FAQ
I’m ready to start my sourdough journey, what do I need to start?
Right now all you need is your starter, flour, water and a jar with a lid. Take a look at the helpful tools page for the products I use everyday!
What is a sourdough starter? How is it different from yeast?
Starters, the original rising product, are prepared by bakers before they make the bread. They come from a culture of yeasts and lactic bacteria that are left to develop naturally in a mix of flour and water left exposed to fresh air. Baker's yeast is an industrial product of the 19th century. It is a standardized product made by selecting and allowing certain yeast types to multiply in order to achieve a faster, more controlled fermentation.
I received my starter, what do I do now?
If you are ready to bake, Let’s rehydrate! Take a look at your package insert instructions.
My Sourdough Nook starter isn’t showing much activity, what should I do?
Try feeding twice a day vs once a day. Every 12 hours. Make sure to give your starter the 6 days it needs to activate. If your issue persists, please reach out to us.
What is Sourdough Discard?
Discarding is removing active starter from your jar, when you don’t have enough room to feed your starter and let it double and also helps keep your yeast healthy. If you have a really large jar and would like to build up your starter supply, you can skip discarding for a few days and just continue feeding it.
When can I start discarding and saving my discard for other recipes in the fridge?
If you are using one of our dehydrated starters, you can start saving your discard on day seven. It will be safe to bake with! If you started from scratch, and created your own starter, using flour and water, I would advise waiting 14 days.
When can I start using my Starter?
If you are using one of our dehydrated starters, you can start using your starter on day seven. If you started from scratch, and created your own starter, using flour and water, I would advise waiting 14 days. This gives your starter enough time to become strong enough and safe to bake with.
My home is on the cold side, will I have a hard time maintaining my starter?
Starters prefer warmer temps. I use a hydroponic plant heater to keep my starter at temp. It works great and never gets too hot. It stays around 69, 70 degrees. I will list it in my tools!
Can I use metal?
Avoid all metals except for stainless steel. I prefer to use glass bowls. I do use a steel whisk and haven’t had any issues.
Where should I store my starter?
On the counter or any place that is not too warm or too cold.
Why did my loaf come out very dense?
Proofing times are very important and it’s even more important for you to “know your dough”. Make sure you aren’t letting your dough over or under proof. Don’t let it rise too big (I like to use a clear container to avoid this) or it was loose it’s spring.
I overproofed, what do I do now?
ah, I did it twice myself this week 😂 don’t throw it out, make pizza, focaccia, etc. There’s always a use for it!
What does a cold proof do?
It allows your dough time to ferment. It’s giving your loaf that sourdough flavor. I also find that cooking from cold really gives me that beautiful oven spring I am looking for and makes scoring my dough that much easier. The longer you allow your bread to cold proof, the more sour it will be. I like 18 hours. You can do up to 48 hours and as little as 12 hours.
Thinking of other questions? Send them to us 🙂