#51 - Your Sourdough Questions Answered
Ancestral Kitchen
How to Start a Beginner's Course
"I was stunned, Alison, how much you crammed into each of those tips. I don't think you wasted a single word on them," she says. "You stuff so much information in each one and you can really tell that this is not something you just read about in a book or started doing last year or a year ago or years ago." She adds: "There's no need for it to be like that".
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.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Get more news from Alison & Andrea by signing up to their newsletter here.
For a free 30-page guide to Baking with Ancient Grains sign up for Alison's newsletter here!
Get our three podcast cookbooks:
Get all three of our cookbooks!
Alison's course, Rye Sourdough Bread: Mastering The Basics
Alison's Sowans oat fermentation course
Get 10% off US/Canada Bokashi supplies: click here and use code AKP.
Get 10% off UK Bokashi supplies.
Visit our (non-Amazon!) bookshop for our favourite cookbooks: US link here and UK link here.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Our podcast is supported by a community of ancestral cooks around the world!
Come join our community! You can choose to simply sponsor the podcast, or select from a variety of levels with benefits including monthly live Zoom calls, a private podcast feed stuffed with bonus content, and a Discord discussion grou
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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!)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
5* reviews on Apple Podcasts, mean the world to us! Here's how to leave one:
- Open the Apple Podcast app
- Find Ancestral Kitchen Podcast in your library
- Scroll down to 'ratings and reviews'
- Click on 'write a review', give us 5*s and then tell us why you love listening
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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
Do you have memories, documents, recipes or stories of those who cooked ancestrally? Visit our website here for how to share.
Thank you for listening - we'd love to connect more:
The podcast has a website here!
Stay in touch with Alison via her newsletter at Ancestral Kitchen
The podcast is on You Tube here
The podcast is mixed and the music created by Alison's husband, Rob. Find him here: Robert Michael Kay
The AI-powered Podcast Player
