It's strange that I decided to make sourdough my first fermented food experiment. There are two things in the kitchen that I have a history of failed attempts with - scones and bread! But sourdough starters have long fascinated me and nothing makes me happier than a face full of fresh bread (carb addict 4 life!). It also helped that the process to ferment my own sourdough starter seemed more fail-proof than the other experiments I had planned like kombucha and kimchi.
So what exactly is sourdough?
Sourdough refers to bread products made from a starter containing naturally occurring lactobacilli and yeasts which are created via a long fermentation (as opposed to those create using fast-acting bakers yeast). It has its origins in Ancient Egypt where it's believed it was the very first process of leavening (rising) available to bakers. Since then the introduction of super speedy bakers yeast has meant that sourdough has been somewhat relegated to a more 'fancy' or 'special' method and product - I know all of my local bakeries make you pay a good deal more $$$ for a loaf of sourdough!
My recipe is fairly basic and maybe (?) not an official sourdough starter. Upon spending more time reading about the history of sourdough and the methods adopted by the professionals to create their starters I think that, while my little batch creates some delicious treats, it's perhaps not as gloriously sourdough-y as it could be. I have plans to eventually craft one of the more complicated and attention-requiring versions soon but for now, here is a great 'Starter Starter' to get you going with your sourdough adventures! It uses the fast acting yeast described above to get going but does go through a fermentation process. If you are keen to get your own 'super-from-scratch' starter happening I suggest having a look at Sourdough Baker for heaps of guidance on the topic until I can get back here with a more 'traditional' version.
SPEEDY SOURDOUGH STARTER
- Makes : One Batch of Sourdough Starter -
- Takes : 10 Minutes Prep & 5-7 Days Fermentation -
What You'll Need :
1 cup warm water
1/2tbs sugar
1 tsp active dry yeast
1 cup plain wholemeal flour
- Combine the warm water (not hot, you'll kill the yeast!), sugar and yeast in a large bowl and stir to combine.
- Add in the flour and mix until you have a sticky, gluggy mass. You will want to make sure the bowl you are using is big - it might look like overkill now but your starter is going to GROW and it will want plenty of room. Trust me, it's better (and less messy) to overestimate the size of your bowl!
- Cover your (big!) bowl with a clean dishcloth or tea towel - don't use clingwrap or a lid, this baby needs to breath and take in all the lovely yeast naturally floating around! Set it in a warm, draft-free location.
- For the next 5 - 7 days watch your glorious little creation do its thing. Give it a stir once a day. You may notice a liquid layer develop on top - this is a normal part of the process! Give it a sniff! Smell that tangy sourdough tang? You're on the right track!
- Once the starter has developed a decent about of that sourdough stank about it and it's looking good and bubbly you can bottle it up into something with a lid that's better fitted to its new, smaller volume. You can now keep your starter in the fridge indefinitely. If you don't use it on a regular basis take it out every week or so and give it a quick stir.
- Replenishing Your Starter : One of the best things about a sourdough starter is the ability to replenish it as you use it! The general rule of thumb is that for each portion you remove you should replace it with the same amount of wholemeal flour plus half the amount of water ie. If you use a cup of your starter add back in a cup of wholemeal flour and half a cup of water. Allow this to then sit covered at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight before placing it back in the fridge.
- Add in the flour and mix until you have a sticky, gluggy mass. You will want to make sure the bowl you are using is big - it might look like overkill now but your starter is going to GROW and it will want plenty of room. Trust me, it's better (and less messy) to overestimate the size of your bowl!
- Cover your (big!) bowl with a clean dishcloth or tea towel - don't use clingwrap or a lid, this baby needs to breath and take in all the lovely yeast naturally floating around! Set it in a warm, draft-free location.
- For the next 5 - 7 days watch your glorious little creation do its thing. Give it a stir once a day. You may notice a liquid layer develop on top - this is a normal part of the process! Give it a sniff! Smell that tangy sourdough tang? You're on the right track!
- Once the starter has developed a decent about of that sourdough stank about it and it's looking good and bubbly you can bottle it up into something with a lid that's better fitted to its new, smaller volume. You can now keep your starter in the fridge indefinitely. If you don't use it on a regular basis take it out every week or so and give it a quick stir.
- Replenishing Your Starter : One of the best things about a sourdough starter is the ability to replenish it as you use it! The general rule of thumb is that for each portion you remove you should replace it with the same amount of wholemeal flour plus half the amount of water ie. If you use a cup of your starter add back in a cup of wholemeal flour and half a cup of water. Allow this to then sit covered at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight before placing it back in the fridge.
Now that you got your little friend in your fridge, how can you use it? We've thoroughly enjoyed experimenting -
Pretzels!
Tortillas!
And today's recipe - Baguettes!
SOURDOUGH BAGUETTES
- Makes : Two Medium Baguettes -
- Takes : 20 Minutes Prep & Kneading
3 Hours Rising
20 Minutes Baking -
What You'll Need :
140ml warm water
240g sourdough starter
240-300g wholemeal flour
1 1/4tsp sea salt
1tsp sugar
1tsp dry active yeast
Olive oil for glaze
Toppings of Choice eg. sesame seeds
- Add in the salt, sugar, yeast and enough of the remaining flour to make a slightly sticky dough. I've discovered that this is where I was going wrong with bread making! By keeping your dough a little bit tacky you will get a lighter, fluffier loaf - if it's dry it means there's too much flour and the result will be heavy and too 'doughy'.
- Knead 5-7 minutes with a stand mixer + dough hook or 7-9 minutes by hand until smooth and elastic. Form dough into a rough ball.
- Transfer dough ball to a lightly oiled bowl, cover and rest in a warm location to rise for 90 minutes.
- After rising gently deflate the ball and divide evenly into two. Shape into two tight logs (for instructions on shaping check out this article - it makes a world of difference to your finished loaf!). Place the shaped logs onto parchment, cover and rest in a warm location for another 90 minutes. About halfway through this second rise, preheat your oven and a pizza stone to 230C (450F). If you don't have a pizza stone pre-heat your over 15 minutes before the end of the second rise and bake on a cookie sheet or similar.
- Before baking rub the top of each baguette with olive oil before sprinkling on choice of toppings. I love sesame seeds and sea salt and Italian herb mix! Cut slashes into the tops of your baguettes for a fancy finish (this will lead to flatter loaves though!)
- Bake the baguettes on the top rack of your pre-heated oven checking after 15 minutes and taking care to not burn the bottoms. The baguettes are done when they are lightly golden brown and sound hollow when the bottom is tapped.
- When done, turn off the oven and leave the door slightly ajar and allow the baguettes to sit in the cooling oven. This will give you a perfectly crusty outside and fluffy inside!
Interested in more Fermented Food Fun?
Check out our other Foods With Culture posts
- The Low-Down on Fermented Nosh -
- Spicy Homemade Kimchi -
- Vegan 'Take Two' Yogurt -
- DIY SCOBY and Homemade Kombucha -
Check out our other Foods With Culture posts
- The Low-Down on Fermented Nosh -
- Spicy Homemade Kimchi -
- Vegan 'Take Two' Yogurt -
- DIY SCOBY and Homemade Kombucha -
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