Thanks for the no yeast starter tips. It's actually quite satisfying peering into the starter jar and seeing that it's alive!
Well, Day 2 of my starter and it seems okay. It's got bubbles and that tan coloured liquid in between. Will be removing starter and adding flour/water in the following days too. I'm gonna do a no yeast starter tonight also. Only thing I gotta get now is a bread baking pan. Seems to be hard to find nowadays.
That’s it! well done. 
As time goes on it will get get better, don’t worry if you don’t feed it for a day or so, it won’t die off. Just feed it again and it’ll get going.
Pans, now there’s another thing I never use. For whatever reason I never have good results with stuff in/on metal.
Hands all the way when shaping Hank 
, it’s part of the enjoyment for me - if you found watching the starter satisfying , imagine the satisfaction when you get ‘handy’ at hand shaping……., once you get fairly good , it opens up a wide range of loaf styles and shapes and is much more pleasing, and there’s much more CRUST which is what we all love ! 
I make my loaves on a non stick black sheet like teflon stuff it’s an oven liner thing. I put this straight on the oven rack - no trays or anything. 10 mins before the end, I take it off and put directly on the rack to get the bottom nice and crispy.
You will find your crust takes on a different crunch and chew with the sourdough, play with the amounts you use from say 30% to 100% it’s good fun, if you like baking which I’m sure you do!
When making your dough, and judging when it is ready, kneaded enough - you will see it change from like a lumpy, tearing type of finish, to an silky almost creamy looking smooth finish that stretches easily - do a ‘window’ test - by this I mean take a small piece of dough and try to stretch it so you can see through it, it will try to do it on it’s own under it’s own weight - if you can do that, it’s ready.
To check if the final rise is ready you lightly prod it with your finger, if it still pops back, it’s not ready for baking - the ideal point is right between where it ‘just’ comes back but doesn’t stay dented. I never really state times as the temperature where you are, it is will make a HUGE difference.
I am sorry I’m banging on so much - I just love making bread 
- if it helps anyone I’m happy, if it annoys others, well, don’t read it 
Good tips for sure! Yeah my next adventure is gonna be the dough and the baking!
I’ll try the no pan way too as it seems it’s more rustic and down to earth. Wanna feel the dough and worked it good.
Besides, I still don’t have a bread pan ugh.
I dunno why I didn’t start baking before but I’m really getting into it now. Damm maybe I’ll try a wedding cake or something when I get better hehe. But yeah I got to the local Safeway as soon as it opened this morning and scored these...
Picked up some Rye flour too but don’t know what to do with it yet.
I'm doing loaf #5 this week and am out of bread flour too . #4 was made with all purpose and looked beautiful ..tasted good but wasn't as rustic as the bread flour ...had smaller holes and tasted more like just a dense bread .OTOH if you wanted a sandwich stuff wasn't going to fall thru the holes .
Still trying to figure out how to keep bread crusty and not dried out ..Put a nice loaf in a plastic bag and lost all my nice crunch .Maybe the answer is just to eat it all in one sitting and make more :P
That is the answer….lol!
I have no way of keeping it crusty for more than say 8 hours, even then it’s not so good. That said, it is a long way from stale and is fine for sandwiches or toasting. You can just pop a 1/2 eaten loaf back in the oven for 10 mins or so, much like pizza sometimes it’s better. You can try various glazes too, but I find just plain water is best, or nothing at all. The important bit is the ice or water in bottom of the oven when it comes to crust - but make sure you release the steam 8/10 mins before end so it crisps.
I tend to cook mine so it’s ready and still slightly warm right when we eat dinner. You know your bread is good when the family want the bread more than the dinner!
Off out to try to track some yeast down………got flour now and no yeast! grr!
Eating fresh is definitely the way to go.
For my loaf bread, I typically, slice the entire loaf and put 1/2 in freezer as soon as possible. Then when needed, take out of freezer and pop into a toaster, less time than normal toast for almost as good as fresh using this method.
My sourdough starter seems to be acting up. I started it 5 days ago with flour and yeast. It’s sitting beside an always-on hot water unit. I left it sitting for 24hrs. Day 2 produced bubbles. Each day for next 3 days, I would pour out half and feed it 1:1 flour and water. Saw bubbles but this morning I didn’t see any bubbles. So I decide to feed it again and see what happens tomorrow.
I heard it can take from 7 days to 2 weeks to see the starter rise. There’s always a layer of liquid hootch on top which I pour out before feeding. Should I keep feeding it daily and wait longer? I read depending on conditions that it might take longer?
Years ago, BLF members were baking their flashlights.
Now they're baking food...
What's up with that? 
links for those who got here by mistake .....
Baking your flashlight links >>>
https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/6366
https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/44710
https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/21837
https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/49517
https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/42387
Stick with it for a while - it probably bubbled more at first because of the yeast.
Basically when I feed mine it bubbles up over say 14 hrs, then eases off until morning it’s less active.
If it doesn’t wake up put 1/4 of a potato (not huge) in the bottom. These things take time , and different temps etc make it hard to say what the reaction will be like.
I notice in the photo previous you had flour, is it bread flour, or general flour? this will have an effect I’d imagine, it does in actual bread, less gluten.
Maybe don’t change it for a couple of days - it has to go ‘sour’ maybe it’s being replaced to quickly whilst it’s still starting up.
This afternoons offerings, since it’s BBQ time I had to make some rolls, but that baton is the mutts nuts!
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<a target=‘_blank’ href=‘https://imgbb.com/’
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Okay great tips and didn't know about the potato part. I started 2 new starter batch and will leave it alone and check every 24 hrs this time. I even put it next to the portable heater.
Oh and here's my first attempt at baking. I decided to try Focaccia bread. It's got garlic, thyme, basil, oregano and a sprinkling of cheese. I think I'll let it poof longer as it's just a little bit too dense but still has the foamy bubbly texture to it. I think I should of left it in the oven a little longer as it looks quite pale.
Well done, it may not be prefect, but it is a loaf! and I’m sure you enjoyed it.
It’s hard to tell, but it’s defo undercooked.
To tell if it’s cooked, tap the bottom - it should sound like a sort of hollow drum sound, which kinda resinates…ish
If you don’t hear that clearly (and it will be clear when it’s right) , it’s not cooked. The dough is soaking up the sound.
Cook for no less than 25 mins on 200deg c (uk) - preheat the oven for at least 20 mins too.
On your next loaf I want to see a crust the colour of the one above 
lol - apparently, they say you should see 3 colours - black, dark golden brown and a bit of pale white.
I've been into making pizza about 10 years now. Have been using the same sour dough starter since i started. Numerous stones, ovens... I make what i call a " NEO-NY" style pizza. Thin and cooked at high temps, around 2-3 minute bake. 10oz of dough stretches out to about 12-14" pizza.
All you people who are not wheat and gluten intolerant are killing me!!!
My Saturday Cheedar Cheese bread project!
OOOOOhhhh nice! I love making pizza too, it’s so easy and quick - mouthwatering! My trouble is I can’t stop eating it, and often end up with indigestion later………
Well done Hank , improvements there for sure these are pure sourdough right? I hope you enjoyed them 
Keep at it - I promise you, it is a struggle at first and it feels like you’ll never get it 100% right - but you will. (and it don’t really matter so long as you enjoy it)
I still don’t think it’s cooked enough though. Blacken the next one a tiny bit (not all over lol). Over cook rather than under cook, if it’s a bit raw it’s not good for you, overcooked = more crust but no belly ache !
Also don’t forget to slit your loaf before cooking! It will help stop that cracking type effect on top.
First time attempt at yeast cake with crumble topping. Gonna try it with fresh plums next time around.
That looks good! never heard of it, but I’ll look into making it.