#51 - Your Sourdough Questions Answered
Ancestral Kitchen
How to Make Sourdough Bread Rise Better
Mountain Nomad says she keeps her starter at 50 to 60% hydration. Alison: If you're using your sourdoughs frequently, I keep mine pretty thin but we're big. To help with rise for whole grain, you can up the hydration. You can put moisture in your oven and you can play around with the temperature. There are a lot of competing factors in sourdough which take time to kind of work through.
You are about to listen to one of the podcast's most popular episodes. Since it was released in February 2023, this episode has been downloaded thousands and thousands of times. That's just how popular sourdough bread is. And is testament to how many people are confused and have questions about it.
That's what we aim to help with in this episode!
We'll cover all manner of listener sourdough questions. We'll talk about where to begin with sourdough and all about starters. We'll give answers to your questions on flours, berries and milling including what to expect when using ancient grains. We'll discuss the flavour of your finished bread and the ways you can control that. We'll also share how we make dough and bread in bulk and store it. Along the way, we'll share loads of recipes and resources and and talk about some more unusual ways to use your sourdough starter.
Thank you to everyone who sent questions in and remember you can access Alison's course, 10 Tips for Creating and Maintaining a Sourdough Starter for free by going to ancestral kitchen.com/10 tips on entering the code STARTER100 at the checkout.
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What we cover:
We answer many listener questions covering the following topics...
- Where to begin with sourdough
- Sourdough starters
- Flours, berries and milling
- Consistency of your final loaf when using non-standard flours (i.e. ancient grains)
- Flavour and how to control it
- Making dough and bread in bulk and storing
- The many other ways to use sourdough (with loads of recipes!)
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Resources:
Alison's free course 10 Tips for Creating and Maintaining a Sourdough Starter: www.ancestralkitchen.com/10tips
Bread baking forum: www.thefreshloaf.com
Episode 10, "Elly from Elly's Everyday: Sourdough-Baking (and Soap-Making!)"
Probiotics, para-post-biotics and more: Episode 7, "Sourdough - Why We Love It"
Azure Standard: https://www.azurestandard.com/?a_aid=fDevVdRXWd
Activated sourdough starter from Azure: https://www.azurestandard.com/shop/product/food/baking-pantry/leavenings/bread-starter/bread-for-life-starter-refrigerated/14770?package=BP317&a_aid=fDevVdRXWd
Small-Scale Grain Raising by Gene Logsdon https://bookshop.org/a/86014/9781603580779
Weevils in grains?! An episode with Elly: # 42, How to Get (& Grind) the Best Flour for Bread
Rye sourdough episode: #41, Rye Sourdough Bread: Mastering the Basics
A guide to using all-purpose flour in artisan breads: https://www.theclevercarrot.com/2020/04/artisan-sourdough-with-all-purpose-flour/
Sprouted grain sourdough: https://www.theperfectloaf.com/sprouted-grain-sourdough-bread/
Alison's spelt loaf: https://ancestralkitchen.com/2020/12/01/sourdough-wholegrain-spelt-loaf/
Oven Thermometer: https://amzn.to/3Hqbxoi
Probe thermometer for loaves, if you wish to use one: https://amzn.to/3XVVXWM
Einkorn loaves: https://www.theperfectloaf.com/einkorn-sourdough-bread/
Peter Reinhart's book - he has quite a few, you only need one book to start! https://www.theperfectloaf.com/einkorn-sourdough-bread/
Baking & Cooking with Einkorn by Heidi Ellis: https://www.youngliving.com/us/en/product/einkorn-cookbook?enrollerId=2524222&sponsorId=2524222
The magazine Andrea referenced: Cook's Illustrated Make-Ahead Recipes, June 17, 2013
Article by John Moody on grain mill options: https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/home-grain-milling-machine/#gsc.tab=0
Milk-Kefir Spelt Bread on Alison's website: https://ancestralkitchen.com/2021/12/07/milk-kefir-spelt-bread/
Alison's Sourdough Pancakes: https://ancestralkitchen.com/2020/10/01/sourdough-pancakes/
Sourdough Discard Soup on Alison's site: https://ancestralkitchen.com/2021/02/11/sourdough-discard-soup/
Alison's 100% Wholegrain Spelt Pizza: https://ancestralkitchen.com/2020/08/03/sourdough-wholegrain-spelt-pizza-ancestral-cook-up-august-2020/
Naturally-Fermented Staffordshire Oatcakes on Alison's site: https://ancestralkitchen.com/2023/01/14/naturally-fermented-staffordshire-oatcakes/
Traditional Scottish Oatcakes made sourdough on Alison's site: https://ancestralkitchen.com/2023/01/24/sourdough-oatcakes/
Sourdough discard crackers: http://homejoys.blogspot.com/2010/03/sourdough-crackers.html?m=1
Elly's audio on 5 top tip for wholegrain baking: https://youtu.be/ifvegcKDEkk
How to shape a boule: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWXA8xFYu9A
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