When Covid 19 hit Melbourne, we were all thrust into harsh lockdowns, often not leaving our houses for weeks at a time. All this time at home unlocked new hobbies and skills, including sewing, knitting, and of course baking. One of the most popular hobbies was mastering the art of baking sourdough. While I was busy being pregnant with a toddler during our lockdowns, it took me a few years longer to jump onto the sourdough bandwagon, but nonetheless here I am, an avid sourdough pupil, learning more about the subtleties with every loaf.

Mastering the Art of Sourdough: A Novices’ Guide to Baking and Starter Care

There’s something so satisfying about the process of making sourdough bread. From its crusty exterior to its tangy, chewy crumb, sourdough is a bread lover’s dream and making it yourself somehow tastes so much better. But behind every great loaf lies a well-tended sourdough starter, the living heart of this ancient baking tradition. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or a curious beginner, here’s my beginners guide to beginning on your sourdough journey.

Understanding Your Starter

First things first: what exactly is a sourdough starter? It’s a mixture of flour and water populated by wild yeast and bacteria. This microbial community ferments the mixture, giving it its distinctive sour flavour and making the dough rise without the need for commercial yeast. This fermentation helps break down the gluten strains in the flour, making the bread itself much easier to digest with all the benefits that come from eating fermented foods.

Starter: The fastest and easiest way to get started is to get some mature starter of a friend! If you are so lucky, you can get started baking right away. But if you need to make your own the process will take a little longer.

How to create your own starter:

1. Ingredients: Begin with equal parts of flour and water (e.g., 100 grams of each).
2. Mixing: Combine flour and water until no dry bits remain. Cover loosely and let it sit at room temperature.
3. Feeding: For the first few days, discard some starter and refresh it with equal parts flour and water daily until it becomes bubbly and active.
4. Discard, Feed, Repeat: Keep discarding and feeding your starter daily until it regularly becomes bubbly, doubling in size within a few hours of feeding. This can take time (weeks), so be patient!

Maintaining Your Starter

Once your starter is established, proper care is crucial for consistent baking success. Another essential step is to name your starter! It is alive afterall! Mine is name Fro-dough Breaddins.

Feeding Schedule:

• Daily: If kept at room temperature, feed it daily by discarding half and refreshing with equal parts flour and water.
• Weekly: For less frequent use, store it in the fridge and feed it weekly, discarding some and refreshing (this is the more popular way to store starter, unless you plan on baking daily).

Signs of a Healthy Starter:

• Bubbling: Active fermentation produces bubbles.
• Rising: It should double in size within a few hours of feeding.
• Aroma: A pleasant, slightly tangy smell indicates good yeast activity.

Baking Your Sourdough Bread

With a vibrant starter in hand, it’s time to bake! While this is a time consuming process, it is very hands-off. You just need to be present for the hands on parts and let the dough do the rest! There are a whole range of feeding and baking schedules available online, and lots of different methods to make your dough. This is the easiest beginner method I have found.

Ingredients:

• 100g Starter: Active, bubbly at its peak (You will need to feed the starter first thing in the morning so it is active and bubbly when it’s time to mix the dough).
• 500g Flour: High-quality bread flour or a mix of bread and whole wheat flour (I use Wallaby’s brand from Woolworths).
• 375g Water: Filtered or chlorine-free water works best. Boiled and cooled water is also adequate if you don’t have a filtration system.
• 10g Salt: Enhances flavour and controls fermentation.

Method:

1. Mixing: Measure out your water and starter using kitchen scales. Give the mixture a quick whisk to combine and then add the flour and salt. Mix with a spoon until it starts coming together, then get into it with your hands – all the flour needs to be wet so dont be shy!
2. First rest: Put your dough in a straight sided vessel – like a plastic container. Leave it to rest for 30 minutes lightly covered with a towel.
3. Stretch and Folds: Perform your first set of stretch and folds. This involves lifting the dough from the top, stretching it out and then folding it down onto itself. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and stretch it again. Repeat 2 more times until you have completed 4-6 of them. This is one SET of stretch and folds. Leave the dough to rest again.
   Perform another 3 sets of stretch and folds every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours if the time allows. You will notice with each turn the dough becomes increasingly elastic and smooth.
4. Bulk Fermentation: Let the dough rise on the bench until almost doubled – between 50-75% rise is good. The time this takes varies depending on factors like your dough temperature, room temperature, starter strength – you should rely on visual cues rather than watching the clock.
5. Shaping: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Shape the dough by stretching it out into a rectangle, then folding it back onto itself and rolling it into a tight ball.
6. Bench Rest: Leave it on the bench for 30 minutes.
7. Final Proof: Prepare a banneton basket with a sprinkle of rice flour. Shape the dough one more time the same as before and place it into the basket with the smooth side of the ball at the bottom. Cover with a towel and put in the fridge for the cold proof. Leave for 12-48 hours – this develops the sour flavour, leaving it in the fridge longer will give a stronger flavour.
8. Baking: Preheat the oven with a cast iron Dutch oven inside to 230 degrees. Meanwhile take the dough out of the fridge, and turn upside down onto a sheet of baking paper. Score the top of the dough with a blade. Transfer the dough into the dutch oven (carefully! no burnt fingers please), and bake with the lid on, for 30 minutes. Take the lid off, and turn the oven down to 200 degrees and bake uncovered for a golden crust for a further 15 minutes.
9. Patience: Remove the loaf from the dutch oven and put on a cooling rack. Here’s the hardest part of all – WAIT to cut into it for 2-3 hours until it has completely cooled.

Tips for Success:

• Patience: Sourdough baking is a slow process—embrace it!
• Temperature: Maintain a warm, draft-free environment during fermentation.
• Scoring: Score the dough just before baking to control expansion.
• Trial and Error: The biggest part of sourdough baking is to try, try and try again. You will need to be a scientist and take notes on each loaf, what worked well, what the temperature was like, how long you left the dough to bulk ferment.
• Have Fun: Don’t take yourself too seriously and expect to make some mistakes! Dont let a few failed loaves deter you, pick yourself up and try again! Try a different recipe or method! Add some flavours like fruit and spice to jazz it up!
• Discard Recipes: Dont forget to try out some discard recipes! This is a fun way to make friends with your starter and get the hang of feeding. You’ll be best buddies in no time!

Troubleshooting

Even seasoned bakers encounter challenges. Here are common issues and solutions:

• Starter Sluggish: Increase feeding frequency or adjust flour-to-water ratio. Add a tbsp of wholemeal or rye flour to give it a boost.
• Flat Loaf: Bulk Fermentation length is usually the cause – over or under fermented will result in a flat loaf. Ensure your oven temperature is right.
• Sourness: Adjust fridge fermentation time or temperature.

Conclusion

Baking sourdough bread is a journey of patience, understanding, and connection. By mastering the care of your starter and understanding the nuances of fermentation, you’re embarking on a rewarding path toward delicious homemade bread. With practice, you’ll develop your techniques and preferences, creating loaves that are uniquely yours—a testament to the artistry and joy of sourdough baking. So, gather your flour, water, and starter, and have fun!