Simple Sourdough Bread

UPDATE 25th April 2024: I’ve revised this recipe to reflect my current practice.

I’ve been baking sourdough bread since the start of lockdown in March 2020. In this post I’ll describe my process now. I’ll try to make it as simple as possible.

Note that all the measurements here are approximate.

Starter

I begged some starter from my neighbour. Or you can order a sachet of dried starter from here. There are a million recipes for making your own starter but I haven’t successfully tried any so I can’t really recommend any particular method. They mostly take a week of daily feeding to get them going.

I keep about 50g of starter in a plastic container in the fridge. You need to feed the starter at least once a week or it goes off. And if you aren’t baking once a week, probably sourdough is not for you. Since I bake 2 or 3 times a week, this doesn’t happen here. If this discourages you, stop reading!! With the method I use, the starter doesn’t need feeding separately, because I reserve a bit of the sponge for next time.

Preparation

Sponge

In a bowl add 75g of strong wholewheat flour and 75g water to the starter to make the total weight 200g. Mix and leave to stand for 3-4 hours (I usually do 3). The time is not critical, provided the sponge has risen properly, in which case it will be light and fluffy with plenty of bubbles inside.

Before making the dough, reserve 50g of the sponge as the starter for next time, and put in the fridge.

Dough

For wholewheat bread, take 525g of strong wholewheat flour, 11g cooking salt, add the sponge (should be 150g) and 405g of water (this varies depending on the batch of flour). Mix together but don’t knead or stretch at this stage. I do this with a large spatula. Cover with a damp cloth and leave for 20 minutes.

Stretch and fold

Now dip your hands in water, and stretch and fold the dough. If the dough is a bit stiff, or has dry patches, you can use a bit more water on your hands to soften it. Cover with a damp cloth and rest for 20 minutes.

Stretch and fold again, this time starting to form the dough into a ball shape. Cover with a damp cloth and rest for 20 minutes.

Prepare a 1kg brotform by sprinkling flour over the surface. Shake off any excess. Stretch and fold the dough. With wet hands form the dough into a ball by repeatedly gently pressing into the base of the dough with your fingers while pulling the top outwards with your thumbs. Don’t overdo it. Spread a little flour on the top of the dough and place seam up in the brotform.

Put the brotform into a food safe plastic bag and refrigerate for about 12 hours.

Timing

The timing between stretches will depend on the temperature of the kitchen. 20 minutes works for me at 20C. At 25C it needs only 10 minutes and at 18C it needs 26 minutes. If the time is too short the bread won’t rise properly and will be stodgy. If the time is too long the bread will lose its structure and spread out when it’s baked.

Bake

Cut a sheet of baking paper (sometimes called parchment) into a rectangle that will cover a baking tray. Put a baking tray. In the oven and pre-heat the oven to 240C (or as high as it will go). Take the brotform out of the fridge, uncover and leave to stand. When the oven is to temperature, boil a little water in a kettle, and then turn the loaf onto the baking paper. You may have to wiggle the brotform a bit to release the dough onto the paper. Slash the top of the loaf with a serrated knife (pros use a razor blade but I don’t want one of those in my kitchen). Put the loaf onto the preheated tray.

Put the loaf into the oven, then pour boiling water into a small metal container and put in the oven. Turn down to 230C. After 25 minutes, remove the water container and turn the oven down to 200C and bake for another 10 minutes. . The bread is ready when it reaches 88C at the base and the centre. It’s worth investing in an inexpensive digital thermometer for this.

Save the paper for next time and cool the loaf on a rack for about an hour before eating. Best to go for a walk at this stage.

Note: The oven temperatures and times are for a fan oven. Your mileage may vary, so experiment.