The Ultimate Guide to Making Sourdough Bread

Comprehensive Guide to Making Sourdough Bread

Making sourdough bread involves a unique process of fermentation, kneading, and patience. This guide will walk you through each step of the sourdough process, explaining not just how to do it, but why you’re doing it. By the end, you’ll understand the techniques and how to troubleshoot to achieve perfect sourdough every time.

1. Mixing the Dough

The foundation of any sourdough loaf starts with the right mix of ingredients. For this process, you'll be combining your active sourdough starter, flour, and water.

Why This Step Matters:
The sourdough starter is your natural leavening agent, and it will help the dough rise by producing gases during fermentation. The flour provides structure, while the water hydrates the flour and helps activate the enzymes necessary for fermentation.

What You’re Looking For:
When mixing, aim for a shaggy, slightly sticky dough that will be kneaded and developed further in the upcoming steps.

2. Bulk Fermentation (First Rise)

Once your dough is mixed, it’s time to let it ferment. This process is crucial because it allows the gluten to develop and the natural yeast and bacteria from your starter to work their magic.

Stretch and Folds:
At this stage, stretch and folds are performed every 30 minutes for 2 hours. This technique helps develop the dough's structure by gently stretching it and folding it over itself. The dough needs to be handled gently during this process, as you want to strengthen the gluten network without overworking it.

Why This Step Matters:
The stretch and fold method helps with gluten development, which gives the dough strength and structure. By gently folding the dough, you’re also helping to incorporate air pockets, which will make your bread rise and give it that airy crumb.

Coil Fold:
At the end of each stretch and fold round, you perform one coil fold. This helps to build even more strength in the dough and results in a smoother finish. Simply grab the dough from the side, stretch it gently, and fold it over like a coil.

What You’re Looking For:
During bulk fermentation, the dough should noticeably rise, become smooth and slightly shiny, and have visible air bubbles throughout. The dough should jiggle when gently shaken and pull away easily from the sides of the bowl, indicating that the gluten has developed and fermentation is progressing well.

3. Shaping the Dough

Once the dough has bulk fermented, it’s time to shape it. Shaping is important for creating tension in the dough, which helps it hold its shape during the final rise and baking.

Why This Step Matters:
Shaping is all about controlling the dough's structure and making sure it will rise evenly and maintain its shape in the oven. You’re looking to create a taut surface that will rise up and out during baking, resulting in a beautifully shaped loaf.

What You’re Looking For:
When shaping, you should feel some resistance as you work with the dough. You’re not trying to deflate it completely; instead, aim for a tight, smooth surface.

4. Cold Fermentation (Final Rise)

Once the dough is shaped, it needs to rest in the fridge overnight. This cold fermentation step slows down the yeast activity but allows the flavors to develop and deepen.

Why This Step Matters:
Cold fermentation allows the dough to ferment at a slower pace, giving it more time to develop complex flavors. The dough will continue to rise, albeit slowly, as the cold temperature doesn’t fully stop the fermentation process.

What You’re Looking For:
When you take the dough out of the fridge, it should have risen further but won’t be overly puffy. If you gently press on it, the dough should hold its shape but give slightly, indicating the final rise has occurred.

5. Baking the Bread

After cold fermentation, it’s time to bake. Preheating your oven with a Dutch oven inside is key to creating steam, which helps the dough rise and form a crispy, golden crust.

Why This Step Matters:
Baking with a covered Dutch oven traps steam, allowing the dough to expand fully without drying out. This results in a beautiful crust and a soft, airy interior.

What You’re Looking For:
When you score the top of your dough, you’re allowing it to expand in the oven. If the dough is properly fermented and shaped, it will have a beautiful rise and golden-brown crust after baking. The bread should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, a sign that it’s fully baked inside.

Troubleshooting Tips

1. My dough is too sticky, what do I do?
Sticky dough can happen for a couple of reasons: too much water, not enough flour, or insufficient gluten development. Try adding a bit more flour during mixing or performing extra stretch and folds to build more strength in the dough.

2. My dough is dense and doesn’t rise well.
This could be due to under-fermentation or over-proofing. If the dough hasn’t had enough time to rise, it might be lacking air pockets. On the flip side, if the dough is left too long in the fridge or at room temperature, the yeast could exhaust itself and not give enough lift. Make sure to follow the recommended timing for both bulk fermentation and cold fermentation.

3. My bread doesn't have a good rise in the oven.
If your bread doesn’t rise as much as expected, it could be that the dough was under-proofed, or it wasn’t baked in a hot enough oven. Ensure your Dutch oven is preheated for at least 45 minutes before baking, and score the dough deeply to allow it to expand. A higher oven temperature (500°F if your Dutch oven allows it) can also help encourage a better rise.

Tools You’ll Need

1. Banneton
A banneton helps the dough keep its shape during fermentation. It’s especially useful during the cold fermentation stage. Use rice flour or a combination of rice and all-purpose flour to dust the banneton and prevent sticking.

2. Danish Dough Whisk
A Danish dough whisk is great for mixing your dough as it allows for an even distribution of ingredients without overworking the dough. It's especially useful for mixing in the water and starter.

3. Dough Scrapers and Bench Scraper
A dough scraper will be your best friend for cleaning up the bowl and for gentle handling of your dough. A bench scraper helps shape and manipulate the dough while you're working with it, especially when you’re pre-shaping or dividing it.

4. Dutch Oven
A Dutch oven is perfect for baking sourdough because it traps steam, helping your loaf rise properly while developing a crisp, golden crust. It’s ideal for even heat distribution.

Why Sourdough Takes Time

The sourdough process requires patience, but it’s a labor of love. The longer fermentation times allow the natural yeast and bacteria in your starter to break down the starches and sugars in the flour, creating a more complex flavor. The time spent folding, shaping, and baking also ensures that the dough has the structure it needs to rise and hold its shape while baking.

By following these steps, you’ll not only have a beautifully baked sourdough loaf but you’ll also understand the "why" behind each technique. Once you get the hang of the process, you'll be able to troubleshoot and adjust to get the perfect loaf every time.