Sourdough is easier than you think

[@tuckedawayvideos4501]

I think the reason people love your videos is your attitude and flexible way of doing things. I would urge you to reconsider putting your true experience and methods in your book. The "correct" way of storing bread is a great example. Where we live it's pretty dry. Bread would be find in a ziploc, as it is for you. Other places with higher humidity it might not work so well. Either way, you know just as much as the so called experts, and particularly you ARE the expert of how things work in your climate, in your kitchen, for your family.

[@penelopedobie3880]

Just two of us eating sourdough here, so I bake once or twice a week. I let the loaf completely cool and sit out for a day, then I slice it, put wax paper strips between the slices ( which makes it easier to pull apart after it’s frozen), place in plastic bags and store in the freezer. Usually, we toast or grill it after it’s been frozen. Delicious w butter or olive oil! If you want it soft, spritz w water and wrap in foil, heat in a moderate oven for 10 minutes or till warmed through. Love your channel❤

[@ginamiller6754]

Thanks, I just sliced and put some in the freezer for the first time. It’s my third loaf made & Im still in the learning process.

[@Katgirl2024]

I freeze slices on a cookie sheet then wrap it up in beeswax wrapper then in a ziplock bag. They don't stick together that way.

[@debrademedici864]

Lisa I found you last fall and started my sourdough starter and here it is September 2024 and she is just a beauty!!!!! I make 2 loafs of sandwich bread every week and it is so delicious!!! Thank you for your videos and teaching me !!!!!!!

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

Great job!

[@blairbryan3768]

I keep my starter in the fridge when I'm not baking with it daily. The day I want to use it I take it out early that morning let it warm up for an hour or so then feed it fresh water & flour & by the afternoon is doubled & bubbly & ready for me to mix up my dough before bed. Been doing this for 4 yrs and it's just fine. My starter is still very strong & active

[@jennyt6159]

I do the same thing. :)

[@wynawoodford6140]

this is exactly how i do it and its perfect every time!

[@aleciahenderson5450]

This is exactly how I do it too!

[@kaitlync15]

Sameeee

[@gailschaefer9755]

Then put your dough in the fridge or what?

[@anneblenkhorn5258]

After watching a video of yours about 4 years ago I started using sourdough. In my opinion some people seem to make sourdough seem complicated. It is not. I make many of the recipes from your web page and always get good results.

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

Love to hear that!

[@stephaniem542]

Goodness, I have learned so much from you on this subject!! I am in my 50’s and was diagnosed with celiac disease almost 20 years ago now, and gluten-free baking wasn’t always successful. I started my gluten-free sourdough a little over a year ago. The key to good sourdough bread is the addition of psyllium husk - it kinda acts like the “glue” that is missing in gluten-free! I make so many of your recipes and just change them to gluten-free (not the breads though) - but waffles, pancakes, biscuits, cornbread, cookies….they all turn out perfectly!! Thank you! It is so nice to be baking with good results and feeling a little bit “more normal” while doing so! ☺️❤️

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

Thank you so much for sharing that with us...so glad to hear you have been able to adapt many of the recipes.

[@malenejensen2995]

Bread baked on factories in Denmark does usually not have preservatives added. It is packaged in plastic bags when it is still warm, but not very hot. Sometimes it is microwaved in the package for a few seconds to prolong shelf life i.e. to prevent mold. It is rare to have the bread molding in the bag, but it can occur. Rye bread baked with sour dough will keep for a very long time in a plastic bag. We have a cold climate with a somewhat high humidity in the winter.

[@LCLand]

Microwave completely ruins the point of baking your own bread.

[@alinak080]

I completely agree with your method of cooling the bread down and then keeping it in ziplock bag, this works best for me and the bread doesnt dry out as fast. It lasts me 4-5 days on the counter like this.

[@cassandrasmom]

Ever since I began just keeping my starter in the fridge, sourdough life is so easy & requires zero thought. I just take it out, use it for a recipe (yes, cold) & it always works out. I use it until it’s super super low, feed again (partially rye flour) and it gets so strong again and again.

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

Thanks for sharing!

[@lolo54260]

i make your recipes all the time, i love your cooking style. i’m the same way, never being to precise. thank you!

[@HomesteadHealing]

I'm so happy to hear you use gallon zip lock bags, too!! Haha, I make so much in bulk, and I only have 3 kids, so I store muffins, scones, sourdough pretzles, bread, etc. In the freezer in gallon zip lock bags!! I also usually store my bread in the pantry in zip lock bags, however i dont always fully zip them, especially if theyre still even slightly warm, I'll just leave it cracked open a bit, orherwise im using my expensive paper bread bags, thay i use for bread that I sell and we dont need those lol great episode!! I actually always use a scale, and I always stir down discard before I ise it, but not active sourdough, I dont really stir actuve starter. I can't wait for your book to come out!! ❤

[@HomesteadHealing]

Take your sourdough on the trip with you 😂 mine goes in the fridge, but we dont leave very long ever, if I did, it would go with me! Lol

[@EveryPeachInReach]

I usually keep my bread in zip loc bags as well. We tend to get a lot of fruit flies in the house and keeping them in a bag that has ventilation holes just leads to bugs in our food. We have a larger family and tend to eat our stuff quickly anyway. ❤

[@lindacampbell316]

This was great! Very informative and helpful. I look forward to the next set of questions/answers. I have been making sourdough for at least 10-12 years and I love your attitude and casual approach. The process should fit in to our daily schedules and not rule the roost! Bless you. Linda, Canada

[@savannahroserecipes]

Some sourdough recipes I do save for weekends, but sandwich bread and boule are easy to fit into my schedule working full-time outside the home. It really isn't as complicated as it may seem! We let our bread cool completely and then keep it in a ziploc in the fridge, it lasts well over a week. I'm very grateful I found you when I first got my starter, otherwise I don't know if I would have stuck to it.

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

Thanks for sharing!

[@ChrisJohnsonCJs-Kitchen]

I'm just starting to work the timing of this out with a full time, remote position.

[@devinfarrelly3768]

Thanks Lisa ! I love your flexible approach.

[@kingdomhealthwellness]

Lisa, you are the reason I even attempted sourdough. You have taught me so much. I love how go the flow with it you are and that makes it doable. I need simple and you always make it as simple as possible. Wish I was your neighbor. I totally put it in a ziplock bag, but I'll wrap it in parchment first.

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

So glad to hear that.

[@delightfulentertainment2424]

I'm almost a year into my sourdough journey, and I follow your same day sourdough recipe from your blog, which works perfectly for me. I did have to tweak it a little, though since I don't have a dutch oven or scale, and my oven runs on the warmer side. I lowered my oven to 450 degrees, instead of 500 degrees, and bake for a total of 35 minutes, and it usually turns out well that way. I also put a small pot of hot water in the oven below my bread, and I use scissors to score my bread. I've tried both same day baking, as well as long fermentation in the fridge. After my bread has cooled on a rack for an hour or more, I usually wrap it in plastic wrap (and sometimes also a paper bag), and store it on the counter, the fridge, or freezer, depending on how soon I plan to eat it. It's true that after doing it for some time, you start to learn the rhythm of the process and the behavior of your starter and dough just by having hands-on experience with it. Thank you for helping me get started! 😊🍞🥖🥰

[@devinfarrelly3768]

To store sourdough and keep it fresh I slice jt when cool, store in a silicone bag ( Oxo or Stasher) in the freezer. Then it’s always fresh and ready to pull out and use. It defrosts quickly.

[@lorieflanders]

Good job trying to explain all of this. It’s always so hard to explain because there are so many variables and you just have to use your intuition.

[@ChrisJohnsonCJs-Kitchen]

Love this video! This is how I've always cooked and baked, but somehow I found myself getting hung up on the "rules" of sourdough. Your videos have helped me relax and start trusting myself with this new process. My starter is almost a year old, it has a lovely tang and I am proud to finally have kept one going successfully. Your videos on getting a starter going really influenced how I approached mine. I did keep a separate jar of discard that, up until recently, I have done most of my baking with - making things like waffles or pancakes, crackers, bagels and english muffins, but I finished off that jar last week and now I'm working with a much smaller starter (there are only 2 of us in my household), knowing I can always build it up if I want a lot of starter for extra baking. Thank you for sharing your expertise with us!

[@themustardseedhomestead9730]

Yes, I use ziplock bags as well. I even let it finish cooling in the ziplock but left open. We eat it too fast, generally, to keep it too long 🤣 Soo many great tips in this! Thank you!

[@jeanmullins3284]

❤️❤️❤️ Your perspective has helped me so much. I have tried sour dough several times in my life and now I finally have successfully kept it going and love it!!

[@ashleyhannah7030]

My husband went to patissier school and worked in a bakery for 12+ years and he also has me keep our homemade bread in ziplocks! And yes, it does go moldy if it stays in there for too long. BUT we are able to eat from it 2-3days and then day 3 I leave it open and day 4 we toast. This is the max. However if we don’t ziplock it dries out and we need to toast it on day 2 and it’s not like it lasts any longer than day 3-4 max anyway.. 😊 however Bread from a professional bakery that has added ‘improver’ (yes this is a thing) WILL keep better without ziplock! So all that to say that you are right 😅😜

[@Mmanous]

I slice and ziplock bag it! It gets eaten within two days with my eaters lol I agree! I’ve started and maintained my starter for 5years because of your channel! I’m a bert relaxed cook so you always give the perfect advice! My friends who are more structured with their starters stress me out! But you give us great advice and confidence to just work with what we got!

[@sharronleman5768]

I really look forward to your videos and your podcasts. I just preordered your book. Can’t wait to get it. I’m learning so much from you. Thanks so much.

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@wendyrudder5809]

I have been using your method of sourdough baking and have amazing results. I love how you’ve simplified the process!

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

Great job!

[@crterwil]

I freeze mine sliced. Pull out what we need. So yummy.

[@ShelleyhitzTV]

Same

[@tammymarple5347]

Hi Lisa! I always put my bread in either a ziploc bag or a plastic bread bag with a twist tie to keep it a bit fresher. We eat it too fast to worry about mold but we don’t like it if it gets a bit hard. lol but if it does, I also make bread crumbs. That’s how my grandma did it and I’m sure her mother and grandma before her. My motto is “if it works, don’t mess with it” Have a blessed day 🙏

[@kendabrewster2154]

I created mine using whole wheat flour exclusively. The starter went from super sour to vinegary. I'm not worried, just working with it and adjusting as needed. My starter is strong and healthy. We are just a family of 2 but I make a point to create something weekly to get my starter out of the fridge and stretching its legs.

[@imanamin7055]

Yes I also place my bread in plastic bags on the counter: completely cool. We are a big family and a loaf wouldn't ever last longer than a week. Interestingly the flavour gets more sour if you keep your bread for a while this way.

[@mandypotts789]

I do a similar thing.... I keep mine in an oversized Rubbermaid container with the lid on but not pressed closed tight, and I keep it in a drawer. I found this to be the perfect condition for our climate (Colorado). I agree; the "right way" to store bread makes the bread go stale very quickly, and the crust gets so hard that my kids don't want to eat it!

[@racheln4309]

I’m one of those people who can’t stand to be so precise about it all. I don’t measure really for recipes anymore I just kind of throw enough whole wheat flour and water and starter (cold and unfed haha) in with some salt and stir it until it’s decent and let it sit overnight then cook it for an hour ish. Haha! I never stretch and fold anymore or score. Will my loaves ever be on a magazine cover? Nope. They don’t get super tall but sometimes I get an ear still. But they always taste good!

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

Sounds like you have made it work for you...love that!

[@Lmr6789s]

I also keep my sourdough starter permanently in the fridge I never take it out to bake anything. If I'm making bread or something that needs to rise I feed my starter the day before keep it in the fridge and then it's bubbly and active for several days in the fridge ready for baking anything that needs that rise 🙂

[@alaynanash6002]

I definitely store in a plastic bag or container. I had the same issue with everything else getting stale after about a day. Ken Forkish's book admits that he found plastic bags were the best for storage even though sources say otherwise.

[@noglutenzone]

I am gluten free & gluten free baked goods tend to be more dry & have a short shelf life. So I definitely store in ziplock bags.

[@rebekahsl]

GREAT podcast! Thank you 😊 I put mine in plastic bread bags or zip locks also! Have only ever had one go moldy after like 10 days and it was very humid. Sourdough seems much more mold resistant than yeast loaves in my small experience.

[@jessicaqueiroz7283]

Could you make a Sourdough 101 video? Answering the most basic questions, such as, how do you even make a starter.

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

I have a whole bunch of free sourdough content on my blog FarmhouseonBoone.com including making a starter, maintaining and feeding a starter and so much more including recipes. I have many free videos on my KZbin channel where I show myself making sourdough just search my KZbin Farmhouse On Boone. I also have a paid sourdough course available if you are interested and a book coming out this month.

[@aixabal]

This was really helpful. Thank you for sharing your knowledge ❤️ God bless

[@samanthahoos9827]

❤ Now that it’s cooler I’m baking again. I’m trying to store baked items in the freezer for next summer eating. I bake twice s much each time to put 1/2 away. I’d also love to put away cookies from Christmas gifts so I don’t have to over work my oven in December. Could you please do a video on making cookies from discard for storing? Thank you! 😊

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

I do have some discard cookie recipes over on the blog and a separate blog about freezing sourdough if you are interested.

[@maryswift6014]

Omgosh thank you so much. I'm just thinking about starting up again this winter, I was not successful last time I tried but I'm going to know what I'm doing this time 😂

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

Keep trying you will eventually get it and be rewarded with delicious baked goods.

[@LymieMama]

I use plastic bread bags with twist ties for all of our bread. If we somehow neglect the bread and don’t eat it fast enough we do end up with mold but that doesn’t happen that often and I prefer running that risk but keeping the bread fresher/less stale.

[@SckRDH]

Preordered your book a few months ago! Excited for it to be out soon!

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

thank you!

[@KatelynnMN]

I use bread bags without ventilation or else mine will go stale too. The longest bread will ever sit out untouched is 5 days and Ive never had it mold. I do live in a dry climate though

[@mangispangi]

Freeze bread and bake it again the next day. Amazing

[@kayrabey1344]

I am learning to make the cut to produce an ear on the finished bread so it can rise more the first bake time.

[@Dana-mb1hd]

I would love to learn how to bake sourdough Bread 💙 but I don’t even know where to begin Lisa! Love your channel 💖

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

I have free recipes over on my blog FarmhouseonBoone.com. I also have a sourdough book coming out soon homesteadliving.com/farmhouse-on-boone and a sourdough course..farmhouseonboone.teachable.com/p/simple-sourdough?coupon_code=KZbin

[@melanieh1022]

I've been making my own sourdough bread for years and as long as my home temp isn't TOO hot I just store in a ziplock because I find it lasts the longest this way without getting stale. Like you said if I know we aren't gonna eat it in time I will put into the fridge but my hubby and I are constantly eating bread and we will see if it's time to put it into the fridge. We also don't put it into the bag until MANY hours after it's been baked and cooled off

[@aloras405]

As someone who is mostly gluten-free, I can say yes gluten-free sourdough is worth it. But, get a book that is dedicated gluten-free sourdough. Adapting baking recipes to be gluten-free from regular is very technical and if you’re just starting out, just get a gluten-free sourdough book.

[@bobanddaly]

Hi Lisa, can you also talk about the internal temperature of a sourdough sandwich loaf? How long it really need to be baked? Thank you

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

from my new book "Daily Sourdough" For breads made without added fat, the internal temperature should be 190 degrees F to 210 F. Sandwich breads should reach about 190 F, and enriched breads should reach 180-190 degrees Fahrenheit

[@TheMennomilist]

Ah, I finally got a chance to listen and watch this video of yours. This was so helpful. I have pushed aside starting my own sourdough starter because I didn't understand certain things with starting it. I will start it soon, I know I will!! hehe. It's just not on my priority list (it is on the secondary list though). Loved your tips. I don't understand with "adding more starter." . . like more flour and water so like have two jars at once? Maybe you mean into the recipes in general. I am anti-ziplock bag since I am not a fan of plastic at all and avoid it as much as possible. I haven't owned a ziplock bag in. . . a decade or fifteen years? Covering things with like cloth works? Thanks for talking about how the starter looks as it goes. I wish I knew someone who had a starter to give to me here! I don't know anyone who makes homemade bread other than myself. One of my penpals has a starter but she lives in London!

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

I have a recipes for making your own starter over on my blog along with a post on how to feed and maintain one. I also have a blog full of recipes and helpful hints....FarmhouseonBoone.com

[@vickywray7285]

Only 2 people in my household so it doesn’t get eaten quickly, so after cooled I put it in a ziploc bag and keep it in the refrigerator. I use it for toast each morning so it is perfectly fine this way. Lasts me much longer this way and doesn’t get moldy.

[@deenaboswell2692]

I am strictly gluten-free and I have a sourdough that is developed with brown rice flour I have only used it for Lisa‘s waffle recipe which I make once a week. Then I store them in the freezer for my son who has autism and is strict on a GF& DF diet.

[@deenaboswell2692]

It really is as easy as she says since I’ve been doing strict sourdough waffles all gluten-free for two years. I’m glad she said master one skill and then at another because I’ve changed how I do the waffles multiple times and I feel much more confident and I’m ready to start bread. And it is worth it for gluten-free to make their own bread since a small loaf of bread that’s half the size of a regular loaf of bread at the store is $7

[@Lmr6789s]

Yep I do airtight as well no mould problems it's stale. So I also put mine in a plastic ziploc bag and I have it in the fridge 🙂 we like to toast it anyway

[@ThankfulNanaDiane]

Thanks for this helpful info! I’m pretty new to sourdough. I decided to try it, because I’m diabetic. I’m trying to get a whole wheat sourdough “perfected,” before I move on to other recipes. I’m baking open, & I keep having varying degrees of underdone bread. It doesn’t go to waste, because we just toast it. Tips on how to know it’s done? Apparently, I’m not very good at the knock test! 😂❤️

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

Are you waiting until it cools before slicing it?

[@malaplava4865]

Lisa thank you for all this great advice ❤

[@deborahl.6655]

Hi..I wrap my loafs in parchment and put in a bread bag.. storing in fridge and freeze..

[@jeankohtala666]

So helpful! Thanks.

[@heatheramador4607]

Im the same I put in ziplock when cooled down then in my bread box so still "pretty" put away I dont have stare at ziplock bag of bread on counter. Same with my homemade tortillas in ziplock then in my ceramic bowl with lid.

[@datahoundhunter]

You are the best!!!!!

[@zwerglein84]

Hi Lisa! Is your book going to be available in Europe too?? Thank you! 🤗

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

Working on it!

[@zwerglein84]

@@Simplefarmhouselife thank you! 🤗

[@AussieAngeS]

Thanks for the information Lisa

[@cindyflinchbaugh7155]

Thanks for sharing, but I'm still overwhelmed in my mind. Someday maybe...

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

If you are interested a very easy place to start is sourdough pancakes. Once you get comfortable with them you can add on another recipe....

[@dirtbikelife6159]

Will your book be published this year? Sorry if you’ve already answered this, I’m just very exited about it!

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

It is available for preorder right now...homesteadliving.com/farmhouse-on-boone

[@kimbarker7250]

Great info!! Thank you!

[@idarmartin6022]

Once it cooled I put in ziplock bags also. Or in my box that is air tight so that air from my home doesn’t get to it.

[@thedebbieadams]

Very interesting thankyou

[@StephanieMcCamon]

Can you freeze it? Like I buy loafs of sandwich bread. In Louisiana, it humid. So leaving it out is not an option. I freeze it because it will go bad before we eat it. So can I freeze the sourdough bread? 😊❤

[@mariskapost8428]

Yes! I do iT All the time

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

Yes..www.farmhouseonboone.com/how-to-freeze-sourdough-bread/

[@deborahl.6655]

Thank you Lisa

[@livviedanielle5889]

I always put my bread in air tight bags. Never have had a mold issue but storing it with airflow has always made it far too stale.

[@emy2127]

I pre-ordered your book - 😀

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

Thank you!

[@yadymoncayo294]

Thank you ❤

[@JaneEdwards-v3g]

My sourdough doesn’t mold even the discard. Now I do use bottled water because my tap is city water and is heavily chlorinated

[@angelinamccarville]

Hi Lisa, What size is your black, non enameled Dutch oven that I’ve seen you bake sourdough in? I am torn between the 5qt lodge and the 7 qt lodge! Thanks!

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

mine are 6 quart

[@tamaracarlile7971]

I'm new to sourdough and I can make a normal Dutch oven one fine etc ...but I also make yeast bread ...so I was wondering if I needed 2 tablespoons of dried yeast ....what ratio of starter would I use instead if I wanted to make a "normal" loaf and wanted to stop using dried yeast and replacing it with my natural yeast starter?

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

www.farmhouseonboone.com/how-to-covert-any-recipe-to-sourdough/

[@mina.c9016]

Could discard waffles and pancakes be frozen after they are cooked?

[@ShelleyhitzTV]

Yes!

[@virggg]

Yessss and they reheat perfectly in the toaster or oven!

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

Yes!

[@mina.c9016]

Awesome thank you ladies for the reply

[@trudythiessen9468]

Talking about stale and molding bread... I find that my sourdough bread will not mold. I once had a batch of buns go wrong. I forgot about them in my warm kitchen pantry and 2 months later , though extremely stale, they were completely without mold

[@sherrylee1072]

Hello from NC

[@AliceStanley-i5w]

"Entertaining, probably not" Yes it was Lisa i hat it running while decluttering my documents 😂

[@jessicag1540]

Doesn’t storing bread also factor in where you live? Because some places are more dry and others more humid. I grew up in Fl and now live in SW Louisiana where both places are so humid. We have to keep bread/baked goods in the fridge to prevent mold and going stale unless consumed within 48 hrs 😆

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

Yes.

[@gailschaefer9755]

When using unfed starter, when it is mixed with the flour in the dough won’t it become active?

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

It will typically not activate because it lacks the strength to do so.

[@gailschaefer9755]

How do you keep your dough in the fridge for days without it over proofing?

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

The cold temps significantly slow down the process

[@LauraLittlejohn-c4l]

I store my sourdough sandwich bread in a plastic container. My family always eats it before it gets moldy. It doesn’t get stale either

[@reneesuter7884]

Do you use the starter straight out of the fridge but take some out and add four and water it just use it straight out of fridge?

[@ShelleyhitzTV]

I have seen others mention that if it’s been fed within a week, it will still be active enough to use straight from the fridge. I taught my mom to do it this way to simplify it for her and the bread came out fine.

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

I do both actually depending on the day....my starter is very strong and I am able to just use it straight from the fridge...I will just feed it before I store in the fridge

[@barbdreyer3848]

Does there come a time that you don’t have to discard starter before feeding it?

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

I have done that many times but there is certainly disagreement on the subject

[@stacyadam6865]

After my bread has cooled I place it in a glass cake stand with lid and it will last for a week. I always make a round loaf.

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

Good idea...thanks for sharing!

[@laurenschoon]

Put that ziplock bag tip in your book!!! People don’t want to hear what’s “technically right”, the same things everyone else is saying. We want to hear the honest, real-life truth!

[@laurenschoon]

I usually listen on the podcast, but I had to jump over here to say this! Don’t worry if other people will tell you it’s “wrong”! It works for you and it’ll work for other people too. Nicole from Gardenary doesn’t follow the spacing rules for planting- she packs in the plants in her garden beds. She’s been told things like “well this isn’t going to go well…” But it works in her gardens, and people love her for it!

[@cherylnewman9098]

I have had the best luck keeping my bread under a glass cake dome.

[@suen4741]

Yes that is how I do it too except if it is hot.

[@kayrabey1344]

I would like to make homemade burger buns. Sort of on the smaller side.

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

www.farmhouseonboone.com/sourdough-buns/

[@megoya]

Does anyone have any experience using sourdough in the tropics? I live in a very hot, humid environment, right by the beach. The starter works fine but I have a hard time getting the dough to pass the window pane test. Seems like I have to knead it for an unreasonably long time (over 45 minutes in a stand mixer).

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

If no one chimes in here you may want to look on Facebook for local sourdough groups that share tips for your region

[@virggg]

Have you tried an autolyse? Soaking the recipe's flour and water together for a few hours before you add the starter and salt to make the dough will speed up the gluten formation and you shouldn't have to knead as long. When I autolyse the dough, I use a stand mixer for maybe 10-15 min for window pane, and without autolyse it takes me about 30-50 min in the mixer! I think the autolyse process is usually recommended for 1-4 hours. I never measure the time, but the difference in how fast it takes to reach window pane is very clear with and without the autolyse! The final results are the same either way. I live on the Gulf Coast by the water with 100% humidity! Very hot and humid as well! I'm not sure how much it affects my baking as we keep the house temp very regulated, but I wanted to add that in, since it was part of your question!

[@megoya]

@@virggg Yes! I think this will work because if my toddlers play with the dough for a while or if I let it sit in the bowl and pause the kneading, the dough gets a lot more elastic. Excited to try it. Thank you!

[@virggg]

@@megoya You're so welcome!! I learned my basic loaf techniques a couple of years ago from Sourdough School House and she is a technical genius! Like down to the science of why this happens and what this other step does etc. I would have never bought the course, but received it in a bundle and it was worth the whole bundle! I still use her basic loaf recipe but then because I am not scientific about the bread or a perfectionist in any way, I operate much more like Lisa in the kitchen and love Lisa's recipes for sourdough the most.

[@mantleatrest]

Can I use tapwater to make my sourdough starter?

[@Mel-vu9ss]

It’s not ideal but I have done it many times over the years when I didn’t have a filter. My starter and finished product was fine.

[@mantleatrest]

@@Mel-vu9ss thank you so much 🙏

[@Mel-vu9ss]

@@mantleatrest your welcome. Have fun making bread!!

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

It depends on your water....we have a private well and it was tested and our water is good so we use it! However, many water sources have chlorine and other chemicals that can inhibit the healthy growth of bacteria needed for a strong starter.

[@leewebbstock8300]

I also keep my bread in a zip lock and bread stay fresh for a week, no Mould. Not in the fridge just on the counter 😂

[@vee_vee2024]

We left our starter in the fridge too long and then fed it but after growing it had a strong smell of nail polish, my husband thinks we should throw it away😢

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

It can get a strong smell of acetone when it has been underfed. Pour off the hooch that has gathered on top. Get a fresh new jar...take about a tablespoon of the starter....throw the rest out. Feed that tablespoon of starter...it may take a few days to get back but it will be just fine

[@vee_vee2024]

@@Simplefarmhouselife thank you Lisa!

[@ann5028]

I forgot my starter in the window when we left last week. Top is completely soupy and pink 🫠

[@franchescawetter8423]

Pour off the soupy part and scoop off the discolored part. Get a new jar, put a small scoop of the better looking and better colored starter in the new jar. Feed it equal weights flour and water, which is about 2 parts flour and 1 part water by volume. Stir it vigorously, incorporating a lot of air, cover, and leave it out on the counter for a couple hrs. See if it's bubbly and active. label and date and pop in the fridge or bake.

[@ann5028]

@@franchescawetter8423 thank you!✨

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

Unfortunately I am just now seeing this one...pink is a bad sign indicating the presence of harmful bacteria and the starter should be thrown away...the one exception would be if you used rye or whole wheat flour which can have a slightly pink hue

[@ann5028]

@@Simplefarmhouselife thank you for your response! And no worries. I went to skim the top off and it was so soupy it just seemed to mix together so I just tossed it; worried it was harmful as you indicated it was.

[@noglutenzone]

The gluten free sourdough recipe on your blog is lacking psyllium husk. You can make way better sourdough with psyllium husk mimicking the gluten.

[@DeborahleeLee]

I am trying to get a little sour out of my bread some of my grandchildren liked it less sour

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

Choosing a recipe that is enriched with butter or eggs will yield a less sour product

[@alr5286]

I put my leftover sourdough in my cake dome

[@MoonFlower52798]

good idea!!!

[@rodnajean9508]

But those would be the reason that we buy your book over other peoples because you do tell those different things

[@deenaboswell2692]

I heard that they found sourdough in the pyramids No joke