My sourdough was a doorstop until a baker friend gave me one tip

I've been trying to make a good sourdough loaf for about three months now, and they all came out flat and dense. I showed a picture to my friend who works at a bakery, and she said, 'Your starter looks hungry. It should double in size after feeding, not just bubble a little.' I started feeding mine twice a day for two days before baking, and the difference is crazy. My last loaf actually had an open crumb and a decent ear. It's not perfect, but it's bread, not a brick. Has anyone else had a starter that just needed more food to really get going?

2 comments

2 Comments

maxp681mo ago

Honestly I think people overfeed their starters. Mine bubbles a little and makes fine bread. All that extra feeding just wastes flour. Maybe the problem was your technique, not the starter.

riverf341mo ago

Spot the same thing with houseplants all the time. People water them but forget they need food too, so they just sit there looking sad. It's like giving someone a glass of water but no dinner. That starter was just running on fumes, you know? Makes you wonder what else in our routines is just barely getting by when it really needs a proper meal.