Why isn't my sourdough SOUR?!?

[@russianrick8403]

I went through this question a few years ago and did some experimentation with your recipe to see if I could make it sour. The way I accomplished it is the same way that European bakers that followed the 49ers to the Bay Area, they over fermented their preferment so that they could produce the sour bread that the locals had grown accustomed to. I just take about 1 oz of my starter and feed it so that it becomes 4 oz then I leave it till it well over ferments and starts to get a little acetic. Then I mix up my bread following Ben Starr's recipe, with the difference that it usually bulk ferments a little faster, because the yeast is now very active. Once you learn the tools, you can make your bread however you want it. You just have to learn to work with your tools. Bread is more about the method than just the mix of the ingredients.

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

This is great intel! Thanks for sharing.

[@nicciwhetham]

@@ultimatefoodgeek have you experimented with double baking to get bread more sour.

[@APvdSteenoven]

Here in the Netherlands, sourdoughbread may only be called sourdoughbread if it is made with sourdough starter and nothing more. So only flour, water and salt are the ingredients. The law was adapted a couple years ago when lots of bakers/grocerystores sold sourdoughbread containing yeast and sourdough flavour.

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

I would LOVE to have that law passed in the US. But it would never pass, in a million years here. Laws are only passed in the consumer's favor if the consumers are dying from products. Otherwise, all the laws are passed in the favor of the manufacturer, who has the money to lobby our Congress.

[@APvdSteenoven]

@@ultimatefoodgeek sometimes it is good to live in the United States of Europe 😀 In the Netherlands we have tv shows for consumers in wich everything is checked like ingredients and how it is made (labour and hygiene etc.) The consumers can demand the changing of these products. Tony Chocolonely is started this way by a Dutch consumer program.

[@joyfulgirl91]

Does that mean it is not permitted to make a sourdough with inclusions in a bakery? Or to leaven a brioche or other enriched dough with sourdough?

[@APvdSteenoven]

​@@joyfulgirl91 sourdough is just sourdough. If you use yeast then it is called a hybrid. And "permitted"... If you make it at home, you can do whatever you want. But in a bakery or grocery bread which is called sourdough may/must contain sourdoughstarter, water and flour. And scalding is allowed because it contains the same basic ingredients. Milk, honey and sugar is of course an extra which is allowed

[@joyfulgirl91]

@@APvdSteenoventhanks that’s what I was wondering, if including other ingredients while using a sourdough method was allowed to be labeled sourdough under your country’s rules. If we were to adopt new labeling standards for sourdough in the USA, it would make more sense to me for them to be about the method than the ingredients.

[@drevinatorslaw7356]

Because of your buttermilk video I keep it on hand and now I’m going to start using it in my sourdough! ❤

[@janetd6445]

Thanks for your continuing work to educate. I am loving your simple sourdough bread, in fact I now barter with it for fresh eggs and a few odds and ends of things from friends - they all love it. Oh, and had to put the push on my car mechanic yesterday to move me up the queue; fresh loaf from the oven did the trick! (Of course I am his mom too, but I generally wait my turn). None of that was possible with the previous methods I used of discarding, feeding, stretch and fold baking. Thanks again!!!

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

Oh, yes, you become VERY popular when you're "that homemade bread person."

[@kelperdude]

I enjoyed your lesson you gave on 'acetic', and everything else. Your demeanor is pretty matter of fact without being pompous. Keep it up.

[@rodneyferris4089]

There is such a cult of sourdough! and it is so laughable! Your videos have convinced me that I've been right all the time! Our ancestors would not have enjoyed the "sourdough" crazy Big Hole Bread! I lived in a community of older French Canadian Monks for many years and I became their baker. Of course we used commercial yeast, but they so often pointed out that they didn't appreciate bread that had holes in it. And they didn't't like bread that was sour in flavour! their mothers and grandmothers made their own yeasts and they had local millers grinding their flour in Québec. It was only in the big cities like Montreal and Quebec City that they had commercial bakeries and commercial bread. they loved those commercial breads because they were "modern" and "convenient"... but like most French Canadian men they loved their "vieille gran'mère" and the wonderful breads and buns and yeasted goodies she made. I was making sourdough for the first time and it was the usual San Francisco style loaf with big hole and amazing ears and all that but it WAS sour! and funky! then I discovered Trevor Wilson's recipe for Sourdough sandwich bread and the lovely flavour of flours that kept their aromas and that it wasn't the starter that took over! Recently I have started weighing my shaping dough and have quite a lump left over. I started saving it for next time and have found that if I use that "Pâte fermentée" over and over the flavours of the bread become more refined and delicious. I usually Gove a loaf away when I bake and the recipients have remarked that my bread has improved in flour to a degree and they find it hard to resist and ask me for more bread. they love the crumb and the texture of it they love the crispy crust and above all they love a non-toasted sandwich using it! Less funk and more flavour I say! thanks Ben for your great videos!

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

Rodney, what an amazing story! Your time with the monks must have been incredible. Thanks so much for sharing!!!

[@maryellendevore5373]

If you made bread videos I'd follow you simply on the merit of this comment!

[@Backwoodsgardener]

My kids were listening to your video.along with grandma. They went ballistic when you talked about ferric acid. Thank you!!! As I explained to them this is why grandma cooks and bakes from scratch.

[@jklphoto]

Helpful Ben. I have to explain this to some of my micro-bakery customers. Thanks! And the tip to culture my own buttermilk? Priceless!

[@celeastar]

Enjoy your information and style of imparting same. Thanks for doing these.

[@suzyvance7328]

Always excited to see a new video. Sharing...

[@EricDorvan]

Hello Suzy, nice to meet you. Sorry hope I’m not intruding, you have a wonderful profile I just wanted to say hello. Hope you are having a good day?

[@janicemar6031]

Ben, I am a newbie in the world of sourdough! I will be 75 this year and have been cooking since I was four! I watched many vids on you tube and read a lot of bakers advice. Yours made the most sense to me so I went with it! I made my first starter the end of December 2023. It has never been in the fridge. I feed it when I need more, maybe once in between. (I get a kick out of watching it! Lol) it has a great smell and excellent taste, though not really sour! We love it. I am waiting for another starter that began in January, with rye flour and only Guinness for water. It smells delicious but May not taste as good! We will see! Thank for the easy method….I would have really missed out otherwise. Old dogs CAN learn new tricks, and may even have some of their own up their sleeve! Thanks again, jan mar

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

Jan, you're a delight! Thanks for sharing. Interested to hear how your rye/Guinness starter will turn out. I think it's going to taste incredible.

[@siber20s]

So Janice...curious to find out how your rye and Guiness sourdough starter turned out when baked with.

[@TraceyHugie]

Boy, my Ben adoration just grew exponentially with the dictionary portion!! 👏🏻 👏🏻 👏🏻 Now, on with the video which I paused for comment. LOVE your content!!🥰

[@hb7282]

Yes! The dictionary portion made my whole month!

[@troyguise1235]

I have been making simple sourdough based on your recipe now for a few years, everybody love it, especially the jalapeño cheddar version. A slight twist to the jalapeño cheddar is to used 4 ounces of sharp cheddar and 4 ounces of habenero cheddar cheese, such as Cabot habenero cheddar. It adds a slight bit of extra heat on the back end of the flavor profile…

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

Heck yeah!

[@pskarts20]

I saw half a loaf of sour dough at Walmart for $6 and it had vinegar added to the bread. It's crazy what they put in food to trick people.

[@DizzyIzzyMom]

You are a fabulous teacher…..thanks for

[@amsohn1]

Thanks Ben, we found out about the fake sourdough many moon ago... love your teaching and tartness!!😅 Blessings ❤

[@gina7236]

Thank you Ben for explaining your awesome! My husband loves my bread but always says it doesn't have that "sour" taste now I can tell him why. Thank you again!

[@ColeThomas]

This also explains why some store 'sourdough' breads don't have a good taste at all. False labeling at its worst. Another complaint I have is the unknown amount of time that commercial bread is left in storage. Haven't you gone into a big grocery chain and picked up a loaf of their in-store brand of sourdough and find it is still frozen. And they label it 'freshly baked'. HA

[@nannettenannettek9545]

You crack me up! Love your Channel. 😂

[@HostileImpulse111]

*HELLO from Canada* - My Cousin recommended your Channel to me - and I just need to say, *THANK YOU!* - you are an amazing Teacher!! *Brilliant!* - I'm so impressed - I just want to watch every video and learn as much as I can!! I'm brand new to the world of sourdough and your channel is exactly what I needed!! *Thank you!* *Thank you!*

[@anke55mom]

thanks for your awesome videos!! I grew up on sourdough bread in Germany and had my first taste of "american sourdough bread" in California. I almost spat it out, it was disgustingly sour! I love your version, I wish my bread would get a little higher on the sides but it's delicious!! I had almost given up listening to people in those FB groups with their folding and all this other stuff, way too complicated. This is perfect!!

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

If your loaf isn't rising as high as you'd like I'm willing to bet your starter is overhydrated. Fix it using my Troubleshooting Simple Sourdough video at the 6 minute mark. See if that fixes your problem!

[@micheleshearin4688]

always an education! thanks for sharing your knowledge with us

[@EricDorvan]

Hello Michele, nice to meet you. Sorry hope I’m not intruding, you have a wonderful profile I just wanted to say hello. Hope you are having a good day?

[@SurLife]

How wonderful to add buttermilk to the bread recipe ....I could also use the whey from the goat cheese process ... Thank you for being a great teacher of bread and more.

[@SparklyOne]

Thank you Ben! Finally, an answer to the question asked by my husband for the last 5 years 😅🙌🏻🍞🥖

[@marknichols9651]

Yours is still my basic go-to sourdough recipe. Thank you Ben!! I get more sour flavors with a multi day cold ferment. Good enough for me!

[@joeyhardin1288]

Thank you, so much!!! I have shared your videos a hundred times along with my starter. THEN, I tell the folks I have shared my starter with that it will only taste like my starter for a couple of weeks until it starts to taste like the room where you keep their starter.

[@retiredfederalie178]

I have been using your simple sourdough recipe for a few weeks now as it’s the only one I have been consistent with. I have watched that video so many times I have it memorized! I made a loaf yesterday and used a bit less salt. It was noticeable within a few hours as the dough was expanding much quicker than the other times, just as you had said it would. I ended up baking it after about 13 hours since I was worried it might over proof. It came out great nicely puffed and just the right crumb, enough to hold butter but not giant holes or glued. We took it to a potluck dinner and one of the folks there commented that they usually don’t like sourdough since it’s sour but mine wasn’t! I told her all it is is flour, water, salt. I made the starter myself from the same bag of flour a couple months ago and I usually bake something once a week or so, so that’s how often I feed it as well. If I remember I feed it the night before but I am not consistent on that. About the only difference I have seen is the rate of rise. The dough made with freshly fed stater rises faster but it doesn’t make any difference in the taste or appearance just the time it takes to rise.

[@Jerr-e5e]

Thanks Ben. I do make bread with a sourdough starter using your recipe. Keep up the good work.

[@GEInman]

So good to see you! Thanks for the creme fraiche recipe, too!

[@mjohnson1765]

My eyes were just opened! Thanks Ben!

[@johnwoods7498]

I have been adding yeast and buttermilk and egg to my starter for over two years and would never go back to just starter. It makes delicious bread with a great texture . Both crust and crumb.

[@CNP-rn3gd]

Great video! My simple sourdough using your recipe is delicious but not "sour" and now I know why. I'm not going to change a thing; I'll just enjoy it as is.

[@laurabrown7979]

I love your sour dough bread and I like all your sour dough videos

[@EricDorvan]

Hello Laura, nice to meet you. Sorry hope I’m not intruding, you have a wonderful profile I just wanted to say hello. Hope you are having a good day?

[@ginamiller6754]

I’m so happy I found your channel! I’m starting to understand the beauty and science behind a sourdough starter and baking in general. The way you described the sourdough starter makes me excited that I made my own. I will pass it down. My youngest daughter loves to cook and bake and I know she will appreciate it. Thank-you for your videos! They have helped me understand the why behind much of what I’m doing! Love it!!

[@innik77]

Ben, you are the best! Thank you!

[@TheChefLady4JC]

I make a buttermilk preferment sourdough that's sooo soft and moist. Sometimes I'll throw in some raw clabbered milk in place of some of the buttermilk.

[@myavaphillips2912]

Would love your recipe

[@kathie4082]

Wow! Ben! Thank you so much for teaching me how to cheat when I have to use my bread machine to make a quick loaf for my 6 children, 13+ grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren, oldest being 15. When they decide to congregate at Grammie's house for her sourdough bread and waffles, I know just how to "fake" it. 😂 Love your channel. I've been making bread from whole grains since the 1970s, but I'm really enjoying your approach and lessons. They are fun! Nothing sour about you. 😊

[@4shehadeh]

Thank you for the information. You are the best!

[@amyl.3236]

Okay, I understood the sour is fake. I am still beyond excited to try and get my bread sour with your tips. Thank you. Knowledge is power!

[@doraharrison1642]

Wow..very interesting.... Thank you Ben

[@rhodyhausauer4298]

Uhhhh, time for me to make a loaf with buttermilk! Thank you for that info. You are simply THE BEST! (Your #1 fan)

[@LacedwithLacey2424]

That was the most polite read for filth I’ve ever heard! Lol you tell em’ How can I make mine sweet? My mom’s neighbor use to make us sourdough and hers was sweet.

[@lindagordon2955]

I use honey.

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

Linda said it, Lacey! Add an ounce of honey (and subtract half an ounce of water) to start. If you want it sweeter, add 2 ounces of honey (and subtract an ounce of water).

[@nancyikeler]

Thanks Ben!! You are the real deal!!

[@NesrinSahawneh]

Thank you 😊

[@Gdwmartin]

Great Info Ben. I'm putting Buttermilk on the Grocery List. Gotta try adding it to my sourdough

[@willie8229]

love your teaching and channel! keep up the good work!

[@vjgirl316]

My husband makes these mmm sounds now, when he bites into his cinnamon raisin sourdough bread. You are an amazing teacher and make each episode really fun too. I came close to quitting I got so overwhelmed at all the different long tiring ways people are teaching to make sourdough on KZbin. Thank you dear Jesus for the birth of Ben Starr. Now, I'm learning and understand so much more about the starter. I made your sandwich bread today and it is so good. I watched how you make English muffins. My husband loves the cinnamon raisin English muffins. When will I need to add the cinnamon and raisins to my dough for the English muffins?

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

Cinnamon is a potent antifungal. This means it will kill your yeast. The grocery store muffins use chemical leaveners to fight this, but you won't get away with mixing cinnamon INTO your batter unless you do it at the VERY last moment before cooking. (And it won't hurt to mix your cinnamon with 1/2tsp baking soda before stirring it into the batter.)

[@gwyndyr32]

YES! so happy you made this video

[@jerseyvanorden-miner4132]

Yup buttermilk is top! Use always! Never spoils in our house.

[@ChintanTyagi]

I've been baking sourdough bread using your method for about 10 weeks now. I'm based in Delhi and ambient temperature in kitchen now is 30-40 C. In Feb I was able to get sourness with bulk ferment and 12 hour refrigeration. Now due to overactive bacteria the problem I'm facing is that the gluten structure is getting weakened before the size doubles. And as I've reduced the bulk ferment time the sourness has decreased. Overall size increase and oven spring is similar but dough feels weak. Will replace 25% of water with buttermilk and try..

[@GreatThemeParkAdventures]

I have had a similar issue and am in Central Florida in the U.S. my sourdough is extremely sour and the rise is less than desirable. I had to add 50 grams of my acidic starter to 25grams of bread flour and 25grams of water and after a few days of refreshing my starter it is less acidic and rises so much better! Good luck!

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

You can also add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to neutralize some of that acid. (Reduce the salt addition by a pinch if you do this, as the baking soda/acid interaction produces a salt.)

[@heidihudgens60]

Thanks for the information!! I left my dough in the fridge for about 5 days once. Now that was a super sour loaf!

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

You are lucky it rose!!

[@colleen1924]

Thank you so much. If you're used to getting your bread in San Francisco, you live for this sourdough sour taste Can you use the same amount of buttermilk as you would filtered water in a recipe. Is it that simple just to substitute buttermilk for water?

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

It's that simple. If your dough ends up a bit on the dry side, just add a splash more buttermilk. Prepare for a significantly more sour flavor.

[@emilybrowness9679]

Thank you!!!

[@bow2roses]

You have totally rocked my world with your videos. I haven't bought store bread since I started this journey. I had English muffins in my hand today at Costco. "Nah, I will try Ben's method." 😮 I have also made your buttermilk and the buttermilk cheese. All were a success. Next is replacing the water with buttermilk in my loaf. Ty for sharing your talents with the world. Any suggestions for a pizza dough?

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

Pizza is coming!

[@ellenorbjornsdottir1166]

I have the exact converse problem, if you can call it that. My real sourdough is quite sour, even vinegary. I think what happened was, I didn't feed the starter in quite a while. It's a fine taste, I suppose, but it's weird, when I'm used to «sweet» (meaning, not that sour) sourdough. It also started when I started adding milk powder to my bread (mostly to use up the milk powder, yeah).

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

You can counter the sourness by adding 1/2 tsp baking soda to the recipe, and decreasing the salt content to 0.5oz.

[@joysgirl]

Thank you for this! I've wondered why my sourdough loaves don't taste like the baguette I buy, on rare occasion, from my grocery store. I suspected they were using a "cheat."

[@minksm3032]

Im going to try buttermilk next time because my sourdough wasn't sour enough😢

[@samcrow_1]

Hi Ben, I've been putting 1 tbs of apple cider vinegar in my sd to let it proof for 24h, but only to kill the phytic acid. A lot of homestead and natural lowtox accounts I follow do and recommend this. They say it is much better for digestive problems. I've never put it in for taste, only to help kill phytic acid (hope im spelling it right) with making it easier for the body to digest. These accounts also recommend the whey (runny part) of Yoghurt, which I don't always have on hand 😊

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

The "danger" of phytic acid is largely overblown, and there's a TON of false pseudoscience out there about it. Phytic acid IS an antinutrient...but apple cider vinegar does not kill phytic acid any more than sourdough starter does, which is loaded with vinegar in the first place. In people with varied diets, phytic acid is actually considered a beneficial antioxidant. But if your diet consisted ONLY of bread and nothing else...then phytic acid could be problematic, as it would prevent you from absorbing the nutrients in the bread. STILL...you're not harming your sourdough by boosting it with ACV...but neither are you reaping any net benefits from it by "suppressing" phytic acid.

[@40Hoosier]

I hope you don't mind that I used buttermilk when making your simple sourdough. After bulk fermenting for 12 hours, the bread had that little extra tang I was craving.

[@Mamakate2382]

Thanks for clearing up the “sour” in sourdough. And thanks for the dictionary rant. You’re welcome at my campfire anytime.

[@jomi4us]

I once made a sourdough starter from organic grapes, and it resulted super sour bread without good rise of the dough. I was so confused, and discarded the starter at the end. Lol

[@rosehawke2577]

Didn't learn anything from this video, just an affirmation of my own findings. In my area there is ONE artisanal bakery that produces "real" sourdough. Four ingredients - flour, salt, water, and starter. That's it.When I get my timing wrong or forget to get a loaf started so that we are without for a couple days, my husband and I will resort to what we do, indeed, call "fake sourdough" that we keep in the freezer for such occasions. The loaves at that one bakery though are close to $6.00 which is why I got into sourdough. I can make it for a quarter of that.

[@theresamathes608]

I'm 52 , have been cooking and baking my whole life but had never made a loaf of bread. My young grandson is now on the FODMAP diet, it says that he can have sourdough with no yeast added. I couldn't find any at the grocery store. A friend gave us a boule of her bread, it was so sour I think it traumatized all of us. We are a ' white bread only ' family. LOL. So i watched a hundred videos and found you. My first attempt at starter failed (Pink Slime). I was discouraged but i tried again and got it. I was scared of what the flavor would be, but i made your simple sandwich loaf and it was perfect, not sour, such a good flavor. I might never buy white bread again. My boy is so happy to have sandwiches again. I can't thank you enough for your videos.

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

This makes me SO happy, Theresa! Welcome to the sourdough family.

[@malanywilson5528]

The sourdough bread that I make is tart. It’s wonderful and it’s not fake. ❤

[@lindam1980]

Interesting... I'm from the Bay Area, and got spoiled by those authentic sourdoughs mentioned. Since moving away many years ago, I've always been disappointed by store bought sourdough, because it never came up to the standard I was used to. That's what got me on a mission to make my own. I've been very, very happy with the flavor of my bread using your recipe. But I'm not always happy with my rise. But I'm new to this, so I'll stick with your recipe until I nail it.

[@tinanorwood3432]

I purchased a loaf of Artisan sourdough and thought hmm I must not like sourdough as it was too tart. My newly acquired passion (thank you for your easy method) is delicious.

[@kellychatman6742]

Just FYI, I found that Aldi Sourdough bread doesn't have yeast or citric acid. I buy it when I'm not up to making it.

[@amberlindsey7112]

I have always used old milk in baked goods like cakes and pancakes. Milk that doesn't taste good and has turned sour. Can't taste it at all when it's baked into something.

[@sheilaturner5127]

Can you use milk kefir in place of water, either in your sourdough starter or your bread recipe?

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

Yes, in the bread recipe. I don't recommend it for starter, since it's going to sit at room temp for 2 weeks. That's a LOT of food for spoilage bacteria and mold until the starter matures and can protect itself, plus the potential for the fats to go rancid.

[@lynnslosson5937]

I passed your simple sourdough recipe onto two friends and they commented that it didn’t taste sourdough enough now I know why! I will try adding some buttermilk to the next recipe I bake and see what results I get thank you so much for your sourdough bread videos

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

Tell your friends to watch this video!

[@lynnslosson5937]

@@ultimatefoodgeek done ! And I am buying buttermilk today!

[@nadiareads6359]

It scares me to think of the stuff that is actually in our food compared to when we bake things from scratch.😮

[@terryrobinson1416]

Wow. We may as well use battery acid, sounds a lot like petroleum products. I hate that they are putting harsh chemicals in all our food nowadays.

[@naturallyinspired1988]

Another informative video, thank you. I made a loaf for my son with a starving starter. He said it was too sour for his taste prefers store bought. Crazy or what?? I think I may have kahm yeast growing on my starter, smells fine a thin layer of pale yellow hooch with small white opaque bubbles on top. What should I do, start over completely?

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

Kahm isn't harmful, so there's no need to worry about it. But scrape it off, discard all but 4 ounces of your starter, and give it a big feeding, like 8-12 ounces of each flour and water. Let it sit on the countertop for 4 hours, and put it back in the fridge. If successive loaves are still too sour for him, you can add 1/2 tsp baking soda to the mix, and reduce the salt content to 0.5oz.

[@naturallyinspired1988]

@@ultimatefoodgeek thank you very much for your advice.

[@Mdb0514]

I buy Rustic sourdough which is a proper sourdough with a starter and no yeast. However, they put Vinegar in it. They say it’s a preservative.🤷🏻‍♀️

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

Acetic acid does act as a preservative, but the reason they're adding it is for tart flavor...so it "tastes" like sourdough to you.

[@bobnemo7653]

Hi Ben I hope I didn’t mess up the making of my starter. I think I used All Purpose flour in the beginning of making my starter and after 8 days I used Bread four. AM I SCREWED?

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

Nope! You're fine.

[@bobnemo7653]

@@ultimatefoodgeek thank you Ben your videos are great and I can’t wait to brag about my sourdough 😂😂😂

[@MikeSiemens88]

Buttermilk, ha. Ima hafta try some in my next sourdough bake.... ;). Mebbe a lil acid too.... I likes tart...

[@threelockbox123]

I accidentally left my refrigerated starter out after using and feeding it in a warm spot and woke up and it bubbled over Can I still use it? Do I just discard half and refeed and put in fridge?

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

Yup. You don't even have to refeed.

[@catherinebassett4620]

Our local company BREADICO Established 2012 in Sioux Falls SD list of ingredients: Flour, water, salt has excellent sourdough bread. My husband said mine is better.. I gotta agree, but I believe it's more of a tie.

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

EXCELLENT find! Of course, it's regional, so only available in your area.

[@nikkif6568]

I grew up in Southern California, eating Pioneer sourdough bread made in Venice, California. I have never ever found bread that tasted like that. Unfortunately, they’ve been closed for years so I can’t check the ingredients. It’s the flavor I’m always searching for.

[@mypethumans5157]

Water kefir is a good acidic addition too

[@calebcallaway5402]

What's your source for the Latin pronunciation rule mentioned here? I know of at least two standards, neither of which claims to be authoritative (as far as I know)

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

As a dead language, Latin pronunciation must be "assumed" from the living languages that are closest to it. But there is 100% confidence in pronunciation of the vowel "e" because NO other Latin-based language has ANY "long-e" pronunciation for that vowel. It really doesn't matter which resource you use for this specific vowel, because you won't find ANY resource that mentions a "long-e" pronunciation for the vowel "e" in any context.

[@fantailrain3570]

Hi Ben, thank you for sharing your knowledge of all things sourdough, I love your video’s. I have a question for you…I have sourdough discard in my fridge for about 3 or 4 weeks and would like to use it for pancakes, but it smells very strongly like acetone. What should I do? I’m not sure if it’s ok to use like that.

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

It's fine to use! Many starters have that smell. It will vanish while cooking.

[@sharonc6152]

@@ultimatefoodgeek I would love a SD pancake video. Mine seem tough.

[@fantailrain3570]

@@ultimatefoodgeek Thanks Ben 👍

[@KelliRivers]

Love Ben Starr!

[@austinarsenault408]

Could you post a sourdough bagel recipe?

[@bobnemo7653]

Hi Ben Just a quick question. How long do I have to wait to make bread after I have feed my starter that I made using your method.?

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

I have started a loaf as soon as 2 hours after feeding my starter. Just keep watch on your rise. If your loaf rises faster than normal, you'll wanna reduce your second rise a bit.

[@catherineengel4720]

Do you know how to make yogurt? If so I’d love for you to explain it to me. I’m using my instant pot.

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

Yogurt is very easy to make in the Instant Pot, if your Instant Pot has a yogurt function. (Most do.) This is the method I use: www.thekitchn.com/instant-pot-yogurt-267450

[@MSingleton48]

I just came across your video because I’ve been trying to find a real sourdough like I used to get in Colorado over 50 years ago. I was told that this was the original miners sourdough and it was fantastic. By the way, I am the stepfather of your good friend David U….

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

Hey hey! I just texted Dave from Utah the other day, from a spot where we have a great memory. I miss him. Hope you enjoy the recipe!!!

[@krazedvintagemodel]

I appreciate how thorough your explanation is in this video. However, my question remains: how do I make my authentic sour dough taste Less sour? Thank you! 🍞😊

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

Add a little baking soda to the initial mix to neutralize acidity. Start with 1/2 tsp baking soda, and reduce the salt content to 0.5oz. The reaction of baking soda with acetic acid produces a salt, so you don't want to over-salt the recipe.

[@krazedvintagemodel]

@@ultimatefoodgeek Thanks Ben. I will try your suggestion. 🌻

[@Phyllis-d1i]

When I was a child, many many years ago we used to go to my aunt's and she bought salt-rising bread. It had a very unique taste but I really liked it. Do you have a recipe for it?

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

You have introduced a new term to me. I am RABID for food anthropology, so I will do research on this old method. VERY interesting...

[@shawnbecker9810]

Great video!

[@BeachPeach2010]

I got a grain mill about 2mos ago and my bread life has been a friggin nightmare ever since! I wish you'd do some info vids on fresh milled bread, hydration, levening, whole grains, etc!

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

If your goal with the grain mill was to make bread from freshly milled flour, throw out your grain mill. You CANNOT bake bread with 100% freshly milled flour. (At least...you can't bake it easily.) Freshly milled flour is NO GOOD for baking bread. ALL commercial flour is aged or chemically treated to oxidize it, in order to make it better for bread baking. If you want to bake better bread with your home milled flour...spread it out on a baking sheet and put it in the freezer for 2 months. But even then, you can't bake a loaf of sourdough that is made of 100% whole grain flour, and have it turn out well, unless you use VERY high hydration...which requires a VERY active starter, and lots of strength building techniques. SO...to be clear...if you want to churn out perfect loaves of bread, you MUST age your flour, and if you want those loaves to be made of 100% whole grain, you MUST use the complex techniques. Otherwise...substitute only 8oz of your freshly milled flour, and use the rest of the 12 oz of flour as BREAD flour...and add an additional 0.5oz water to the recipe...and it will make you a decent loaf.

[@kevinorr6880]

I like the sourdough a LOT. I like the sour flavor also. I will gladly make a recipe that makes my bread more tart. It's just another recipe after all. ALSO, I agree with you on how educational modern dictionaries are! While I'm here “alot” IS NOT A WORD!!

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

Truth!!!

[@kevinorr6880]

@@ultimatefoodgeekI think I love you, but I'm not sure…

[@llewle3]

The Rustik Oven California style sourdough loaf. We just checked the ingredients and it doesn't have commercial yeast or added acid.

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

You found one! Very cool. That brand isn't sold in my region.

[@rosepaul9681]

That's the brand I buy when I don't feel like making bread.

[@snjtgbjmmk]

Wow you know alot of stuff

[@MissRockMist]

My homemade sourdough comes out sour at times in summer...which I hate, I don't understand why you'd want that😂 learned to make it not so sour most of the time

[@nikkif6568]

Two questions. Replace all the water with buttermilk? How do you store the bread to keep the crust from becoming soft and yet keep the crumb from drying out?

[@chianti95]

I slice it the next day ( easier to cut) and store in the freezer. Pop slices into the toaster oven without defrosting and the crust crisps up beautifully as the interior toasts. The refrigerator makes bread go stale, plastic bags make it soggy. The freezer is the answer. Hope Ben concurs. Btw, I place the cooled, freshly baked boule in a linen bread bag overnight, and slice it the next day if I want to preserve it for a longer time. Don’t microwave it to reheat. Toaster oven or actual oven is best.

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

Chianti's advice is sound. You CANNOT preserve crisp crust and moist crumb without intervention before eating. If you wish to store at room temp, err on the side of preserve the moisture of the crumb. (A closed container or beeswax cloth is best.) The crust will soften, but the bread will require less intervention before you eat it. If stored in beexwax cloth, you can slice and eat it the next day with no intervention. Or, you can put the whole loaf in a 350F oven for 10-15 minutes to crisp the crust back up, and then slice. But slicing and freezing is best, understanding that you MUST heat it back up to bring it back to life.

[@nikkif6568]

@@ultimatefoodgeek I'm happy to hear you can't preserve both. I thought maybe I was crazy. Thank you for the advice. I will save it.

[@nikkif6568]

@@chianti95 Thank you for the advice. I'm always telling people in my house that bread does not go in the frig. Nice to have it confirmed.

[@jakemitchell1671]

I have 2 year old starter. I can feed it before using and it will almost double in size. Looks and smells great. A dab will float on water - just perfect. I read that for one loaf of bread one should use about 50g of starter. I like that tart taste so I use 75g. Doesn't matter. I've tried every water-flour ratio, every kneading technique, every proof time from one hour to 24 hours, every environment temp from 70F to 90F, every oven temp from 350 to 500...and no matter what I do my bread comes out dense, moist, heavy, and bland. The amount of salt/sugar doesn't help. Then I can start over with a couple tsp of dry yeast and it comes out perfect every time. I envy the tiny percentage of human beings who can make good sourdough bread. I can't do it. I'm done trying.

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

Did you actually TRY my Simple Sourdough method? It's practically foolproof, provided your starter is at 100% hydration and you're not feeding it consistently.

[@jakemitchell1671]

@@ultimatefoodgeek It was my bad. It's ironic how I discovered it. After getting irritated and leaving a snippy comment, I decided I was DONE with sourdough. I had a "shaggy ball" in a greased bowl in a warm place. I started to throw it away, but just decided "I'm through with this; that dough can just sit there and rot as far as I'm concerned. And I went to bed. Got up the next morning and the dough had damn near TRIPLED in size!! I threw it into a dutch oven, and 32 min later I had the BEST bread I've ever made! After baking with instant yeast for many years I simply didn't know how long to the let doe sit before using it. I apologize for my tone. I was irritated, but in the end it was all my fault. Thank you!

[@janicemccarty4839]

could I substitute vegan coconut yogurt for the buttermilk?

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

Yes!

[@kevinorr6880]

How about kefir? Does that work instead of buttermilk? I make that daily.

[@ultimatefoodgeek]

Kefir and buttermilk function the exact same way in baking!

[@kevinorr6880]

@@ultimatefoodgeekThank you! I appreciate your response. What is you opinion of the Askersrum mixers? I own an old Kitchenaid now.

[@AlamosaOutdoors]

Buttermilk has been my secret ingredient for making the best tasting sourdough. Now I see it shared here for the whole world to see! 🙂

[@saraguinta]

How much buttermilk do you add? I have some in my fridge that I was literally just asking myself "what am I going to do with this"?

[@AlamosaOutdoors]

@@saraguinta I use buttermilk for the entire liquid portion (no other milk or water) in the same number of grams.

[@tmee3708]

@@saraguintaI’d love to know this answer too.