Troubleshooting New Sourdough Starter Common Issues

Today, I want to teach you how to troubleshoot your new sourdough starter and address some common issues so you can be successful and enjoy your sourdough journey!

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With the popularity of Sourdough in recent years, many people have decided to start their own sourdough starter. Inevitably, there will be some minor issues that can lead to research.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of different ideas and opinions on sourdough that can cause confusion and maybe cause a person to give up on sourdough all together!

The good news is that most of these issues are fixable and sometimes not problems at all. Sometimes the issue is completely normal to the sourdough process.

When you first start a sourdough starter, there are so many questions and variables.

For instance, what type of flour are you going to use? How warm is the room your starter will be in?

What type of water are you feeding it? The list goes on.

What is a Sourdough Starter?

Realistically, sourdough starter is simply a mixture of flour and water that is allowed to sit and ferment and capture wild yeast and build lactic acid bacteria. So, a sourdough starter is yeast!

This fermentation process is what results in the growth of yeast and good bacteria. When the yeast and bacteria are in the right ratios, the starter will build carbon dioxide in the bread dough you prepare causing the rise.

Why Sourdough?

Sourdough is a process of fermenting your bread dough with a sourdough starter.

This process breaks down the gluten and proteins that can sometimes be hard to digest for gluten sensitive people.

In order to get the most benefits of the fermentation process, you need to let your dough ferment for at least 12-24 hours.

As you can see, the process of sourdough can be very helpful for many people. If you’ve never made a sourdough starter  it’s easy and fairly quick to do.

The great news is that once you have an active starter, as long as you maintain it, it will last for as long as you want it.

There are starters that have been handed down through generations!

Common Terms used in Sourdough

Active Sourdough Starter

Active starter is starter that has been fed within the last 24 hours or so and is bubbly and active looking. This stage of a starter is called a ripe starter that is ready to bake with.

To get to this stage of a sourdough starter, you need to feed it flour and water regularly.

A starter kept on the counter will need to be fed every 24-48 hours whereas a starter kept in the fridge will need to be fed every 7-12 days.

Sourdough Discard

Sourdough starter discard is starter that has not been fed recently. It will have a gray colored liquid on top and smell of nail polish remover. This is completely normal.

This stage of a starter is best used for recipes that don’t require a big rise.

I have many sourdough discard recipes that you can use sourdough discard in. These recipes don’t require a big rise and are still very delicious.

Sourdough starter that is hungry will be more sour and impart more flavor in my experience.

Fermentation Process

The term fermentation process refers to the time during which the starter consumes the starches of the flour it was fed.

The timing of the fermentation process depends on a few things.

How sour you want your bread: The longer it takes to ferment the more sour it will be.

I recently wrote a post about how to make sourdough less sour which walks you through how to ferment your dough more quickly for a milder flavor.

The health benefits: The longer you ferment your dough, the more health benefits you will reap.

The process of making sourdough bread breaks down starch and can change the gluten structure to a point making it a bit more digestible for some.

You can safely ferment dough on the counter for up to 24 hours and in the fridge for up to a week.

Float Test

This is a term that refers to a process where you can take a small spoonful of starter and put it in a cup of water. If it floats, it is ready to bake with. If it sinks, it is not.

Now, in my experience this isn’t always accurate. My starter has sank before and the bread still turned out amazing. So that this one with a grain of salt.

How do you make a Sourdough Starter (short version)

Making a healthy starter starts with 2 ingredients: Flour and Water. This mixture is left to sit at room temperature to ferment.

Before we dive into the process, let’s talk about these 2 ingredients.

Flour

The type of flour you use is really up to you and what you have available. I’m going to break down several options and the pros and cons of each.

All purpose flour

This is possibly the most common flour used in a sourdough starter. It’s very easy to find in your local grocery store and is generally inexpensive. All purpose flour is sifted and has no real nutritional value.

Bread Flour

Bread flour is similar to all purpose flour but has a higher protein level. It can be harder to find locally for some and is a bit more pricey.

Rye Flour

Rye flour is a great choice for a sourdough starter. Generally, it will produce a healthy and mature starter more quickly than any other type of flour. I find it hard to locate rye flour in my local stores.

Whole Grain Flours and Freshly Milled Flour

Whole wheat flour or freshly milled flour has the bran and germ intact. Sourdough starters seem to really love this type of flour. To make freshly milled flour, though, you will need a Grain Mill which is an investment. It is one, however I think is worth it.

Ancient Grain Flours

Ancient wheat makes a wonderful starter. You can use Einkorn, Kamut, Spelt, or Emmer. These flours can be much more expensive however, and be harder to locate.

Water

The second ingredient of a sourdough starter is water. For best results, you will want to use filtered water. Tap water usually contains chlorine which can inhibit the growth of the wild yeast and bacteria.

The process of making a sourdough starter

To make a sourdough starter will take about 5-7 days.

The first day you mix 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup water in a clean jar. Place a coffee filter on top and put a rubber band around it and let sit on the counter for 24 hours.

Every 24 hours, you need to feed it again following the process above.

By day four, you will want to remove some of the starter and feed that smaller amount.

On day five, take half out and feed the starter 1 cup flour and 1 cup water. Allow to get bubbly and active and move to the fridge. It is now ready to start using.

I prefer to maintain my starter in the fridge for an easier and more laid back method.

Although I feed my starter on a regular basis, I don’t have to feed it as often as I would if it were kept on the counter top.

A sourdough starter is a living thing and requires maintenance, however it doesn’t take a large amount of time or tediousness to keep a starter happy.

Now, let’s start troubleshooting problems with your sourdough starter!

My starter isn’t active anymore.

The first problem you may encounter is that the starter may get bubbly on day 2 or 3, but then is seems to stop being active.

This is actually pretty common and usually corrects itself within a few days with consistent feeding.

If, for some reason, the starter doesn’t take off in a few days, try adding a few raisins to the starter until it starts getting active. You can remove them after the starter takes off. This little trick usually gets things going!

The goal is to have a healthy sourdough starter and this can take a few weeks to a couple of months.

Don’t lose heart, it will happen!

My starter smells!

I get a lot of comments and questions about the starter having a foul odor. This is very common and is completely normal!

As the good bacteria and yeast build in your starter and kill out any bad bacteria, there may be an off putting odor to your starter.

As the days go on, this odor will change. When the good bacteria and yeast are at the right levels, your starter will have a pleasant, yeasty smell!

There is a liquid on top of my starter

When a starter gets hungry, it will develop a liquid on top called the “hooch”. This is completely normal and is a sign for you to feed your starter.

You don’t have to feed it right away. If you store your starter in the fridge, it will be fine for quite a while before you need to feed it.

You will want to feed it before making bread if it is hungry, though.

How can I tell if my starter is ready to use?

I get this question so often. It’s so exciting to see your starter bubbly and active. The first thing we all want to do is make some bread!

It’s hard to give an exact way to tell. Some people say that if the starter floats, it’s ready. However, my starter rarely floats, yet works very well.

I suggest that the first few weeks you make things like pancakes, biscuits, crackers, or a hybrid bread using a bit of instant yeast. This will give you time to build up the starter by feeding it several times before you go for a loaf of artisan sourdough bread.

After that, I always say, just go for it! The worst thing that can happen is the bread doesn’t rise well, but, it will still be edible and you can make sourdough croutons or breadcrumbs with it if you want.

How much should I feed my starter?

This is a two-fold answer: The feeding ratio of water and flour, and the amount of those you add to the starter to determine how much starter you end up with.

Feeding Ratio

The feeding ratio determines how thick or thin the starter is. This is totally up to you. I prefer a thicker starter, so I will feed mine 1 cup flour and 3/4 cup water.

If you want a thinner starter add 1 cup of each.

If you find your starter too thick or too think after it ferments, on the next feeding adjust these ratios to suit your preference.

Feeding volume

Now, the amount you feed the starter will determine how much starter you end up with.

For instance, when I feed my starter 1 cup flour and 3/4 cup water, I end up with approximate 1 3/4-2 cups of starter to use.

Build upon this ration to have the amount of starter you need for your baking.

Will my new starter doesn’t rise bread?

Honestly, a brand new starter will struggle to rise bread dough due to the fact that it isn’t an established starter yet.

However, there a few tips that may help.

Starting your recipe with warm water will jump start the fermentation process. This is the best way to get the process going quicker.

Make sure the water is under 100 degrees F.

Let your dough rise in a warm environment or an area where there is a warmer temperature. I aim for 72-80 degrees F for rising dough.

I use a proofing box in the winter. However, you can put the dough in the oven with the oven light on to achieve this.

One last ingredient for a sourdough starter

Patience

It’s very important to have patience when diving into the sourdough journey.

In time, your starter will make great sourdough bread. It just takes some time to build up your starter and its strength.

Final thoughts

In conclusion, the sourdough journey is a wonderful experience with lots of variances.

To be successful, one must have patience and forge on in the process. The end result is always good if you persevere.

The taste and health benefits of sourdough bread is worth the time it takes to make a sourdough starter and allow it to mature and be ready to bake with.

Once you have an active and mature starter, you will have it for your lifetime with proper maintenance.