Sourdough really had a moment in 2020, didn’t it? In those dark lockdown days, everyone suddenly starting baking sourdough bread like our lives depended on it – kitchens across the country turned into industrial baking operations, with techniques, flavour combos and successful loaves shared on Instagram day after day after day.
A year on, the sourdough obsession has eased off slightly but we still love any excuse to bake some bread – especially as colder weather comes through and dark nights draw in. Is there anything better than the warm fragrance of a freshly baked loaf when the wind is whipping outside? We think not.
So, we’re embracing Sourdough September (yep, that’s a thing!) and dedicating this month to the beauty of bread. So take some time to perfect your starter, try some new culinary combos and maybe even whip up some soup for the ultimate dunking experience.
The perfect sourdough starter
If you’ve never made sourdough before, the concept of a ‘starter’ might be a bit weird. A sourdough starter is flour and water, fermented over a few days to make a natural yeast you can use to leaven (raise) your bread.
Sourdough bread has a specific ‘sour’ flavour, which is achieved with the starter. During the fermentation process, lactic and acetic acids are formed and they provide the distinct flavour of sourdough. So if you want an authentic sourdough loaf, you need to start with a starter!
Recipe
1. In a large bowl, mix together 100g strong white flour with 125ml slightly warm water. Whisk together until smooth and lump-free.
2. Transfer the starter to a jar – a 1L Kilner jar is perfect. Leave in a warm spot (around 25 degrees is ideal) with the lid off for an hour or so, then seal and set aside for 24 hours.
3. Now you start to ‘feed’ your starter. For the next 6 days, each day you’ll need to tip away half of the original starter, add an extra 100g flour and 125ml slightly warm water. Stir well and try to do this around the same time every day.
4. After 3-4 days you should start to see bubbles forming on the surface, and your starter will smell yeasty and acidic. This means your starter is working.
5. After 7 days of feeding, your starter should be quite bubbly and smell sweet. It’s now ready to use!
Choose your flavours
With your starter ready to go, you can start thinking about the loaf itself. Baking sourdough is a long process but when you break into that delicious crust, it’s all worth the wait. Especially if you’ve got some delicious flavours waiting inside!
Sourdough bread lends itself to so many flavour combinations – from cheese and garlic to nuts and dried fruit, there are endless mixes to try. If you’re new to sourdough baking, you might want to start with something simple, like a parmesan sourdough which is subtly cheesy and totally delicious. If you already have plenty of loaves under your belt, why not go for something seasonal like a pumpkin spice sourdough?
The general rule when adding flavours to your bread is to stick to the 20% flavour to flour ratio – so if you recipe needs 500g flour, you can add 100g of your chosen flavouring. And if you add your flavours halfway through the kneading part of the recipe (see below), they’ll be evenly distributed through your dough.
A simple sourdough recipe
Getting that first loaf right is key to successful sourdough baking, so following a simple recipe is a good idea when you’re starting out.
Sourdough bread recipe
Ingredients
500g strong white flour
1 tsp fine salt
1 tbsp clear honey
300g sourdough starter
Flavourless oil, for greasing
Method
1. Add the flour, 225ml warm water, salt, honey and sourdough starter into a bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon until combined – add extra flour if it’s too sticky or extra warm water if it’s too dry.
2. Tip the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 mins until soft and elastic – you should be able to stretch it without tearing. If you’re adding any flavours, do this about 5 minutes into the kneading process.
3. Place the dough into a large oiled bowl and cover. Leave in a warm place for 3 hours to rise. Sourdough takes much longer to rise than other types of bread, so don’t worry if you don’t see much movement!
4. Line a medium bowl with a clean tea towel and flour it really well. Tip the dough back onto your work surface and knead a bit to remove any air bubbles. Shape the dough into a smooth ball and dust with flour.
5. Put the dough – seam side up – into the bowl, cover loosely and leave at room temperature until doubled in size. This can take anywhere from 4-8 hours – just keep an eye on it. The slower the rise, the better the flavour, so don’t rush things!
6. Put a large baking tray in the oven and heat to 230c/210c fan/gas 8. Put a little water in a small roasting tin and place this in the bottom of your oven to create steam. Remove the baking tray from the oven, sprinkle with flour, then carefully tip the dough onto the tray.
7. Make a few slits in the top of the dough, then bake for 35-40 mins until golden brown. When ready, your sourdough will sound hollow when tapped. Leave to cool on a wire rack for 20 mins before serving. Enjoy
