Who knew sourdough bread was so hard??? I’ve tried it about half a dozen times or more since the first time I tried it. The first time I tried it, it was flat. The second time the dough didn’t rise for some reason. One time it didn’t look very good but it had the right sour flavor. Then another time it looked great and had the right flavor but it was a little underdone. I’ve baked it in my dutch oven and on our baking stone, with varied results.
I keep trying and reading and trying to figure out what I’m doing wrong. Recently I did another loaf and tried a different baking method. This is the method I used this time:
The result was pretty good. The rise was nice, there was a great color, the crust was crunchy, it was baked well (maybe slightly overdone) but not sour. UGH! So frustrating. But it did LOOK pretty:
I talked to a friend who does sourdough on the regular and she said that she puts the starter on her counter the day before and feeds it twice, once the morning before she makes it, then again that night. She said that will make it more sour. So next time, I’m going to try doing it that way and see what happens.
This week I tried again and did a few things differently. First, I weighed the flour when I made the dough and used grams instead of measuring cups. Second, I took my friend’s advice and took the starter out the day before, fed it twice and then made the dough the next morning. Third, I followed the new baking instructions.
The result was great! The bread was a little on the light side color-wise but the inside was fantastic! It was the best loaf I’ve made so far. It didn’t have a super strong sour flavor but the bread was light and airy and fluffy instead of being dense. I was really, really happy with the results.
For dinner, I made tomato bisque and we had the freshly baked bread with it. Fantastic!
On a similar note, I’ve been obsessed with the Great British Baking Show on Netflix. It never appealed to me but for some reason I saw a random episode of the new season and I decided to start at the beginning. I loved it! That first season was great and had some really good bakers.
I also love that you learn a lot from the show. They make stuff I’ve never heard of before and it’s interesting to see the methods. I also like that they do a bread episode each season! Listening to the judges critique the breads has been helpful for me recognizing some of the mistakes I’ve been making (not letting it proof long enough, not kneading it enough, etc). Also, it’s nice to watch the show while I wait for Top Chef to come back!
QUESTION: Are you a sourdough baker? Any tips or favorite recipes?
Vickie
I absolutely cannot regulate bread intake/consumption. No moderation what so ever. Sourdough and rye especially. Toast is worse.
I can’t have it in the house, I can’t watch it on TV.
If I do not see it, then I do not think about it. So it is not like I would drive to the store to buy some. As long as it is not here, I am fine.
When we have kids here, I buy the right amount for what they need. And then, I am not tempted to touch it because it is theirs.
My husband, who has no weight issues whatsoever, is the same way with certain foods. Would not buy it, but if it is in the house he will eat and eat it.
Lisa Eirene
I totally get that. I am similar. I don’t crave bread if I don’t eat it. I usually don’t buy it (except for my son) but I am enjoying having homemade bread. It’s so much work that you appreciate it more and I don’t eat the whole thing myself!