Feeding and Caring for your Sourdough Starter (for Lazy People)
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- Опубліковано 10 чер 2024
- Stop the presses! Most of what you've been told about sourdough is wrong. You don't need to feed your starter regularly. In fact, feeding it before you bake can make your sourdough WORSE. Let nature's natural process make your sourdough for you. Work less and eat more (and better!) sourdough.
Follow these easy steps to learn how to properly feed and care for your starter. (Which mostly means ignoring it, and only feeding it when you need to make more starter.) Stick through the ENTIRE video to learn the science behind this method, and why most other sourdough methods are utterly counterintuitive!
-ONLY feed your starter when you are low and need to make more.
-NEVER pour off the dark liquid from on top of your starter. Stir it right back in.
-NEVER feed your starter right before baking Simple Sourdough.
-Feed your starter by AT LEAST doubling its weight with equal weights of flour and filtered water (it's okay to triple, quadruple, etc...as long as you AT LEAST double it.)
-Example: I have 6 ounces of starter left. I need to feed with AT LEAST 3 ounces of flour and 3 ounces of water (for a total of 6 ounces of food), but I could also feed with 10 ounces of flour and 10 ounces of water if I wanted to.
-Always keep starter in a container that can hold it if/when it doubles in volume.
Simple Sourdough for Lazy People (the method, explained in detail): • Simple Sourdough for L...
Troubleshooting Simple Sourdough and FAQ: • Troubleshooting "Simpl...
How to Make Sourdough Starter: • How to make Sourdough ...
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Not lazy. Time efficient! With excellence! And without compromising on quality. In fact, increasing quality! Thank you so much Ben! You make so much wonderful content! I am totally addicted now!
Ben - THANK YOU. I bought a 100 yr old starter I was just abt to throw it away because I thought I'd killed it! I think I got some Divine guidance to fnd your video today. ❤
Good grief. This makes so much more sense. I want terrific sourdough flavor more than anything. The fact that you can do it with so much less effort is the cherry on top. I cringe at being controlled by the process instead of vice versa. Man, you’re the best!
Hi Ben, love your sourdough videos! I had starter that was eight months old in my fridge with the hooch liquid on top. I said what the heck, let's feed these guys and see if we can get them out of their coma. Nothing was happening after 8 hrs, thought they were dead and I was going to have to start over again. Later that evening the
bubbles just exploded! They're Alive! Listen to this man he knows what he is talking about. Salute Ben Star
oh my gosh I am sorry you suffered so badly with Covid. Super happy you recovered and Thank you you so much for your comments!! I agree completely and am so relieved that we all can make stress free bread 😉😋when we want to and more importantly without wasting precious food ! Thank you☺️ BEN STARR!!
Mr Starr you are a gentleman and a scholar. I can’t begin to adequately express my gratitude for your very clear and thorough explanations and ridiculously simple sourdough starter care method. I was gifted a starter which originated in Wales hundreds of years ago. I, a newbie sourdough bread maker, am now producing bakery quality boules each time with extraordinarily little effort. All I can say is…..you are a Rock Starr sir! 😎
Why, thank you! Your greeting is one I've been using my whole life, and I've been fortunate to meet MANY gentlemen scholars. What an exceptional gift you received! I am covetous.
Ben is correct! Started following his method in October and made a loaf from my three week old started and it was good. Then I spent the next 6 weeks in the hospital and later recovering from Covid without any attention to the starter and the next loaf was great. Now I only feed my starter if Im getting low after making bread and let it stay on the counter for an hour or two before refrigerating it. Every loaf now has been perfect!
Travis, I'm SO GLAD to hear you recovered from Covid in the hospital. And glad you knew that your starter was patiently waiting for you to get home, not needing any special care during that time.
You’ve been through a lot. Wishing you good health and good sourdough from now on.
Im glad you have managed to make a good edible loaf.im still trying.
9:49
This is the first video about sourdough that actually makes sense. Thank you for actually thinking about stuff independent of what is said by everyone else :)
Thank you, i’ve watched tons of sourdough videos and I thought no way people 1000 years ago were doing all that BS
The most common sense explanation I've heard. I've had all of these questions about sourdough and starter that you have answered. I'm new to the craft and appreciate the explanation.
I have spent decades trying to conquer sourdough bread/starter. Not until stumbling upon your "Sourdough for Lazy People" video, and your other videos as well, did I ever have success. Thank you for sharing your information and thought processes. I like the "Sciency" parts you include. Now I make Pancakes, Biscuits, Artisan loaves, Sandwich loaves, Sub Buns and English muffins all with sourdough anytime I need/want them without any worries. I never have discard now and ALWAYS have starter ready to go. Once again, Thank You for sharing. :o)
This makes me SO happy!!
I discovered just how forgiving sourdough is. I accidentally "tared" my scale while I was adding flour and had no idea how much flour I put in. I ended up putting in too much water. I added some more starter because my dough had quite a bit more volume than recipe called for. Long story short, I ended up with a very high water content of water, a very loose sticky dough. I also had too much for my loaf pan. I used 2 slightly smaller aluminum foil loaf pans. They cooked up just fine! Nice sour taste and a little denser than usual but everyone agreed the bread was delicious. You are the one who inspired me to not sweat the details and push through. Glad I did!
I can’t begin to imagine how much money I have wasted throwing away cast offs. Why is this practice so prevalent? Thank you Ben, I am a new subscriber. I hope this is the video that explains how to fix my starter back to 100% hydration. I followed a stupid UA-camr by adding a cup of flour to a cup of water thinking it would be 100% hydration, wrong. I found you just in time.
The precedent began in the era before refrigeration, when starters needed frequent feedings to keep them alive and robust, and no one wanted to carry around a gallon of starter. Starters were kept in small containers and fed daily, so SOME of it had to be removed, either to bake with or discard, so the container didn't get over-full. That habit perpetuated once refrigeration was invented, but the practice was no longer needed, because refrigerated starters only need feeding every few months.
@@ultimatefoodgeek thank you for your reply. That was very informative. I’m glad things changed. But would you be able to tell me how to bring a starter back to 100% hydration?
The 'for Lazy People' caught my attention, and I'm so glad I found you! I wanted to start baking again and try sourdough, but was REALLY put off with the idea of feeding a starter every day and discarding...so much waste! Now I have no reservations and can't wait to bake gorgeous loafs of sourdough your way!
Ben I’ve discovered my starter loves my counter right next to the back of my fridge to keep cozy and marinate itself. Also, I can’t put it on top as I have cats, and all that comes with their curiosity.
Two things I believe:
1. If the earth were flat, cats would’ve already knocked everything off, and...
2. If cats had opposable thumbs they would most certainly rule the world 🤣
I always found the current methods of feeding a starter just before baking confusingly and illogical! Your method just makes so much more sense! I’m glad I found your channel!
This makes so much more sense to me! I was actually shocked when others told me to discard so much started. It was to the point where I reconsidered sourdough all together because it seems like you're literally throwing away money. At that point, why not just buy the $5 loaf from a store?
I'm so glad I found this video! I'm going to definitely apply this method and start baking sourdough this week!
Thank you with all my heart. i had the starter but was giving up after 3 bad breads....until i watched your video. now i bake sourdough once a week, you have been a life-changer.
I just started, literally yesterday with some starter my friend gave me. I’ve seen so many videos since, that I’m a bit overwhelmed as everyone seems to have their method; yours has been my favorite! Looove that I don’t have to babysit the starter. Still confused on what to do if want to bake but just fed it, how long to wait before mixing for bread?
I’ll keep watching your videos and reading the comments. Thank you for your recipe for lazy people, that’s usually the name of all my cooking recipes!
If you're not on a DAILY feeding schedule, you can bake a few hours after a feeding. Just let the starter get bubbly on the countertop, then pull off the required amount and start a loaf.
Love your lazy way, I was always concerned I had ruined my starter not feeding it on a regular basis.
This was so helpful! I am just starting out on this sourdough journey and am on Day 3 of creating my starter and was so confused by all the information I was reading on how to keep it going once I got to the end of this process. This makes so much sense and has kept me from throwing it all in the trash and just buying my bread. I feel like I can really do this!
How is it going? A year later? I am having a hard time but not giving up. Just gaining weight making treats with discard. 🤣
I make your lazy sourdough bread once a week! It works every time and the bread is delicious! Thank you so much ! People, try this bread! It is amazing ! I found our camping cast iron Dutch oven. It has an incorporated iron handle, and makes the best bread!
I had a 1 year old starter that never seemed to ever make a good loaf. So, I got rid of it and actually started over. I started one with rye flour and ginger bug. Then fed rye and water. WOW, it's going great. If I end up incorporating ap flour or it gets sluggish I think I will just give a little drink of ginger bug.
I so appreciate your approach to sourdough. I've only had my starter for a few weeks, and thanks to your channel (and your recipe) my first loaf was delicious. I've since shared my starter with two friends, and I tell them to ONLY watch your channel......cause its all you need to know!!! Both have successfully mastered the lazy way of making sourdough bread. Love a friend who listens to good sound advice. LOL
Ben, Great Video. I do use my discard all the time and never throw it out. I use it for the best waffles, and flat breads. But its nice to know I can take my starter and feed it, wait an hour or two and place in the frig and forget about it for awhile. I already have a backup starter in the frig resting for the last few days. There are so many opinions on sourdough it makes my head spin. You keep it simple and back it up with science so even I can understand...
Hello, I have just recently come across your channel, oh my, what an eye opener! I could listen to you all day long. You give such knowledgeable talks about the various subjects but also the backgrounds into their exitance. Its like being back in the classroom , listening to your favourite teacher discussing your favourite subject. I am from the United Kingdom and may I say that you speak so clearly, without using ridiculously inappropriate words, which a lot of Americans use these days, not wishing to cause offense, you make your audience really think about what they are doing with the foods they are handling. You truly are inspirational, and I hope you continue with your wonderful work, I for one will definitely be trying your recipe for sourdough and blackeye beans recipes. Your enthusiasm shines through each and every time. Well done I am a fan of yours from across the "pond", so to speak!
This gentleman is the real deal. Thanks again for this Ben, I now bake fresh bread every week.
Wow, I had no idea. Here I panicked if I didn't feed my starter once a week. You video was great and I will follow your recommendations. Love how you put a human spin when describing the yeast.
After 5 batches of Artisan Style bread I tried your no fuss way of feeding my starter without worrying about temperature of water. Completed the feeding with filtered water and was shocked at how well it worked. Thanks doesn’t seem like enough. No fuss I love that.
I think we should just start calling you The Rock! I have been struggling with making sourdough bread since the pandemic and finally gotten tired of all the hoops to jump through and just quit! After seeing your videos, I’m motivated to try again and feel confident I can make it easier and get better results! ❤ Thanks so much! I’m enjoying binge watching you!
Another one of your fun and very useful lessons! I am totally devoted to the method now and will never ever buy industrially made yeast any more. Furthermore I have successfully used my starter for making Swedish saffron rolls for Xmas, focaccia and ciabatte etc in my Italian home and everything comes out just great! Now I will ignore caring for my starter even more - for a good cause, thankyou very much Ben!
Can I have the recipe for the Swedish Xmas and focaccia?
Just great detailed info. Really inspiring!
OMG! I’m so glad I found your channel. Not only do you have great content you totally crack me up!
Thank you
I knew there has to be a better way!!! Thank you Ben! I will me baking my first bread tomorrow. Can’t wait for the taste of home ❤(long long time ago in Poland 😊)
This makes so much sense! Thank you!
THANK YOU!!! I was following a FB group and they had us feeding our starter every 12 hours!
Great thorough teaching. Thank you. Been baking all my life and love learning from you.
I wasn’t going to bother with sour dough anymore due to the waste involved. Thanks to you, I’m going to give it another try.
This all seems very well thought out. Will definitely give it a try.
Thank you, this is by far the most perfect lesson ever on the use and care of sourdough. I have discarded all the previously saved videos on sourdough, this one is the only one I really needed.
Same here!
I love your simple method. Thanks
OMG mate! You have changed my life. I was throwing starter out madly!
Thank you for your generous sharing of your knowledge here Free. Im teaching my 9 yr old grandson how to cook Bread! Here goes!
This is absolutely brilliant. 👏👏👏👏
I have shared your Videos so many time. I could not have made so much bread without you. Thank you
Hi Ben I'm in love with your video clips keep them coming ❤❤
Thanks again for the elaborate and comprehensive explanation
Update: I rewatched your video and I did the 4 ounces of water and 6 ounces of flour to 8 ounces of my starter and then the next day (which is today, 2/20), I made two more loaves of sourdough bread and wow - they worked nicely thus far and right now they are doing their rising (hopefully) and I am a happy camper right now. I hope after the 2nd rise tomorrow, that I can bake them and have two decent loaves of bread...we shall see...thank you Ben for your valuable information!
Love it, great content, please see more of you😊
Such unique and GREAT advice and explanation! Thanks to you I never need to let those ultra time-consuming and complicated methods of making or sustaining starter turn my head again.
Luv your method it has made my life so easy
Thank you very much for the tips on my wet dough... Starter was the problem and your tips on fixing it helped
Going to start baking sourdough again, the cool weather has arrived. Watching your video again and just want to say thanks.
Your explanation and method is exactly what I needed after watching so many other U-tubes on sourdough.👃
ALL MAKES SENSE TO ME NOW....amazing .....THANK YOU.
Totally agree with you.
Thank you!! I has. Started my first starter!!
Love, love, love your videos!!!! Simple, smart and totally make SO much common SENSE!!!! You are A HERO!!!!!!! ❤❤🥰🥰🥰😁🫡
YOU SIR....are a great teacher!!!
Thankya!
Thanks for your help. After several failed attempts to do build a starter your method worked for me …and I’m on my way …. I’m a fan !
You are like a breath of fresh air!))
My first sourdough loaf. Turned out great! Thanks Ben!
I have share this video so many times. Three friends are now making sourdough bread. Thank you!
Ok Ben….have to say I love your snark!!! I am super respected now because of my beautiful beautiful bread I am able to produce …you should see the look on peoples faces when I tell them about not feeding the starter repeatedly…also sending them your way! It’s very clear you have put in the time and know your science…..love it thanks
Wow I wished I would of seen this a couple years ago. Gonna give this another try using your method
I just found this wonderful discussion of sour dough. -Two days ago I took the big pear shaped glass container of sourdough starter/discard out of the fridge, it is quite a few years old. It has been many months since it had had any attention. There was black liquid on top , blacker than I'd seen before, and there was a lot of starter or discard in there. I took it to my compost pile and dumped out the liquid and all the starter that had black on it and then I took about 1/2 cup of clean looking starter from what was left put it in a clean jar and dumped the rest onto the compost pile. I added two tablespoons of flour and two Tblspoons of water and stirred it up, the next day it was bubbly but thin. This morning I added two tblspn flour and 1 of water. I just looked at it, its bubbly , still a little thin so I added a tblspoon of flour and no water and stirred it up. So, I didnt stir the black liquid back in, I didnt at least double it at feeding, I didnt weigh the flour or water.. I will begin these practices now but I think this backward starter is going to be OK to bake with.
You're correct in that it will leaven dough. However, you've screwed up the hydration, so there's no telling what hydration you're at now. If your first loaf turns out very sticky, you'll need to continue this stiff feeding concept until it's closer to 100% hydration. Please stop feeding by volume...feed by weight. Weigh the amount of starter that you have. Then double the weight (or more) by feeding equal weights of flour and water. Two Tablespoons of flour is approximately 0.6oz starter, while 2 Tablespoons of water is 1 ounce. So every time you feed it that way, you're overhydrating. My Troubleshooting Simple Sourdough video will tell you how to correct your hydration back toward 100%.
@@ultimatefoodgeek Thank you for the input. This is the first time I have encountered the feed by weight concept. I was taught to feed by volume, but, by weight makes sense. You are right, the hydration is screwed up and I am slowly trying to bring it back into balance. It bubbles but it doesnt rise yet. It may be OK to bake with but if not I'll just start over and do it as you say.
Thank you so much for sharing this info, it makes total sense! I've enjoyed all your sourdough videos. If I hadn't discovered your sourdough video for lazy people, I would have never started making sourdough.
Thank you Ben that takes the frustration out of baking sour dough bread !!!😊😊😊
Oh my gosh! You just completely obliterated all my reservations about making sourdough! I’ve wanted to do it but it all just sounded too complicated and like too much commitment! Like taking care of a BABY!!! I think I can do it this way! Thank you Ben!
most fun scientific presentation thank you
Gonna start trying this. It looks really promising! I'll comment later when I see the results.
Omg you’re amazing!! Thank you
You are absolutely delightful! And I so love your method! The old way always seemed so wasteful to me too and extremely labor-intensive. So now I’m going to be trying your way, and I am excited to do so. Thank you very much❤️
This makes so much more sense to me....I was wondering why we have to do all two days of activating when we would be adding it to a giant bowl of water and flour.
Loving your videos.
Thanks. Your method give me the instructions that I’ve been trying to work out on my own - rather hit and miss. Thank you! I hate wasting the discard and being an eternal babysitter. Looking forward to using your method.
Thank you!
OMGGGG! Thank Goodness I found you 😇😇😇 I am a "Newbie" to this whole Sourdough Frenzy lol. I can't even begin to tell you how frustrating it was for me and OVERWHELMINGLY difficult some of these videos have made the sourdough process. Whew - I nearly gave up!!! ut then BAM - Ben!!! haha 🤣you're the best!!! 😍
Made my 1st loaf today, I messed up just about every step, it still came one of the best sourdough breads I've had in a long time. Working on my 2nd loaf now. Can't wait to eat it when it's done correctly.
Love your channel and have started making my starter about 2 and a half weeks ago. Thought it looked about right to create my first two loaves of bread and OMG, what a disaster! My bad as I believe it is the hydration ratio of too much liquid vs the amount of flour. So, today, I will attempt to do what you suggested with going back to the original 8 ounces of starter and then I will put 2 oz of water and 6 oz of flour and see if I can get it to serve me with a decent loaf of bread. i am not giving up and so my overall goal is to know how to bake my family decent loaves of sourdough bread from my own starter. I even just purchased the beautiful larger Dutch Oven pot just like yours and I love it! I will keep updating in the comment section as to my overall progress. Thanks Ben for a fun and very informal channel here.
You are my sourdough hero.
I'm glad I found this video.
Hello Ben
Well I have watched your Lazy Peoples Sour Dough and Starter videos many times. Having enjoyed your science and logic behind the successful sour dough bakes I think you should rename the Videos. Instead of Lazy I would re title them "Smart Peoples Sour Dough" or "Time Precious Sour Dough" or to use my term "Tried and Tested Sour Dough" - more than a philosophy. (your method and science are spot on. ) This is taken from my own statement "Tried and Tested" - more than a philosophy. L A Horton 2014.
The best part was improving my starter and not feeding it before baking. I cook in a gas oven and use steam for 20 minutes. My bread is very much like your 5 month old starter example. Very nice. Before this my sour dough would rise nicely but was heavy. Starter too wet. Now my starter has toughened up. Great work Ben Starr
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
the first time i saw you was yesterday on Masterchef...I loved your cooking style, OMG it's revolutionary...loved your pumpkin ways...;) I sure hope you make a masterchef someday. are you going to do a cookbook? I hope so, I was so rootin' for you to win...no one else can hold a candle to you. Keep it up!!
I was looking forward to your sourdough pizza dough video... come on! You have the best videos on UA-cam!
Hello
Well a perfect sour dough came out of our oven. Starter not fed for 5 days. Baked in bread tin.
Looks amazing.
I have never thought of it this way: why the rush when I am not a commercial baker that needs my bread ASAP. Thanks for the insight. I will definitely try directly use my cold lazy starter next time.
Just tried your method. It was a great success. The cold lazy starter doesn't make the bread more sour. Instead because I was not rushing to fit my life to the bread's schedule and let the bread proof with all the time it needed, I got more open crumb even with 25%+ whole wheat flour.
Great vid. Thx.
This was awesome...had to watch it twice...ok three times to understand...😜 but I am getting it...thanks. I made a loaf like this and it was perfectly fine and as good as all that other process of torture to make a loaf.
Thank u very much!
🤎 ur channel❣
Subscribed and you earned it as well .... been wanting to start my sourdough journey the longest however wasn’t confident enough to deal with yeast in general. Today I’ll make my first sourdough starter and will keep a journal and share it with you Ben. Truly grateful to have found you. From UK 🇬🇧 with love 😊!
Cheers!!
Merry Christmas! Thank you for all the sour dough instruction and information! Invaluable for us novices. At one point you mentioned “sour dough discard recipes”. In a future video might I request you delve into that a bit farther? I’d love to hear about your recipes and/or ideas.
Ps. I’m proud to say I own a scale (which I avidly use) but now also have a forever buttermilk jug in the fridge and sour dough starter started. Cheers!
Because I never discard sourdough starter, I have absolutely no experience with discard recipes! But in 2021, I'll be releasing OTHER simple sourdough recipes like dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls, etc.
Mind totally blown 😮 it makes perfect sense- I’ve only been making sourdough a while and I’ve had a nagging question in my mind about the feeding of the starter a few hours before baking. I kept thinking why do we do it when putting the starter into all that flour and water is a massive feed? This makes sense so I’m giving it a whirl. Also makes sense that I’ve seen ‘discard’ loaf recipes. Unfed starter loaf recipes duh! Thanks for the videos 😊
Thank you so much. I built a starter from scratch using other methods and I have a really fast starter that overproofs everything, And I have been disappointed and tossing loaves for the last few weeks. Something always happens during the folding and "bulk fermentation" or something that throws off the timing.
I saw your video a couple weeks ago and last weekend I took cold, unfed starter, used your recipe and technique and made a really fantastic loaf. It's not only easy, but it is also very consistent. I have been going crazy this week and have made four great loaves in a row. I don't even have bannetons, I use colander and towel set up. But I have confidence enough now that I can throw it in fridge if I need extra time or I can put it in oven with light on to make it go faster if I need to. It really is a liberating idea.
I am still going to try the other way to see of I can even taste the difference, but I haven't even been successful enough the other way to even taste test them.
Thanks again.
Ps. I also love the history and science lessons.
I'm glad to hear this works for your hyper-active starter!!
thank you for making sense
Hi Ben - I've made a few "Athletic Loafs" most of which have come out quite nice. However, after trying with success, the "Lazy Loaf" is a hit in my house. Also, I didn't know any better and tossed the black hootch layer a couple of months ago instead of reincorporating. In fact, I ended up neglecting my starter for 3 months and ended up tossing it figuring it was a goner. Where have you been hiding these secrets, Ben? Thanks for sharing - no more slap/fold/repeat!
Very happy to learn not to throw out the hootch. I've been pouring it off for years and years, based on some erroneous advice I'm sure.
Hi Ben, Just caught your videos ..great advice. I dried out my starter adding flour as suggested. Made six loaves. Added water to my pot as i lidded them ..one with 8oz wholemeal and other plain . So pleased they both lifted above pie dish. They sat on grease proof paper on pie dish in casserole hhen i could add extra water to hot casserole for steam..especially for wholemeal. I also make kefir and leave the fresh cultured milk in the fridge with the kefir.. till i drain it when needed. Sleepy culturing/ fermenting . Yes! Thank You !
Excellent!! Thanks for sharing!
I love pragmatism. I am so glad I found your channel!
this was the best and easiest sourdough video I've watched. I haven't checked, discarded or fed anything every single day since my kids have been grown and the daunting task of babying a starter has kept me from attempting sourdough. Oh wait, I tried once and it turned black from being left out on the counter for a month. So there's that. Anyway, thank you for this information, I am once again excited to try to make some bread. One question, can I use this same method with Einkorn flour? Thanks!
I almost gave up on sourdough until I did this very thing... before I saw this! Glad I'm not the only "lazy" sourdough baker😂