Sourdough Starters and Hacks
Active Time: 35 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Week
A great sourdough starter is a precious, precious thing. But for those of us who don’t have a starter that’s been fed for years, this recipe offers a simple hack for giving any sourdough that unique sourdough flavor with complexity.
Sourdough Starter
Ingredients
- 113g (¼ cup) Water
- 130g (½ cup) Flour
- 0.1g (needs to be weighed) Florapan
- or:
- 18.6g (1 ½ tsp) Sugar
- 0.1g (1 pinch) Citric Acid
-
Mix Ingredients
Mix together flour and florapan.
or:
Mix together water, citric acid, and sugar.
Mix 60g of the water mixture with 40g of flour and place in a mason jar, let sit at room temperature for 2 days.
-
Feed Starter
Mix 30g of the water mixture with 20g of flour and add to the mason jar let sit for 2 days.
Mix the rest of the water mixture and flour and add to the mason jar and allow to ferment.
Continue to “feed” the starter with ½ cup flour and ¼ cup water every 1-2 days (This flour and water is not reflected in the recipe)
The starter is ready to use at this point.
The longer the starter is fed the more complex the flavor will become.
To store the starter, place it in the refrigerator to put it to “sleep”.
-
Prepare Starter
One to two days before making sourdough remove it from the refrigerator and feed it 2-3 times before using.
Make sure the last feeding was at least 5 hours before starting the bread.
Sourdough Bread
Ingredients
- 370g (1½ cup + 1 Tbsp) Water
- 10g (1 tbsp) Instaferm Red
- 2.6g (½ tsp) Lactic Acid
- 505g (2 cups + 1 tbsp) All Purpose Flour
- 25g (3 Tbsp) Diastatic Malt Powder
- 12g (1 tbsp) Vital Wheat Gluten
- 15g (1 tbsp) Salt
- 141g (5 oz) Starter, Ripe
- Nonstick Spray
- Rice Flour for Dusting
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Spray Bottle with Water
- Damp Towel
- Spatula
- Razor for Scoring Bread
- Proofing Bowl
- Nonstick Spray
- ½ Sheet Pan
- Baking Paper
- Thermometer
- Cooling Rack
Timing
Active Time: 30 Minutes
Total Time: 5 – 24 Hours
Yield
1 Loaf
-
Mix Dough
In the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with a dough hook add the water.
In a separate bowl mix flour, lactic acid, Instaferm Red, diastatic malt powder, vital wheat gluten, and salt together.
Add the flour mixture and ripe starter to the mixing bowl and mix on low speed until it forms a loose dough.
Once incorporated, Mix on medium speed for 7 minutes. The mixture will look wet, this is ideal.
-
First Proofing of Dough
Using a spatula transfer the dough to a container sprayed with nonstick spray.
Proof for 40 minutes or until doubled in size (bulk fermentation).
Pro Tip: This step can also be taken to the next level by allowing the dough to proof overnight.
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Second Proofing of Dough
Preheat oven to 500°F with a pan of water.
After the bulk fermentation remove dough and gently fold the dough doing your best to not remove all the air bubbles. Return dough to the container and proof for another 20 minutes or until doubled in size.
Repeat the prior instruction once more and place it in a proofing bowl dusted with rice flour.
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Bake Dough
Sprinkle some rice flour into a sheet pan with baking paper.
Gently turn the dough onto the sheet pan and score with a razor or a sharp knife about 1/4th inch deep.
Place the dough in the oven and spray the interior of the oven with water. Bake for 5 minutes then repeat this once more.
Turn the oven to 450°F and bake for 30 Minutes or until the internal temperature of the bread is between 205°F – 210°F.
Cool the loaf on the resting rack for 45 minutes before slicing.
Summary
Recipe Name
Sourdough Starters and Hacks
Author Name
Modernist Pantry
Published On
Preparation Time
Total Time
Average Rating
Based on 1 Review(s)
Comments (2)
June 9, 2020 1:46 pm
Why would I need all of these ingredients? I have been making sourdough bread with just flour, starter, water, and salt and it comes out delicious with excellent rise. I am still experimenting with making the bread so I am curious.
June 9, 2020 2:38 pm
Florapan gives the bread the exact yeast and bacteria of a french sourdough.
Lactic acid will give a consistent flavor to the dough.
Diastatic malt powder will give a more even browning and converts starches to sugar to boost the fermentation.
Vital wheat gluten helps stabilize the flour and increase elasticity.