Chapter 14 — Food & Cooking
How do I make sourdough bread?
Feed a starter until doubling reliably. Mix flour, water, salt, and starter; do 4 stretch-and-folds over 3 hours; bulk ferment 4–6 hours at room temp; shape, cold-proof overnight; bake covered in a Dutch oven at 245 °C, uncovered for the last 20 minutes.
Follow-up questions
How do I start a sourdough starter?
50 g flour + 50 g water in a jar. Discard half and refeed daily for 7–10 days. Ready when it doubles in 4–6 hours after a feed.
Why is my bread dense?
Under-fermented, weak starter, or shaping too gently. Aim for a starter that doubles reliably, a poke-test that springs back slowly, and a tight shape.
What's autolyse?
Mixing just flour and water, resting 30–60 minutes before adding salt and starter. Improves hydration and reduces mixing time.
Best flour for sourdough?
Bread flour (12–13% protein) as the base, 10–20% whole wheat or rye for flavour and fermentation speed.
People also search
- sourdough starter recipe
- bulk fermentation
- dutch oven bread
- no knead bread
Related across The Asked