all about sourdough

It is easy and rewarding to make your own sourdough and bake bread from it. As my friend Nick says, "it's the pet that feeds YOU!". Just like any pet, you must care for it.

If you have a starter and wish to ensure that your loaves give you a fluffy, delicious result, follow these guidelines. They are most helpful if you keep your starter in the refrigerator. 

Mix well to re-incorporate any liquid that has formed on top of your sourdough starter. Whole grain flours especially will yield a darker liquid.

Remove 1/4 cup of sourdough starter from the fridge and place it in a large jar or bowl. Feed the starter with 1 part starter with 1 part water and 2 parts flour. For example, feed 1/4 cup of starter with 1/4 cup of water and a scant 1/2 cup of flour.

Mix the starter, flour and water together and stir vigorously, incorporating plenty of air. Cover the starter with a towel or cheesecloth secured by a rubber band. Leave in a warm spot for 4 to 12 hours until the starter becomes bubbly.

Repeat this process two more times prior to baking using the same ratios listed above.

By the third feeding the starter should be very bubbly and rising to double its size within 8 hours of being fed.

Remember to add some freshly made sourdough starter back to your mother sourdough culture.

home made sourdough starter

I use rye flour for my starter because that is traditional in the part of Italy where I grew up. You can also use heirloom wheat, rice, quinoa, and/or chickpea flour to make your starter.

Rye is the member of the grass family that has the highest content of pentosans, polysaccharides found in plants. Pentosans absorb much moisture and compete with the glutenin and gliadin (the two compounds that form gluten) for moisture, thus inhibiting gluten development. Rye ferments more quickly than wheat, which is satisfying when making your own starter.

To make the starter, mix 1 cup rye flour (or any flour of your choosing) with 3 cups water in a mason jar. Cover with a thin cloth so that natural bacteria from the air can enter and help the mixture to ferment. 

Stir the mixture at least twice each day - I try to do so in the morning and evening. 

After about a week, the mixture will start to smell like yeast. Now you know that it is ready for baking.

Here is the recipe I use. Feel free to improvise.

home made sourdough bread

Before you go to bed, pour half of it into a large mixing bowl.

Add 1/2 cup each: millet flour, rye flour, spelt flour. 

Add 2 cups water. 

Stir vigorously, cover with a cloth, and set aside until the next morning.

Take the rest of the starter, add 1/2 cup each rye flour and water, stir well, screw on a lid, and place in fridge until the next time you are ready to make bread.

The next morning, mix the batter, add more rice flour to create a dough-like consistency and enough salt to give it flavor (1-2 teaspoons). 

Knead for a few minutes inside the bowl with floured hands. 

Cover and let rise for 2 more hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Knead dough again, and either shape it into a round and place it on a greased glass baking dish OR place it in a greased loaf pan.

Coat the top with a mixture of water and olive or sunflower oil to prevent cracking.

Bake for 20 minutes, turn, then bake for 20 more minutes.

You will know the bread is done when you take it out of the oven, lift it off the baking dish, tap the bottom, and hear a hollow sound.

Let cool for 30 minutes, slice and enjoy!

I like to experiment with adding cornmeal, sunflower seeds, and the seeds of spices such as cumin, coriander, fennel, anise, and caraway.

When you are ready to make bread again, pull the starter out of the fridge one day in advance to re-invigorate it. Stir it well and cover it with a thin cloth. Let it come to room temperature for a day.

Separate half of it into a mixing bowl and repeat the bread-making process above.

Then, feed the starter again with 1/2 cup each water and flour. Stir it, screw on the lid, and place it in the fridge for next time.