Embarking on the journey of making sourdough bread is like stepping into a world where time, nature, and human intervention dance in perfect harmony. As a novice baker, I never imagined that flour, water, and a bit of patience could teach me so much about life and the art of breadmaking.
The Beginning: Creating Life
My sourdough adventure began with buying a starter from a friend. What is a starter? You ask. A starter is – a fermented mixture of flour and water that captures wild yeast from the air. Little did I know that this simple concoction would become my new pet, demanding daily attention and care, and hopefully not like my plants will survive the harsh life of a crazy busy woman trying to do it all. So, when you get a starter the first thing you are supposed to do is name it. I named mine wild thing it seems fitting for our family of where the wild things do grow after all.
Lesson 1: Patience is more than a virtue; it’s a necessity.
Waiting to get my starter from my friend seems like forever but it still isn’t as bad as Watching flour and water transform into a bubbling, living culture Like when people start from starch. To start a starter of your own if you don’t get one from an established starter. You will start with baking flour unbleached and distilled water/ filter water. Mix a small amount of unbleached flour and distill water together, depending how big you want your starter will depend on how much flour and water you will mix in a glass jar and cover with a cloth or lid lightly. Every day you will discard a small amount and put in equal amounts of flour and distilled water. You will do this for 5-7 days. This has taught me the value of patience. In our fast-paced world, waiting 5-7 days for a starter to become active can feel like an eternity. But nature has its own timeline and learning to respect that was my first big lesson.
The Process: A Test of Faith
Once my starter was ready, the real challenge began. Mixing, folding, proofing – each step required attention to detail and a leap of faith.
Lesson 2: Trust the process, even when you can’t see the results.
During the long fermentation periods, I often doubted if anything was happening. Was my dough rising? Was the gluten developing? It was a constant exercise in trusting a process I couldn’t fully see or control.
The Bake: Moments of Truth
The first time I slid my dough into a hot oven was nerve-wracking. Would it rise? Would it have that coveted open crumb?
Lesson 3: Sometimes, you have to let go and hope for the best.
Baking sourdough taught me that after all the preparation, there comes a point where you have to let go and let nature take its course. It’s a powerful metaphor for many of life’s challenges.
The Result: Celebrating Imperfection
Not every loaf was picture-perfect, but each one was a testament to my growing skills and understanding.
Lesson 4: Find beauty in imperfection. Some of my loaves were lopsided, others dense. But cutting into that first warm, crusty loaf – misshapen as it was – filled me with more pride than any store-bought bread ever could.
The Community: Sharing the Journey
As I delved deeper into the world of sourdough, I discovered a passionate community of bakers, always ready to share tips, troubleshoot problems, and celebrate successes.
Lesson 5: There’s joy in shared experiences.
Connecting with fellow sourdough enthusiasts reminded me that behind every loaf is a person on their own journey of discovery. Sharing our experiences, both triumphs and failures, made the process even more rewarding.
Conclusion: More Than Just Bread
Starting my sourdough journey has been about so much more than learning to make bread. It’s been a lesson in patience, faith, acceptance, and community. It’s taught me to slow down, observe closely, and appreciate the simple magic of transformation.
Whether you’re a seasoned baker or a curious beginner, I encourage you to give sourdough a try. You might just find, as I did, that it’s not just about feeding a starter, but feeding your soul.
Remember, every loaf tells a story. What will yours be?
Here is the simple sourdough recipe I used to bake my first bread.
Simple Sourdough Bread Recipe
Ingredients:
- 100g active sourdough starter
- 350g warm water
- 500g bread flour
- 10g salt
Instructions:
- Mix the dough:
- In a large bowl, combine the active starter and warm water. Mix well.
- Add the flour and salt. Mix until no dry flour remains.
- Bulk fermentation:
- Cover the bowl and let it rest at room temperature (70-75°F / 21-24°C) for 4-6 hours.
- During this time, perform 3-4 sets of stretches and folds, once every 30 minutes.
- Shape the loaf:
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
- Gently shape into a round loaf.
- Final proof:
- Place the shaped dough in a proofing basket or bowl lined with a floured kitchen towel.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight (8-12 hours).
- Bake:
- Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) with a Dutch oven inside.
- Carefully transfer the dough to the hot Dutch oven.
- Bake with the lid on for 30 minutes.
- Remove the lid and bake for another 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
- Cool:
- Let the bread cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.
Remember, sourdough baking is as much art as science. Don’t be discouraged if your first loaf isn’t perfect – each bake is a learning experience!
