I hopped on the sourdough train rather late but I’m so glad I finally did it! Cutting a slice of warm sourdough bread and slathering in butter is growing to be one of my favorite things!
Finding the Right Recipe
It took me a while to find the right recipe that worked with my sourdough starter and kitchen environment. These factors strongly affect the bread. So if this recipe doesn’t work out the first time, alter the amount of water and fermentation times to see if that works out better for you!
Also, I just want to note that I don’t make sourdough bread to win any beauty contests. I make bread to feed my family. Which means we know sourdough bread is almost always delicious. No matter the texture, crumb, or sourness, it will be yummy and feed my family. Of course, I want my bread to turn out like it should, but I just want to put out there, if you think you’re failing, remember you’re feeding your family nutritious bread and that’s what matters, not the size of the holes in your bread.
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Sourdough Bread
Ingredients
- 2 C. Flour
- 1 C. Water
- 1/2 C. Active Sourdough Starter
- 1 tsp. Salt
Instructions
The night before you’ll bake the bread, mix all ingredients (except the salt) until just incorporated, cover, and rest the dough for 1 hour. Add the salt with your first stretch and fold.
Stretch and fold process: Take the side of dough furthest from you, stretch upwards, and fold over the top of the dough. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Turn the bowl one more time for a total of three stretch and folds. Cover the dough, wait 30 minutes, and repeat.
Repeat this stretch and fold process four times, or until the dough is smooth and stretchy.
After the last stretch and fold, shape the dough into a ball, cover tightly, and rest 6-12 hours (overnight).
The next morning, once the dough has doubled in size, scrape it onto a lightly floured surface. To shape, use a similar method to the stretch and folds you did last night and pinch the seams together. Leave the dough seam-side down on the counter for 30 minutes for the gluten to rest. Then turn the dough over again (so the seam is facing up) and stretch and fold again. Turn the ball seam-side down onto the counter and pull the ball of dough towards yourself to create tension in the dough ball and smooth the bottom. Only pull the dough an inch or so towards yourself and rotate it. The dough should feel firm and bouncy.
Place a tea towel in the bowl. Flour the dough very well and place the dough smooth side down onto the towel in the bowl. Cover and rest for 2-4 hours. For the last hour of rising, place a cast iron pot (with lid) into the over and preheat to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat the pot for one hour.
Once the pot has preheated for one hour, tip the ball of dough onto your hand and place it on a piece of parchment paper. Flour and score the dough. Remove the pot from the oven and put the dough into the pot. Return to the oven (with the lid on) and bake for 15 minutes. After this, turn down the heat to 475 and bake for another 12-15 minutes.
Place the bread on a cooling rack as you can. Let it cool at least one hour before cutting into it.
Notes
This recipe has a lot of water so the dough should be quite stretchy on the first stretch and fold. I feel this results in a lighter, softer bread.
Results will vary based on your kitchens environment and your climate outside. I live in a very dry climate and my kitchen is typically 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
What is Sourdough Starter?
Sourdough starter is wild yeast found nearly everywhere. It’s a single-celled organism that feeds on sugar. For centuries people have used sourdough starter to leaven their bread.
This leaven is created by fermenting water and flour with an organic item such as apple peels or grapes. These apple peels or sliced grapes have yeast living on them already, so they were added to the water and flour mixture then left to ferment for several days. The yeast will eat the sugars in the fruit and flour, releasing carbon dioxide in the process, resulting in bubbly active sourdough starter.
From this point on, only water and flour is needed to feed the starter.
What is Sourdough Discard?
If sourdough starter is left to rest longer, the yeast would eat all the sugars present and the starter will “fall,” this is what we call “sourdough discard.” If fed more water and flour, it will rise again, typically doubling in size. Therefore, many throw away the leftover starter because the quantity will continue to double as long as it is fed–thus we have “discard.” If a recipe calls for discard, they are asking for unfed or inactive sourdough starter.
Sourdough Nutrition
What are the benefits of sourdough bread? Due to the fermentation process, sourdough contains both prebiotics and probiotics, it is easier to absorb nutrients, and is more digestible. It also has relatively low glycemic index.
Is there a downside to sourdough? In my opinion, the upsides far outweigh the downsides, which are sourdough can be high in carbs and is not gluten free.
Equipment
You do not need any special equipment to make sourdough bread. There are several items that make it easier to make but you can simple use a bowl, a tea towel, your hands, a knife, and bread loaf pan. Although I highly recommend using a cast iron pot to bake your bread.
Shelf Life
Sourdough bread lasts about 4-5 days in a bag on the counter or several months in the freezer. After it has cooled, you can slice and freeze immediately.
Baking Time
My recipe takes 30 minutes in the oven, decreasing the temperature halfway through.
Fermenting Time
Like most bread loaves, sourdough has two rising or fermenting times.
The first is the bulk rise which can take 6-12 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen and the temperature outside.
The second rise takes 2-4 hours at room temperature or 6-12 hours in the refrigerator.
Biggest Mistake
The biggest mistake I think people make is not giving themselves enough grace when a loaf doesn’t turn out the way you planned. It will take trial and error to know when your dough has fermented enough. I have made many under-fermented and over-fermented doughs. Some we eat anyway, others I throw out. Just remember, you’re in good company–all bread makers have made the same mistakes as you!
If you feel like this post has helped you in your sourdough bread journey, please leave a comment below!
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