How to Make Sourdough: Important Tools, Techniques, and Tips

Sourdough baking is a fun and unique way to spend your time, whether you're doing it because of a cooking trend that started during the lockdown or just because you like the challenge of making artisan bread. The keys to success are using the best ingredients for baking bread and knowing what you need to know. This lesson will show you the basic ways and strategies for making the best homemade sourdough bread, with a crust that is crunchy and a crumb that is soft and airy.

Make a strong base – First, make the most of your starter

The sourdough starter is what makes your bread rise. Using your starter when it is at its best — usually four to twelve hours after feeding, when it is at its highest point in the jar — will give you the best results. Look for air bubbles, which mean that the system is ready and working.
Not sure? If a teaspoon of starter floats after being dropped into water, it's ready to use. Your dough will rise to its full potential and make light, fluffy bread if your starter is at its best.

Use moisture to get the perfect rise

Before putting your shaped dough in the oven, lightly spray the surface with water to help it rise better. This easy trick makes the oven spring better by making the surface more flexible. This step can make your sourdough better, even if you're using a Dutch oven, by making the rise time longer.

Be careful with the dough

You need to be careful with sourdough dough so that the gas bubbles that form during fermentation stay in the dough. Don't work the dough too much. Instead, shape the center by gently squeezing it and folding the edges in. This careful method helps you get the right texture without changing the dough's shape.

To make your loaves lighter, sift the flour

Sift the whole wheat flour to get rid of any bran pieces that might get in the way of making gluten. Sifting makes the crumb structure lighter and more open, which keeps the loaf from being too dense. Taking out some of the bran can help your dough hold on to air and make bread that rises beautifully.

It's very important to stay hydrated

More water in your dough will make it softer and give it a more open crumb with lots of holes. Slowly change the amount of water in the mix until you find a level that feels good for you. It can be harder to work with wetter dough, crush it, and shape it, but the end result — a light and fluffy loaf — is well worth the work.

Choose the Right Tools: Don't use metal

Only use glass or ceramic dishes when working with sourdough. When acids come into contact with metals like steel, iron, and aluminum, they can corrode, which changes the taste and quality of your bread. Use silicone or wooden utensils instead of metal ones for the best results. You might also want to think about using a proofing basket.

Put money into a culture that values good startups

No two sourdough cultures are the same. If your starter isn't working the way you want it to — if it's too aggressive or not sour enough — try starting a new culture or using different flours, like rye or spelt. For sourdough that tastes good and is always the same, you need to take care of your culture.

To make sourdough baking easier, get high-quality tools

• The Abioto Bread Baking Kit comes with all the tools you need, like dough scrapers and proofing baskets.

• The Abioto Bread Slicer is a great way to cut homemade bread evenly.

• Glass or ceramic mixing bowls are strong and can be used with acidic starters.

Try new things and look into them

Making sourdough bread is an art. Change the types of flour, the amount of water, and the fermentation times. Pay attention to how these things affect your bread. You'll get better at it with practice and learn the tricks to making the perfect loaf.

Wrapping things up

To make great sourdough bread, you need to be willing to try new things, use high-quality ingredients, and improve your skills. Go to Abioto to improve your sourdough skills and get the best ingredients for making bread. Make sourdough bread that is as good as the best in the world — in your own kitchen!