Sourdough Secrets That People Don't Tell You

Your SD videos are so refreshing! The SD perfectionists are driving SD newbies to feel way too much pressure. I share your videos with many new-2-SD ppl. THANK YOU ANJA!!

I went out of town for two months, completely forgot about my sourdough starter on top of the fridge. When I came home I thought it was ruined but decided to feed it anyway (9th week). It bubbled right back to life, goes to show you don't have to be a slave to feedings.

I grew up in Switzerland and my aunt baked sourdough bread all the time. She baked by feel not by measure and that is how I was taught. Now that sourdough baking has become a new thing in north America everyone wants a perfect loaf. Haha! I added only 5 cups the other day as my grandson was helping. I let the loaf rise and when I was forming my loaf it was just too wet. Added extra flour at that stage and the loaf turned out beautiful. I think everyone needs to relax and enjoy the process!

You are a breath of fresh air! I've left my starter in the fridge for up to 6-8 months before (it's 7-8 years old at this point) without feeding it and it's always come back just fine. I never have understood wanting all the big holes. I make bread to eat and taste good. I can't eat air lol! Thank you for the video!

My Sourdough starter * Gordon * is 10 1/2 years old now, and he has gone through many changes. He was a wheat starter, a Rye starter, a wholemeal starter... but now back to wheat starter. He is doing great and helps me to create very tasty bread. I am German too, living in the UK since 1997. The bread here... so I started to bake my own. I only keep 50gr of starter and when it is time to bake I feed with 50g water, 50g flour. I do weigh the ingredients as I want to have a starter that is the same consistency every time that bake. Likewise, I bake once a week, so I feed my starter, let him sit on the counter until he has doubled in volume and then put him in the fridge. . Comes baking day I pull him out of the fridge, let him come to room temperature, and he is active and ready for me to use in my bread. You do not have a HUGE amount of starter to be able to bake bread. If you need more than what you have to bake, for example 3 loafs, just get a bigger jar, feed 1:3:3 and make sure to put 50g back into your jar. It really is not that complicated. After all, it is just water and flour :)

I love that you talked about baking bread without the big holes. That seems to be what everyone is wanting but we like to put butter,jam or other spreads on our bread and you can’t do that to a hole😂.

I gave up on the measuring and what type of flour to add, I have fun adding all kinds of flours. I just add whatever unbleached flour I have and add enough water to make a thick pancake batter type and it works just fine. But yeah, deciding to ditch all the rules totally helped me.

I bought one of those heritage starters....kept it alive now 15 years...but you are so right, I never discard, it becomes my bread or pancake, etc. It lives in my refrigerator. Great advice. It took me a while, but I developed my own routine for feeding and storing my sourdough. I prefer sandwich bread so I bake in loaf pans. It's easier to slice!

I have been making sourdough for about 3 years & you are a breath of fresh air in the world of sourdough! Quite by accident I have learned how forgiving sourdough really is, but you have shed further light on how easy it really can be. Love your videos!

Thank you for permission to use a little yeast……it has been a game changer for me. I haven’t made sourdough bread in ages because I lost my starter. But I am starting another one and can’t wait to get going again. I also have a new grain mill and am having fun with that. Wish me luck.

I love the idea of using rye flour for the starter. I'm going to try that.

Also, I have been gf intolerant for years but the sourdough doesn’t bother me. Better for us in so many ways not to mention NO preservatives! ☺️

I found you a few days ago Ania! So happy I found your video on not having to always feed your starter and discarding.. I have 4 kiddos, the last two are twin 2yr olds, momma doesn't have time to feed something else everyday! Just wanted to say thank you for your videos and taking time to teach a new generation all about sourdough!

I’ve had my sourdough for 3 years and recently been baking very consistently. I noticed my starter was sluggish and not doubling like it had been. I decided to add 1/2 AP flour & 1/2 rye flour and it’s been bubbling and doubling

When you showed your loaf of bread I just had to smile. I’ve had so many that look like that abd I always feel as if I’ve failed and to hear you saying it’s ok is a refreshing thing. I struggle to really understand the sourdough method and how much I need for a loaf and how to prepare it at times. But I’ve kept the started going and I manage a few ok loaves sometimes. Now I don’t feel so bad and thank you for that. My last two loads were my best so far but I’m going to keep going abd be proud of what ever I manage. Thank you.

Actually a lot of Bakers {bakery stores} add a pinch of yeast but they will never admit it. They can't afford to have a bad batch of sourdough bread not rise and lose business {money} ,so they secretly add pinches of yeast. Also, when I started my journey on how to make SD bread all these videos were so exact and complicated . Funny thing is, all these videos had their own EXACT way of making SD and they stress how important it is to follow the recipe exactly ,LOL. So, after awhile I learned making SD bread doesn't have to be so exact/complicated as all these videos make it out to be. I came to the same conclusion as you, and that is ,making bread shouldn't or need to be so complicated.

Thank you for all of these truths! I encountered them all. When I began baking with yeast in 2018, I did extensive research on everything I can find on the internet related to bread making. I took the ones by professional chefs and food scientists the most seriously, and after reading about the concept of a micro starter, I made my own starter! I began with literally 2 grams of flour, with the aim of having zero discard. I did follow a 1:1:1 formula in the beginning, and I still weigh things, but don’t follow a 1:1:1 or 1:2:2 formula. I also found that the ppl pushing the discard and feed method to be less credible and less knowledgeable about the microbial environment that is fostered in a starter. I also found that starters are resilient, doesn’t need to be transferred into a new, sterilized jar each time it’s fed/baker with, and even the really goopy, paste-like starter can raise perfectly good bread, even some very open crumbs. I recently started to bake my sourdough loaves in bread pans instead of a Dutch oven environment, so it’s easier to slice into even slices, and it’s not as open crumb, but I also enjoy seeds and nuts in the bread (so a slice or two can be a quick, nutritious meal) and those add-ins change the texture of the dough and the final product. Thank you for busting the myths, and encouraging ppl to just get started. I made many bread puddings and strata with rock-hard initial attempts, and I’m so glad I have a skill that enriched my life and the fills the stomachs of my family and friends with fresh bread made without preservatives or dough conditioners, bread that molds after 4-5 days, as whole foods should.

I love how you suggest alternatives for not so perfect ɓread loaves. Theres also the grilled cheese, avocado toast and open faced sandwich meals😆. We have to give ourselves grace sometimes

I “failed” many times in the beginning but now keep a starter in my fridge and use it for quick breads, pancakes, cookies, muffins and yes………bread! Thank you for your encouraging words.

I just started my very first starter a few months ago, I’ve had a couple of loafs that lead me to want to quit 😞 I learned how to cook and bake without measuring, and thought with sourdough I had to learn all new methods. I’m so glad I came across your video, thank you for sharing. I think I’ll bake some now🍞😃