Sourdough Bread Class
You're on your way to delicious sourdough bread!
This course is intended to get you your on your way to making delicious sourdough bread. For best results, watch this video in its entirety and read these helpful notes and tips at least once through before baking the bread. This will ensure that you allot enough time so the bread making works with your schedule and have all the right ingredients and equipment on hand.
Equipment
cast iron pot/Dutch oven
digital kitchen scale
clear glass container with a lid
3 or 4 mixing bowls
measuring cups and spoons
scissors
marker
kitchen towel or hand towel
TIPS
- A digital kitchen scale with the ability to measure in grams is the quickest and most accurate way measure the bread flour and water.
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Use parchment paper when baking the bread. Don't substitute with freezer paper or wax paper. They are not the same thing! I prefer Reynolds brand of parchment paper. It releases from the bread more easily than others.
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Make sure the pot/Dutch oven you bake the bread in can withstand temperatures of 475-500 degrees Fahrenheit. I recommend cast iron or enameled cast iron. Avoid glass or aluminum. Do not use pots with plastic handles or knobs. If you're baking two loaves of bread at the same time, then two Dutch ovens are required.
X 2
for two loaves
Ingredients
1/3 cup sourdough starter
1 heaping cup all purpose flour
560 grams of bread flour
420 grams of water
2 teaspoons salt
TIPS:
All purpose flour is the common flour that most of us cook with. Any brand of all purpose flour is fine for feeding the starter.
The bread flour is another matter. I only use King Arthur bread flour. From my experience, it's the only brand that produces a good texture of bread. It's generally available in local grocery stores.
Use non-iodized salt. Iodine may suppress the growth/multiplication of yeast, which is the opposite of what we're trying to achieve. It should be somewhere on the label as to whether a salt does or doesn't contain iodine .
Use non-chlorinated water, for the same reason as above.
FAQS:
Q: For the bread, can I use all purpose flour instead of bread flour?
A: Yes, BUT... You'll likely be very disappointed with the results. Bread flour has a higher protein content than all purpose flour. The higher protein content is what gives bread it's pleasantly chewy texture. Choose a bread flour with at least 12% protein.
Q: Can I add other ingredients such as herbs, cheese or whole grains?
A: Yes. But first bake a few plain loaves to get the hang of it, then experiment. Adding additional ingredients can alter the hydration (hydration explained further down).
Q: Can I use whole wheat flour instead of white bread flour?
A: Yes. However, whole wheat flour has an even higher protein content than white bread flour and will require more hydration. I recommend making the recipe using the stated ingredients first, then experiment with whole wheat. Perhaps using half whole wheat and half white flour.
The Starter
Keep the starter refrigerated. It can keep well that way for months.
Feed it only when you're going to make bread. There's no need for weekly maintenance feedings.
If it develops a dark layer on top, it's ok. Just mix it up.
Smell it. It may smell fruity, like vinegar or alcohol. If it smells foul, discard it (but save the jar!)
The optimal temperature for feeding/growing the starter is between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
In cooler weather or if the temperature in your kitchen is below 75 degrees Fahrenheit, it's going to be difficult for the starter to rise. A few things to try; wrap the starter in a towel and put it in a warmer place such as:
On a heating pad at it's lowest setting with a doubled up towel between the jar and the heating pad.
On top of a refrigerator.
In an oven with the light on (without the towel around the jar)
Outside (if it's warmer than inside).
In car that sits in the sun – careful with this one or starter may get all over your car!
Anytime there's a question about the readiness of the starter. Do a float test as shown in the video.
***The recipe for feeding the starter will yield enough for two loaves of bread***
FAQS
Q: So, what exactly is starter anyway?
A: A live fermented culture of flour and water. It can truly be said the only ingredients in this bread are water, flour and salt. Natural yeast and other microorganisms exist in raw flour. Natural yeast are also in the air and on surfaces which can colonize the starter (not necessarily a bad thing). Microorganisms present in your environment may be different from those in another, so your starter will become unique to you.
Q: Can I use bread flour to feed the starter?
A: Yes. But it's kind of a waste. Bread flour is more costly than all purpose flour. All purpose flour gets the job done for less money.
Q: What if I feed the starter, it rises, but doesn't double in volume?
A: It may not be “strong” enough to make bread. Starter that's been in the fridge for many weeks (or months) may take more than one feeding the get it vigorous again. Repeat the feeding using the most recently fed starter - see video.
This starter needs another feeding. It rose but didn't double.
This starter doubled after feeding.
Are you local to me and need a sourdough starter?
Weighing The Ingredients
TIPS:
***Remember to "zero" the scale before weighing each ingredient***
You may notice in the video that my weights of bread flour and water may be off by a gram or two. That's ok. Measurements off by a few grams (and when I say “a few” I mean up to five) won't really change the taste of the bread, but what it may change is the texture, known as the crumb. The more water the dough contains, or the more hydrated it is; it will produce a bread that is less dense, has more holes, nooks and crannies (personally, I like that). More water also makes the dough slightly more difficult to handle. Keep in mind adding additional water to the starter when feeding it can further hydrate the dough. For your first few loaves of bread, I recommend sticking to the measurements given in the recipe. The loaf below made with more hydration is kind of an extreme example, but you get the idea, right?
Each loaf of bread requires 560 grams of bread flour. Use two separate bowls for each loaf.
The Dough
TIPS:
Use lukewarm water when making the levein for the dough. Too hot water will kill the yeast, too cold will make the yeast slow to get activated.
Be patient when mixing the dough. It may seem like there's too much bread flour. Just keep mixing. It may take a couple minutes, but you should eventually be able to incorporate all the flour without having to add more water.
The period of time after the ingredients are combined and left to sit covered with a moist towel is referred to as the autolyse (pronounced auto-lease). Gluten fibers are forming. 30-45 minutes is sufficient, however, there have been times when I've gotten distracted and didn't get back to it until 2-3 hours later. If this happens to you, don't fret. It should be fine. Just go ahead to the next step which is the initial stretch and fold.
When the dough is left to rise, this is referred to as proofing. In cooler weather it takes longer for the dough to proof. Just as with starter, try putting it in a warmer place covered with a moist towel.
A longer proofing time isn't necessarily a bad thing. The longer it takes for the dough to rise, the more flavor it develops.
When is the dough ready? This is something that you'll get a feel for. But I tend to gauge how far it's risen in the bowl. If your bowl is about the same size as mine, the dough will be about 3 inches from the top when it's done proofing or roughly doubled in size. Of course, if your bowl is smaller or larger the level will be different. Some sources recommend the “finger tip test”. Do this by wetting a finger and gently poking it into the dough (not too far). If the hole where it was poked springs back, it's ready. I find this method to be unreliable. When I do this, the hole always stays indented!
What should be avoided is overproofing. This happens when to dough is left to rise/proof too long. It'll become a soupy mess! There's internet sources on how to salvage overproofed dough. I've tried it a time or two but found the texture awful and the taste unpleasantly sour. In my experience, there's really nothing to do but throw the overproofed dough on the compost pile and begin again. This brings us to the next topic...
Scheduling
TIPS:
Plan the bread making to work with your schedule. This is important! It will help avoid overproofed dough.
For example, let's say you're an early riser (or a night owl) and want freshly baked bread in the morning with breakfast, your bread making schedule might go something like this:
3 p.m. Feed starter (assuming 5 hours to double. Temperature will affect the time).
8:15 p.m. Mix dough and allow it to autolyse.
9 p.m. Stretch and fold
9:05 p.m. - 3 a.m Let dough rise/proof overnight while you sleep (Temperature will affect the actual time, but let's just say 6 hours).
3 a.m. Final stretch, then put it in fridge while the oven is heating up. At this point it can be left in the fridge up to 24 hours if you're not ready to bake it.
3 a.m. - 4: 20 a.m. Heat oven and cast iron for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
4: 25 a.m. - 5:05 a.m. Bake the bread.
5:05 – 6:05 a.m. Cool for one hour
7:05 a.m. Enjoy your freshly baked bread!
As I mentioned earlier, this is just an example. Adjust it according to your schedule.
Take note of the way your dough behaves in your environment. You'll start to get an idea of how it behaves at different temperatures and even in different seasons.
Baking The Bread
TIPS:
Use a Dutch oven with similar dimensions as the one shown. A larger one is going to yield a flatter loaf because the dough will spread out. A smaller one may hinder the expansion.
Be careful! The oven and cast iron pots are going to be very hot! I use silicone baking mitts, so as not burn myself on the top element of the oven.
Avoid scoring the bread ahead of time. Do it just before it goes in the oven, otherwise it may loose some of its ability to rise.
Be sure the oven and cast iron are really hot. Don't skimp on the preheating.
500 degrees Fahrenheit is a typical temperature to bake sourdough bread when using cast iron. But not all ovens are the same. If you know your oven runs on the hotter side, you can experiment with 475 degrees as your baking temperature.
If you find the bottom of the bread browns more than you'd like it to, try putting a cookie sheet on a rack below the bread while it bakes. Choose a cookie sheet you're willing to sacrifice because after many session of bread baking it'll look like this:
If you're multitasking while baking, it's easy to loose track of when the bread went in the oven, when the lid should come off and when to take it out. Set an alarm or better yet, set two alarms. I use my phone so I can walk away and still be aware of the time. As a backup, I also write down the in/out/lid off times. Sounds obsessive, right? But I can't tell you how many times my phone went dead in my pocket and I failed to set a second alarm on a timer, so a written time really helps.
If there's ever a question as to whether the bread is done or not, use a digital kitchen thermometer. If the internal temperature reads 208 degrees Fahrenheit or above, it's done.
If baking multiple batches of bread, reheat the empty cast iron pots for 15-20 minutes before baking the next loaves. The pots loose heat quickly. Get them back in the oven as soon as possible. Avoid having the oven doors open for long periods of time.
After baking, let the bread cool at least an hour, otherwise it'll be very squishy when it's cut into.
FAQS
Q: Why does the bread need to be baked in a cast iron Dutch oven? Can I use a loaf pan?
A: Yes. Is the short answer. However, the bread requires a source of steam for the first phase of baking. A cast iron pot with a lid traps the moisture released from the bread as it bakes and acts as a source of steam, Baking the bread in a loaf pan means having to provide an alternate source of steam such as a pan of water or ice cubes on the bottom rack of the oven. The instructions in this course are specifically for baking sourdough in a cast iron pot/Dutch oven.
Q: Can I bake the bread in a bread machine?
A: I don't know. I've never tried it. If you do and have success, please let me know so the knowledge can be shared!
Feeding the Starter
1 heaping cup all purpose flour
1 cup water
1/3 cup sourdough starter
***This yields enough for two loaves of bread***
If you only want to make one loaf, just discard the
rest of the starter.
See the video for instructions on feeding the starter.
Sourdough Bread
560 grams of bread flour*
420 grams of water
150 grams of fed sourdough starter
2 teaspoons non-iodized salt
*For two loaves of bread, measure out the ingredients twice, using two separate bowls.
See the video for instructions on mixing the dough.