Breadmaking, in general, is part science, part art form. Sourdough bread is an ancient method of leavening bread long before packaged rapid-rise commercial yeast became available. Many buy theirs from an artisan bakery and pay premium prices for their loaves because the thought of making your own sounds intimidating. This is untrue; sourdough is much simpler and easier than most imagine. Let’s get kneading.

Photo byNadya SpetnitskayaonUnsplash

Sourdough: It Starts With Starter

A sourdough starter is made by mixing flour and water. Wild yeasts and bacteria thrive and multiply in the starter. Traces of yeast and beneficial bacteria are naturally occurring and live in the air all around us. Each starter strain has bacteria and wild yeast variations unique to its location. A starter must be fed regularly, or it will starve and die. Fortunately, a starter is much more resilient and challenging to kill than most people realize.

Feeding Your Starter

Starters can be bought, inherited, or made. When purchased or inherited, they are either dehydrated or fresh. If you’re starting from scratch, the process will be similar to obtaining an established starter. You’ll need a glass container, 1 cup of whole rye flour or whole wheat flour, and 1/2 cup of tepid water. Tap water is fine as long as it’s non-chlorinated. You’ll need to follow these same steps to boost an obtained starter.

Mix well with a wooden spoon, cover with a bandana or cheesecloth with an elastic, and leave out at room temperature. The warmer the temperature, the faster your starter will grow. Feed your starter like this for at least 6-7 days. You must discard some to make room for more feedings, and that’s okay. This is, in fact, called “discard,” and if you don’t like waste, the internet has a plethora of recipes and ideas of how to use discard.

Working With Your Starter

Once your starter is about a week old, it should have a fresh, fruity smell and active bubbles. It’s ready to work for you to bake bread. By this time, you can choose to keep your starter in the fridge if you are going to bake once or twice a week or keep it out at room temperature if you plan on baking frequently. You’ll notice a clear liquid on top. This is called “hooch” and it’s normal. You can drain most of it out, but stir some back in if you enjoy that sourdough tang.

If you keep it in the fridge, the starter will be much more sluggish and only require feeding once a week. If you’re a frequent baker keeping it on the counter, you may need to feed it daily or every other day. If you accidentally forget your starter in the back of the fridge, don’t panic. You may see an off-white or grey, ropey substance on the top. It may even smell odd, like acetone.

This is called kahm yeast. It’s harmless but not ideal; it just means your starter is extremely hungry. Just skim off the kahm yeast, change out the container, and give it a generous feeding. If you see pink or orange streaks, and your starter smells strongly of old gym socks, throw it out. This is mold! Mold is a certain death to a starter.

Baking and Patience

Unlike commercial yeast bread, sourdough takes a long time to rise. Other than that, it’s actually easier to work with sourdough than regular yeast bread. The best way to avoid the time-consuming rises is to plan. Most recipes involve mixing by hand, so it’s more accessible to everyone. No fancy kitchen equipment is needed, only patience is necessary. Let’s look at a basic sourdough peasant loaf recipe that’s suitable for beginners:

Easy Peasant Loaf

Most peasant loaf recipe instructions call for a banneton, a woven basket that holds the shape of the loaf until it’s time to bake. A mixing bowl or colander lined with a floured tea towel will work fine.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of bread flour (you can use 1 cup of whole wheat or flour and 1 cup of bread flour to make it half and half)
• 1/2 cup + 2 ½ tablespoons of fed sourdough starter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup tepid water (90F / 32C)

Instructions:

Mix ingredients well with a wooden spoon until the liquid ingredients are incorporated with the dry ingredients. Then, use your hands to knead and mix until a rough dough is formed. Allow to rest for about an hour.

After an hour, stretch and fold the dough with your hands in the bowl until it forms a bouncy, tight dough ball. Place the dough ball in a banneton or mixing bowl with a well-floured tea towel. Cover and allow to rise for 8-10 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Pop the dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, place it in the oven, and bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown. Slice when completely cooled, and enjoy!

This article was written by Stephanie Grant.