Troubleshooting Your New Sourdough Starter
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- čas přidán 20. 04. 2020
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If you are having some issues with getting your sourdough starter going, this video should help you! These are the most common questions I get about new starters:
-Why isn't my starter looking active?
-Why did my starter look active and then die down?
-How do I know my starter has gone bad?
-Why does my starter smell?
#sourdough #stayhome #bread - Jak na to + styl
My sourdough starter is finally successful and is now sitting happily in my fridge. Before watching Bettie’s video, my fifth attempt at making a sourdough starter was dying by day three, as usual. I had tried following five different tutorials on CZcams, but I couldn’t figure out what was going wrong. My starter always produced hooch on top, became too watery, or had hooch in the middle.
After watching Bettie’s troubleshooting tips and successfully reviving my starter, I’ve concluded a few points that might help others living in tropical climates (like Malaysia) where it’s around 30°C even indoors:
01. Maintain a Thick Pancake Batter Consistency:
My starter had hooch on day three and stopped growing, becoming very watery. So, I poured out half of my starter (the hooch was in the middle) and added flour and water to achieve a thick pancake batter consistency.
02. Keep it in the Coolest Room:
I didn’t store it in the kitchen because the kitchen temperature exceeds 30°C. Instead, I kept it in my bedroom, where the temperature is around 28-29°C.
03. Feed More Often:
I didn’t follow the standard feeding schedules found in tutorials from temperate climates. These didn’t work for me, even a Hong Kong-based tutorial failed.
04. Discard Extra Starter:
I always discard extra starters to avoid having too much. I keep around 25g of starter and feed it with 50g of flour and 50g of water, maintaining the sticky thick pancake batter consistency.
05. Don’t Stick to Online Tutorial Timelines: Everyone has their own unique environment, which differs from others in various ways, including room temperature, flour gluten content, and the bacteria around the starter. Because of these differences, I didn’t follow the exact timelines provided in the tutorials. Instead, I observed my starter and waited until it could double in size every time I fed it, made a sizzling sound when scooped and passed the floating test. These signs indicate that your starter is stable and alive, meaning you have successfully created a starter!
When I saw Bettie’s video, I was about to throw away my fifth starter. It had hooch in the middle and had stopped growing. I discarded some of it (keeping it at about two days' worth) and doubled the amount of flour and water to keep it at the sticky thick pancake batter consistency. I didn’t measure precisely because my scale was broken. The starter revived on day three after this adjustment and stabilized by day six, doubling in size every time I fed it. Bei Bei (my starter's name) is now very active and two weeks old.
I’ve tried using Beibei to bake sourdough bread, but my bread flattens like a flying saucer because the starter is more active compared to factory-dried yeasts. I’m currently struggling to achieve a balloon-shaped sourdough bread, but I’m not giving up. I’m confident I’ll succeed if I keep trying! Thanks again, Bettie, for sharing your video!
I’m on day 4 and hooch keeps building up at the bottom then the middle and now the top I discarded half and keep adding more flour and more water just like you said “thick pancake consistency”. I’m hoping this will do the trick! Thanks for recommendation
Glad I'm not the only one having troubles 😅
I've been trying for two months can't get a proper rise and obviously when i bake a loaf it doesn't rise properly or taste sour at all 😊
Honestly, you give the clearest instructions on sourdough starter. I've watched your entire series and it's sooooo clear and easy to follow. Thank you so much!! I've watched like a bunch, before I found your videos, I'm so glad you made this series!! x
I have an active starter, but I was just curious. Everything Baker Betty said it helpful for the beginners.
I have tried to bake bread for years finally got it down to an art. I follow everything she says to the letter. I was amazed on the different textures and flavors I can get by using different flours in my starter.
Pro tip: you can watch series on flixzone. I've been using it for watching loads of movies recently.
@Bodie Maxwell Yup, I've been watching on Flixzone} for since december myself =)
YES! You managed to answer all the questions i still had after watching endless number of tutorials. Thank you!
This. Her video was the best I’ve seen and made me feel ready to bake today
@@jco1966 exactly how i felt for reals
I think i have the hooch situation going on. My intuition tells me it’s not stabilized. I’ve been feeding it for like 6 days and began seeing hooch within 24 hours. It’s smells really gross like baby vomit actually. Should i start over or try to fix this one?
@@lisaduffy6792 don’t start over. Just keep feeding it each day a 1:3:3 ratio and be patient. It’ll sort itself out. I happened to me and everything worked out after 10 days or so. Be patient. Trust.
@@jco1966 thank you! I will do so. 💜
Thank you sooooo much. I was struggling, so I would throw out a bunch of starter because I thought I was doing something wrong. And with your video I understood that is normal and that I had to have more faith.
Back to the kitchen
Oh my god. This has been amazing. I have gone through so many starters because I always thought they were dead. 😩 and you come along and tell me all the things Pinterest did not. Thank you 🙏🏻 was about to throw out another starter.
Keep going!
So true, I'm at Malaysia (tropical country), my starter always stop growing and have hooch in the middle at around day 3, and I thought it die and throw away …😢 thanks for your video and I will keep trying until success!😅
I feel so intimidated to start baking with my brand new starter, I thought I had killed it but this video brought me a lot of clarity and now I know my “ baby” Is still alive haha 🙌🏼
Now I just need to work on my mind and actually give it a try 😅
I'm so grateful for this! Having made bread for a year or so with yeast I finally decided to try sourdough, but I was despairing about my starter because after several days the only thing it did was to produce the hooch. Now I am wiser having watched your video, so I will persevere. Thank you Bettie!!
You're welcome!
Thank you!!! I’ve tried making and sustaining sourdough starters multiple times and hit most of those roadblocks each time, yet my google searches on the issues never gave me these answers so I gave up each time.
Not today! You’ve given me hope that I haven’t killed my yeast babies and I’m so grateful. 😊
Thank you! I’ve watched countless long drawn out versions that make my head spin! Now I know that I’ve been starving my starter. Best vid!
SO HELPFUL! I started a starter 5 or so weeks ago and was ready to throw in the towel. I was starving my starter as it turns out. Baker Bettie, I'm so thankful for your time and help! My starter is happy and active and ready for baking... Take care, Grady!
Nashville, TN
Just found you and have subscribed. I too have been throwing away my starters way to soon. You are so clear in how you communicate and what you say makes total sense. Now to finish my starter finally
thank you so much Bettie! I feel encouraged. Tomorrow is day seven for my first starter and it isn't too bubbly but now I have some ideas. You are very helpful.
So excited, I followed your instructions to make my first starter like ten days ago and today I'm making your no knead recipe for my first try! It's fermenting as I type! Thanks for all your help
Wonderful! I hope it turned out well! Remember that sourdough bread takes a lot of practice so don't get discouraged if it isn't perfect the first time!
This helped me so much! I was trying to research yesterday what went wrong and couldn't find a very clear answer. Thank you for clearing things up. I did nothing wrong and I just have to keep going!
Amazing answers! I was trying to figure out why my young starter smells quite bad already but you've answered it for me! I'll keep at it! Thanks!
Good job. Right to the point. Starter isn't tough, and as you point out so well, patience is the key.
I have been making my own bread for the last year and a half. My sourdough starter has been adequate but not spectacular. Thank you for your clear instruction.
Have been watched many sourdough videos from other channnels, never have benefited and succeded until have watched yours. Thank you!
Thank you. I've learned a lot from you and thank you for putting this information out for folks like me. My starter got put in the fridge & now it doesn't want to grow. I'm doing your 1:3:3 daily feedings and weighing everything like you said, then leaving it out. I'm not "exact" but within a gram or 2. I used up the last of my unbleached flour a few days ago. All I have right now is white bleached flour. My starter sits there & bubbles a tiny bit but that's it. My home is about 70 degrees F most of the time. When I first made the starter, it bubbled up & over the jar rim to the point that when I removed the lid one day, the hard crust actually cut my finger! Now, nothing... :(
I've created my 1st starter during lockdown, worked great!.. I added amaranth that I harvest on my property, fairly sure that started the fermenting quickly👍
Thanks for making this video! Answered virtually all the questions I had about my sourdough starter that I just started! I was just about ready to toss it out after the activity died down drastically after it was bubbling and rising like mad in the first 3-4 days. Now it's pushing 9-10 days and its been watery and sluggish. I'll just play with the amount of water I feed it and watch it
The best explanatory video I have seen so far! Thank you! I was really worried. My starter was all doubling and bubbling for the first 3 days and then it all ended in 4th and 5th day (and mine has been super hungry all the way, it formed hooch every 6-8 hours). Now it is just sitting there a little bubbly, not rising and still getting hungry all the time. I guess I'll name it little weirdo!
Thank you for this very clear & easy to navigate series!
You are an excellent teacher! So refreshing! Keep it up you will go far on You Tube. 😀
The best video which I have been finding for 3 days thankyou for the advice and all
So basically, getting my sourdough started is like watching a fungal/bacterial war. And once it starts smelling pleasant, the yeast has won.
Yes I killed my last one accidentally somehow 🥴 The new one is in that battle phase. Lots of bubbles and growth and only two days old! It doesn’t smell like sourdough yet though and I won’t be using it for a while.
Haha absolutely!
When this happens.. the pleasant smell.. You mean the sour smell right? Mine smells like buttermilk....not alcohol but strong buttermilk. I started with rye
My five day starter smelt of rotten eggs! Why ?
@@preciousdevere288rotten eggs? Mine doesn't smell great because it's just starting but I wouldn't say rotten eggs. Usually when they go bad it's the mold that wins first. It depends... Of it's not that old then I would just keep trying depending on the smell too. Usually the starter phase smells a little like sulphur from bad bacteria but not very strong.
Oh thank goodness! You have saved my sanity. My starter had the “false start”. I was wondering what happened to the bubbles! I’m going into day 7. I’ll keep the course and hope for the best. Keep up the great videos!
Glad I could help!
Me toooo! But now I'm on day 10 & only getting a little bit of raise... Ughhhh ! I'm trying a no discard starter tho so I'm only using a little bit of flour & water a day(25g each) ... I'm getting very discouraged tho!
The yeast and bacteria were having an epic battle! Then the yeast eventually win over time 😂👍🏻
@@akhoneybee9076 I'm habing this theory in my mind observing my starter! It's on day 11 and between days 3-10 it wasn't rising and the texture is wet and loose, thinking that's bacteria (because bacteria makes things wet and slimy-like). Yesterday I fed it with wholegrain+ap flour, this morning it rose so much like the first few days! Hopefully it will stabilise soon. 🥺
Stumbled upon your channel. Fantastic presentation. Very through and easy to follow. Subscribed.
Thank you, really useful video for me as I'm new to starters and it really helped.
Thank you this is very helpful!! I thought I did something wrong but I think I just need to give more time and find a warmer location!
Thank you. My first attempt at sour dough. Your comment on the initial activity then looking DOA is exactly what I saw and what I was researching. Took off like a rocket on day 2-3 then a few bubbles but no real activity since. It is now day 5. Still alive, a bit of hooch today and a few surface bubbles, but still pretty flat. I was really wondering about and insane rise between day 2 and 3 followed by 3 days of "blah". Not worried now. I have to keep mine in the oven with the light on. Up in the mountains of BC and the house gets pretty cold overnight and not overly warm during the day (winter!) so I figured the oven was the most consistent place for it.
Thank you! I just started mine 8 days ago and I've had just about every one of the "is this still working" issues except mold. Thankful for no mold!
I'm working on my first starter, and these videos have been incredibly helpful!
Great to hear!
Thanks Bettie, I just started a batch today, I had to throw out a batch I started a year ago, because it went too sour, and have been baking with yeast, I hope to get this going really well, I've not done sour dough since my teens, I'm hoping to get a good batch going. Thanks for the easy to follow instructions.
This was so helpful! Thanks alot
This just answered my questions about the weird liquid separation that was on top and the smell- too bad I pitched it this morning! Oh well, at least this attempt will stand more of a chance! Thank you
I thought this was going to be another video where someone reiterates the basics of making a starter without any real new info. Tremendous video, all the real questions answered.
Very helpful information. Thank you!
Thank You for the information. It's very helpful and encouraging.
Thank you! I'm on day 5 & was getting worried, but you alleviated that for me. I seem to be right on track with my starter.
Wonderful!
Super helpful video! Thanks Bettie! 😊
Just found your video. Thank you! I now realize that my starter was starving and I wasn’t feeding it enough. The recipe I was using said to feed every 24 hours. I’m now feed about every 12 and it looks and smells SO MUCH better!!!
Wonderful!
Clearest instructions on troubleshooting a beginner starter grower ..
Thank you for stating that everyone’s environment is different because I have been struggling to get my sourdough starter going. I have used filtered water, temp at 75 degrees Fahrenheit, using whole wheat flour and bread flour and no activity. I will have to wait a little longer. My sourdough starter started with a bang by the second day but has not done anything since. I will try to be patient. Once again, thank you for the encouragement 😍
hiii hows your sourdough starter now? what day are you on now? mine is the same day 2 already rise double the size and then now day 4 going to day 5, i dont see any activity yet.. please let me know hows your starter going on now... thanks
Excellent tips, thank you so much.
CZcams read my mind in suggesting me your video! You answered literally all my questions! Thank you so much for this, I will persevere!
Thanks, it’s a great help, very well explained
Bettie! Great video! Thank you for your concise advice!! First time Muir, looking forward to your other videos!! Thanks again
This was so helpful! I did get that false start, I was so excited. Then I seriously thought I killed it. I think I've devised a good spot for temperature now, it's definitely not doubling, but there's some activity. This made me feel a little more confident moving forward. Thank you!
Did you suceed in your baking?
@@wellinever1558 I did! I’m finally making gorgeous loaves!
Great Info! Thanks!
Huge help! Thanks!
Thank you so much! Ive started my starter 3 days ago. And it smells really weird. Kinda like how you described. I'll update this comment when I start using it! Thanks!
Super helpful. Thank you!
I was worried that something was wrong with my starter because the first day I used purified water and saw a ton of activity, but the second day I accidentally used tap water and after that the activity died down and I thought I had killed it. It's reassuring to hear that that is just the yeast and the bacteria trying to balance each other out and I should just keep going! 👍
Your videos have been very helpful Bettie, thank you!! 💖
Super helpful info, thank you!
You're so welcome!
Thank you for such a great video-answered so many of my questions!
Excellent, thank you!
the video helped a bunch. Thank you dear.
Yes!!!!!! Surely answer my questions! Thank you!!!!
You're so welcome!
Super nice video! Thanks!
So helpful!! Thank you!
Great tips!
Thank you thank you thank you I’ve been super worried about my cheesy starter and there is very little help on the interwebs!!! I will just keep working on her!!!
Thank you, I’ve already thrown out a starter and tried again but now I’m realizing it was probably still ok!
I bet it was! Try again!
Thank you so very much...
This is a great help...your a gem..🌹
Bettie, Thanks for this video. I watched your post about being a bad sourdough mom. Well, I am the worst. My starter has been in the frigerator for about 6 months without any attention. I finally had the nerve to open it and look. Of course it has a layer of grey and smells totally like vinegar. I cleaned the top off and I am going to give it a try since it doesn't smell rotten or gag worthy. It was a dry starter so no liquid to pour off. No orange or pink color. Wish me luck.
Thanks for your videos
Thanks so much! I got my starter going a few days ago seeing great progress and then it just slowed down a whole bunch, thought I did something wrong! I’ll keep going though!
Yes, keep going! That's totally normal.
I’m new here! Love your show and share, Thanks! 🙏🏻😍
So glad I found you!
Thanks for the video.
Great info!
You helped me save my starter! Thank you
Glad I could help!
Thank you for this video, it’s like you answered all my questions ❤️ 👍 🥖
Thank you THANK YOUU! this helped me so much you have no idea❤️❤️
Great video! Thanks
Thank you so much for this super informative video. You’re very good at explaining! ❤
You are so welcome!
🍀🍀🍀🍀 YES!!! So much is clear now. Thanks for being thorough.
You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed it!
This was insanely helpful... I just learned I threw out a starter when it was actually just active and needed more feeding. FML. Thanks for the help! Starting over with stone ground whole wheat flour. Fingers crossed.
Glad it helped!
You just saved my starter. Thank you.
You're welcome!
Thank you for explaining my hooch covered hungry starter! Gotta go feed it now.
Glad to help!
Thank you very much for the excellent explanation
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for this helpful video!!! I’ve been having a hard time to find a warm place and trying many ways to keep my starter warm. This time it seems like I kept it at a little too warm place so it’s got hooch way earlier than the next feeding. Shall I feed it asap or still keep the same timing? also is it okay to feed with other flour in case I run out of the one I’ve been using?
This was informative and to the point, thank you so much! Solved my problems :)
You're welcome!
I wish I could give this video a thousand likes, it was AMAZING!!! Thank you!
Glad you liked it!
Very useful sis. ❤
I just started my first starter a couple of weeks ago and the first two days it really stank awful, and I mean awful, even nauseating, but everyday afterwards it smelled less awful and a bit more yeasty, by day 6 it just smelled a bit acid, and from then on it just smells a bit like yeast and yogurth, actually kinda nice. I used it on day 9 to make a sourdough loaf and it turned out great, amazing poof, great taste and smell, so unless it contaminated somehow all you need to do is keep feeding it correctly until it matures :)
Thanks! Great questions! Great answers!
Glad you enjoyed it!
@@BakerBettie wow! Never expected a response! Thank you! Been making sour dough for about a year. Had a wonderful starter shared with me. Was forming , then resting overnight in fridge. After a while my results lacked oven spring. The loaves were flat discs. I’ve searched for the answer. I cannot find what I was doing wrong. Can you speak to this? I’d appreciate it! Also, I wanted to divide to make rolls. They were not in a couche, but placed on parchment on a jelly roll sheet in fridge. But even the round loaf in my proofing bowl didn’t have oven spring. Cooked in a 1 hr preheated 475 oven in a cast iron pot with lid. Thank you got your time!❤️
I like keeping mine in the microwave. It’s pretty warm, about 73 from October-April. The rest of the year, our house is warm enough for it to just be on the fridge.
Great video.
Thanks!
This really helped thank you x
I'm so glad!
I’ve enjoyed all your sourdough videos. Thanks for the clarifications. My starter has been doubling in volume in 12 hours. It has done this for 4 days. With a 25-75-75 ratio, will it ever get faster? Anxious to bake my first loaf.
Hello!🙂 First of all, thank you so much for these videos! They have helped me enormously to overcome my confusion and despair over the lack of activity of my starter😉 I am now on day 5, but sadly haven't known your videos earlier.I have only seen some activity by day 2/3 and since then it does nothing at all. I feed it every morning and evening with 50 g of rye flour and about 65g of water, as I noticed that with 50g of water the starter is VERY thick and hard to stir. Having received all the information from you, I now know that I should switch to a 1-3-3 feeding method by now and also feed it only once per day. Can I just do that from now on, or will it be too big of a change all of the sudden? I don't want to harm my starter obviously 😅
Thank you, this was very helpful. I subscribed, liked and rang the bell.
thanks so much!
Bettie I have really enjoyed your sourdough series. Very clear and very concise. I do have a question for you. Have you ever heard or used pineapple (or fruit juice) to get your starter going?
I know this video is some year old, but I need to share.
Yesterday, I feed my starter exactly at noon hoping to make dough at around 7pm to bake bread the next day.
By 5pm, both my jars were smelling like 100% alcohol with no liquid on top. I was confused.
So I feed it and put it in the fridge to try again tomorrow.
Same thing. Now I just have alcohol. lol when I smell it reminds me of the college days.
I just want to give up and start all over.
Thank you so much for this video? How do I know whey my starter is mature and I can begin only feeding it daily (if baking actively) or weekly (in fridge)?
Bob's Red Mill Organic Rye + King Arthur Bread Flour, 50/50, at 100‰ hydration. You will be AMAZED!
Thanks for the tip about slightly warm water-will give that a try! I have been using filtered water (as I live in a city) which i keep in my fridge, but its the only reason i can see that mine has not yet risen (day 5-smells sour and bubbles but no rise yet). Will give it another week and see, thanks!
Happy to help! I think that should do the trick.
Hi Betty! First off, thanks for your videos. I found your pie crust masterclass very helpful and I'm currently having a lot of fun with this sourdough series. I have an issue with my starter : I feel like it's way more runny than yours... Is this normal? Other than that I think it's doing alright (as far as I can tell according to your videos / other info I got online). Thanks for the help!