All-purpose flour isn't the problem. For more years than not, all-purpose flour was ALL homemakers had for making bread and there is more than enough gluten to make bread in all-purpose flour. The exception is if you are using a Southern All-Purpose flour like White Lily or Martha White, which happen to be low-protein flour and best used for pastry and quick breads. But Northern All-Purpose flour like King Arthur and Robin Hood, as well as national brands like Pillsbury and Gold Medal all have enough gluten to make yeast or sourdough bread.

If your starter isn't doubling in bulk when fed, then it's not going to have enough "umph" to raise the dough.

When it comes to adding flour to a bread recipe, I consider the amount of flour called for as only a good guess or estimate - it may actually take more, but it also may take much less than the amount called for. Only add enough flour to make a soft dough. It's better to err on the side of a slack/wet dough than a hard/stiff dough. Many factors about the flour will determine how much is necessary, not the amount called for in the recipe.

-Grainlady

Linda, the AP flour would not have made a difference. You could have used all AP & it 'should' have been fine. Bread flour has a higher protein (gluten) content & I like the texture, aroma, & flavor better; but, I made sourdough with AP flour for years with good success.

Sourdough can take what seems like forever and a day to rise. Not unusual for it to require 3 hours between shaping & baking. I also find it benefits greatly from the steam baking method. I normally get a much larger oven spring from sourdough than I do just a 2-day biga.

Don't give up! There's an answer somewhere. Would you describe a bit more of your 'process'?

/tricia

So sorry you are having problems making bread, Linda. Sounds to me like the dough did not rise long enough, or the temperature during rising was too cool, or the bread was not kneaded enough to start the development of the gluten.

You need to use the starter once it has been fed, has doubled in bulk, and is just on it's way to collapsing - that is when I take out my cup of starter and add the rest of the bread recipe ingredients.

Don't give up! Try again - it's just mainly flour and water.

Linda, You have way too many successes in other areas so don't let it get to you.

Cathy

Well, I thought I only added enough flour to make a soft dough, I thought I kneaded it until it was nice and elastic, I thought letting it rise in the oven with the light on was warm enough....

I fed the starter and left it overnight then started my bread in the morning, maybe that was too long?

I am not going to give up just yet, I have a whole jar of starter to use up! LOL

I admit, it is very frustrating, tho! All that time spent to produce wheat concrete!

Linda

Don't give up!! When making sourdough you may still need to add yeast. I have researched this and it will make a difference. You will also need to make sure the dough is very wet not like the consistance of croissants dough. Other than that I would need to see the recipe and hear more of what you did.

I cheat occasionally and add 1/8 t. SAF-Instant yeast per loaf when I'm making sourdough bread and want it to rise a little faster than normal - when I'm pressed for time. But you shouldn't need to add bakers' yeast at all.

If you placed the dough in the oven with the light on, did you check the temperature to make sure it wasn't too hot? I know in my oven I have to keep the dough as far from the light as possible because it's too warm for proofing dough there.

Did the dough rise at all? If not, then your thoughts about letting the starter sit overnight is likely part of the problem. I follow the same method as teresa nc7 - feed it, let it double in bulk, and when it begins to deflate is when I use it.

-Grainlady

I can fully relate to flour bricks but don't give up. I found my problems were insufficient kneading when I successfully tried a SD loaf in the bread machine with oven bake. My first awesome success was using the recipe for 100% SD starter potato bread. Potato gives loaves a huge lift I've found. Also, the no knead method is very easy and successful method for SD. Check out the videos on Breadtopia.com. The covered method is primarily for the crust steaming but I've had huge success just baking on a bread stone using the no knead method. My sourdough starter stays in the fridge and I feed it and check the rise a day before using. I've found that it rises better if it rests in the fridge overnight before using it in a recipe.

Don't give up Linda. You'll get there.

Ann