Sourdough bread uses a sourdough starter, which contains wild yeast and bacteria, to leaven the dough rather than using commercial yeast. This is what gives sourdough its chewiness and its tangy flavor.
Steps in Making Sourdough
Assuming we already have a ripe (fed) starter, the general steps for making a “pure” sourdough bread are as follows:
- Mix Ingredients to Make the Dough: these ingredients will simply be flour, water, and starter
- Knead Dough: knead the dough for a few minutes until it’s smooth
- Bulk Ferment/Stretch and Fold: Put the dough into a container with a lid to allow it to ferment. Every so often, stretch and fold the dough. This will build dough strength
- Shape the Dough: remove the dough from the container and shape it into whatever shape you want it to be.
- Proof the Dough: after the dough is shaped, allow it to rise. This might take place in a banneton basket, on a baking sheet, or in some other container. The shaped dough should be covered to prevent it from drying out. This proof can take place on the counter (for 1-2 hours) or in the fridge (overnight)
- Preheat the Oven: about 30 minutes before baking, preheat the oven and set up for baking. This might include allowing a dutch oven or baking stone to head up in the oven.
- Score the Bread: with a razor blade, score the bread. This helps control the expansion during baking.
- Bake: Bake the bread! This is probably around ~450F and anywhere from 25 minutes to 50 minutes. If using steam, remove the steam source (e.g. take the lid off the dutch oven) after ~30 minutes.
- Let Cool: remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool for about an hour before slicing.
Resources
- The Sourdough Framework: a science-y book on sourdough
- King Arthur Sourdough Recipes