It’s no secret that lockdown created a nation of bakers with sourdough being a top choice and our love for sourdough is here to stay. In fact, the hashtag, #sourdough, has a whopping 1.1 BILLION views on TikTok.
National Baking Week is around the corner and what better way to celebrate than with a loaf of delicious homemade sourdough? As a result, Denby, have pulled together their 5 top tips for making sourdough at home:
1. Store it in the fridge
If you’re a beginner, the best way to store your starter is in an air-tight jar in the fridge. It’s a good idea to use a transparent jar so you can easily check in on how the starter is doing. For beginners, it’s advised that you store the starter in the fridge rather than on the kitchen counter, as it won’t need as much attention. However, avoid completely neglecting the starter — try to feed it at least once a month, but ideally once a week.
2. Look out for grey liquid
If you see a grey liquid form on top of your mixture, there’s no need to panic. While many new sourdough bakers think this is the end of their starter, it’s actually just excess alcohol that’s formed in the fermentation process. Simply mix the liquid in with your next feed, or drain it and pop your starter back in the fridge. Seeing this grey liquid is often a sign that your starter hasn’t been fed enough, so consider checking on it more regularly.
3. Strengthen your dough
Keeping the dough strong is incredibly important. A weak dough can lose its shape and end up completely flat. To strengthen the dough, let it rest for half an hour after making it, and then stretch and fold it in a large ceramic bowl. To make sure it’s adequately strong, you may want to let it rest for a further half hour and repeat this process once or twice more. As well as keeping the dough strong, this process allows a little air to be trapped in the mixture, which will help it rise.
4. Prove it in the right conditions
To keep your dough at the highest quality possible, make sure to keep it in the right conditions during the proving process. It’s best to store your mixture in a strong and durable bowl, as this will give it a lovely rounded shape, and an even rise too. Ceramic is the best option, as metal bowls can become too cold and therefore slow down the speed at which the yeast works.
Make sure to flour the bowl well before using it so the mixture doesn’t stick to the side. You should also cover your tea towel with flour before you place it over the mixture, as it may stick to the top when it rises.
5. Baking the bread
You may have heard that the only way to bake a sourdough is in a Dutch oven. However, if the mixture is prepared well, this doesn’t have to be the case. The bread will bake just as well on a strong and sturdy baking sheet. But if you’d prefer to bake it in a container with sides so you’re sure that it will keep its shape, you can always pop it in a cast iron casserole dish instead.
Hayley Baddiley, Global Marketing Director at Denby says:
“It’s not hard to understand why this delicious bread has soared in popularity with home bakers over the past year. As well as being one of the healthiest loaves available, it has a distinct flavour that’s very moreish.
“It’s well worth taking the time to make your own sourdough, and it can be a great family activity too! I like to serve my sourdough alongside a main meal, on a platter in the middle of the table so that everybody can help themselves. And to reduce food waste, I use it up as croutons for soup.”