Sourdough My Way

I got started a little over a year ago and like Jesus, I’ve made countless loaves since.

My Sourdough journey was/ still is a learning process and my technique evolved into a process that is the easiest, uses no scales, has as minimal steps as possible and is the most comfortable for me.

I began my search for all things sourdough …on Google…(obviously) and perused the YouTube for all things sourdough related.

After countless hours spent watching videos (in different languages I might add…why??‍♀️ I dunno…at this point I was in the bread zone) and numerous recipe reviews…I put my oven mitts on, and I felt ready.

Okay well …oven mitts needed at the last stage of the process…but that’s okay.
You get what I’m trying to say…

So the first thing I had to do in my Sourdough challenge was create the starter.

Shirley – My Sourdough Starter all bubbly and ready

The Starter is simply a combination of equal parts flour and water, yet somehow nature’s magic kicks in…ferments this combo and gives it bread making power.

The starter is your natural yeast and before commercially available yeast became a thing…this was what it was all about.

The only thing to remember is that making sourdough takes a bit more time, the natural yeast takes a bit longer to do it’s thing and the dough goes through a fermenting process.

Now my starter’s name is Shirley, Yes…I named her and when you make your own starter you’ll wanna name him/her too. You grow attached to it, well I did…she watches TV with me (sometimes), I feed her, care for her, make sure she’s warm. In a way, she’s like a pet….kinda.

I come home some days and find her just loafing around.

She’s the kinda pet that if you come home and find her frothing at the mouth….that’s a good thing!!

My point is, your starter is a living breathing thing and it is the basis, the “God particle” if you so will, of your Sourdough bread.

I think I have to dedicate an entire blog to my starter. And I will…I will.

Now before Shirley…there was Rupert.

Was…

Born Dec 11 2018

Rupert’s life began in the dead cold of winter, he took 12 days to bubble up but he was more of the reserved silent type.
He didn’t communicate his needs in a way I could understand.

So…

I thought he was cold

And popped him into a slightly warm oven.

I may or may not have been responsible for his demise. I personally think we had a big communication problem but, I shall not say anything further to incriminate myself.

Shirley on the other hand has a very bubbly personality…I always know what she wants. She always looks at me all doughy eyed.

She’s was born right after Rupert took his dirt nap (after his trip to the sauna).

She’s responsible for all the sourdough bread I make…and she’s a good girl.

So after getting Shirley off the ground, I always feed her right before I plan to make bread. She gets dinner if I’m getting started in the morning or breakfast if I’m getting started in the evening.

And that’s really all there’s to it.

Feed Shirley and she’ll give you great bread.

Feeding the Starter fresh water and flour

I just stir a bit of Shirley into some flour and water, and Shirley does most of the work.
Then the dough just sits for a bit, before it does some yoga, and by yoga I mean stretching and folding.

Dough Yoga

Fold the dough from the outer corner to the middle, repeating until the entire circumference of the dough has been folded.

Stretching and folding is all it takes to get this dough into shape. And pretty soon the dough is more stretchy than a gymnast.

Quite interesting to see the transformation from wet sticky dough to stretchy malleable and smooth…with hardly any effort.

Ready for the Banneton – The dough after it’s been cupped and pulled with a good network of bubbles on the surface

The Kneading Process:

The next stage usually involves a bit of kneading.
Nothing crazy.
Some cupping and pulling and the dough is ready to ferment overnight in the refrigerator.

 ?️How to “cup and pull”:

At this stage the dough goes into a well floured container or Banneton for an overnight chill.
The slow fermentation of the dough contributes to the tangy flavour characteristic of this type of bread.

So put the Sour in Sourdough…and give the dough time to rest and slowly do its thing.

The added plus of this step is that it makes the bread easier to digest.

The Baking Process

Now the baking process can be a bit tricky, especially if you don’t have a good set of kitchen legs.

Very high heat is needed as well as lots of steam.

Steam is a necessary element in the baking of your bread. It’s what gives your bread a lovely poof and that distinctive crunchy crust. Unfortunately most home ovens do not carry a steam function so one must improvise.

Now before you blow hot air don’t despair. There’s a somewhat easy fix…well 2.

Somewhat easy fix 1:

Put a sturdy roasting pan/metal tray (do not use pyrex) in the bottom of your oven. Preheat with the oven, then pour boiling water into it right before you place your loaves (on a separate baking tray) in there.

Problem. It can be a bit dangerous. High temps, boiling water plus an oven light, glass door that could potentially shatter if something goes wrong.

I once had a pyrex dish shatter on me while pouring hot water in. All I heard was a pop and it was in a million pieces. I still have one or two bits of pyrex still stuck in the oven door crevice till this day.

Easier fix 2:

The dutch oven method.

Freshly made Sourdough bread in the dutch oven, about to go on a cooling rack

Much easier, a lot less dangerous, though it’s ferociously hot when you put the bread in so caution has to be applied.

The dutch oven with it’s lid on naturally traps all the steam that’s emitted from the loaf as it’s cooking. So a self contained steamer….

Feel free to try out any method (safely) but option 2 works best for me and that’s the method I use for this recipe.

So with a little patience you can make your very own Sourdough Bread at home. It really is an exciting process and I think everyone has their own unique experience. What’s important is to feel comfortable and to establish methods that work for you. That’s what I did.

PS. Shirley says hello.

Sourdough Recipe (1 loaf)

• 4 cups strong white flour
•  1 1/2 tsp salt
•  1 1/3 cups water
•  3/4 cup sourdough starter

1. Preheat the dutch oven (lid on) at 500℉ for at least 15-30 mins.
2. Carefully remove the lid, then gently plop the dough into the pot (seam side down).
3. Score the top with a sharp knife.
4. Cover with the lid and bake 20 mins. at 475℉
5. Remove the lid then reduce heat to 450℉ bake for an additional 25-30 mins.
6. Remove from the oven, place on a cooling rack and let cool for at least 30-45mins. before slicing.

Notes

?️Preheating the Oven and Dutch Oven
I usually start my oven off at 400℉, and leave it for half hour at this temperature.
I then increase the temperature to 500℉ and leave it for a further 15-30 mins. before I bake my bread.
I’ve preheated the dutch oven at 500℉ from anywhere between 15-30 mins and I always get a good outcome.
If you’re delving straight into the 500℉ temp preheat (due to time) I would turn the oven on, with the covered Dutch Oven inside, and  preheat for a minimum of 15 mins.

?️Flour
I’ve found different flour brands, types react differently. For instance, I’ve experimented with both all purpose white flour and organic unbleached flour and found differences in the stretch-ability and the absorption of water.

?️Proving in a Banneton (bread proving basket) / Substitutes for a Banneton
Ensure your banneton is well floured to avoid any sticking.
If you don’t have a banneton use any suitably sized dish, pan, container, basket with high enough sides to support the dough.
How to : Place a clean tea towel inside, and apply a generous coating of flour.