Before I started back working full time, I was making a lot of sourdough, but I had a starter that my friend Maartje gave me. So far, I haven't had luck making my own starter. She made hers by accident. Maybe I'll try to get her to make me some more - her kitchen might have a special magic for it that mine lacks. I can buy fantastic sourdough from La Brea Bakery, which is sold at all the local markets, but it's a bit expensive. I like La Brea Bakery sourdough much better than the sourdough I used to get when I lived in San Francisco, although I like what I made myself even better. Thanks for the instructions! Lars

Aw, plllog. While I'm glad that you're "fine", I continue to think about you. Truly, I can only imagine ... just every single aspect of life would be impacted. I know that I had trouble not knowing when the polar vortexes would end -- not enduring them, just not knowing when it would be over. Not only has this been long term for you, it's so much more encompassing. I'm hoping for some (a lot actually- but no floods!!!!! or flooded garages!!!!) of "gentle, but measurable" rains and that life returns to at least a good new normal. And that you get back to enjoying baking (I know I would coping and not feel inspired right now-- just me.) Maybe it will brighten your day to know that I told my son you responded to his bagel pic. After a few seconds of reading your post, he smiled, and I knew that he came to the description "foundation bagel." More reading and the eyes widened with the real-deal smile erupting, accompanied by a loud "Ha!" I said, "What?" although I knew (and I know you know) what words he had read -- "flacid doughy rings!" A day-brightener! No need to respond to this, but maybe to lighten your day -- here's an excerpt that he had to write about a couple of years ago for rhetoric -- introduction paragraph to review Alton Brown -- Good Eats. Although he's ChemE (thinking about actuarial now, oh my) he loves to read, edit and write. And cook. "Some of my earliest and most powerful memories are of cooking with my mom. The crimson iridescence of a sliced strawberry, the sound of frying bacon (a standing ovation), the smell of proofing yeast…all are indelible sensations that permeate my childhood. And my culinary experiences weren’t just limited to the kitchen. The only TV stations I watched growing up were PBS and The Food Network (I wasn’t aware that others existed or that you could flip between them with a device called a “remote”). When I wasn’t tuning in to Kratts’ Creatures or Arthur and his anthropomorphic friends, I was learning how to flambé with Bobby Flay, filet halibut with Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, and make Coq au Vin with Julia Child. Only one host, however, continually captivated me with his wildly inventive, mad-scientist approach to food. His name? Alton Brown. His game? Good Eats." Continue to think about you! Cathy in SWPA

When dough has good structure before proofing and poor/no structure after proofing, it is over proofed. The yeast has multiplied and produced gas so much that the gluten structure has broken down. Why was an overnight proof okay in the video and recipe that you used but too long for the bread you made? Several factors occur to me - biggest influence first: Your bread had a 1/2 tsp of commercial yeast, the other two had only starter. I've made rye bread and regular sour dough bread both ways: starter only or starter plus a 1/4 to 1/2 tsp commercial yeast. Even that small amount of commercial yeast decreases rising time a lot. 8 or more hours warm rise was probably too much for dough with a 1/2 tsp yeast. You started the bread in a bread machine which warmed it for two rises (an hour) while the video and recipe just did a half hour rest on the counter (possibly in a fairly cool room. So the yeastie beasties in your bread had a head start on multiplying. Possibly your kitchen and oven-light warmed oven were warmer than the environments in the video and recipe you followed. Another factor I'm not sure about. I've not made no-knead sourdough bread in the bread machine. Generally, the sourdough recipes I've used emphasize gentle handling of the dough after the initial mixing - no knock down, just stretch and fold. Possibly the knock down and second knead in the bread machine reduced it's structure. I'm not convinced of that, but it is different from the recipes. Even for sourdough starter only, 8 hours for a warm environment rise seems long. I've done counter rising that long, not rising with additional warmth. With commercial yeast added I would only do an overnight rise in the fridge. To avoid over-proofing, either find a recipe that uses starter plus yeast to use for the timings or do the rise during the day when you can check on progress to figure how long it needs or put it in the fridge to do the overnight rise in the cold. Over-proofed dough collapses very easily. When the dough is properly proofed, you will find it easier to slash without deflating. On the other hand, over-proofed dough isn't going to have oven spring so it shouldn't benefit from slashing. I slash either with a safety razor blade or with a double edged razor blade threaded onto a thin bamboo skewer to give the blade a curve like most lames. You want a thin, very sharp blade for slashing. A razor blade can be replaced when it's edge dulls.

I never put sourdough in a dutch oven. You need that for ultra high hydration dough because it’s goop that won't hold its shape. Your starter is ready to use if it will double in size, after feeding, reliably within eight hours and hold its top height for several hours. You might get a decent loaf before then, but you might have trouble. i posted my easiest, most reliable recipe, along with other things, in this thread: https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5924521/fun-with-sourdough. Do a protein wash (egg or milk) for prettier crust, and don't forget to slash the surface to control the let out of steam, preventing cracking. Any recipe where you feed up a potion of your starter, and let it get all bubbly, then add flour, water and salt, should give you good bread. A smaller proportion of water to flour will keep it out of the pot. BTW, if you're not trying to make high hydration “artisan” bread, but your dough is too wet to stand, you can bake it off in any vessel, such as a saucepan, springform or bowl. Clay works if you don't want to use metal. Good luck!