Hello beautiful!
I have been working towards expanding my homemaking skills over the past few years. Learning the skills that have been lost over time in my family, in hope to bring traditions back to life and provide my loved ones with irreplaceable value
within our home.
My favorite skill I have learned and practice often is the Art of Sourdough.
Homemade Sourdough is easy to digest and
has a lower glycemic index than
other breads,
Sourdough provides the body with healthy bacteria and is free of preservatives along with additives that are found in store bought bread. It is rich in nutrients and full of love!
I feel deeply satisfied when I pull a warm loaf out of the oven,
self sufficient and also creative.
I would like to share my recipe with you, so you can also experience the magical and delicious outcome of Sourdough Bread.
I hope to inspire you and simplify what can seem like a very complicated task, because all it takes is a little practice, patience and love.
There are lots of resources and videos out there that can give you a better understanding if you still feel a little overwhelmed with the idea. I am sending all my love to you and I hope this blog brings you value.
Ingredients and Supplies
Scoring Knife
Baking Paper
Dutch Oven
Organic Unbleached All Purpose Flour
(You can use all kinds of different flour as well, but I find this the easiest to start with)
Filtered, Quality Water
Finely ground Himalayan Pink Salt
Any Herbs or Fruit you plan to use as flavor
(My favorites are Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, Blueberries and Poppy Seeds.)
Create a Brand New Starter
(Once you have a Healthy Starter it will continue to be used time and time again.)
Day 1/
Add to Large Jar- 1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup flour
(Don't Cover and Leave out Overnight)
Day 2/
Check on your starter and continue to let it rest
Day 3/
(Take notes on the consistency and smell over the next few days, this is part of the learning process and you can refer to your notes if something doesn't go just right.)
Feed your Starter:
-Save 1/4 cup starter and discard the rest
-Add 1/4 cup starter
-Add 1/2 cup flour
-Add 1/2 cup warm water
-Mix well and cover with a loose lid
-Place in a sunny warm spot to rest
Day 4/
Feed your Starter by repeating the process above. (Day 3)
(Remember to take notes.)
Day 5-8/
Continue to Feed your Starter (Process from Day 3)
(Be sure to wait until it has Risen and Fallen again before you feed it each day,
It is helpful to draw a line after feedings so you know when it has risen and fallen.)
(Continue to Leave the lid loosely covering the jar and store it in a warm consistent area.)
It is ready to bake with whenever you are ready!
Until you are ready to use your starter, I like to store mine in the fridge tightly sealed in a jar, it will last a long time like this and only needs fed occasionally to keep the starter alive.
Heres what to do once you are ready to start! (I have listed a schedule with each step but of course modify depending on what time of day you start the process.)
To Make Sourdough Bread!
(You can adjust the measurements depending on how much bread you wish to make)
(This recipe will make 1 Loaf of Bread with Starter Leftover)
8 am/ Feed your starter
Take 1/4 cup starter and discard the rest
Add 1/2 cup warm water,
Add 1/2 cup flour,
Mix well and let rest with a loose lid.)
(Your starter should have a thicker consistancy while slowly being able to fall off the spoon. You can adjust the amount of water or flour a little depending on the texture.)
1-2 pm/ Starter should be peaking
(It will have doubled in size)
(You can test the starter by dropping a little bit into a cup of water, if it is active the starter will float.)
Once your starter is complete you can save the leftover amount for next time you want to make bread! This starter will also become healthier and stronger the more you feed it overtime. So naturally, your bread will become better and better too!
(I store my starter in a sealed mason jar.) ( I like to store mine in the fridge.)
If your starter is peaking it is time to begin!
Mixing your starter with Ingredients-
1/2 cup active starter
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 cups flour
Mix well and cover with a towel for 30 min- 1 hour (Gluten develops during this time)
2:30 pm/ Add 1/2 tablespoon salt along with any herbs or fruit and mix well
Let sit covered for 30 min. (Bulk Fermentation happens now)
3 pm/ Begin Stretching and Folding
(Turn Quarterly and Fold in 4x, creating an envelope like fold each time.)
(Wet your hands before folding and this will keep the dough from sticking.)
Cover with Towel and let sit for 30 min.
3:30 pm/ Stretch and Fold again (Repeat Method above)
Rest for 30 min.
4:00 pm/ Stretch and Fold (Repeat)
Rest for 30 min.
4:30 pm/ Stretch and Fold
Let rest covered for 2 hours (Fermenting occurs here)
6:30 pm/ Flour Dough and Shape Dough
Rest for 30 min.
7:00 pm/ Flour and Final Shaping
Place loaf in a well floured bowl with baking paper.
Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.
(This is the proofing stage)
8 am/ Preheat Oven (500 Degrees F)
Warm with Dutch Oven inside for 1 hour
9 am/ Score your bread quickly and place in floured dutch oven.
( I will include some pictures of my scoring patterns that I find work best)
( I sprinkle a little water over the dough with my hands before closing the lid)
Bake for 35 minutes covered with lid.
Remove lid and bake for 7-10 more minutes (this will brown the top crust)
Remove from Dutch Oven and Cool on Wire rack for 1 hour
(Sourdough does well when stored in the Freezer if you choose to make
multiple loaves at once.)
(I store my loaves in the Fridge, wrapped in baking paper.)
Enjoy your Homemade Bread!
Scoring Patterns:
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