Sourdough has certainly been making a comeback in the past few years! I’ve enjoyed baking for a long time, so when my cousin got into sourdough, I definitely took the opportunity to have her teach me!
So today we’ll chat about the basics of getting started in your sourdough journey, how to do it, what you need, and some fun recipes!
Now, parts of this new doughy adventure are going to sound complicated. I know I was confused when I was learning, but once you do it a few times, it makes a lot more sense! There are numerous “rules,” most of which are rather flexible or optional. So think of them as guidelines to help you as you learn, but then feel free to get creative and try your own thing!
Sourdough Starter
The first thing you’ll need is a sourdough starter. You can make this yourself, but it takes some time and patience. As a beginner, it’s much easier to get a starter from a friend. You can buy some, too, but someone you know is likely to have a starter they’ll give you. I’ve even seen people ask on Facebook or neighborhood sites for some, and most people are happy to share!
Once you have your starter, you feed it. Starter + water + flour. You’ll want unbleached all-purpose flour for feeding. Your starter may be “flat” and “inactive.” Ideally, you want an “active” starter to bake, which means it will be bubbly and rising. There are several different routes when it comes to the frequency of feeding your starter. Some people feed theirs every day or two if they want to keep it really active and bake often. I definitely do not feed mine daily! I keep mine in the fridge and neglect it until I want to bake. Then I’ll feed it.
To feed it, take some of your starter, add water, and mix. Then add flour and mix. Then let it grow! Use a container that is large enough to allow the mixture to double without overflowing. (I usually put a pan under the bowl, just in case!)
There are different ratios you can try for the amount of water and flour to add. For example, you can use 50 g of starter, 50 g of water, and 50 g of flour. This will probably be active and ready to bake within 5 or so hours. Alternatively, you could do a larger ratio using 50 g of starter, 200 g of water, and 200 g of flour. This will obviously result in more active sourdough to bake with, and it will take a bit longer to become active, probably around 10 hours. The water and flour amounts should be equal, regardless of the amount of starter.
So measure out your starter, mix in the water thoroughly, then add the flour and mix again. Place a solid cover (not cloth) over your bowl loosely. Let it grow!
It’s safe to leave your starter out on the counter after feeding for a day or two. I, personally, keep it to a day. If you are feeding it on a daily basis, then it’s fine to keep it out on your counter. If you are not feeding it, put it in the fridge. I’ve let mine sit for weeks to months in the refrigerator.
Some people like to use mason jars for this process. I find them to be incredibly annoying to clean, and also too small for how much I make. So I use glass bowls.
Also, very important: you must name your starter. 🙂 I’ve heard some hilarious and creative names! Mine is Bubbly since that’s what it does, plus I received some really great news the day I was learning to make sourdough! Pop the bubbly!
You may also want to set aside a reserve starter just in case… I’ve heard of people drying starter. Personally, I froze some.
Making the Dough
Now that you’ve got your active starter, find a recipe you like and have at it! Most basic recipes are starter + water + salt + flour. You’ll want to use bread flour for your dough.
This does require a little practice in terms of timing, because you mix the dough and let it rise for about an hour.
Next, you’ll do stretch and folds. It helps to wet your hands slightly so the dough doesn’t stick to them. Take one side of the dough, stretch it upward without tearing it, and fold it over the top of the remaining dough. Turn your bowl 90 degrees, repeat, and continue this until you’re back to where you started. Think of this as the kneading process, but much gentler.
Let it rise for another 30 min, then do another set of stretch and folds.
I like to time stretch and folds before I go to bed, because then it can rise overnight. In the morning, I shape it, let it rise another hour, then bake!
Here is a great starter recipe and just an awesome website in general for details and recipes: Beginner Sourdough Bread.
Wait or Bake
Once you’ve shaped your dough, if you’re not ready to bake, you can cover it with Saran Wrap and place it in the fridge for a couple of days until you are prepared to bake. Some people will make 3 or 4 loaves of dough and refrigerate them so they are ready for baking throughout the week.
Otherwise, bake that yummy bread! You’ll need a covered pan to get that classic sourdough texture. Many people use Dutch ovens. I use a roaster – way cheaper, lighter to lift, and it works fantastically! After shaping the dough, place it on parchment paper and then transfer it to the baking dish.
Scoring. Once in the baking dish, you’ll want to score your loaf. This can be super basic, or you can get all fancy and turn your bread into a work of art! The bread will rise and “open” as it bakes, so scoring it helps this process to be a little more organized and visually appealing for presentation.
After baking comes the hardest part…waiting! It’s going to smell and look delicious, but ideally, you want to let it sit for an hour before cutting into it. But it’s worth the wait, because that bread will still be warm inside an hour later and taste oh-so-good!
Rules to NEVER Break
Never put discard/starter down the drain!!! As you work with sourdough, you’ll see that it dries and hardens. Dumping it down your drain is going to turn into a cemented clog that you will seriously regret!
So cleaning can be a bit annoying as you’ll want to use paper towels to wipe off all utensils, bowls, etc., before washing them.
Never leave any form of unbaked sourdough within reach of pets or littles that can eat it. Just as you watch it rise to become active for baking, it will expand within someone who has eaten it, creating a VERY serious health concern that needs immediate attention!
Rules We Can Break
Here’s where we break all the rules! Haha.
It’s helpful to start out following the basic rules as you learn, but as you become more comfortable, go a little crazy. The ratios of feeding your starter don’t have to be perfect. Once you get into it, you might even start eyeballing it and see what happens.
You can do more or fewer stretch and folds. However, I did attempt not doing any once, and it was definitely a dense loaf of bread, so I wouldn’t recommend that. But I have heard of people kneading rather than doing stretch and folds, and they claimed it worked.
You don’t necessarily need an active starter to bake a loaf. I’ve heard of many people using discard (which is flat/refrigerated starter) for a loaf, and it turned out just fine!
Speaking of Discard
Discard gets confusing because it seems like you’re throwing it away, and it’s useless. Some people do throw it away, but I sure don’t! Here’s how I think of it: it’s all starter. Fed starter is active and bubbly. Unfed starter (discard) is in the fridge and not active. Discard can become active starter as soon as you feed it. I know, I don’t know who made these terms up, but it’s what we’re dealing with, okay? 🙂
I recommend keeping your discard because it’s just more potential starter, plus there are sooooo many yummy discard recipes to make!
My absolute go-to is sourdough discard crackers. You will never buy store-bought crackers again! (Which is good, cause they are terrible for us.) These are so easy to make, and you can experiment with different seasonings. My current favorite is tomato basil, using dried tomatoes and basil.
My recommendation: bake for 10 min, then take them out and score with a plastic knife, then put them back in for the remaining time. Often, they pull apart and separate on their own. If not, scoring makes them easy to break up into individual crackers.
I’ve also made bars, muffins, biscuits, monkey bread, and cookies with sourdough discard, which makes them oh-so-soft and moist. You may just end up doing more discard baking than bread baking!
Another favorite of mine is sourdough pizza crust! So soft, so flavorful, and you can make a pizza that you feel terrific about!
Back to Bread
Most people think of a traditional Boule when they think of sourdough, but I’ve recently gotten into making sourdough sandwich loaf bread, and it is the softest, tastiest bread! I would highly recommend trying out this recipe. It just might change your life. 🙂
You can also bake this in a regular bread pan, and it doesn’t need to be covered. So it’s a bit simpler in that respect.
Fun with Add-Ins
Now we’re going ice cream style with add-ins! This gets super fun and exciting to see how your bread turns out! I’ve done many different flavors when baking a traditional Boule. Some of what I’ve tried are Apple Cinnamon, Blueberry Lemon, Mixed Berry and Cream Cheese, Cranberry Orange, Rosemary Garlic, and S’mores. Let yourself get creative and see what you come up with!
With Thanksgiving around the corner, I recommend Cranberry Orange! I replaced some of the water with orange juice, and before shaping, mixed in cranberries and orange zest. Yummy!
Storing Your Bread
Your bread does not need to be stored in an airtight container, as it will likely lose its crispy outer shell if it is. I store my loaves in a cake stand, and it’s not only pretty, but it does a great job! Once cut, I store the cut side down on the cake stand. I also have some reusable bread storage bags that are great for counter storage and freezer storage. Or you can wrap bread in a towel or beeswax wrap.
Something to note with your fresh, preservative-free bread is that you’ll want to eat it within a few days. So I often cut my loaf in half and freeze the other half. You may want to consider slicing it before freezing if you only want to take out a slice or two at a time. I’ve found that it freezes incredibly well. When I take it out, I store it the same, in my cake stand, and toast it up to get a little crisp back, and it’s perfect!
I also love giving bread as gifts to friends and family. It’s such a fun thing to make and give, and people appreciate the effort and thoughtfulness. So I purchased some paper bread bags like these for convenient and pretty gifting. Think great holiday gifts this season!
Summary of What You’ll Need:
- sourdough starter
- water
- unbleached all-purpose flour
- bread flour
- sea salt
- mason jar/bowl with cover
- kitchen scale
- Dutch oven/roasting pan/covered pan
- sandwich loaf bread pans
- parchment paper
- scoring tool (or a REALLY sharp knife)
- Storage/bread bags/beeswax wrap
Now You’re Ready to Go!
It will probably take some practice. Don’t get frustrated if your first loaf doesn’t turn out wonderful. If it tastes good, celebrate that win! Enjoy the journey and the learning process, and have fun with it!
If you have or come up with any good add-in ingredients or combinations, I would love to hear your favorites or new ideas!