I shared some of my favorite EASY bread recipes earlier this week, but when you're ready to up the ante and make some seriously beautiful and delicious bread, you can't go wrong with sourdough.
I have two step-by-step tutorials on the blog for getting started, this one for einkorn and this one for modern wheat, but I get a lot of questions about sourdough starter so I wanted to make sure you were all set to go when you venture into sourdough.
How often do I feed the sourdough starter?
For days 1-7, you feed it twice a day. For days 8-30, you feed it once a day.
How soon can I make bread?
You MUST wait until the starter is mature, which happens after 30 days.
Can I use the "float" test or the "stretch" test to see if my starter is ready?
No. Neither of these tests are reliable. The only way to know if a starter is ready is to count the days.
Do I have to discard the starter?
Yes. This keeps the amount of your starter to a reasonable level, which translates into not needing as much flour or water to feed each day.
Do I have to throw the discard away?
No! Pour the discard into a separate jar and use it to make sourdough pancakes, sourdough crackers or sourdough biscuits!
What tools do I need when I'm ready to make bread?
Sourdough is a wetter, stickier dough than traditional yeast breads, and investing in a few tools will make your life INFINITELY easier:
- Banneton (proofing basket so your dough holds shape instead of spilling out into one big blob)
- Bread Lame (special razor that slices the top of the bread, telling the dough where to rise instead of the dough breaking on the sides)
- Scraper (to prevent touching the dough anymore than you need to, otherwise it can get dry and dense instead of light and airy)
Where can I get these tools?
I recommend MadeTerra, all the way. Their baking supplies are locally and ethically sourced, made by hand by true artisans of the trade, and fair-traded with the intent of pioneering the maker-to-market movement. I love that their products are made by villagers who practice the ancient art of basket weaving, and that they offer a 30-day guarantee (just in case!).
You can shop at MadeTerra through this link, and right now, they have everything you need to make sourdough AND you can save 10% when you use the coupon code DWC10! (Tip: Right now you can ALSO save 15% when you buy any 2 bundles from their Baking Tools Collection. Stack that with the 10% coupon DWC10 and you're saving 25% on must-have sourdough tools!
♥ Tiffany
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