THE SECRET TO SOURDOUGH
what I’ve learned in my first year of sourdough.
The first time I attempted sourdough, I totally failed. The first loaf was small and dense, the second loaf wouldn’t rise and after trying to bake a third loaf that tasted overly fermented, I thought to myself, “sourdough just isn’t for me.”
But then, a few years later, I was ready to try it again. My heart longed to make homemade bread to nourish my family, so I was determined to learn the art of sourdough. But the biggest difference this time around was that my goal was to focus more on the process than the product and to truly learn the science of sourdough bread. So, I set out on a new sourdough journey, gaining knowledge about the fermentation process, how temperature and humidity affect the rise and how the activation period of the starter impacts the overall bake. And today, I would like to share the secrets of sourdough that I’ve learned this year and the gift that sourdough has been to our family.
In the past year, my love for sourdough has led me to start a little home bakery, Milk & Honey Co., raise money to support our adoption by selling my sourdough bread and for the big finale, I will be releasing “The Sourdough Guide” this month, that is a beautiful, 50 page e-book that includes my complete sourdough process, all the sourdough terms, history and supplies, a bunch of troubleshooting questions, my ten favorite sourdough recipes and so much more. I would love to come alongside you as you learn the art of sourdough as I share my love for sourdough with you!
THE SECRETS OF SOURDOUGH
1. THE ACTIVATION PERIOD.
The “activation period” is the part of the sourdough process when you feed the sourdough starter to prepare for baking and allow the starter to activate over a period of time. When I first attempted to learn how to make sourdough, I did not realize how crucial this period of time is for the overall process. It’s like the idea of trying to bake a loaf of bread, but forgetting to add the yeast. The activation period is preparing your natural leaven (also known as “wild yeast”), which causes sourdough bread to rise. Without an appropriate activation period, the bread will not rise properly.
To activate your sourdough starter, you will feed the starter with a mixture of flour and water, and then let the starter activate for the “activation period.” The amount of time that it takes for the sourdough starter to activate is variable, based on the temperature and humility in your kitchen. If you are noticing that your starter is not activating properly, try moving your starter to a warmer place or simply feed your starter again, waiting to make your dough until you notice that your starter has been properly activated. When your starter is properly activated, you will notice bubbles within the structure of the starter and the starter will have doubled in size. When you observe these changes in the structure of your starter, your sourdough starter will be active and reading to use for baking!
2. TEMPERATURE & HUMIDITY.
The temperature and humidity of your kitchen impacts the activation period, bench rest and bulk rise. The natural leaven thrives in a “warm” kitchen environment, not too hot and not too cold. If the temperature in your kitchen is too hot, the yeast will become overactive, causing the dough to “over-rise,” which does not allow the dough to form the proper structure. The result of a kitchen that is too hot will impact the texture of the bread and reduce the tangy, sourdough flavor. But if the temperature of your kitchen is too cold, the yeast will not activate properly and likely need a much longer activation period and bulk rise. The result of a kitchen that is too cold will impact the texture of the bread and the bread will likely be very dense.
The time of year also impacts the sourdough process, as the air in the summer months is very humid and the air in the winter months is very dry. The moisture in the air, whether humid or dry, will mostly affect the “bulk rise” part of the process. In the summer month, the bulk rise can be as short as 4-6 hours, while in the winter months, the bulk rise can last as long as 12-14 hours. When you are baking throughout the year, it’s important to notice these changes happening in your kitchen, both in temperature and humidity, and adjust your baking timeline accordingly.
3. THE COLD PROOF.
The “cold proof” is the part of the sourdough process when the shaped loaf is placed in the banneton, and then into the refrigerator, for a second rise. During the cold proof, the yeast becomes dormant, slowing the overall rising process. When the prepared loaf is “cold proofing,” the dough is fermenting, increasing the tangy flavor and decreasing the gluten content. The cold proof can range from 1 hour to 36 hours in the refrigerator, as the length of the cold proof will increase flavor and reduce the gluten in the bread.
This part of the sourdough process also impacts that ease of sourdough scoring. As you increase the time of the cold proof, the dough will be more firm for scoring, which makes it easier to create intricate scoring designs. As I’ve created my sourdough method, I’ve found that it works best for me to cold proof my dough for 12-24 hours in the refrigerator.
4. SHAPING, TENSIONING & LAMENTATION.
The “shaping, tensioning and lamentation” part of the sourdough process occurs after the bulk rise, as these techniques are used to shape the dough, create the interior crumb texture and external crust texture. The goal of this process if to not overwork the dough, as overworking the dough will cause the air to release from the loaf, resulting in a dense and compact loaf of bread. When removing the dough from the bowl after the bulk rise, pull the dough apart to make a large square on the countertop, then fold the dough into thirds each way. Once you have a folded, smaller square, then begin using the “tensioning” technique to shape the loaf into a round ball.
When tensioning, the goal is to use the surface tension from the countertop to pull the dough towards the baker, creating a taut, or tightly pulled, outer layer of the dough, which impacts the crust texture. Once you have formed the dough into your desired shape, cover the dough with a thin towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes on the countertop, which will help to avoid overworking the dough and will also help the dough to retain its shape. After 30 minutes of resting, also known as the “bench rest,” shape the dough into your final desired shape and then place the loaf, seam side up, into a floured banneton for the cold proof.
5. the scoring process.
The “scoring process” is learned over time, as you continue to practice scoring, your scoring techniques will improve. To prepare your loaf for scoring, allow the dough to cold proof, as this will cause the sourdough loaf to become firm which will allow for easier scoring. Then, dust the loaf with flour before scoring, which will help to see the pretty design and beautiful scoring after baking. To flour the sourdough loaf, I like to use either all-purpose flour or rice flour, which gives the loaf a more rustic look.
The key to scoring is to use a sharp bread lamè, as this tool will allow you to make precise surface cuts because the blade of the bread lamè is thinner than that of a knife or razor. For precise cuts, try dipping the bread lamè in hot water before scoring, which will allow the bread lamè to glide more easily into and through the dough when scoring. The purpose of scoring is to create a way for the air to escape as the loaf expands during the bake. To avoid the air from escaping through your surface cuter, always make one deep score, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep into the sourdough loaf, this deep score will become the beautiful “ear” of your bread.
In just one year, my sourdough went from looking like small, dense loaves to baking beautiful, fluffy loaves with intricate designs, and I would love to help you learn the art of sourdough.
SO NOW THAT YOU KNOW THE SECRETS OF SOURDOUGH, ARE YOU READY TO LEARN THE ART OF SOURDOUGH, BECOME A SOURDOUGH EXPERT, BAKE WITH CONFIDENCE AND SERVE BEAUTIFUL, FLUFFY SOURDOUGH LOAVES IN YOUR HOME? IF SO, CHECK OUT MY LATEST EBOOK, THE SOURDOUGH GUIDE.
