The making of sourdough bread
Over the past 18 months there has been a lot said and done about making bread as we have spent more time at home, particularly sourdough bread. As someone up for a challenge I have been giving this a go, along with some family members, sharing tips and tastes as we go! Here is my current method.
This week we get started with the ‘starter’, and follow next week with some bread baking recipes.
The first step is making your starter. This was a definite challenge for me so if you know anyone who has a starter, ask them if they would share some! Alternatively you will need a little patience, time and persistence.
You will need:
Strong white bread flour, and/or fine rye flour
2 x 1 litre glass jar with lids (I use clean used coffee jars)
water
digital kitchen scales
Day 1: mix 50g of your preferred flour (I used rye flour) with 80g of water (filtered water is preferred) at 30 degrees C in one of the glass jars. Loosely place the lid on top so it is not completely airtight and let it sit in warm place for 24 hours (at around 25 degrees).
Day 2: At this stage it should have a mild, sour smell, a sign that the fermentation process has started. It should look a little porous and bulging. Add a further 50g flour and 80g warm water, stir and sit for another 24 hours. Place a rubber band around the jar at the height of the starter to enable you to measure how much it grows.
Day 3: The starter should have now almost doubled in volume of Day 1, and have some bubbles, it will smell more of fermentation, a bit like beer. Mix in another 50g flour and 80g warm water. Rest for another day.
Day 4: It should be quite bubbly by now with small bubbles and a good aroma and be ready to use to ferment a new batch. Add 50g of the starter to the second glass jar and feed it with 50g fine flour and 80g warm water, stand over night as before. You can discard the remaining starter from the first jar.
Day 5: You should now see larger bubbles in the jar from top and on the sides, and the mixture should have doubled in size. The starter will now be ready to use, or be stored in the fridge until you are ready to make bread (it will need to be fed at least weekly as per the step in Day 4.
