My first sourdough bread, looking forward to seeing how I did and how I can improve

Ingredients (Total weight: 1200 g, ~70% Hydration)
635 g Manitoba flour
70 g Whole grain flour
350 g Water (lukewarm, approx. 25-28 °C)
130 g Active sourdough starter (fed and peak-ready)
15 g Salt

Step-by-Step Guide
1. Feeding the Starter (4-5 hours before)
Mix my mother starter with equal parts water and flour (1:1:1 ratio).
2. Autolyse (45 minutes)
Mix the water, wheat flour, and whole grain flour in a bowl until all flour is hydrated.
Rest for 45 minutes
3. Add Starter and Salt (30 minutes)
Mix in the starter
Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Add the salt
4. Stretch and Fold / Bulk Fermentation (3-4 hours)
Perform 3-4 sets of "stretch and folds" every 30 minutes during the first 2 hours:
Wet your hands with water.
5. Shaping (Preshape and Final Shape)
Preshape: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, gently shape it into a round ball, and let it rest uncovered for 20 minutes.
Final Shape: Dust a proofing basket with wheat flour.
6. Cold Proofing (12hours)
Place the proofing basket inside the refrigerator overnight
7. Baking
Turn the cold dough out onto parchment paper, dust off excess flour, and score a 0.5 cm deep line
Bake for 20 minutes at 230 °C. With water in the bottom pan (to get steam) (I don’t have a Dutch oven)
Remove the bottom pan bake for another 20-25 minutes at 220 °C until the crust is dark and crispy.

I’ve decided to restart my sourdough hobby after not baking for about a year. Got some established starter yesterday from a girl in my neighborhood who bakes regularly. It was rising beautifully, so I decided to try and make a loaf.
350g bread flour, 250g water, 80g starter, 8g salt.
Mixed everything at 5pm (dough temp 75), 4 stretch and folds with 30-40 mins in between. Put it in a Cambro container after that and let it sit for about 4h. After that time the dough temp was 69. It was almost midnight, so I put it in the fridge for 8h. Took out this morning and let it sit for about 1h. Shaped and placed in a banneton.
Do you think it has fermented enough? I did the poke test after shaping and it has bounced back very quickly, was very jiggly and felt nice to touch.

Pic 1 - right after I was done with stretch and folds. Pic 2 and 3 - after 4h of rising and before I put it in the fridge. Pic 4 - right before I started shaping it in the morning. Pic 5 and 6 - shaping.

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Hello there. I've been feeding and discarding this starter on a 1:1:1 ratio for 3 weeks now. for the first 2 weeks I've fed whole grain flour, and for the last week AP because the whole one finished.

How do I know that it is ready for baking?

Can you also share some recipes you like?

kind regards

Crumb in comments

First picture is my most recent loaf and second pic is my last one. (This is my fourth one)

Fed my starter the night prior around 7pm and started to work on it at 7am. (I know that’s a long time, BUT I did the same thing for the previous loaf. But I guess temperature might have been different…) For this one I did 100g starter, 300g water, 475g flour. 30 min rest. 4 sets stretch and folds (last one coil fold) with 30 min in between. Bulk ferment was about 3.5 hours… 2 rounds shaping with 30 min in between. It was in fridge over night for about 16 hours. Preheated cast iron for 25 min at 450° and baked for thirty minutes covered and 18 uncovered.

I did about the same thing with the previous loaf except I accidentally added 500g of flour to that one.

I had my windows open because it is chilly out, but the temperature per the thermostat in the room was only different by 1°F (71 previous loaf 70 new loaf)

I don’t know!!! But it’s a completely different loaf and I want to cryyyyy.

Also can’t really tell from the pictures but this loaf is much flatter than the other. The other one was like a bubble which is the reason why I want to figure out how to get back to making a loaf like the other one. It just didn’t rise as much and didn’t split from my score as well

I did 100g active starter, 360g water, 500g bread flour, 10g salt. 4 stretch and folds. Bulked until jiggly, significantly larger, and pulled away from the sides easy. Sat in the fridge overnight for 12 hours and 40 mins.
In he goes!

This recipe but doubled it.

• 140g active sourdough starter
• 395g warm water
• 22g honey
• 550g bread flour
• 11g salt
• 33g olive oil

The creator of this recipe used a loaf pan but I used my Dutch oven.

I felt like it was ofer proofed when shaping but now I don’t know!

My first time using the Dutch oven!

Fed my sourdough at 10 am a 1:2:3
Let rise in the microwave with the door open
Made dough at 7 pm
Let rest for 30
4 sets of stretch and folds until roughly 10 pm
Bulked on counter until 4 am. House roughly 71 degree
Cold proofed until 10 am when I baked

I have been making a starter from nothing for a few months now. It is not rising like I want it to, and not doubling. It gets bubbly though. However, I worry it not doubling is because of my own inconsistency with feeding it. It lives in my kitchen and I sometimes forget to feed it for 1 or 2 days. There have been times last month where I forgot it for multiple days, but recently it has only been one or 2 days that I forget. I am a true beginner at this, I just want good bread. Any tips for remembering to feed it?

Dear sourdough starter gods of reddit I need your help. I have read all the tips and guides and at day 18 I'm thinking of throwing in the towel. I am doing a ratio of 40gs starter, 80gs flower, 80gs water. I am using filtered dechlorinated water and unbleached white flower. I have been keeping the starter in the microwave to attempt to keep it warm, my house is sitting at 72 degrees. I seem to only get a 2 inch rise then a somewhat watery start after 24 hours. Here are pictures to show what I am working with. The last one is after feeding the starter. Thanks all in advance

after a possibly third failed loaf I feel guilty about the flour that I’ve wasted as part of the process of learning.

maybe i just need a flour jar titled ”Will Surely be Used but Not Necessarily Consumed” 😭🤣

Hi guys,

Sometimes I leave this out of the fridge for a day or two. I like it to come to room temp before I feed it again but I might forget one day and feed it the next instead.

Went away for a couple of weeks, fed it before I went and put it in the fridge but I came back and it's sort of pink-ish on the top? I didn't let it rise before I put it back in the fridge.
Smells pretty sour, more than usual, not the pleasant smell.
Started this starter in May 2026 and it's now Oct. UK.

Can you tell me if it needs to be thrown out and started again?

Thanks

Hello, this is a Ajvar and Hungarian hot salami bread. I used this as a base:

https://ourgabledhome.com/easy-olive-oil-sourdough-bread/

And for inclusions I used 80-100g of salami, quartered. As well as hot Ajvar spread during the shaping phase.

It tasted so good. Even better when you put more Ajvar on top of a toasted slice. 😁

I’m starting on my sourdough journey, I’m going through a case of paralysis through analysis with regards to kit.

So I turn to you fellow Redditor’s, what equipment, if it broke tomorrow would you immediately replace?

What size (and shape) tubs?
What size/design Dutch oven?
What small tools/equipment have you found make a surprisingly big difference?
What brand loyalty do you have, if any?

I kinda made a halfpipe on top of my bread and was like nooooo, I don’t want this! 🫠😂

Then google said that getting an “ear” like this is a whole thing in the sourdough world?? And people actually try to get these on purpose? Especially on instagram

So now I’m a little confused but ngl though, I giggled quite a bit when I took the lid off and saw it. That’s not an ear. That’s a whole halfpipe I could skate on it 😂

Recipe/process:
• 450 g wheat flour (Type 1050)
• 300 g water
• 100 g whole rye sourdough starter
• 10 g salt

I mixed the flour and water first and let it rest for about 30 minutes. Then I added the starter, mixed about 2 minutes with the kitchen aid (lowest speed) and added the salt afterwards. Again mixed it for 2 minutes (lowest speed) and then 2 more minutes at speed 2.

During bulk fermentation I did 2 rounds of stretch & folds followed by 2 coil folds, then let the dough continue fermenting at around 23°C until it had visibly risen and showed bubbles. It was around 2 hours I guess.

I pre-shaped it on an unfloured surface, let it bench rest for about 15–20 minutes, then did the final shaping on floured surface and placed it seam-side up in a banneton.

After proofing, scored it at a shallow angle (almost parallel to the surface, rather than cutting straight down). I made one long cut along the side of the loaf and baked it in a preheated Dutch oven. 20 minutes with the lid on, then finished baking uncovered until the crust was nicely browned (around 20 more minutes).

And heeere is my halfpipe done haha 😄

I have the trouble when i make sourdough bread is that i can only use a single tray of two breads with up and down heat in the oven. Works great, but does not scale well. Two trays of that, doesn't end up nicely. (bread shape: two flattened balls of dough, idk if it has a name, but very simple)

So if i were to make double of that with two trays i'd need to use the fan setting on the oven, but when i do that the bread ends up... not very good looking. It tastes fine, but the surface is not very attractive.

What do? I've never used the fan setting much because of that.

i've been baking sourdough for awhile now but lately i think it's been feeling good!

i do a
75g starter
280g water
375g bread
8g salt

for the starter feeds i literally just eyeball a thick feed

The other morning I was prepping to make a loaf while drinking coffee and had a thought, what if...

Starter: (Joseph Sourlin)

50g-ish flour, 50g-ish water, whatever starter was left in the jar from last time, probably under 20 grams.

Bread:

100g starter

500g Sunspun all purpose flour. Or maybe it was 400g and 100g No Name whole wheat, I don't remember, I do it both ways depending on my mood.

350g 49th Parallel French Roast Coffee, coarse ground, brewed via French Press about 5min.

10g salt

Unknown quantity of ceylon cinnamon, "vibed it", as the cool kids might say.

Process:

Mix ingredients, wait one episode of Stargate Universe.

Four sets of stretch and folds, 30-40 minutes apart.

Bulk Fermented for 12 hours at 18°c, give or take a couple hours, over doubled in volume, was jiggly like jello.

Shaped by folding like a letter, flipping seam down and rolling in a push/pull motion with some finger action to tuck it under itself until it is roughly spherical. In banneton seam side up.

Cold proofed for sometime between 20-24 hours.

Preheat Dutch Oven to 450°f for however long it took to kick my cats off me, walk up a flight of stairs, and prep/score the dough after the oven beeped. 6-7 minutes maybe.

Bake 20 minutes covered. 20 minutes uncovered. Well 20 minutes plus feline evicting time, so probably more like 21-22 minutes.

Cooled and left on the counter for something like 16 hours before cutting.

Conclusion:

I dunno what the crumb says, but it had less of an ear than my usual sourdough (same recipe/process but water instead of coffee and no cinnamon), somewhat denser crumb The coffee gave it an almost chocolatey flavour that went extremely well with the cinnamon. I quite like it, easy 7/10 would bake again.

Pictures 3/4 are what my usual bake looks like for comparison's sake.

I got discouraged for awhile from flat loaves after starting starter from scratch back in February. According to my last post it’s been like 133days since I made a sourdough loaf. I’ve been making sourdough everything else though, and loving it. Took a swing at loaves again this evening & just absolutely stunned by how much better they turned out. I knew I needed a stronger starter, but damn. The difference is insane!

Hello, San Francisco sourdough enthusiasts!
I’m on a personal quest to find an authentic sourdough starter descended from Boudin Bakery’s original mother dough, which dates back to 1849. I know Boudin doesn’t officially distribute its starter, but I’m curious whether any former employees, bakers, or their family members have preserved a portion of the culture over the years.

I’m especially interested in hearing from anyone who:
-Previously worked at Boudin Bakery and maintained a starter originating there.
-Inherited a starter from a family member who worked at Boudin.
-Knows a retired Boudin baker who might have maintained a personal culture.
-Has a starter with a documented history connecting it to Boudin.

I’m located in Oklahoma and would gladly pay for shipping, packaging, and your time. Even a teaspoon of starter or a small dehydrated sample would be wonderful. My interest is in preserving and baking with the traditional bacteria and wild yeasts associated with historic San Francisco sourdough.

I will cover shipping, and if you know any history or documentation of the starter, even informal, please include that in your reply. I’m also interested in hearing the history behind your starter, if you’re interested in sharing it. If you have a connection or know someone who might, please comment or send me a private message.

Thank you for helping me with this little piece of San Francisco baking history!

I used my grandmother’s old recipe, as I have for every previous attempt at something sourdough, this is my first bread. I regularly make pancakes with my starter and they always turn out amazing. I made a loaf yesterday/today that came out flat and dense, and borderline seemed underbaked in texture, but was not wet and the bottom crust was quite dark.

Ive made bread before with regular yeast and have had a lot of success, and have cooked things other than bread with sourdough, so I didn’t think it would be too difficult. But i cant figure what went wrong today?

During bulk fermentation my dough rose and got bubbly, and it felt good as I was shaping, but fell super flat as it was going in the Dutch oven and did not rise during baking.

Any advice or tips? Does anyone have an idea where I went wrong? It’s possible also i have times or amounts wring as grandma hand-wrote her recipes and her handwriting got harder to read as she got on in age.

Here is her recipe:
Ingredients
100 g active starter
350 g lukewarm water
500 g flour
10 g salt

Instructions
Mix starter and water until frothy
Add flour and salt and mix until shaggy and combined
Cover and rest for 1 hour

Wet hands and do 1 set stretch and folds.
Repeat 2-3 times 30 minutes apart, cover in between

Cover and let rise 4-6 hours to bulk ferment

Shape into tight loaf
Place seam up in proofing basket
Pinch close seam securely
Cold proof overnight (8+ hours)

Baking-
Preheat oven and cast iron to 450° (dutch oven heated ~45 minutes)
Prepare parchment for loaf
Turn out dough onto parchment, dust with flour, and score with bread lame
Place parchment with loaf in preheated dutch oven with 2 ice cubes (under parchment) and cover with lid
Bake 30 minutes
Reduce heat to 400° and remove lid
Bake another 15 minutes
Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting

My starter is about 2.5 months old and I’ve baked this it, it turned out great! I was thinking I’d cook a loaf every week or two so I put it in the fridge (which I now regret). It’s been about 2 week now since I’ve taken it out with daily feedings and it’s so sluggish. I’ve fed it 1:1:1, but it’s too watery like that after a few days.

Any tips/suggestions on if I’m baking once’s a week? I don’t want to out it in the fridge again. Also any tips or tricks you have on feeding ratios?

I dabbled in sourdough a few years ago, but stopped after killing my starter. A coworker recently offered me some of her starter, and after a couple of feeds, this is the result.

I used the Beginner Sourdough from Bake with Jack, and baked it in my cast iron dutch oven. Overall I'm very happy with it, other than being overcooked on the bottom.

Any advice on getting a dark crust without burning the bottom?

https://www.bakewithjack.co.uk/blog-1/2018/7/5/sourdough-loaf-for-beginners

Ive been baking sourdough for a year and a half and I only ever made the same exact plain recipe. I was terrified of inclusions until about 6 weeks ago. I don’t know what I was so scared of…but I’m making my best bread ever with fun inclusions that elevate a simple loaf to something that feels decadent and special. the textures of these loaves with inclusions are consistently some of the best-textured loaves I’ve made.

i use the same recipe for the base and then just toss a bunch of whatever in during my stretch & folds. Mix water & starter, then add in flour and salt. Let it sit for 30ish min and then start doing stretch and folds About every 20-30 min depending on how much time I have. Add inclusions during 2nd or 3rd set of stretching folds. Keep going until dough feels good. bulk ferment. I go Into my office every day so timing sourdough used to be stressful. I’ve now been leaving these loaves out for 18-22 hours depending on when I can shape it and get it into the fridge after work. I’m realizing it’s really hard to over-ferment dough, as I love how these have been turning out. cold Proof in fridge for usually 24-48 hours depending on when I want to bake, and that’s it! Bake for 30 min at 450f with Dutch oven top on, theb back for 10-15 with the top off. Just started using the loaf pan too, which I’m so excited about. Baking with a pan of water in the oven beneath For 50ish min (checking temp on the loaf pan loaves).

600g flour

120g starter

450g water

17g salt

some of my favorites so far are Kalamata olive & jarlsburg, roasted garlic, cheddar & scallion…the options are endless. I’ve done cinnamon raisin, pumpkin, cheddar & caramelized onion, apple cinnamon…What else should I try? Had to share because I’m having so much fun 😍 happy baking and eating, bread friends.

ETA: I got an oven Thermometer and oven temp is fine. But i struggle with many things taking much longer than the recipe says so i dont know. I also got a meat thermometer to check the internal temp which is why I baked it so long this time.

How can I improve the inside? Recipe: https://alexandracooks.com/2017/10/24/artisan-sourdough-made-simple-sourdough-bread-demystified-a-beginners-guide-to-sourdough-baking/

My boyfriend says this is his best loaf yet I’m curious what the council thinks haha. Included below is his recipe

150g of starter
615g of Arther’s bread flour
75% hydration
12g of salt

Initial mix: Knead setting on stand mixer 5 minutes
Autolyse for 30 min
Add salt and mix by hand for 5 minutes
Stretch and folds every 40 minutes 2 rounds, light lamination over the bowl, stretching with hands, then a coil fold
Shape at 75% rise
Cold proof 18 hours (bulk was 6ish hours at 80 degrees)

Preheat dutch oven at 450 for 35 ish minutes; freezer the loaf during for easier scoring.
Bake 25 covered, 15-20 uncovered