Baking bread with sourdough yourself - here's how.
May 7, 2024 Julia Haberecht
Ratgeber | Rezepte
Ratgeber | Rezepte
A Guide to Perfect Bread Baking
It's like the old days when the scent of freshly baked bread wafts through the apartment. Whether in the bakery from your childhood or at home, we all have this cozy scent in our noses. Why not bake bread yourself? But how do we make it taste like it used to? Sourdough is the secret. Ancient and proven. Here's a guide to making sourdough for you.
What is Sourdough?
Sourdough is a mixture of flour and water that, through natural fermentation, becomes a living dough. This fermentation is caused by the activity of wild yeasts and lactic acid bacteria found in the air and flour. Unlike yeast dough, which is made with only yeast as a leavening agent, sourdough develops its unique flavor and texture through slow fermentation.
The Ingredients:
To make sourdough, you only need two ingredients:
1. Rye or wheat flour: You can use either rye or wheat flour, depending on the flavor you prefer. Some bakers prefer a blend of both types for a more balanced flavor.
2. Water: It's best to use filtered water, as chlorine and other chemicals in tap water can impede the development of your sourdough.
Step-by-Step Guide:
Day 1: Starting the Sourdough
In a clean glass bowl or a jar, mix 100 g of flour with 100 ml of water. Stir the mixture well until there are no dry flour lumps left. - Cover the container loosely with a kitchen towel or a lid and let it sit at room temperature.Day 2: Feeding the Sourdough
Check the sourdough for bubbling and a slightly acidic smell. These are signs that fermentation has begun. - Discard half of the sourdough (about 100 g) and add another 100 g of flour and 100 ml of water. Stir everything well and cover the container loosely again.Day 3-7: Daily Feeding
Repeat the process of feeding every day at the same time until the sourdough is active and stable. This can take between 5 and 7 days, depending on ambient temperature and humidity. - The sourdough should bubble, have a pleasantly sour smell, and double or even triple in volume before using it for baking.Using the Sourdough
Once your sourdough is active, you can use it for baking. You can either store it in your refrigerator and feed it once a week or keep it at room temperature and feed it daily if you want to bake bread regularly. - Before you use your sourdough, ensure it has reached its peak by dropping a dollop into a bowl of water. If it floats on the surface, it's ready to use for baking.
Tips and Tricks:
- Patience is key: Making sourdough requires time and attention. Be patient and let the sourdough undergo its natural fermentation.
- Experiment with different types of flour: Play with rye, wheat, or whole grain flour to vary the taste and texture of your sourdough.
- Keep your equipment clean: Use clean jars and utensils to avoid contamination in your sourdough.
Making sourdough is a rewarding experience that not only produces delicious bread but also creates a connection to the tradition of the craft of bread baking. With a little practice and dedication, you can create your own sourdough masterpiece that will delight family and friends. Get to the dough and have fun baking!
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Sourdough Bread Baking Course with Maike: Craft, Enjoyment and Knowledge Dive into the art of bread baking and experience an inspiring day in our Sourdough Bread Baking Course with Maike. You will learn how to integrate bread baking into your everyday life, and how to combine traditional techniques with modern tips to create aromatic breads. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced hobby baker – this course offers valuable insights, solid knowledge and hands-on practice for everyone. Out of her love for Mediterranean breads, Maike von Richthofen developed a true passion. In 2020 she founded the blog justbread.de to help beginners get started with reliable recipes. Her goal: bake good bread easily and in an everyday-friendly way. For this she developed the Basic Dough Concept – a versatile base recipe that can be adapted in many ways. In 2024 she published her book “No Time to Bake Bread?”, presenting this principle with 50 varied recipes. Breads in the Course Sourdough Bread Italian Country Bread Ciabatta Toast Bread Pain d’épi Seeded Baguette Rustic Rye Bread What to Expect The course lasts about 4–5 hours and offers you: Introduction to sourdough and pre-ferment techniques Hands-on practice with different doughs Tips on kneading, folding and shaping techniques Baking in a traditional wood-fired oven Tasting, exchange and taking home your breads and sourdough starters Course Schedule (Excerpt) Welcome & Introduction – short welcome, introduction round and overview of the course, baking techniques and planned breads, with the opportunity to ask questions. Dough Preparation & Processing – working with sourdough & pre-ferments (autolyse, poolish, sourdough), preparing different doughs such as ciabatta, country bread, toast bread and pain d’épi. Techniques: kneading, folding, shaping, scoring. How to steam properly and alternatives such as baking in a cast-iron pot. Baking in the Traditional Wood-Fired Oven – together we bake the breads in the wood-fired oven for unique aroma, crispy crusts and incomparable taste. Tasting & Exchange – taste the freshly baked breads together, clarify open questions and share experiences. At the end you will take home your breads, sourdough starters and course materials. Course Details Duration: 4–5 hours Location: Our professional bakery Participants: max. 8 people Included: All ingredients & tools, sourdough starter, course materials as well as drinks (non-alcoholic, coffee & tea) Cancellation Policy Cancellations up to 14 days before the course start are free of charge. For later cancellations, we reserve the right to charge 50% of the course fee. Experience the joy of baking bread with your own hands in a traditional wood-fired oven – register now and rediscover bread baking!