Knead in some dry yeast.....about 2 teaspoons full. It will have that sour dough taste but will rise.
If it's any comfort...I have done the same thing and thed ry yeast fixed the problrm.
You will have to let it sit another 2 hours or so after you add the yeast.
Linda c

You didn't mention any sugar of any kind in your dough. Every recipe I've ever made of any type of yeast bread, including sourdough, has some sugar in it. It is necessary to feed the yeast. You may be able to knead some in when you knead the dry yeast in. I've never tried it that way, so don't know if it will work or not. My guess would be a couple of teaspoons per loaf.
Good luck
Rusty

I'd follow Linda's advice this time. But next time you feed your starter, especially if you haven't fed it in a couple of weeks, feed it and then feed it again before using. Or add just a little bit of yeast, say 1/2 to 1 teaspoon to the mix.

Rusty, I never add sugar to any of my breads. Just yeast and/or sourdough starter. Sugar isn't necessary.

Ann

I seldom add sugar to my bread doughs either, so I don't think that would make a difference.

I agree with LindaC, knead in some yeast and then let it rise, then take Ann T's advice on the starter, hers is always more successful than mine. Gee, I wonder why, I start it and neglect it, my attention span is short.....

Annie

Deanna, I don't use my starter very often, but when I want to use it I take out about a quarter cup and mix it with 1/2 cup and 1/2 cup flour/water, let it sit at least at 70 degrees. I don't use it unless it rises 2-3X, if not, I do this again until it is really hearty, doubling+ to its peak in just a couple of hours at 80 degrees. If you want to use it before this highly active rise, use a little yeast in it. I also found that the loaves rise better if I let the starter rest in the fridge for a few hours before making my dough. I have no science for the way I do it, but I think trying to proof a large batch leaves some of the critters too hungry to reproduce. Also, whole wheat flour takes longer to break down so I only use AP flour.

OK, I'll try the yeast.

I forgot Rusty, my recipe did have a little sugar, so that's probably not the cause.

Could it be that I was really tired and lazy and didn't knead it enough last night?

I was trying to leave it a little more 'wet' as I have a tendency to knead in too much flour and I don't get those nice holes that hold butter so well!! LOL
Or, maybe I was just lazy.... :-)

I'll take before and after pics and post them.
I'm still a novice bread baker even though I've made a lot.
I haven't invested the time in really playing with one recipe, making adjustments and learning.
Sourdough is a challenge for me because of working full time. I can never seem to time it right so I'd like to figure out what points I can throw it in the fridge and forget it for 12 to 24 hours to work with MY schedule.
Unfortunately, I'm also spontaneous and impatient!!
Maybe not a good combination.

Anyway, thank you all and I'll update with the results!!!

Deanna

When I was learning to cook and bake, which was a lo-o-o-o-o-o-o-ng time ago, I was taught, by a professional home economics teacher, that yeast needs a little sugar to feed on. I have always baked with this in mind, and probably always will.
Sorry if I spoke up when I shouldn't have.
Rusty

Rusty, I was just pointing out that it really isn't necessary to add sugar to yeast doughs. I don't know the science of it, but I do know that there is enough natural sugar in the flour to feed yeast. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings.

Ann

Are you kidding Rusty?? We like people to speak up!!
Heck, I didn't even remember that I put sugar in until you said something. Thank you!

I am trying to learn the "why" when strange things happen.
The more input and opinions the better.

Sometimes it's the little things that matter. Things we don't think are important.
For example, in my original post, I forgot to put in that I may not have kneaded long enough. I don't know if it's a factor, but certainly was part of "what I did (or didn't) do".

As far as sugar, I have recipes with and without, so it seems there is once again, as many recipes/methods/opinions as there are folks who make bread!

That's what is interesting to me. What works for one may not work for another. I often take a piece of a recipe and combine it with a piece of another to make it work "for me".

UPDATE: Bread rose some, I wouldn't say quite double, but close. I went ahead and formed, placed in loaf pans and it's rising the 2nd time now. It's still a very loose dough, even though I kneaded in another 1 1/2-2 c. flour with the yeast. I HAD to!!! It was really sticky!

Pics in process. Will post at the (never) END (ing) of the fiasco!!

I missed having fresh sourdough bread with my Chef Salad tonight, but 'may' have some for breakfast! :)

Deanna

Rusty, don't ever worry about speaking up, we all do things differently.

I think the "sugar in the yeast dough" started when nearly everyone used cake yeast and proofed it, so it had a bit of extra to make it start. I could be wrong, but I think I learned somewhere that dough without sugar may rise more slowly, having no sugar to feed on it must use the natural sugars in the flour for sustenance, and thus you may get a slower rise.

I've never seen a recipe for French Bread that has sugar in it, but I suppose one exists out there.

Annie

As usual in bread making, it's about choices, not necessarily what's right or wrong.

Adding sugar (or other sweeteners) is an option, not a "must". There is more than enough "sugar" from the carbohydrates in flour to feed yeast, but sugar (sweeteners) contribute more than just feeding yeast.

Use of sweeteners will also depend on what type of bread you are making.

If you use honey or agave nectar, it helps keep breads moist longer, aids in preventing rapid mold growth, and is a better choice than sugar if you are going to freeze the bread. These liquid sweeteners also make the crust darker.

Sugar, and other sweeteners, will also help tenderize the crumb, which is important when you make sweet dough or a sandwich-type bread.

-Grainlady

One issue I see is with proportions. When I wake up my old starter, I use 2 oz. of starter then add 2 oz. of flour and 2 oz. of water. Wait until it happily bubbles (about 24 hr), then incorporate 3 oz. of flour and 3 oz. of water. Wait 24-36 hours, use what you want and store the rest. I've done it this way for the last 6 or 7 years and have had no problems with rising or storage. Might help someone. I don't use sugar either because this is a special starter for Italian bread. Works for other stuff too, of course. Sourdough bread is on the menu this evening because the afternoon rains are setting up and I can't be in the garden. Durn!

No offense was taken. But this does make me realize how easy it is to misinterpret a person's meaning, when either reading or writing a post or an email.
I've never made either French or Italian bread, so have no idea of what the recipes for them might or might not include. I am of the 'old school', that believes all foods should have at least some nutritional value. So all the breads I make, including most sourdoughs, have at least a little whole grain of some sort, some milk, and an egg or maybe even two. Nor have I ever used the 'instant' yeast. I do use active dry yeast, which I always proof. Sure wish I could get the "old-timey" cake yeast, but haven't seen it in the stores for more years than I care to count.
Rusty

It rose! Still not quite as well as I'm used to with yeast, but it worked.

I have photos, but I'm home for the next 3 days on "slow dial-up" internet connection so I'm not going to spend the 3 days sitting here waiting for pics to up load (it took 2 1/2 hours just to get them from camera to Photobucket)!!! LOL

I'll post on Thursday when I'm back at work!

Again, thanks to everyone for the help! It felt good to not have to toss it all. Bread tastes great even if it is a little dense.

Deanna

I'm glad it at least rose, and did it taste like sourdough? If so, it's a success, no matter the road taken to get there...

Annie

Finally, I have pictures!

HereÂs the dough after adding yeast.

Here it is about 2 hours later.

So I punched it down.

And formed 3 loaves.

Two hours laterÂÂ..

By now itÂs 8:30pm, IÂve built fence all day, taken care of the garden and this is just going to have to do!! Baked Âem.

And the results were just OK! Flavor is good, crumb is good, should have baked just a few more minutes.

EverythingÂs better with butter!!!

On a related note. I decided to keep feeding my starter to get it lively again and itÂs failed. I think I killed it.
Probably neglected for far too long.
Think IÂll take a break from sourdough for awhileÂÂÂ Luckily, I dried and froze some when it was healthy so can reactivate that later!

Thanks again to all who helped "Save the Bread".
Deanna

Deanna, if you decide to develop a new starter try the one from Amy's bread. It is a very strong starter and even when I don't feed it for a month it recovers well.

After having neglected mine for over a month I fed it twice and made a double batch of Sour dough bread. And on Friday morning I fed it again before leaving for work. It had almost doubled in less than 3 hours. And I fed it with just white flour this time, rather than rye. I keep one of each going, but I prefer the milder sourdough flavour of one made with white.

deanna, don't feel alone in killing your starter. I killed mine last winter. Not because I neglected it but because I never turn the heat above 50, LOL, and it just couldn't live under arctic conditions, I guess.

I'll make some more. Sometime. Elery loves sourdough. I like it OK, but I'm not crazy for it like some people are.

Annie

Thanks Ann(ie)s!
It was just so strange, I've never had that happen before and when making sourdough, I just didn't think to add in yeast!

Ann T, is Amy's bread a website? Cookbook? Would love to see that recipe for the starter.

Deanna

Deanna, Amy's Breads is a Cookbook, written by Amy Scherber and a bakery in New York owned by the Amy Scherber.

You can find the recipe here.

Ann