Sourdough

Sourdough Equipment

This is a list of equipment that makes keeping and using sourdough possible or easier. The links are to examples, anything similar can be used for all of these things. Some are optional but handy, others are for tasks that can be done with other other things.

• Glass Jars - This is where your sourdough starter lives. Make sure to buy 2 so you can make a levain, and tare your scale with the empty one. Be sure to remove the rubber seal! Jars
• Kitchen Scale - I recommend one with at least 5kg/10lb capacity so you can tare/zero it out even with a heavy bowl that already has flour and water in it. Make sure it supports grams for units. Scale
• Dough Scraper - Sourdough is sticky, having one of these is very important for folding it and forming it. Scraper
• Lame - Used to cuthttps://www.amazon.com/Bread-Bakers-Lame-Slashing-Tool/dp/B07P9KYFJF
• Banneton Basket - For proofing the loaf. Banneton
• Measuring Cups - Any sizes, I usually use 1/4 and 1/3 each time I feed my starter. Cups
• Fiberglass Chopsticks - They are pretty close to indestructible and are excellent for stirring starter or dough. Chopsticks
• Cereal Container - For pre-made flour mix. Container

Sourdough Supplies

This is the list of supplies you'll need to keep your sourdough starter going.

• Bread Flour - High in gluten, makes chewy bread. Bread Flour
• Whole Wheat Flour - Has wheat hulls and typically has more wild yeast and lactic acid producing bacteria than normal flours. Whole Wheat Flour
• Rye Flour - Contains enzymes that break flour down into fool yeast and bacteria like to eat. Rye Flour
• Rice Flour - Used to coat your banneton basket. Because it doesn't contain gluten it makes a good guard against the dough sticking to the basket. Rice Flour

Sourdough Flour

This special mix of flour keeps your sourdough starter healthy and well-fed. I recommend mixing it up ahead of time and storing it in a container such as one used for cereal.

• 70% Bread Flour
• 15% Whole Wheat Flour
• 15% Rye Flour

Example preparation:

1. Put your cereal container on your scale and tare the scale.
2. Add 700g of bread flour to the container. Tare the scale again.
3. Add 150g of whole wheat flour to the container. Tare the scale again.
4. Add 150g of rye flour to the container.
5. Seal the container, and carefully shake it until well mixed.

Selection of Tasks

Sourdough is a living thing. Stuff comes up, this is how to handle it.

Sourdough Too Small?

You just got some starter from another sourdough baker and need to make it bigger, or you accidentally used too much and need to bulk it up again.

1. Put your empty jar with starter on the scale, and tare the scale.
2. Put your jar with starter on the scale. (It should now show the total amount of starter in the jar, remember this number.)
3. Remove half of the starter and discard.
4. Add Water. An amount equal to the original amount of starter you had.
5. Add Sourdough Flour. An amount equal to the original amount of starter you had.
6. Stir completely.
7. Repeat this roughly every 12 hours until your starter is the size you want.

Example with numbers:

1. Started with 40g of starter.
2. Removed 20g of starter.
3. Added 40g of water.
4. Added 40g of sourdough flour.

Your starter will have increased from 40g to 100g. Next time it will increase from 100g to 250g. You can add LESS flour and water to make the new total any number you want, but you shouldn't add more in one round. Always add the same amount of flour and water.

Need to feed your Sourdough?

I usually keep a 150g starter. This process describes how to feed that, adjust your amounts if you keep a different sized starter.

1. Put your empty jar with starter on the scale, and tare the scale.
2. Put your jar with starter on the scale. (It should now show the total amount of starter in the jar.)
3. Remove starter down to 50g, and tare the scale.
4. Add 50g of Water.
5. Add 50g of Sourdough Flour.
6. Stir completely.

Glossary

Every hobby has some amusing vocabulary, this is some you may not know for sourdough.

Levain

An offshoot of your main sourdough starter created for a single bake.

Boule

The classic round shape for a rustic loaf of bread.