So, you’ve got your starter going and now you want to try to make a sourdough loaf. Well congratulations. Why don’t you just try to build a rocket and go to the moon?
Of course, I’m kidding.
Sourdough baking can be a bit frustrating. I’ll be the first to admit. I believe it’s because you’re not using anything commercially produced, like packaged yeast, which is designed to be foolproof for the most part. No, this loaf of bread you’re about to bake is the most unique thing you’ve likely ever attempted to cook or bake, because how it turns out has as much to do with your environment as it does your measuring and mixing techniques. The result makes the ordeal really worth it.
Think about it, most anyone can bake a cake from a box. How many people can grab a sack of flour and a box of salt and maybe a jug of distilled water, and bake something you would never find in most grocery stores?
I have this amazing grocer in my town from a well-known chain and it’s my favorite. You can find all kinds of specialty fruits and vegetables and they are usually the best in town. They have a deli that beats most commercial delis and a huge bakery with all manner of sourdough breads, French baguettes, dinner rolls, rye bread; anything you would want. BUT, they don’t have a country loaf like this that’s made without commercial yeast. I haven’t seen one that comes close.
Now if you live in San Francisco, or you go to a dedicated bakery, you might find this, but why not just make it yourself?
If you’ve not baked much before, don’t worry, just know it may take a little practice. Here are a few techniques to set you up for success.
Tips for Better Results:
Plan Ahead:
Your starter needs to be healthy, doubling in size every eight hours or so, and in the right part of its cycle of feeding to get the best results. There are several ways to do this. The night before you bake, you could feed it 25 grams of starter to 200 grams of wheat/white flour mix, and 200 grams of distilled water so that in 12 hours or so it will have risen about 20 percent and is just starting to get that overripe fruit smell.
I don’t really do that though, because I like a dough that’s a bit more sour. I feed my starter 6 hours before baking at 100 grams of starter, 100 grams of white/wheat blend, and 100 grams of distilled water. I just like the outcome better.
Temperature is Key:
The temperature of the water you use, the bench you work on, and the ambient temperature of the room is important. Don’t overlook these in the instructions. If things are cooler, they will take longer to develop and while it might not mess things up, it will alter the time it takes for bulk fermentation. Pay close attention to these variables.
The Dough:
This method does not employ kneading, but rather a series of stretch and folds during bulk fermentation. Working the dough may take some practice. Be intentional, but gentle when you do the folds. It gets easier with practice.
Measuring:
Bakers use percentages, with the amount of flour being 100% and everything else compared to that. Once you know this, you’re miles ahead in your baking skills. We’ll be doing an 85% hydration for this bread, which means water is 85% of the amount of flour. So, for a recipe that calls for 1000 grams of flour, we’ll be using 850 grams of water. Remember we’re also counting the water we used in the starter.
The Recipe:
Ingredients:
750 grams of organic, white bread flour
250 grams of organic wheat flour
700 grams of distilled water, plus 50 grams
200 grams of starter
20 grams of salt
The Process:
Levain:
Pour 700 grams of 90ºF water into a large mixing bowl and gently add the starter to it. The starter should float if it’s adequately aerated. This is a sign that it’s ready. If you’re not sure, you can do a test with a little part and if it doesn’t float, place your starter in a bit warmer place and wait another half an hour or an hour.
Stir the mixture with your hands and make sure that the starter is predominantly dissolved in the water.
The Dough:
Mix all the flour together so that it’s homogenous, then add it to the water. Mix this thoroughly, trying to get all the flour incorporated. It’s going to be sticky. Once you’re done with this, try to get all the dough off your hands and leave it in the bowl. Cover this for about an hour. This is called autolyze. It allows for the water and the flour to become fully meshed.
After this, add the rest (50 grams) of water and the salt and squeeze it in your hand. Dig in for about 5 minutes to make sure all the salt is incorporated. It’s okay if you still feel the granules. They will disappear. Once you’re finished with that, transfer your dough to a clear plastic container.
Bulk Fermentation:
It is here that many recipes depart from one another. Some choose to knead their dough for about ten minutes and then do the bulk fermentation. Others will knead the dough for a shorter period of time, and then literally stretch the dough on a bench until it is nearly see through. I’ve never done either of these with my dough, but it’s all about developing the gluten strength in the dough which will allow it to keep the carbon dioxide bubbles in the dough and help it rise. I use the stretch and fold method.
If you keep your dough between 75ºF and 85ºF the bulk fermentation should take between three to four hours. Every thirty minutes you’ll do a stretch and fold. To do this, wet your hands and reach down the side of the dough to the bottom of the container. Lift the dough about eight to twelve inches above the lump, wiggle it a little bit, then pull it over the top. Turn your container a quarter turn, then repeat three more times. That’s one stretch and fold. Repeat this process every half hour, being gentler with the dough as it rises. Your first fold, the dough will be dense, while the last turn it will be soft and billowy. Don’t de-gas it, you need those bubbles!
After three to four hours, your dough should have risen a bit. It’s hard to give a percentage because it depends upon how narrow your container is. In mine, you can hardly tell much at all, but the dough is certainly full of air pockets. This is kinda a feel-type thing.
Shaping and Bench Rest:
Once it’s ready, pour the dough out on your work surface, preferably wooden so you don’t cool it too much. Flour the top of the dough and then cut it into two equal parts. Shove your dough scraper underneath one of the sides and flip if over on the floured side. This is the crust side of the loaf.
Gently fold the outer (bottom) portion of the dough over the inner. You can do this by grabbing each end, stretching a little and folding each side over each other in thirds, or you can stitch two sides together. Once you’ve done that, gently lift the top and roll it over itself without pressing the air out. When you’re finished, you should be looking at the floured side of the dough again. Set this aside and repeat with the other half.
Once you’ve done that, cover with a tea towel and let it sit for about thirty minutes. This is the bench rest.
Final Shaping:
I think this part is an art, and it took me a bit of practice before I felt comfortable with it. Now that your dough has adapted to the stress you put on it thirty minutes ago, you’re going to do it again, only gentler.
First, line two bannetons with a tea towel and sift rice flour over it so the dough doesn’t stick.
Flip the dough over again and do only the stitch method, lightly grabbing a fingerful from the top left and sticking it to the top right side, then repeating from left to right. Once that’s done, very gently roll the top over itself again until you have a nice, tight loaf. Then gently place the loaf upside down in the banneton. Repeat for the second loaf.
Final Fermentation:
Now you have two choices. You can leave the loaves on the counter for three to four hours to finish fermenting and rising, which will give you a good loaf, but milder in taste. Or you can lightly cover the bannetons by folding over the edges of the tea towel and put them in the refrigerator overnight. This will slow the rising and allow more time for the dough to ferment. I like this better.
Baking:
Place a dutch oven in your range and preheat it to 500ºF for about an hour. When that’s done, lay out a strip of parchment paper on your counter and gently flip the dough onto the paper, being gentle as it releases from the banneton. Using a lame, or a razorblade, score the top of the dough from edge to edge with a not too firm, but confident slice.
Take the dutch oven out and set it on a heatproof surface. Sprits the dough with water and use the paper to lift and place the dough in the dutch oven. Reduce the heat in the oven to 450º and bake for 20 minutes.
When twenty minutes has expired, take the lid off the dutch oven and return it to the range. At this point, your dough should be risen to its final shape. This is called “oven spring.” Continue baking for another twenty to thirty minutes, making sure your crust is dark. Check the pictures to judge how dark. It probably needs to be darker than you think to get that rich, crispy-crackly crust that makes this loaf so good!
Credits:
This recipe adapted from Tartine Country Loaf. I highly recommend the serious baker buy this book and keep it handy. Though there are some modifications I make here, the book is comprehensive. If you plan to bake seriously, I recommend you get it.
So health insurance is my day job…
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