#Float Test

I NEVER do the float test, do you? The float test is when you drop a small amount of active sourdough starter into water to see if it floats. The goal is for that starter to float on the surface which indicates that sufficient gasses have been produced during fermentation and are trapped inside of your starter. The gas bubbles are what will successfully leaven your bread dough. But I never do it! Let me explain. I believe that the float test can be a great tool to help you get to know your starter but with experience you’ll bet able to tell that your starter has reached peak just by looking at it from across the room. Plus, I don’t think the float test is all that accurate. Like the starter in this video, it wasn’t quite at peak yet but still passed the float test. Had I stirred it up or degassed it in any way before doing the float test, it likely would have sunk. It’s also important to note that starters that are fed different types of flour will perform differently. Whole grain starters trap carbon dioxide early on in the fermentation process, leading it to float way before it reaches peak. So, what do you think? Do you use the float test? Let me know your thoughts in the comments. For more sourdough tips and recipes follow @breadandhappiness #sourdough #sourdoughstarter #floattest

Floating Test for Your Sourdough Starter Ready to see if your sourdough starter is strong enough for baking? The floating test is your answer! 🥄💦 Here’s how! Take a spoonful of your starter, drop it in a glass of water, and watch it float or sink. If it floats, it’s ready for action! If not, it might need more time to rise. Keep an eye on those bubbles and aroma too! A healthy starter will double in size and smell tangy—perfect for your next loaf. 🍞✨ However, float test isn't the most accurate way to measure to know if your sourdough starter is ready for baking. Simply, it only shows whether your sourdough starter can trap gas, some flour will have less gas trapping compare with white flour. #SourdoughTips #BakingHacks #StarterTest"

Have you ever had a dough pass the float test… and still not be ready? The float test can be useful, but I would never treat it as the final answer. So much depends on how you take that little piece of dough. If you remove it gently and it traps a bit of air, it can float even when the dough is still underproofed. That’s why I see it as one small clue, not the decision-maker. When I’m checking whether my dough is ready for shaping, I look at the full picture: how it feels, how much it has changed since the beginning, whether it looks lighter and fuller, whether I can see bubbles at the sides or underneath, and how it moves when I tilt the bowl. Honestly, the dough usually tells you more than any single test. This is exactly why bulk fermentation feels so tricky at first. There isn’t one perfect rule that works every time. Hydration, flour, temperature, starter strength, and any inclusions you add can all change the way the dough behaves. And the truth is, most of us learn bulk fermentation by getting it wrong a few times. Slightly underproofed. Slightly overproofed. Then adjusted again. That’s how you start learning to read the dough instead of chasing one “perfect” formula. What do you trust most during bulk fermentation: the float test, the look of the dough, or the feel of it? #sourdough #bulkfermentation #sourdoughbread #sourdoughtips #sourdoughbeginner

The moment of truth 🫧 After hours of fermentation, this is how I know my dough is ready. I take a small piece, drop it gently into water… If it floats… your fermentation has worked beautifully: – gluten web is strong, – gas is well-trapped, – dough is light and airy inside. If it sinks, don’t worry — it just needs more time in bulk. Let the microbes finish their work before you shape. 🫙 It’s one of my favourite checks before shaping — quiet, simple, but so satisfying. 📌 Save this reel for your next bake and try the float test yourself. #sourdough #floattest #sourdoughscience #breadmaking #sourdoughbread #naturallyleavened

Oh the float test… it’s a topic that’s often debated and is either loved or hated. Bakers who prefer precision typically hate it and talk about how it’s unreliable and a waste of time. They may even tell you you’ve lost all credibility for even talking about it 🙄. Bakers who are more laid back and are OK with taking some shortcuts and using hacks in exchange for good bread that may not be perfection every time – well, they typically really like the float test. I started my sourdough journey firmly in Camp 2 (I wing everything and don’t think sourdough should be that complicated) and over time have found myself more of a mix of Camp 1 and Camp 2. I’m starting to appreciate precision a lot more, and that’s mainly because I’m continuing to learn and the complexity of sourdough is becoming simpler in my brain. I feel ready to absorb more advanced techniques. But at the beginning, if you started lecturing me about dough temping and percentage rise and all that, I probably would’ve run in the other direction. So, I guess what I’m saying is: don’t hate on the float test just because you’re in a more advanced place and don’t have a need for it. If your dough floats, the bulk fermentation may not be spot-on, but it’ll be really darn close, and you’ll get a good loaf of bread from it. So many beginners have messaged me saying they got flat loaves until they learned this hack, which changed their entire outlook on sourdough. Will I rely on the float test forever? No. But is it a nice hack to double check I’m not shaping way too soon? For sure. #sourdough #bulkfermentation #sourdoughshaping #floattest

I’m sorry to burst any bubbles, but it’s really just not accurate ☹️ The only thing the float test can really tell you is if your starter is hanging on to gas…. And that’s not helpful. Why? Because a starter needs to be strong enough to raise itself before it can even think about raising an entire loaf of bread And ideally, it should be at peak when you bake with it. The float test can’t tell you this. It can tell you that your starter has some gas in it and can float, but it can’t determine strength or activity level. Your starter could float before it’s strong enough to bake. Or, a perfectly strong starter could sink just because you stirred all of the bubbles out of it. The best way to tell if your new starter is strong enough for bread is if it’s doubling (at minimum!!!) EVERY time you feed it. If not, keep feeding it regularly until it does. Which brings me to my next point: just because it doubles doesn’t mean it’s at PEAK. Strong starters may triple or quadruple after a feeding! If you bake slightly before or after your starter peaks, it’s not going to ruin your bread. But baking with it way before or way after may cause some issues. Here are some signs that your starter has peaked: ✅ it has (at minimum) doubled in size ✅ the top has some dimples where it’s beginning to deflate a bit ✅ it is pulling away from the sides of the jar ✅ the top might be wobbly when you shake the jar If you’re seeing these signs, then it’s a good time to bake! ✨🥳 My starter course The Rise Guide is almost finished — if you want to be the first to know when it’s live, comment COURSE and I’ll add you to the waitlist! #sourdoughstarters #sourdough_mania #sourdoughschool

When to pre-shape the dough? During bulk fermentation it can be hard to tell, when the dough is ready to shape. Here's a little float test I learnt from my friend and one of Denmarks best sourdough bakers: Benjamin a.k.a. 👉🏻 @_beansterbaker 👈🏻 Take a little sample of the dough (without squeezing) and place it in water. If it sinks, it needs more time. If it floats it's time to preshape ✔ After pre-shaping the dough needs to be relaxed before the final shape. It can take 15-45 minutes depending on the dough, development, hydration, temperature, humidity... Always keep an eye on it and when it starts to flatten it should be ready to shape. Tuck it in a rice floured banneton for a long cold rest before baking. Any questions? 😊 #baking #sourdough #bread #floattest #surdej #surdeg #sauerteig #leaven #fermentation #dough #test #howto #f52grams #breadbaking #feedfeedbaking #bagværk

The float test is what some bakers use to see if their starter is ready to bake with. • • Drop some fully risen starter into some room temperature water. If it floats this should be an indication that it has fully risen and is ready to be used. If it doesn't float continue feedings and check the following week. • • However, the float test isn’t always 100% accurate. Make sure you get to know your dough or starter. • • Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” ~John 6:35 • • #sourdough #sourdoughstarter #floattest #bread #fermented #homemade #homemaker #homemaking #homesteading #🍞

What is the float test? If you’ve been apart of the sourdough world for a week or for years, then you’ve probably come across the term “the Float Test”. The float test is one way to test if your sourdough starter is ready to make sourdough bread. This test can be super helpful, especially for beginners, who are unsure when their sourdough starter is ready to use after a feeding. How to do the Float Test: Fill a glass with water and place a spoonful of sourdough starter into the water. If it floats, it is ready to bake with! If the starter sinks, it needs more time rise. The carbon dioxide (bubbles you see in the starter) that are trapped should help the starter float in water. Now, a disclaimer, the Float Test isn’t always a surefire way to tell if your starter is ready to bake with. For example, if you stir your starter and release all the bubbles, the starter may sink to the bottom of the glass, but it is technically still ready to bake with. So, make sure that you see the first three cues - your starter has doubled in size, has bubbles throughout, and a pleasant yeasty aroma - before trying the Float Test. The Float Test can be just one more helpful way to know if your starter is ready to bake with. Wanting to make you’re own sourdough starter? Comment link and I will send you a FREE resource with step-by-step directions. #floattest #sourdoughfloattest #sourdoughfloatingtest #sourdoughstartertips #sourdoughstartertipsandtricks

SOURDOUGH STARTER TEST FLOAT TEST🌟is your starter ready to bake with?! Fill a glass with cool/room temperature water add a teaspoon of your starter when it’s at PEAK 🌟If it floats it’s ready to bake with, if it sinks it’s not ready & needs to be fed more. • • • • #sourdough#sourdoughbaking#sourdoughrecipe#sourdoughdiscard#sourdoughdiscardrecipe#sourdoughstarter#sourdoughloaf#sourdoughscoring#breadmaking#wildyeast#wildyeastbread#homesteadmama#homesteadmamas#homesteadingmama#homesteadingmamas#homesteader#homesteadlife#homesteadkitchen#homemadehomestead#floattest#makedontbuy#makeyourown#sourdoughbread#everybitcounts#beprepared#bepreparednotscared#womenwhoprep#homemaker#workingkitchen#sourdoughart

The float test is not an accurate test. Your sourdough starter floats because the wild yeast create co2 and it gets trapped in the gluten structure of your starter. It does not indicate readiness, strength or peak rise. It just means your sourdough starter is gassy. #sourdough #sourdoughsrarter #floattest #baking #tips

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