Crafting your own bread, such as a delicious sourdough loaf, not only gives you control over the ingredients but also allows you to customise it to your palate. Sourdough is often lauded as one of the healthiest bread options available, with a lower glycaemic index that ensures a more gradual increase in blood sugar levels, as noted by the British Heart Foundation, compared to standard bread.
The journey to sourdough mastery may appear intimidating, with many home bakers recounting numerous trial and errors before achieving their ideal crusty loaf. However, Elaine Boddy, a celebrated baking expert and author of four acclaimed bread-making guides, reassures novices that sourdough is more straightforward than it seems. “For anyone new to sourdough, keep in mind that it’s much simpler than you may be thinking,” she advises.
She points out that the process has been unnecessarily complicated by some, creating an impression of difficulty: “A lot of people have overcomplicated the whole process and made it seem scary and hard to make when it really isn’t.”
Elaine also observed that beginners often become bogged down with worry and confusion: “I’ve seen so many people get overwhelmed, confused, and stressed out when they first start making sourdough, when making it is actually a truly simple, enjoyable process.”
Despite careful preparation and baking, enthusiasts sometimes end up with loaves that are sticky, gummy, or too tender — a sign of over-proofing, according to Elaine.
To help home bakers navigate these challenges, especially in warmer conditions, Elaine offers a valuable tip: “A top tip for home bakers right now: to avoid your dough over-proofing in the warmer temperatures, use less starter.
“You can go as low as you need to, right down to 5g and less, and it will still work.”
The baking expert shared her top tip for the ultimate sourdough: “This is my master recipe. It’s the basis for everything I do and forms the starting point for all of my recipes.”
Ingredients
- 50g starter (or less)
- 500g strong white bread flour, preferably Matthews Cotswold Flour, Churchill’s white flour
- 350g water
- 1tsp salt
How to make sourdough
Elaine’s method involves a few simple steps, including pulling and folding the dough several times over a couple of hours before leaving it to prove on the kitchen counter overnight.
She advises using a smaller amount of starter, which allows the dough to prove slowly and prevents over-proofing.
In the morning, she shapes the proved dough in the bowl to suit a banneton, cools it in the fridge for a while, then scores and bakes it directly from a cold oven.
“No preheating, no hot pans to deal with – works perfectly!” she enthused.
After getting the hang of the basic recipe, Elaine suggests getting creative with various flavours and ingredients to enhance your sourdough bread.
