Starting Sourdough
As March commences, I am happy to share that I officially have consistently kept up with one of my 2025 resolutions this year. Throughout the multitude of gatherings that encompass the holiday season, I found myself being asked about any resolutions I had going into the new year and “how I’ve been keeping myself busy during the Chicago winter.” And to tell you the truth, both of my answers involved homemade sourdough. My TikTok feed was slowly starting to turn into tutorials for how to make your own bread and was constantly listed under things to do in your 20s outside of work. Now, tell this to a certain number of people, and I guarantee you that you will run into someone who has made sourdough before.
For me, this person was my aunt on Christmas this year. She told me all about the different bread she has made in the past and convinced me that I could definitely learn and succeed if I wanted to actually lock in this goal for 2025. She shared some of her sourdough starter with me and the rest is history. I scoured the internet for tips and tricks, bought my first dutch oven (forest green btw!), watched countless videos on sourdough timing and started learning sourdough vocabulary words such as levain and “feeding” my starter.
After a few successful bakes, each involving about 48 hours of prep time and steps, I have grown more and more addicted to the rewarding feeling of cutting open the finished product. While the dough itself only uses three simple ingredients of flour, water and salt, there is something about the fermentation and “science” element of this bread that keeps people fascinated and in-awe of a fresh baked sourdough loaf.
I have loved the opportunity to share my sourdough with my friends and family and hear their ideas for what inclusions and flavors I should do next. So far, I have gone both the sweet and savory routes with a cinnamon raisin, garlic parmesan, jalapeno cheddar and lemon blueberry loaf and all have tasted fantastic. This element of sourdough making, allows people to be creative and “build” upon their craft, along with the different scoring and shaping options one can do. Just two months into this journey but looking forward to growing my confidence in the kitchen, spending less time off my phone, and filling my house with the smell of freshly baked bread every few weeks.
Recipe/Steps I follow:
Friday AM: Let the starter sit out on the counter while you r at work (don’t have to add anything to it it just has to sit out and be at room temp)
Friday PM: Feed the starter. To do this, take a new clean jar (either a big mason jar or something that can hold it when it doubles in size) and put in on your scale. Weigh out 35g of starter (the one that’s been sitting out), 175g of warm water, and 175g of flour. Mix with a fork or spoon until it combines.
Let this sit on the counter overnight with the lid on.
Saturday AM: Your dough should be super bubbly and doubled in size. Now it’s time to make your dough! Weigh out 460 ml of warm water in a big mixing bowl, 320g of the activated starter and mix(add the water first and then the starter to check to see if it floats). Then add 2 tsp of salt and 800g of flour and mix to combine. Start with a wooden spoon and then once it gets hard to mix I would just knead it with your hands for a few minutes until it combines.
Cover mixing bowl with damp cloth and leave on counter for 1 hour.
1 hour later: do stretch and folds in the dough. You basically pick up a corner of the dough and pull on it and then fold it over, then rotate the bowl and do it to each side) and then let sit for another hour. Repeat this process 3 times and then let the dough sit out till it’s doubled in size
Saturday PM: put the dough on the counter with flour and divide it in half. This is where you would add any toppings by making it into a flat rectangle, folding the sides in and then rolling down the middle. To form it into a ball, push it away from you, and then pull in to tuck the sides under and it’ll form into a circle.
Put both doughs in the fridge in two shallow bowls (these will act like the baskets). Leave in there overnight.
Sunday AM: time to bake !!!!! Preheat oven to 450. Take one dough out, score the top with a knife and then put it on parchment in the Dutch oven. 25 min with the lid on, 25 min with the lid off.
Wait one hour for the bread to cool before cutting !
VOILA!
