Sourdough / Naturally Leavened
Long-fermented breads using wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria cultures
- Hydration
- 70–90%
- Leavening
- Wild yeast + LAB
- Bulk ferment
- 4–6 hours
- Cold retard
- 8–24 hours
Rye-Wheat Sourdough Blend Recipes
1 recipe
About Sourdough / Naturally Leavened
Sourdough means bread raised by a culture of wild yeasts and lactic acid bacteria instead of commercial baker's yeast. Fermentation runs slower, typically 4 to 24 hours of bulk depending on temperature. Flavor turns more complex as lactic and acetic acid contribute tang and depth, and the crumb opens up with the irregular alveoli that come from long fermentation. Almost every traditional bread on earth was sourdough before isolated baker's yeast became commercially available in the late 19th century. The defining practice of the style is the starter (or levain): a flour-and-water culture maintained by regular refreshments.
Characteristics
A mature sourdough starter is typically 100% hydration, meaning equal weights of flour and water. It gets refreshed every 12 to 24 hours and is added to final dough at 15 to 25% of total flour weight as a levain. Final dough hydration ranges from 70% to 90% depending on flour and shaping ability. Bulk fermentation at room temperature (22–26°C) takes 4 to 6 hours. A cold retard of the shaped loaf adds 8 to 24 hours of flavor development in the fridge. Bake temperatures match lean yeasted breads at 230–250°C with steam, though heavily whole-grain sourdoughs benefit from a slightly lower oven and longer bake to fully gelatinize the starch.
Tips for getting it right
Most "my sourdough is gummy" problems trace back to one of three causes. A weak starter that wasn't at peak when added to dough. Insufficient bulk fermentation: the dough should rise 50 to 75%, not double, and feel jiggly with visible bubbles on the surface. Or undercooking, where the internal temperature didn't hit 96–99°C before pulling. Skip the float test on the starter; it's unreliable. Track the rise window instead. A healthy starter should reliably double in 4 to 8 hours at room temperature. If yours takes longer, feed it more often before attempting bread, not during.