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While many people started trying to make homemade bread in 2020, just as many found it challenging. Elaine Boddy is here to walk anyone through the basics with her new book, "The Sourdough Whisperer."
Boddy, the founder of the blog foodbod Sourdough and the author of "Whole Grain Sourdough at Home" shares her best tips, tricks and troubleshooting solutions so everyone can bake.
Once home bakers get a handle on the starter, they can get into the 40 recipes in the book, as well as recipes for ciabatta, baguettes, pizza and create shaped, filled and seeded breads.
Boddy contributed a quick Q&A below, as well as recipe for one of her starter breads for bakers to try at home.
"The Sourdough Whisperer" is published by Page Street Publishing. It is $21.99.
Q: Why sourdough?
A: The easy answer is, because I love it! But to expand...there is so much about making sourdough that's amazing and it's such a positive force. Whatever is happening in the world, our sourdough starters keep working, they lift our doughs and produce healthy tasty loaves for us and our families. The whole process is slow and meditative and in a busy world it forces us to slow down and allow the magic to happen. Added to all of that, of course, we get great tasty bread at the end of it all!
Q: What inspired you to write this book?
A: I have a wonderful worldwide community of foodbod sourdough bakers and from all of the conversations I have with bakers daily online and in person, I know the things the home sourdough bakers struggle with, or what they'd like to know, and I have brought all of that to my new book. Consequently this book will give bakers a true understanding of how a sourdough starter and dough behaves, how to manage them and how to manipulate them to fit in with life; the dough should never control the baker, the baker can control the dough and make it work for them and their lifestyle. And this book will explain exactly how to do that, as well as sharing new recipes and tips.
Q: Why should people make their own bread and not buy it at store?
A: By making our own bread we get to know exactly what's in it, as well as being able to control flavors and textures and knowing that we're eating the healthiest version of bread that we can.
Q: Butter, Jam/Jelly or something else for topping your bread?
A: Ooh, butter for sure! And maybe some top quality chunky peanut butter!
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Reprinted with permission from The Sourdough Whisperer, Page Street Publishing, Co. 2022.
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HALF-MILK, HALF-WATER BABY MASTER LOAF
My new book includes a 'softer collection' including this baby loaf. Replacing half of the water in the dough with milk will soften this baked loaf on the inside and outside, it will also produce a firm dough and a slightly tighter, less holey loaf, making it ideal for toast and sandwiches, as fillings do not drop through. Use any milk of your choice, either dairy or plant based. Nut milks and oat or coconut milk also produce slightly different flavors; I highly recommend trying variations.
For best results, begin making this recipe late afternoon/early evening.
PREP: Prepare a round banneton, 6 3/4 inches (17 cm) in diameter and 3 1/4 inches (8.5 cm) deep, or a similarly sized bowl, with rice flour, and set aside a large baking or cookie sheet, plus parchment paper.
Makes 1 small loaf
30 g (1/8 cup) active starter
110 g (1/2 cup) water
110 g (1/2 cup) milk, cold or at room temperature (I use reduced-fat or 2% milk, but you can also use full-fat or whole milk)
300 g (21/2 cups) strong white bread flour
7 g (1 tsp) salt, or to taste
Rice flour, for dusting
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, roughly mix together all the ingredients, except the rice flour, until you have a shaggy and rough, but stiff, dough. Cover the bowl with a clean shower cap or your choice of cover and leave the bowl on the counter for 1 hour.
Step 2: After an hour or so, perform the first set of pulls and folds until the dough comes together into a soft ball. This will be a much stiffer dough than those made with water, but also smoother. Cover the bowl again and leave it on your counter.
Step 3: Over the next few hours, do three more sets of pulls and folds on the dough, stopping each time it comes into a firm ball, covering the dough again after each set. Perform the final set before going to bed.
Step 4: Leave the covered bowl on the counter and allow the dough to grow until doubled in size, typically 8 to 10 hours, at 64 to 68F (18 to 20C). Doughs made with milk can often take longer than those made with water.
Step 5: Once fully proofed, the surface of the dough will be smooth and lightly domed upwards; firmly perform a final set of pulls and folds on the dough to pull it into a ball. Place the dough, smooth side down, in the banneton, sprinkle extra rice flour down the sides and across the top, cover with the same shower cap and place in the fridge for at least 3 hours, maximum 24 hours.
Step 6: When you are ready to bake, decide whether you would like to bake in a preheated oven or from a cold start. If preheating, set the oven to 425F (220C) convection or 450F (230C) conventional. Remove the cover from the banneton, then place the paper over the top of the banneton and the pan upside down over the top of them both. With one hand under the banneton and one on the pan, turn it all over together to turn the dough out of the banneton and into the pan. Score the dome of dough. If you preheated the oven, put the lid on and bake for 40 minutes. If using a cold start, place the covered pan of dough in the oven, set the temperature as directed and set a timer for 45 minutes. After the baking time for either option, remove the covered pan from the oven. Open the lid to check the loaf; if you feel that your loaf is looking paler than you would like, place it back in the hot oven, in its pan, minus the lid, for 5 to 10 minutes to brown the loaf to the color of your choice.
Step 7: Once baked, carefully remove the loaf from the pan, saving the parchment paper for next time, and allow the baked loaf to cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing.
Amy Phelps can be reached at aphelps@newsandsentinel.com.