SOUTHWEST SELF-RELIANCE
What is sourdough?
Sourdough is a type of bread made using a natural leavening agent called a sourdough starter, which consists of a symbiotic culture of wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria. Unlike regular bread that uses commercial yeast, sourdough relies on a fermented mixture of flour and water to make the dough rise, giving it a tangy flavor and chewy texture. The long fermentation process can also make the bread easier to digest by breaking down gluten and other compounds.
A starter is the mixture of wild yeast that ferments to create a natural leavening agent. Learn More.
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Sourdough Recipes here​​​​​​​​
Sourdough is considered better for you because the fermentation process improves its nutritional value, making it easier to digest and more nutrient-dense. Learn more.
Sourdough began in ancient Egypt, Wild yeast and bacteria fermented grain and water to leaven bread. It became significantly more popular during the pandemic. Learn more.
What makes it different?
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Leavening agent: Instead of relying on commercial yeast, sourdough uses a starter made from a fermented mixture of flour and water containing naturally occurring wild yeast and bacteria.
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Flavor: The lactic acid bacteria in the starter produces acids, giving it a unique tangy or "sour" flavor.
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Texture: The long fermentation time creates a chewy interior and often a crispy crust.
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Digestibility: The slow fermentation process breaks down gluten and other components in the flour, which can make it easier for some people to digest.
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How do you make sourdough bread?
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Create the starter: A mixture of flour and water is left to ferment, allowing wild yeast and bacteria to colonize it.
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Feed the starter: The starter is "fed" with more flour and water regularly to keep the microbes alive and active.
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Bake the bread: A portion of the active starter is mixed with flour, water, and salt to create the dough, which is then slowly fermented before baking.
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Key Characteristics
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Inactive: Sourdough discard is unfed and not actively fermenting, so it doesn't have the rising power of an active starter. Recipes using discard for leavening often require commercial yeast, baking soda, or baking powder as an additional rising agent.
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Flavor: Discard adds a distinct, tangy, and mildly acidic flavor to baked goods. The flavor becomes more pronounced and sour the longer it is stored in the fridge.
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Moisture: Its high water content helps keep baked goods soft and moist.
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Storage: Discard should be stored in a lidded container in the refrigerator. It will last for several weeks or even months as long as there is no mold.
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Safety: Do not use discard if you see pink, orange, or fuzzy mold, or if it smells putrid.
Common Terms
Starter: A live, fermented mixture of flour and water that contains wild yeast and bacteria. It's used to leaven bread without commercial yeast.
​Levain: A portion of the starter that is fed and mixed with the final dough ingredients.
​Autolyse: A resting period after mixing flour and water to kickstart gluten development before adding other ingredients.
Hooch: A dark liquid that can form on top of a starter, indicating it needs to be fed.
​Bulk Fermentation: The initial, long rising period after all ingredients are mixed, also called the "first rise".
​Stretch and Fold: A technique for building dough strength by gently stretching and folding the dough over itself, often used instead of kneading.
​Bench Rest: A short rest for the dough after it's pre-shaped to allow the gluten to relax.
​Proofing: The final rise of the shaped dough before baking.
​Retarding: A method of slowing down fermentation by refrigerating the dough, which can develop flavor.
​Lame: A razor blade on a handle used to score or slash the dough before baking.
​Banneton: A proofing basket that helps the loaf maintain its shape during the final rise.
​Scoring: The act of making cuts on the dough's surface with a lame. Deeper cuts allow for expansion, while shallower cuts are often for decoration.
​Crumb: The internal texture and hole structure of the baked loaf.
​Oven Spring: The rapid expansion of the dough in the hot oven.
​Bloom: The opening of the score marks during oven spring.
​Ear: A raised edge of crust that forms at a score line due to a successful bake.
​Blisters: Small, desirable bubbles that form on the crust of a well-fermented and baked loaf.
​Boule: A round-shaped loaf of bread
​Batard: An oval-shaped loaf of bread.