figure out e.g. laminate, inoculate. Thank you very much.

[@barrychambers4047]

Real talk on maintaining starters, Matthew! As folks get into warmer weather, one way to help lengthen the feeding periods is to mix the starter more like a dough rather than a pancake batter. There are all sorts of variables to play with.

[@tpn1110]

What a blessing for your daughter to grow up in a wonderful household eating sourdough since birth!

[@matthewjamesduffy]

Today she was making all the different breads out of playdough 😂

[@rosabelledesantagert7907]

I didn't know that the sourdough has to be fed when it's at it's pic ! Great information for me, you have a new fan😊 !

[@deebrake]

I’m watching your playlist today making sure to like each one. Thank you for all the great tips. I find re-watching helps to keep the tips fresh. Have a great day!

[@matthewjamesduffy]

Thanks for your kind words and support. I’m about to take a long flight and will be doing some planning. Anything you’d like to see on the channel?

[@deebrake]

@@matthewjamesduffy Thank you for answering so quickly. I actually created a pumpernickel sourdough a few months ago by researching a few different recipes for my brother in law as it’s his favourite. I would love to see you do it on a home scale amount. I made mine sandwich style but I bet you could figure out boules. Safe travels on your trip. I’ll send you what I came up with so far for recipe on Instagram. There are not a lot of easy recipes for pumpernickel but it’s tasty.

[@davidb3463]

Thank you! 🎉🎉 I have been struggling trying to get into baking.

[@antoniodean9171]

hamelman is the man. He taught me how to make sourdough

[@gordon1201]

Wow this is amazing. The best video I've seen. You actually know what the hell you're talking about and know the little things to look out for to make a good starter! So helpful

[@matthewjamesduffy]

Hah thanks for your kind words. ❤

[@carolynphelan599]

informative, to the point, thanks

[@matthewjamesduffy]

Cheers Carolyn, thanks for watching.

[@Stierwascher1000]

I mainly use rye sourdough, but I also have LM and yeast water 😊

[@nintzelj]

Hi Matthew, I love your video and great explanations. I'm very new to raising starter and baking sourdough. I am sure mine is over fermented. How do I fix it? Can I take a small amount of it to create a less fermented starter? Or should I start over? I LOVE sourdough as sour as possible and hoping to find a way to obtain that while still making a fluffy bread. My first attempts made dense loaves that didn't rise enough, I guess. I know I said a lot here. Can you just let me know about getting my starter going from starter that is over fermented? Thanks! PS I'll be watching more of you videos. This is the first one I found.

[@Beaver1_85]

Great video! What sizes are the 2 mixers behind you (L). And how much total grams can fit into each?

[@matthewjamesduffy]

Thank you! The white Globe mixer is 8qt and the Sunmix spiral is 15kg. I don't really use the Globe much for mixing dough so im not exactly sure the max capacity.

[@TheDiolulaLife]

Thank you for making me feel confident as I am a very amateur baker lol. If I store my starter I’m in the fridge, when I’m planning to bake, how long should I take to take out from fridge and re feed? Thank you again 🫶🏽💪🏽

[@blaqfish]

If it's too runny how do you fix it?

[@johnp1992]

Hey Matthew, if you were not going to bake for a couple days or a week, would you cut the quantities down to say 1g / 10g/ 10 grams to minimize the waste, or would you just keep the starter in the fridge?

[@matthewjamesduffy]

If I didn't want to use the fridge i'd do something really low and feed it once a day. Otherwise I would do the normal feed then place it into the fridge. Before using the starter I would take it out and give it 1-2 feeds. Hope that helps!

[@johnp1992]

@@matthewjamesduffy Thanks for the great vids, and your quick feedback... Your professional validation is much appreciated!

[@feelingsaucywithchefanthon3649]

When starting a starter should you cover with cheesecloth or a solid lid as you did in the video? Also, during the first week, do I have to wait until the starter falls before feeding again or discard and feed while it's grown to the top or even over the top of the jar? Thank you

[@matthewjamesduffy]

I prefer a loose lid cheese cloth tends to develop a skin but both work. You don’t have to wait if you don’t want.

[@shaylinton9933]

I keep killing my starter I can't seem to get pass that 7 day mark 😪

[@nathaliesimpson9085]

Hi Matthew, I’m a new to that world of sourdough and let me tell you it’s something 😅. May I ask, you take some of your starter to be able to bake but what do you do with the rest of the starter, you feed it or discard ? Or you keep a certain amount of levain that become your new starter? Just need to know what are the next step with the starter … I usually bake 2 to 4 breads/week what would you recommend to keep as starter and maintaining schedule/ratio. Hello from Ottawa 😉

[@matthewjamesduffy]

With the rest I usually feed, compost or keep for discard depending on how much it is.

[@snowbird6855]

This was helpful! I'm a beginner and I'm working on whole spelt sourdough bread and have made 5 so far (don't laugh), each one just a bit better. My goal is to switch over to einkorn sourdough bread once I have more skill. I'd love videos on that flour for sourdough bread making!

[@matthewjamesduffy]

Thank you Vanilla. Would never laugh, everyone starts with 1 loaf. I just got a large bag of Einkorn and will be doing some breads with it. I also have einkorn pancake and waffle recipes on my blog.

[@L_ZILLA]

Dont be embarrassed, that's fine more than I've made!!!

[@snowbird6855]

I've made the switch and I'm on a roll, even getting decent oven spring!!

[@rookhoatzin]

Do you ever look at youtube how-to videos where the narrator explaining doesnt seem to have an understanding of what he/she is talking about? For me that is all the time, maybe 3 out of 5 "helpful" videos. Not the case here. Mr. Duffy clearly knows his doughs. Thanks.

[@matthewjamesduffy]

Hah thanks, For a moment there I thought you were about to roast me 😹

[@rookhoatzin]

No way. I really appreciate your video, subscribed too. I still have not perfected my bread, after a couple years, but I am into the science. Did not think about the acid levels affecting leavening. Just got bread flour and pure gluten to try and get more rise. After your video I checked the temp of my starter and I could have sworn I have some rye flour but no... Struggling with sticky dough and over proofing, piles of spent starter i just cannot stand tossing.... Life is good.

[@matthewjamesduffy]

@@rookhoatzin one of the best things about baking bread is you can always be learning. I’m sure those pain points will pass and I’m happy I was able to help your journey!

[@jettison_m]

After you created that to feed, do you pour that back into your main jar? I get so confused about all of this. I got some starter from a friend. About 100g. She just fed it so she said it's good. But when I need to feed it, do I take some out, add the water/flour and then pour that all back? If yes, then when? And when I was at her house, it was bubbly. The next day at my house it's flat. What happened?

[@matthewjamesduffy]

You can remove some and place it in a new jar then add flour and water. The old stuff you can reserve for discard recipes or compost it.

[@conpel1966]

At the end you use olny 10 grams of starter..what do you do with the leftover starter

[@matthewjamesduffy]

Put into fridge for discard recipes.

[@conpel1966]

@@matthewjamesduffy thank you

[@cherylphillips2037]

I’m sure I overthink this process. My 4 loaves of bread have been real tasty. My Question….I’ve been feeding my starter by just adding 50 g of unbleached flour and 50 g of purified water ( mixing) and then adding to my existing starter. It sounds like you are taking 50 g of existing starter and mixing it in with the 50 g of flour and 50 g of water and then adding that back into the existing starter? Which is correct? My starter never seems to be the thicker consistency. I do the float test and it floats

[@sandybeachesnobile2754]

I'm looking for a good timeline of feeding and baking. I was up til 3am as I was afraid it would fail if I didn't keep going thru all the steps. Please help.......

[@matthewjamesduffy]

I send out a lot of info like this in my newsletter as well as this video and a guide on my site. All my recipes have suggested timelines but you can change the way you do it to accommodate your schedule.

[@sandybeachesnobile2754]

@@matthewjamesduffy Thank you so much. I’ll happily visit your website and join your newsletter! Appreciate your taking the time! 😃

[@jennifermurrriam9811]

IM still confused.... so many words, not enough direction (for me) - after I mix my 1-10-10, do I put it back into the original starter container or do I forever have a new container? HELP MEEE

[@matthewjamesduffy]

It doesn’t matter you can do either. I prefer a new container.

[@marisaplumb4981]

How do you feed your rye starter if you bake once a week?

[@matthewjamesduffy]

I would keep in the fridge or feed low innoculation every other day. You can also use the sourdough home set to 7-10c and let it go for 3-5 days

[@BNN079]

What if someone wanted to bake like 10 loaves a day how would you make enough to do this

[@matthewjamesduffy]

Work backwards. Figure out the total Levain you need (let’s say 10x900g for 9kg of dough) then work back. For 9kg of dough you’d prob need about 800-1100g Levain depending on your inoculation/formula. Feed in the PM so you have the right amount + extra in am then feed the am so by PM you have enough for the next build.

[@BNN079]

@@matthewjamesduffy thank you

[@matthewjamesduffy]

@@BNN079 I can tell you the exact feeds I would do if you tell me what % Levain you use.

[@L_ZILLA]

Lmao, when you realise you made the starter too watery

[@snowbird6855]

Have you tried it yet? It takes a few months to develop some skill but once you do there's no going back to store bought.. unless you can afford the fine bakeries!

[@harrybond007]

I don't understand the 1 to 10 feeding, don't see anybody else doing this, seems a bit strange

[@matthewjamesduffy]

1:10:10 for example - 10 grams of starter, 100 flour, 100 water. Lots of bakers and bakeries do it. What part of it is strange to you, I can try to explain it.

[@harrybond007]

@@matthewjamesduffy Feeding 1:1:1 is very common, I've seen people switching up to 1:2:2 and even 1:3:3, but never beyond that and I've watched a LOT of sourdough videos, the 1:10:10 is off the scales and it would appear that you are over feeding it which a lot of bakers have said is a waste of flour and ineffective, but what do I know, I'm a complete beginner!

[@matthewjamesduffy]

@@harrybond007 It's not overfeeding at all its simply going to prolong the time to reach maturity. If you pick up Jefferey Hammelmans book, all the levain builds are done overnight and at 1:1:1 or even 1:3:3, this would be well over fermented in 10-12 hours. The only waste of flour is if you create discard from your starter. When you do an overnight build the goal is to mix your dough in the AM using all (except the seed) of your levain and essentially creating no waste. Many commercial or larger Artisan bakeries do overnight build as it is a much better time management practice to have the levain ripe and ready first thing to be mixed when the mixing shift starts. This is based on over 15 years of BOTH home and professional baking experience but there are MANY ways to do it, I am just sharing my method. Hope that clarifies for you.

[@harrybond007]

@@matthewjamesduffy Yes it does, there's many ways to skin a cat, I have a lot to learn! - thank you

[@matthewjamesduffy]

@@harrybond007 we are all learning, there are so many ways to do it!