Sourdough… there are so many different ways to make it and lots of opinions on how to do it. As a homeschool mom, gardener/lover of nature and business owner I don’t have a lot of time to spend on bread. It is true that sourdough bread takes time. There is no getting around that, especially if you are making true sourdough. However, it isn’t as difficult as it seems. Think of it as a series of little things you can do in a two-day time period to make bread.
If you are new, it does take time and practice, but don’t give up. With consistent effort you will get a feel for the bread you are making, and it will get better… maybe even addictive!
There are a few important things you need to understand to make good sourdough bread. First, you need to have a good starter. Usually the older the starter is, the better. My starter supposedly comes from a strain that is over 200 years old. I can’t prove that, but it is what I was told when I received it. It has always performed very well, so I am inclined to believe it is an older starter. I have kept mine going for over a decade now. That is because I bake often and feed my starter regularly. Do not use chlorinated water to feed your starter. You will kill it. I have seen it happen many times. and customers have to buy a new starter again. If you want to know how to care for your starter I have a blog post on it. Just type in sourdough starter under the search bar and it should come up for you.
Second, you need to use a good organic flour without pesticides. Yes, pesticides will have an impact on your starter, it is a living organism. Keep her healthy. The higher the protein content in your flour, the higher the gluten and that will affect the outcome of your loaves. And finally, understand your recipe and the feel of making sourdough. This comes with time and practice.
Successful tips on timing and bulk fermentation:
1. Watch your dough and not the clock. Dough that is fully fermented should jiggle and have some bubbles. It also shouldn’t be sticky to the touch and should pull away from the bowl easily when dumped out onto the counter.
2. Warm temperature (water and where you place the bowl for bulk fermentation), whole grains and extra starter will create a faster bulk rise.
3. Cool temperature (water and where you place the bowl for bulk fermentation), using just white flour and less starter will create a slower bulk rise.
Prepping for making sourdough:
I like to pull my starter out of the fridge and bring it to room temperature before using it. If I am baking a large amount, I will use a 1:1:1 ratio of feeding starter, water and flour (the same flour I feed my starter with). And do it again in another 8 hours.
Depending on what I have time for I will choose one of the following:
I will mix my bread in the evening before bed and then shape and bake in the morning.
OR
I will feed my starter in the morning and evening (especially if I am making a large batch), mix the dough in the morning, shape in the afternoon/early evening and then place in the fridge over night to help improve flavor and extend the fermentation process for more health benefits. You can do either of these steps on a large or small scale.
Basic Sourdough Recipe
Makes 2 loaves that are about 1.5 pounds each at 70% hydration. This lower hydration level is good to start with, especially if you are new to making sourdough.
100 grams starter
540 grams unchlorinated water
18 grams good sea salt (do not use table salt)
25 grams olive oil – optional (it does make the loaf softer and keeps it from drying out faster).
800 grams good bread flour with the option of replacing 50 – 100 grams with whole grain flour like rye, spelt or wheat. Do not replace more than 400 grams of bread flour for whole grain flour if you want to prevent your loaves from turning into bricks. I suggest starting out with small increments and increasing as you experiment with your bread.
If adding inclusions be sure to not use more than 1 tablespoon herbs and other seasonings and no more than 1/2 cup per loaf of bread for bulkier products like cubed cheese, chocolate chips, chopped nuts etc. I mix my inclusions in at the beginning.
Side note: Why do I use grams instead of cups you ask? Because it will give you the exact same outcome each time. Using cups varies in weight and you won’t get the same results. I do not do an autolyse (mixing flour and water together first before adding anything else for an hour so the flour absorbs all the water). Some professionals and studies have shown that it doesn’t make much of a difference in the outcome of your loaves. The less steps I have to take the better for me and the more likely I will make bread. You can do a fermentolyse which is where you reserve a little water and add it to salt and set aside. Mix the rest of your ingredients and let sit for an hour, then mix in the extra water and salt. I also do not do this because I am a lazy sourdough bread baker. The purpose of adding the salt later, is so it doesn’t inhibit bulk fermentation. I have not found that I have had any issues with bulk fermentation and therefore have not felt I need to do this. Again, I think it comes down to the strength of your starter here.
In a large bowl (don’t use aluminum) weigh ingredients on food scale and mix together the starter, water, salt and oil with a Danish dough hook. Add half the flour and mix with the hook. Add the rest of the flour and mix by hand. It will look shaggy, but you will need to make sure all the flour has been mixed into the dough. Let sit covered for an hour. To build structure you must stretch and fold your dough. Preform 1 stretch and fold by wetting hands with water and gently pulling up the sides of the dough and folding over until you have created a smoother ball. This should take about 20 seconds. Wait another 30 minutes and then do some coil folds. Here you want to gently pull the dough and fold it under itself coiling it, turning the bowl as needed. If you need a visual there are plenty of videos online. Do that 1 to 2 more times 30 min apart. You can tell the dough has been stretched enough when it pulls away from the bowl easily. Keep covered and let sit on counter over night or for up to 4 to 8 hours checking for the signs listed above when bulk fermentation in done. Remember seasons and temperature play a large roll in bulk fermentation. Like I mentioned above you have the choice of shaping and baking or shaping and chilling then baking. Look online for different ways to shape your bread. If chilling, you will need to invest in a few banneton baskets or something like it (a bowl will work) to help the dough maintain its shape.
When you are ready to bake heat your Dutch oven with your oven to 450`. Turn your dough out onto a gently floured or even oiled surface. Pre-shape into a loose ball. Let sit for a bench rest for at least 10 min or up to 30 min. Do the final shape and place onto parchment paper. When the oven is almost ready, score your bread placing your razor or sharp knife parallel to the counter cutting 1/2 inch into the loaf. There are lots of ideas for decor and scoring online if you need. The purpose is to help guide your loaf where you would like it to expand as well as prevent tearing during the bake. I also like to simply cut an X shape in many of my loaves. It helps the loaf to rise upward. Place the loaf and parchment together in the hot Dutch oven and cover with lid. Bake for 20 minutes. Take lid off and bake for another 30 minutes. If you really want a crispy crust remove the Dutch oven from the oven and place just the loaf back on the oven rack to bake for 10 more minutes. Do not cut into the loaf for at least an hour. You will ruin the crumb. I know it is tempting but try to refrain.
Let me know if you have any questions. I am teaching an in-person class April 5th, 2025, if you want more of a hands-on experience. You can sign up under the events and classes tab found under the shop tab.
