Sourdough Basics for Beginners
There is something so beautifully meditative about making your own bread. If you are new to bread making and want to get started but are feeling little overwhelmed, I don’t blame you! The internet is chock full of a million different methods and a million different opinions. Let’s simplify things. I too, am new to sourdough and after 3 months of trial and error, I have all my learning still fresh in my brain and excited to share them with you.
The most important thing to remember is that sourdough is more forgiving than you think. You don’t need to stick to strict timelines, and you don’t need fancy equipment. Don’t be afraid to play around a little. This doesn’t mean you won’t have any failures - I have baked my fair share or loaves that felt like pucks or had to toss my dough into the trash because I over-proofed it…but those are all part of the learning curve.
Stick with it and you will find that it’s an stress-relieving process that not only nourishes your body and gut, but also nourishes your mind and soul.
A sourdough starter is a living breathing thing. The process will evolve and through that process, you too can learn to evolve and grow. Allow some flexibility, presence and some curiosity on your sourdough journey.
Before we begin, you will need a sourdough starter. The starter is actually quite easy to make. It just takes a little bit of patience. If you don’t have that (lol, I often don’t!) see if you can find a friend who can give you some of theirs. I have a very healthy starter that was given to me from my friend Lauren. If you are in the Toronto area and want to jump start the process, send me a message.
Makes 1 loaf
Cook time ~12-24 hours, on and off
Tools:
Sourdough Basics for Beginners
Ingredients:
150g sourdough starter
355g lukewarm filtered water
500g bread flour
12g salt
Directions:
12PM: Begin by feeding your starter. I usually feed my starter around noon. My starter can come to its peak in about 2-4 hours. Every starter is different so you’ll just need to play a little to see how long it takes for your starter to bubble up and double in size. Usually, that is when it’s ready to make the dough.
4:00PM: With your starter at its peak, you’ll mix your dough. Mix together the starter, water and flour. The dough will feel thick, dry and shaggy. Don’t add the salt right away.
Once the dough is mixed, cover with a damp tea towel and let it sit for 30 minutes.
4:30PM: Add the 12g of salt after 30 minutes and begin your first set of ‘stretch and folds’. Check out this video to see how stretch and folds are performed. Essentially, you take little of the outside of the dough and pull it out and away from the centre, and then push it back into the centre of the dough. Rotate the bowl a 1/4 turn, and do this 5 or 6 more times, working your way around the outside of the dough. This takes roughly 30-60 seconds. Then cover again with the tea towel and set aside for another 30-60 minutes.
Sometime after 5:00PM - 5:30: Do another set of stretch and folds.
30-60 minutes after that: Do another set of stretch and folds.
30-60 minutes after that: Do one last set of stretch and folds. Then, cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it sit for its Bulk Rise. This is a period of anywhere from 3-12 hours. The dough will double in size. The temperature will determine the time. The rise will take less time in the summer months when it is warmer. Lately, I’ve been putting my dough into the fridge overnight to complete its bulk rise. It’s important to be flexible with this timeline. This is when the magic of the sourdough comes into play and you start to get to know what works best for your dough.
When the dough has completed it’s bulk rise, (for me, this is in the morning): turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Now you’ll begin your shaping. This is when you create the shape of the loaf that you will eventually bake.
I start by stretching out the dough into a rectangle. Then I fold the dough into 3rds and then roll it up until the seam of the dough is at the bottom, against the counter top. Then I lightly drag the dough towards me, tightening the dough against itself. See this video here.
Second Rise: Place the shaped dough into your cloth- lined Banneton or an 8” bowl lined with a tea towel. Anything to help it keep its shape. Again, cover it with a tea towel (or the corners of the tea towel underneath it) and let it sit again for about 30-1 hour.
Preheat your oven to 425F and put your Dutch Oven into the oven while it heats up.
Turn out the shaped dough onto a piece of parchment paper. You’ll score the dough with a very sharp paring knife or a bread lame. Then you’ll remove the hot pot from the oven and place/drop the dough (on the parchment) into the pot. Place the lid on the pot and return to the oven.
Set a timer for 25 minutes. Then you’ll remove the lid from the pot at the 25 minute mark and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Again, you’ll need to keep an eye on things here. It might serve you to turn your oven down to 400F for this last and final bake.
Remove your loaf from the oven and try to resist slicing into it for an hour. If you slice into it too soon, the texture will be too spongy.
Now slice into that gorgeous boule you’ve just created! Make sure everyone around you ohh’s and ahh’s. Take a photo to post to instagram (don’t for get to tag me @christies.lovestory!) and enjoy every bite!
PS: Have you got your hands on my Perfect Pantry Checklist yet? Having a well-stocked pantry is key to creating simple meals at a moment’s notice! Check out my FREE Kitchen Staples Checklist that you can download. I promise that if you have these staples on hand, simple, quick and delicious meals like this one will practically make themselves! Ummm….sign me up for that!
I LOVE to hear from you! What did you think of this recipe? Don’t forget to tag me @christies.lovestory. I love seeing your kitchen creations!