Uploaded February 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
How to reduce sourness in sweet dough? This is one of the most common question I get all the time. In making bread such as Shokupan, burger buns, dinner rolls etc, we often do not prefer it with a hint of tang. Sweet stiff starter(sss) is what I have been using in sweet dough to cut the sourness.Lets quickly revisit sss :-
(1) what is sss?It simply means starter that is fed with lower hydration and with sugar.
(2) When do we use sss?When we want to reduce or eliminate the sour notes in our bread. This usually happens in sweet dough (not limited to enriched dough)
(3) How does sss work?By inducing sugar into the starter, it creates osmotic stress and limits the bacteria cell generation. This in turn limits acid built-up and reduces/eliminates sourness.
(4) Why does my bread still taste sour even with sss?You need to use active liquid starter to build sss for it in order to withstand the osmotic stress. Hence it’s best to refresh your liquid starter a few times prior of using it.
(5) What is the composition of sssMy preference ishydration – 50-55%sugar – 15-25%** % based on the flour fed
(6) What is the pros of SSS besides reducing/eliminating the sour notes in bread?• sss gives a chewier and more shreddy texture• sss stays at peak longer than liquid starter, so there is a larger window/flexibility on when it can be used
(7) What is the cons of SSS?• More cumbersome to prepare
(8) Do we need to maintain a sss all the time?No, build sss as and when needed in recipe
#sweetstiffstarter #sweetstarter #levain #sourdough #sourdoughstarter #stiffstarter #naturalyeast #wildyeast
How to reduce sourness in sweet dough? This is one of the most common question I get all the time. In making bread such as Shokupan, burger buns, dinner rolls etc, we often do not prefer it with a hint of tang. Sweet stiff starter(sss) is what I have been using in sweet dough to cut the sourness.Lets quickly revisit sss :-
(1) what is sss?It simply means starter that is fed with lower hydration and with sugar.
(2) When do we use sss?When we want to reduce or eliminate the sour notes in our bread. This usually happens in sweet dough (not limited to enriched dough)
(3) How does sss work?By inducing sugar into the starter, it creates osmotic stress and limits the bacteria cell generation. This in turn limits acid built-up and reduces/eliminates sourness.
(4) Why does my bread still taste sour even with sss?You need to use active liquid starter to build sss for it in order to withstand the osmotic stress. Hence it’s best to refresh your liquid starter a few times prior of using it.
(5) What is the composition of sssMy preference ishydration – 50-55%sugar – 15-25%** % based on the flour fed
(6) What is the pros of SSS besides reducing/eliminating the sour notes in bread?• sss gives a chewier and more shreddy texture• sss stays at peak longer than liquid starter, so there is a larger window/flexibility on when it can be used
(7) What is the cons of SSS?• More cumbersome to prepare
(8) Do we need to maintain a sss all the time?No, build sss as and when needed in recipe
#sweetstiffstarter #sweetstarter #levain #sourdough #sourdoughstarter #stiffstarter #naturalyeast #wildyeast
