The Sourdough School

Specialising in Nutrition & Digestibility of Bread & the Gut Microbiome

Learn to Bake Sourdough
+44 (0)7707 480336
bookings@sourdough.co.uk
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
Navigation
  • Home
  • Courses
    • Sourdough Diploma
    • Sourdough Workshops
    • Online Course
    • Attendee Information
    • My Bookings
  • The School
    • Vanessa Kimbell
    • The Team
    • Reviews
    • Newsletter
    • Terms for The Sourdough School Ltd
  • Learn
    • About Sourdough
    • Ingredients
    • Recipes
    • Eating Symbiotically
    • Studies
    • Connections
    • Glossary
    • Gallery
  • Guts
    • Digestion
    • Gut Microbes
    • Nutrition
    • Prebiotics
    • Probiotics
  • Shop

Basic Sourdough Recipe

Photograph from Food For Thought by Laura Edwards reproduced with Kind permission from Kyle Books.

Photograph of my Sourdough, from my most recent book Food For Thought, taken by Laura Edwards reproduced with Kind permission from Kyle Books.

Learn sourdough online – Join The Sourdough Club

I am often asked for a basic sourdough recipe. I am in so many ways I am reluctant to give a sourdough recipe because a recipe in itself does not guarantee a good loaf. There are so many variables that affect a good sourdough bread, from the kind of flour, to the amount it is handled, to the weather on the day. These are things that I cannot account for in a recipe.

Baking a beautiful loaf is about more than just the practical external factors.  To make a really great sourdough you need the ability to judge the dough; to know it, understand it, feel it and instinctively correct or modify your technique on any given day. This takes practice, time, understanding and patience. The ability to judge these factors and allow for them is what I teach on my sourdough courses. But more than that I teach people to understand sourdough. Once you understand sourdough then you will always bake a great loaf.

That said, nothing gets you off to a better start at the weekend that a warm crusty sourdough loaf fresh from the oven and there are many bakers who read this site too far away to attend a course. So this is my basic sourdough recipe; it is based on the French country Pain de Levain that I grew up baking in the village bakery in the South of France, and is timed so as to be ready to take out of the oven on a Saturday morning to bake.

Sourdough bread.
A traditionally French shaped sourdough boule. Allow yourself about 3 –4 hours for the dough to be mixed, folded and shaped ready to place in the coldest part of the fridge to prove overnight.(If you are new to bread making, you can, instead of shaping the dough and putting it into a banneton, grease a 2lb bread tin liberally with butter, let the dough rise in it overnight in the fridge and then bake as per the recipe instructions below.)
Equipment:

A large mixing bowl
A round cane banneton
2 clean tea towels
A Dutch oven or La Cloche
A large heatproof pan, a sharp knife or ‘lame’ to slash the dough with

Ingredients:
300g water
100g sourdough leaven (made with your starter)
100g of stoneground organic wholemeal flour
400g organic strong white flour
10g fine sea salt mixed with 15g of cold water
25g rice flour mixed with 25g of stone ground white flour (for dusting your banneton)
Semolina to dust the bottom of the baking surface

Makes 1 loaf

Directions:

Late afternoon

Mix 

In a large bowl whisk your water and starter and mix well. Add all the flour and mix until all the ingredients come together into a large ball.

Cover with a clean damp cloth and let the dough rest on the side in the kitchen for between 30 minutes and 2 hours – this what bakers call Autolyse

Fold

Add the salt mixed with the water and dimple your fingers into the dough to allow the salty water and salt to distribute evenly throughout the dough.  Leave for 10 mutes.

Next lift and fold your dough over, do a quarter turn of your bowl and repeat three more times. Repeat 3 times at 30 minute intervals with a final 15 minute rest at the end.

Shape

Shape the dough lightly into a ball then place into a round banneton dusted with flour (If you don’t have a banneton then use a clean tea towel dusted with flour inside a colander). Dust the top with flour, then cover with a damp tea-towel

Prove

Leave your dough to one side until it is 50% bigger then transfer to the fridge , and leave to prove there for 8 – 12 hours.

Bake the following morning

The next morning preheat your oven to 220°C for at least 30 minutes before you are ready to bake. Place your cloche or baking stone in the oven and a large pan of boiling water underneath (or use a Dutch oven). The hydration helps form a beautiful crust.

Once the oven is up to full heat, carefully remove the baking stone from the oven, taking care not to burn yourself dust with a fine layer of semolina, which stops the bread sticking, then put your dough onto the baking stone and slash the top with your blade. This decides where the bread will tear as it rises. Bake for an hour.

Turn the heat down to 180°C (and remove the lid if you are using a Dutch oven) and bake for another 10 -15  minutes.  You need to choose just how dark you like your crust but I suggest that you bake until it is a dark brown – it tastes much better.

Storage

Sourdough is really best left to cool completely before slicing and is even better if left for a day to let the full flavour develop.

Once your sourdough has cooled, store in a linen or cotton bread bag, or wrapped in a clean tea towel.

Note: if you don’t like a crunchy crust on your sourdough bread, simply wrap your bread in a clean tea towel whilst it is still warm.

  • * To make 100g of leaven, use 1 tablespoons of sourdough starter, 40g of water and 40g of strong white flour, mix well and leave, covered on the side in the kitchen in the morning. It will be lively and bubbly and ready to bake with in the evening.
  • More advanced recipes and tips are available to members of the sourdough club, and a very in depth explanation is covered on our sourdough courses.

sourdough baking video tutorials

Share the post "Basic Sourdough Recipe"

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+

Comments

  1. Sadiq Merchant says

    10 June 2015 at 10:56 am

    Seems like a very accessible recipe. One question, after proving overnight, how long do you need to leave the dough outside of the fridge before baking, assuming pre-heated oven? Or can it go in straight away?

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      13 June 2015 at 10:10 am

      I bake it straight from the fridge.

      Reply
      • Sadiq Merchant says

        16 June 2015 at 2:33 pm

        Very helpful…thanks indeed Vanessa

        Reply
      • Dinah says

        28 September 2015 at 5:30 pm

        I have made this once and am making it again tonight. I found the dough did not rise in the fridge and I kept it at room temp for several hours after that when it did rise. How much should it rise before baking? Thanks

        Reply
        • Vanessa Kimbell says

          5 October 2015 at 11:54 am

          It needs to rise by about 50% – try starting a but earlier in the day if you are not having the time to let it rise.

          Reply
          • Dinah says

            14 October 2015 at 10:36 am

            Thank you

          • Richard says

            22 July 2019 at 9:49 pm

            Hi, a question from a completely new baker. When you say place a large bowl of boiling water underneath I assumed this to mean stand the baking tin in the water. But someone else says it should have been on a lower shelf… Please clarify . oh and when it’s left to cool down, do I just turn it out of the tin onto a wooden board?

            I’m new to bread baking, encouraged by and recommended to your website by a friend. I was going to buy a bread making machine! Let’s hope I succeed.

          • Vanessa Kimbell says

            13 August 2019 at 7:02 am

            Hi Richard. I turn my breads out onto a wire rack.
            No – the tin is just under the bake. All Boules though need to go in a cloche. In which case you don’t need the water as it is self steaming.
            Let me know how you get on.
            best Vanessa

  2. Graham says

    19 July 2015 at 7:40 am

    Does it make any difference autolysing just the flour and water before adding the starter?

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      24 July 2015 at 10:25 am

      Hi Graham, Sometimes if I have a heavy flour, such as a whole rye or wholegrain stoneground one then I find this is a useful technique.

      Reply
  3. Annie Redmore says

    23 July 2015 at 7:18 am

    Im gearing up to try my first Sourdough loaf using your recipe, tips etc. I would like to know if the final prove in the fridge 8-12 hours can be extended. I’m a shift worker and having a looser timing schedule would really help
    Thank You
    Annie

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      24 July 2015 at 10:28 am

      Hi Annie,
      Many people prove their sourdough for much longer. Generally the longer the prove the more sour. In fact I visited a bakery just last week who prove for 17 hours in the fridge. Just check the temperature of your fridge is between 3-5 degrees as a warmer fridge temperature might result in over proving.
      Vanessa

      Reply
  4. Beth says

    21 August 2015 at 7:48 pm

    Do you put the stone in when you turn on the oven, or do you put it in after the oven is heated, and put the dough to bake on the stone that will then heat up as the bread bakes?

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      24 August 2015 at 1:54 am

      Yes pre heat the stone.

      Reply
  5. Angela says

    13 October 2015 at 6:11 pm

    Always love a new sourdough recipe, as they all are different and it can take a while to perfect making a loaf. A question I have is about the wetness of the starter, some recipes I have tried end up too wet, as I think they are intended for a dryer starter. I am now experimenting with less water to flour ratio in my starter but was wondering what you would suggest..

    Reply
  6. Janet Catesby says

    17 October 2015 at 1:22 am

    I have just made a loaf from you basic recipe and it has to be the best one I’ve ever made!
    It has the most delicious flavour and the crust is to die for. I found it hard to slice, so I’m wrapping it in a tea towel and will try again tomorrow.
    Thank you for for the recipe. I live in Australia so cannot get to any of your courses unfortunately.

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      19 October 2015 at 7:48 pm

      Janet – what a wonderful message. I’d love to see a photo .. and I have the Sourdough club pages if you are on Facebook.
      Vanessa
      x

      Reply
      • Tracey McKenzie says

        28 January 2017 at 5:11 am

        That’s great news that there’s a FB page. I too am in Australia and beginning my sourdough journey. My first 2 rounds didn’t work…one didn’t rise, the other stuck dreadfully to my floured tea towel in the colander, so I’m about to go for a third try. I’ve been told the mother gets better with age, so fingers crossed. Thankyou for sharing difficult insights across the globe.

        Reply
  7. Geoff Colmer says

    21 October 2015 at 7:47 am

    Hi Vanessa! Many thanks for this recipe which I’ve used with good results. Just for clarification, do you mean to bake for an hour at 220 degrees and then a further 10-15 minutes at 180 degrees, 85-90 minutes in total?

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      22 October 2015 at 9:13 am

      Sorry it is basically an hour in the cloche and then the last 10 – 15 minutes is really about getting the crust to the level of darkness you like.
      The initial high temperature is about getting the maximum oven spring. The lower 180 is time to cook the inside of the loaf and the last 10 – 15 is about the final crumb colour.

      Does that help?

      Vx

      Reply
      • Geoff Colmer says

        22 October 2015 at 4:32 pm

        Just the business – many thanks!

        Reply
      • Nora Allen says

        28 December 2017 at 8:23 am

        Thanks for the clarification as I also thought the baking temperature was 220 and I ended up with a very thick crust and overbeaked loaf. I’m making one again, so I’m so glad that I went through these comments to find this one. Let’s hope this time it turns out beautiful!

        Reply
      • PLH says

        28 January 2018 at 9:05 pm

        Hi
        I’m just doing my first one and I don’t find the clarification here clear. Is it 1hr 15 in total with 1 hr at 220 and 15mins at 180? That’s how I’m reading the instructions but the comments and your answer suggest that that might not be the case.
        Thanks for your help!
        P

        Reply
        • Vanessa Kimbell says

          23 March 2018 at 8:17 pm

          yes . but every one has different ovens so use your judgement too.

          Reply
      • Samantha Peek says

        17 February 2018 at 11:43 pm

        Hello! If i am baking in a tin, should I also bake at 220 for an hour? This will be my third go at this recipe, I’m loving it but finding the crust ends up very dense.

        Thanks,
        Sam

        Reply
        • Vanessa Kimbell says

          23 March 2018 at 8:15 pm

          Reduce baking time to suit you .. and wrap in a tea towel whilst warm to soften crusts.

          Reply
  8. Munro Grant says

    11 December 2015 at 7:40 pm

    I am a sourdough newbie but managed to produce a very acceptable boule using your recipe. My 17-year-old daughter said it tasted like the artisan bread we enjoyed on Gozo earlier this year.
    I made my own starter from organic stone-milled flour and used 200g, but adjusted the dry flour and water to compensate. I was very dubious about proving the dough in the fridge but you obviously know what you are talking about! Many thanks for a simple and easy-to-follow recipe with a delicious result!

    Reply
  9. Steve Abramowitz says

    2 February 2016 at 9:47 pm

    I live in a small NZ town with no decent bakery, so have been baking my own sourdough for the last eight odd years. Stumbled across this recipe and gave it a go.

    Remarkably easy to follow, and stupendously good results (baked in dutch oven). The following times I have paid less attention to the timings except for baking times, and the result is always what I’d call the perfect loaf; crusty, fragrant, great crumb and delicious.

    Thanks so much

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      3 February 2016 at 10:52 am

      Hi Steve,

      What a lovely message. Thank you. I’d love to see a photo if you fancy sending one?

      Best Vanessa

      Reply
  10. Richard Cole says

    14 February 2016 at 5:50 pm

    Just got into making bread at home and have now discovered sourdough and was wondering if instead of baking in an oven if it can be made in a breadmaker?

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      17 February 2016 at 9:25 pm

      You can make sourdough in the bread maker. I used to use a bread maker about 8 years ago when I have three children under the age of 4!
      Pop all the ingredients in the maker and mix. Put the timer on and delay of 5 hours.. you should find your bread maker will do the rest.
      Hope that helps.

      Reply
  11. Sue Lewis says

    22 March 2016 at 10:56 am

    Hello, can I prove for 4 hours in a warm room instead of the fridge. Am I right in saying that you don’t really knead this bread very much? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      31 March 2016 at 9:42 am

      Yes it is a no knead technique, and yes a normal room temperature is fine.

      Reply
  12. Louise Dixon says

    2 April 2016 at 6:55 pm

    Hello! I tried this recipe a while ago and it turned out really good. I’ll do it again tomorrow — this time I’ll use my cloche (first time it was on a baking stone) — but the question I have is, do I still need a pan of boiling water if I use a cloche? Wouldn’t the cloche lid prevent the steam from entering in?

    I know that in this recipe it says I still need that, but on BakeryBits.co.uk I found another of your recipes (the Friday night sourdough) where there is no mention of using boiling water or ice cubes to create steam — hence my question.

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      2 April 2016 at 9:11 pm

      Hi Louise,

      Gosh no .. the steam is only if you use a baking stone. The cloche teams the steam from the bread as it bakes, so no need for a pan of water.
      Happy baking.
      Vanessa
      x

      Reply
  13. Kathy Eldridge says

    4 April 2016 at 3:23 pm

    My way of getting a really good crust is to spray the loaf all over with water using a fine plant spray – after slashing. It never fails.

    Reply
  14. Sue Lewis says

    9 April 2016 at 3:39 pm

    Hello again,
    Just received my starter and wondering if I use 100g of the actual starter (after the 3 feeds) or do I need to make a leaven with it for the basic recipe please? Thanks very much

    Reply
    • Iain says

      13 April 2016 at 8:41 pm

      Leaven basically is a 100% hydration starter. Provided your starter has approximately the same proportions of flour as the leaven, it won’t make any difference.

      Reply
  15. Naomi Dobbin says

    25 April 2016 at 8:38 am

    After battling to get an open crumb this method was a god send ! Simple and easy but gives a wonderful light open crumb . Thank you !

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      25 April 2016 at 9:10 am

      Hi Naomi,
      Lovely to hear!
      Vanessa
      x

      Reply
  16. Jenna says

    10 May 2016 at 6:04 am

    Can’t wait to try this. Although I’m confused – with every other recipe I’ve read says during the autolyse stage you aren’t supposed to add the salt, as it dries all the moisture out of the dough and makes it stiff. Is this true or false?

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      11 May 2016 at 2:29 pm

      Hi Jenna,

      You are correct. A true Autolyse adds the salt in just after the Bulk fermentation.
      Kind regards

      Vanessa

      Reply
  17. Jenna says

    13 May 2016 at 1:42 am

    Thanks! One more question. Is it okay to let the bread proof in the fridge longer than 12 hours? Maybe 15-16?

    Reply
  18. PaulT says

    19 May 2016 at 5:12 pm

    I have to say that this is one easy-to-follow and foolproof recipe. I have been trying to make proper sourdough for ages, and this (combined with La Cloche) have given me *exactly* what I was looking for in a loaf. I was worried that it was looking a little wet, but it turned out perfectly. Thank you so much!

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      19 May 2016 at 5:20 pm

      Hi Paul,

      That is great to hear. There is also a Facebook page called The Sourdough Club where lots of people swap photos and information .. so if you have got any pictures to share we’d love to see them.

      Best

      Vanessa

      Reply
  19. Zsuzsi says

    6 June 2016 at 8:43 am

    The recipe looked correct and it turned out perfect. Thanks

    Reply
  20. Ian says

    5 July 2016 at 8:13 am

    Bake for 1 hour at 220?C the an extra 15 mins at 180?C?

    Just checking: Most other recipes I’ve used have timings around 35/45mins. My attempts have always passed the ‘Tap’ test at these timings so your’s caught my eye. Does the crust just get thicker and thicker the longer the baking time?

    I’ll give it ago but just wanted some newbie reassurance.

    Reply
  21. Ian says

    5 July 2016 at 8:13 am

    Bake for 1 hour at 220?C then an extra 15 mins at 180?C?

    Just checking: most other recipes I’ve used have timings around 35/45mins. My attempts have always passed the ‘Tap’ test at these timings so your’s caught my eye. Does the crust just get thicker and thicker the longer the baking time?

    I’ll give it a go but just wanted some newbie reassurance.

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      7 July 2016 at 11:38 am

      Hi Ian, yes the instructions are correct.. but please use a cloche or a Dutch oven. You can of course bake it for slightly less time, and this is fine, but I like my crusts and I was brought up on bread that came out of a wood fired oven, so I love dark thick crusts and a soft moist bouncy crumb… but it’s personal preference.
      Happy baking.
      Vanessa

      Reply
  22. Rebecca says

    10 July 2016 at 11:58 am

    Just used this recipe after 2 previous failed attempts with others, it worked perfectly thank you!

    Reply
  23. H Tyce says

    22 August 2016 at 10:11 pm

    As Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall might himself say… https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/may/10/hugh-fearnley-whittingstall-recipes-sourdough

    Reply
  24. Jill says

    29 August 2016 at 11:01 am

    I just made this with my three-week-old sourdough starter and it’s probably the best bread I’ve ever made. Previous problems — crust too light, crust too tough, crumb too cakey, crumb too wet — all gone away. The crust was perfect, crusty and crackly. I cooked it (and mixed it and proved it) in my Lekue silicone bread maker and after just 45 minutes @ 220°C it was deep brown so I didn’t bake any further. This is definitely one I will do again.

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      31 August 2016 at 4:17 pm

      What a lovely comment! Thank you for sharing .. happy baking.

      Reply
    • Parul juneja says

      6 October 2016 at 7:13 pm

      Hi
      Your sourdough starter was a 1:1 mix of All purpose flour and water or it had any portion of whole wheat flour. I want to try this recipe nut I have a 100% hydration starter with equal. Quantities pf dloir and water.
      Can you please suggest me.

      Reply
      • Vanessa Kimbell says

        14 December 2016 at 11:12 am

        any 100% hydrated starter will be fine. IN fact any starter .. just make sure you make a leaven!

        Reply
  25. Chris Scopes says

    29 August 2016 at 5:35 pm

    Afternoon Vanessa. I had a go at your basic recipe and produced a good looking loaf. I was trying your recipe before investing in a Cloche. The dough was proved over night in a colander as I don’t have a round banneton. Once baking was finished the crust was very brown and difficult to slice and more worrying the crumb was ‘rubbery’. As far as I know I followed your instructions to the letter. I should tell you I bake on a non-stick heated flat baking tray. Any idea what caused the crumb so rubbery?

    Regards

    Chris

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      31 August 2016 at 4:16 pm

      I imagine you used a high protein flour, or that you underpriced your loaf. Try to use a 12 – 13 % protein flour, and make sure you give your loaf time to prove.

      Reply
      • Chris Scopes says

        3 September 2016 at 8:52 am

        Thanks Vanessa for the advice. Purchased the lower protein flour you suggested and the next bake was certainly better.

        Reply
  26. Lucy says

    1 September 2016 at 6:06 pm

    Hello Vanessa

    I’m new to all this and have just begun making my first starter! I would like to find a fairly simple recipe, like the one above, as I hope to make sourdough bread a regular part of my life.

    In this recipe, the dough is mixed straight from the fridge, but on another site (cultures for health.com) it says that once starter has been put in the fridge it goes in to ‘hibernation’ and needs to be fed again and used about 4 hours after feeding when it’s at its most active. Does that not really matter?

    By the way, I am venturing in to sourdough as I have IBS and am told that the sourdough bread is much easier to digestion. So, would it be ok if I use spelt flour instead of wholemeal?

    Kind Regards
    Lucy

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      5 September 2016 at 11:06 am

      Hi Lucy,
      Lovely that you have found the site and sourdough. If you read the recipe the dough is not mixed straight form the fridge. It does finish proving in the fridge, and it is fine to bake it straight from the fridge, once it is fully proved.
      You will also find that longer slower overnight fermentation will help make your sourdough more digestible. There are several articles on the website, including a recent one about spelt and another about sourdough digestibility in relation to IBS.
      Hope that helps.
      Happy baking.
      Vanessa

      Reply
  27. Oz says

    8 September 2016 at 1:08 pm

    Made this with my month old starter, which I feed on stoneground rye and plain white flour, and it turned out fantastically! Previously I made the mistake of starting off trying to make really high hydration sourdough breads but decided to try something easier in the end. I let this rise in parchment paper in a tea towel lined colander and then baked it in a preheated Lodge cast iron combo cooker for just under 25 minutes wuth the lid on and then at a lower temp for around another half an hour. To avoid scorching the bottom I put a layer of dried chickpeas on the bottom of the Dutch oven for the bread to rest on. For the last 5 minutes of baking I took the bread out of the Dutch oven and let it go the rest of the way on the oven rack. The oven spring was perfect, and the crust turned out just how I like it – fairly tough, but not too thick and with a nice chewy texture biting into it. This is definitely a keeper! Thank you! 🙂

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      8 September 2016 at 2:26 pm

      Lovely to hear!
      Happy baking.
      Vanessa
      x

      Reply
  28. cathy riddington says

    19 September 2016 at 4:39 pm

    If I was out and about and wanted to use my breadmaker to knead the dough, can I add ALL the ingredients including the salt solution and then leave it to rise while out. Then I would shape it for the banneton when I get back and leave to rise over night?

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      20 September 2016 at 8:06 am

      Hi Cathy,

      It’s been a long time since I baked sourdough in a bread maker .. but I used to work long hours in the city .. in another life .. so as I recall all I did was stir all the ingredients together and transferred to a bread maker. I then set the bread maker on an 8 hour delay. My bread maker has a 5 hour wholemeal setting. I seem to remember that it produced a great family sourdough loaf. I’d mix at 6pm and the bread would be ready at 7am the following morning filling her house with freshly baked sourdough bread smell – just in time for breakfast. You would, however have to check the size of your bread maker and adjust accordingly. Do let me know how you get on!
      Vanessa

      Reply
  29. Marianita says

    25 October 2016 at 10:19 am

    Hi Vanessa,
    I’ve just started a total white flour “starter” as my son is not keen on rye and wholemeal flours. What a pity!
    For your basic sourdough recipe can I make the loaf with 500g white flour rather than 100g wholemeal and 400g white?
    Thank you.
    What a lovely site!

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      1 November 2016 at 1:29 pm

      yes you can .. but it might change the feel if the dough which is designed to allow beginner to have a dough that is relatively easy to handle. .. as the hydration is tempered by the wholemeal. which absorbs more of the water .. so if you find the dough hard to handle then just reduce the water by 15 grams.

      Reply
  30. Juan says

    24 November 2016 at 2:33 am

    Hi Venessa,

    I attempted the recipe and when I left it to autolyse for 2 hours, it turned into a slightly gooey batter slightly thicker than fish and chips batter. I’m trying to figure out what I did wrong.

    About the leaven… I keep my starter in the fridge. Do I feed it, leave it out for a few hours to bubble then scoop 2 tablespoons out, to be combined with the 50g of flour and 50g water for the leaven? or can I use 2 tablespoons of the starter straight from the fridge for the leaven?

    I live in Singapore and it’s pretty warm in the kitchen, could I have left the dough to autolyse too long?

    Thanks in advance for your help.
    Looking forward to making some of your awesome looking breads!

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      25 November 2016 at 9:55 am

      Hi – I am guessing it might be a number of factors. Yes temperature is one reason, flour type is another. Try and make sure your scales are accurate too. It think it is more likely to be your flour .. but it is hard to tell from here… I do have a few Students I can ask in Asia, so let me know and I will put you in touch to find out what they are using.

      Reply
      • Juan says

        27 November 2016 at 12:32 am

        I think you’re right! Tried a different brand of bread flour and it worked great!
        Fuss free recipe with dope results. Definitely recommend it! Thank you

        Reply
        • Vanessa Kimbell says

          27 November 2016 at 12:33 am

          Happy baking Juan. x

          Reply
  31. Emma P says

    17 December 2016 at 4:08 pm

    Hey, I’ve tried this recipe three times. The bread comes out very tasty but its always rather dense and the crust is very hard. Do you know where i might be going wrong?

    Thanks so much, you’re a great resource ?

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      3 January 2017 at 11:59 am

      I suspect it might be the flour you are using. Are you in the UK?
      Try using a roller milled flour to begin with as your main flour. Mulino Marino ( see shop on my website) 00 is wonderful. Also Doves Farm flour – it the green bag of strong bread four .. all about 13% protein. I mis that with some local organic stoneground flour for best flavour and added nutritional benefit.

      Reply
  32. Julie says

    29 January 2017 at 11:11 am

    I understand your recipe but I have arthritic hands and cannot knead by hand but have a machine with a dough hook, can you give me any hints, tips please.

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      10 February 2017 at 8:03 pm

      Please don’t mix or knead .. at all. A long slow fermentation will take care of this. If you email me I will send you a no knead technique ..the gluten will develop anyway. I promise.

      Reply
  33. Gen says

    4 February 2017 at 11:44 am

    Foolproof recipe that I use as the base for all my sourdough baking. I made another loaf using your recipe ( subbed out some white for spelt flour and added pumpkin seeds) this morning and it’s sat on the side now cooling and cracking away. I’m impatiently waiting to be able to cut it. Thanks Vanessa!

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      10 February 2017 at 7:58 pm

      Thank you .. I am smiling .. what a lovely comment. Nothing I love more than to hear that someone has been inspired to bake sourdough. welcome to a whole new world.
      Vanessa
      x

      Reply
      • Gen says

        20 February 2017 at 2:28 pm

        Well you made it so simple! I just wish I could post a photo. I have another I’ve just taken out of the oven, it’s a little lighter on the crust than I would like but sadly my bread knife just isn’t up to the task of the deep brown extra crunchy crusts. Do you have any knife recommendations?
        Thanks again
        X

        Reply
  34. Michael says

    5 February 2017 at 12:29 am

    Hi, I made my first sourdough today, the basic recipe, but I found it hard to shape as it was a little wet, as in, sticky. It cooked fine and looked really good when it was baked. Very rustic looking which is appealing but I was wondering if the dough is supposed to be so wet? My local shop is a coop and I just used their branded flour as I didn’t have another choice. I wondered if the flour was an issue.

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      10 February 2017 at 7:57 pm

      Sounds like a flour issue to me. Did you use any wholemeal?

      Reply
      • Michael says

        17 February 2017 at 7:15 pm

        Yes, I made it to the recipe. Since posting I have made this a few times and I reduced the water by 20ml and that helped. Either way, it turned out beautiful and I haven’t bought bread since. My family really love it too. Thanks for the great resource. I want to start experimenting with other recipes but I have been a bit afraid, I know silly, but I’m starting to get a little bit more confident. Thanks again!

        Reply
  35. Megan says

    20 February 2017 at 9:46 pm

    Hi Vanessa

    I’m so excited about giving this sourdough in the next few days, once my starter is ready to use. I’m just wondering what you would advise if I haven’t got a Dutch oven or La Cloche? Would I need to adjust the timing?

    Thank you.

    Reply
    • Gen says

      25 March 2017 at 12:23 pm

      I use a big, lidded, ceramic-type casserole dish and it works great.

      Reply
  36. Victoria Anderson says

    21 February 2017 at 1:24 pm

    Hi Vanessa – recipe looks delicious. What is the recipe for the sourdough starter?! Thanks, Victoria

    Reply
  37. Su says

    3 March 2017 at 11:30 pm

    Hi Vanessa, how important is the oven temperature for sourdough to rise? Or is it all about the dough? My oven is quite old and I suspect might be losing heat and my bread comes our flat which makes me wonder if the two are related.

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      21 April 2017 at 5:15 am

      Su do use a cloche .. it really makes difference. It will even out the heat and make the most of the heat you have.

      Reply
  38. Dani says

    9 March 2017 at 10:25 pm

    Hi,

    This may be a really silly questions but, does this recipe need a 500g or 1kg banneton to prove in?

    Thanks!
    Dani

    Reply
  39. Dani says

    9 March 2017 at 10:32 pm

    SOrry – not sure if my previous comments posted or not.

    I was wondering if the 500g or 1kg bannetons are better for this recipe?

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      21 April 2017 at 5:12 am

      I use 1kg ones. It is the weight of the dough that counts.

      Reply
  40. Mary says

    17 March 2017 at 6:13 pm

    Hello,

    Thank you for the lovely – easy to follow recipe. Only question I have is when you say “cover with a damp tea-towel” do you mean that the damp cloth is actually touching the dough or is only covering the proving basket/bowl? From my experience the towel sticks a little to the dough if in contact (even when dusted with the flour)… Thanks!

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      18 April 2017 at 7:52 am

      Hi Mary – your bowl needs to be big enough so the towel does not touch the dough. It is there to stop a kin for forming, especially on a dry day or centrally heated house.

      Vanessa

      Reply
  41. Floor says

    20 March 2017 at 6:58 pm

    Hi Vanessa, after stumbling upon your website a while back I have been wanting to try to make my own sourdough. I finally ordered a fresh starter from Bakery Bits which I revived and then this weekend I tried to make my first breads using your basic sourdough recipe. I used Gilchester flour (wholemeal wheat and organic white) and a La Cloche but although my starter was very active the bread ended up being quite flat each time (no oven spring it seems like). The taste and the crust were really great though! I would love to be able to get more of boule shape but have no idea what I’m doing wrong. Do you know what the issue could be?

    Many thanks! Floor

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      21 April 2017 at 5:26 am

      Hi Floor – you sound like you are most definitely over proving your bread. Gilchesters is very active and flavoursome and full on as it is full of nutrition and enzymes .. please speed up fermentation times.
      Vanessa

      Reply
  42. Dee says

    9 April 2017 at 8:12 pm

    Thank you for such a simple and yet fabulous recipe….cannot fault it. 1st time I have tried a sourdough and so pleased with the end result. Wish I could post a pic

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      18 April 2017 at 7:45 am

      Dee, what a lovey comment. Hope you enjoyed your loaf and are now hooked!
      Best Vanessa

      Reply
  43. Stuart Beesley says

    13 April 2017 at 7:25 pm

    Hi, thanks for this recipe, it’s my first sourdough and going well. I am confused by the baking timings however. I am using a thick metal ‘baking stone’ and I am sure the hour at 220 + 15 mins at 180 is far too long (fan oven on bread setting with max steam being used). I have tried 220 for about 25 min and then 15 – 20 mins at 180. The bread is pretty good, but with a very thick and chewy crust. Can you give your thoughts. How would I get the same loaf, but with thinner crust and slightly less chewy crust?

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      18 April 2017 at 7:44 am

      Hi Stuart,

      My recipe uses a cloche. This is so you get the curst as you describe above.

      Hope that helps.

      Vanessa

      Reply
  44. Cathryn says

    1 May 2017 at 12:55 pm

    Made a sourdough starter and fed it over the last two weeks. Followed your recipe this weekend. It’s probably the best bread I’ve ever made. Thank you x

    Reply
  45. Brenda says

    12 May 2017 at 10:46 pm

    I’m going to try this recipe as my first attempt at sourdough. I’ve bought a 2lb capacity banneton so should I increase the measurements by 50% or will the 1lb dough be ok in the banneton?

    Thanks
    Brenda

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      25 May 2017 at 10:36 pm

      It will be fine.

      Reply
  46. Diana Perry says

    25 May 2017 at 6:26 am

    Hi Vanessa, I make a loaf of bread every day using your recipe on the internet – it is foolproof and delicious. I now have your book and I can honestly say it is the best cookbook I have ever had – thank you. I have one query though. With reference to the excess starter that accumulates every day, should I keep this in the fridge or leave it on the counter with the starter? By the way, the digestive biscuits (recipe in your book) using the excess sourdough are delicious!

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      25 May 2017 at 10:29 pm

      Hi Diana, What a lovely comment. Thank you.
      Keep your starter in the fridge. When you refresh you just use a spoon, the rest is discard, so perhaps keep this in another opt unit you are ready to use it. Your refreshed pot sits on the side for 8 hours to really get going — then you use it to make a leaven .. then like cinderella the party is over and it’s back in the fridge.
      Happy baking.
      Vanessa x

      Reply
      • Diana Perry says

        26 May 2017 at 11:46 am

        Thanks for your reply. I have been keeping my starter out of the fridge as I tend to bake every day. In the morning I use 40g of it to build the levain; refresh the starter with 40g starter, 40g white/rye flour and 40g water and any starter that is left I put in a separate “excess” pot. This excess I have started to use in your recipes where you refer to “unrefreshed 1 week old” starter. Is it OK to add to it every day and should I keep this excess pot in the fridge until needed? As a matter of interest to other readers, I also add about 5g of diastatic malt to your recipe above and tweaked the flour to 350g white, 100 wholewheat and 45g rye – all organic stoneground. The bread is perfect and has a wonderful flavour. By the way, your article on gut microbes is so interesting and informative – thank you. Diana x

        Reply
  47. Zainon M Kassim says

    25 May 2017 at 11:58 pm

    I’m trying out ur recipe….am taking it out from the fridge & into the hot oven..
    So anxious of the outcome…

    Reply
  48. Nick Busby says

    15 July 2017 at 9:56 am

    Have made sourdough quite a few times with very variable results, this recipe worked first time and gave truly excellent results. It was easy to follow, the crust was crispy but not like a tortoise shell (as I have made all too often!). The texture was wonderful and even. Having made “normal” bread many times I found it hard to believe there was no kneading required, but hey it works. In contrast to many recipes I have seen this one shows a clear understanding of the sourdough process, I learned a lot from it – thanks.

    Reply
  49. Helen Willis says

    5 August 2017 at 1:13 pm

    I have been trying, on and off, to make a good sourdough loaf for a long time and must have made enough artisan bricks to build a house. Your recipe seemed nice and clear, so I thought it was time to try again. I mixed up the leaven after your instructions and last week I made a loaf. I was delighted with the result, although I didn’t make the slashes deep enough and it burst (no problem it tasted fine). This weeks loaf was a success and I think I might be hooked on this now!
    The recipe is easy to follow and inspires confidence in hopeless cases like myself. It also makes gorgeous bread.
    Thank you so much Vanessa!

    Reply
  50. Louise says

    9 August 2017 at 1:39 am

    Vanessa, THANK YOU for sharing this wonderful receipe. I am a total beginner and was blown away by the texture, taste and crunchiness of the sourdough. Your easy to follow receipe made the whole process very easy. I look forward to more sour dough adventures and thank you once again for your web site and enthusiasm. You are a joy.

    Reply
  51. Kathryn says

    10 August 2017 at 7:01 am

    Hi,
    I’m new to sourdough, after previously giving up on a white flour starter after very little activity after 10 days, I’ve now got a rye flour starter on day 4, yesterday it fre by 50% in 24 hours, so I think I’m getting somewhere! Can I make the recipe listed above with my rye starter and use white strong flour for the rest of the recipe? I’d rather not make a full rye flour sourdough ideally. If so do I need to adjust anything to work with a rye starter? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      16 November 2017 at 9:09 pm

      yes it should be fine, but refresh your starter 3 hours before you make your leaven. Then make your leaven. Rye get acidic fast.

      Reply
  52. Michael Durek says

    30 August 2017 at 3:20 am

    Thank you for this lovely write-up! My wife and I are enjoy my sourdough practice rounds. Each one is getting better 🙂 .

    Reply
  53. Tessa says

    7 October 2017 at 6:13 am

    I made a starter a few weeks ago and decided to try this recipe after having a disastrous experience with another recipe I found online. It was AMAZING! I was a bit skeptical about leaving the dough in the fridge overnight rather than letting it rise somewhere warm (which is what the other recipe told me to do) but the loaf turned out absolutely perfectly first time! Great trick to wrap it in a tea towel after taking it out of the oven too – it meant the crust was still crunchy but not so solid it would break out teeth! Such an easy recipe to follow and the loaf was gone within a day. This has now become my go-to recipe for an easy loaf

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      16 November 2017 at 9:02 pm

      Thank you so much for sharing this! Happy baking. x

      Reply
  54. Mimi says

    9 December 2017 at 12:33 pm

    Hi Vanessa,

    I live in Hong Kong and only have a tiny oven! Do you think it would be possible to make this bread and halve the mixture before the overnight prove? Then bake it as two loaves?
    Thank you.

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      30 December 2017 at 4:29 am

      yes I am sure this is fine. Although you might want to reduce the baking time.

      Reply
  55. Craig Allen says

    12 December 2017 at 12:01 pm

    Hello,
    Silly question, but should this be strong wholemeal flour or just regular wholemeal?
    Thanks!
    Craig

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      30 December 2017 at 4:37 am

      not silly – to is bread making flour so yes strong flour

      Reply
  56. Megan says

    16 December 2017 at 6:52 pm

    Hi Vanessa, thank you for creating a fantastic website, I have been inspired! and am in the process of making my very first sourdough using your recipe for both the starter and bread, my fingers and toes are crossed for the end result! I live in New Zealand and wonder is there a way to become a member without attending your courses as I would love to learn much more.

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      30 December 2017 at 4:28 am

      Hi Megan you candy the courses online – look under courses and find the online membership.

      Kind regards

      Vanessa

      Reply
  57. Becca says

    18 January 2018 at 10:25 pm

    Hi there,

    Sorry if this is a stupid question – i assume when you say mix the bread that you don’t mean kneading it, just bringing it together. Is that right?
    Many thanks.

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      3 April 2018 at 9:34 am

      Yes just bring it together very well so all the flour has met with water.

      Reply
  58. Bev Harverson says

    24 January 2018 at 11:38 am

    Vanessa, I’ve been baking Sourdough since last Summer and your two recipes, this one and the Friday Night one on the Bakery Bits website are the only two recipes which I’ve had favourable results with! So thank you for that 🙂 Just a couple of questions please: I’m trying the Marino Soffiata Type 00 flour next as I’d like a lighter, less dense loaf for sandwich type bread but worried about lack of flavour. Is it ok to go half/half with this and FWP Mathews Strong White stoneground flour so that I get the best of both worlds or do you recommend going all Soffiata? Also, with your Friday night recipe, is the salt correct? Its 10g but should it not be at least 20g, I find the loaf lacking in flavour because of it? I am tempted to add more however just want to check if its that little for a reason! Thank you!

    Reply
  59. Wendy Sait says

    27 January 2018 at 9:41 am

    Hi, Last week I received my sourdough starter and cloche from Bakery Bits, made my first loaf using your recipe which was included. Have to say the loaf looked wonderful and tasted pretty good, however, I would prefer a more irregular open crumb. Can you tell me please how I could achieve this.

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      19 February 2018 at 12:53 am

      It depends on the flour you use and the amount of water you use. What flour are you using?

      Reply
  60. Dave D says

    30 January 2018 at 1:40 am

    Love this recipe, have baked about a dozen loaves using it and always delicious. Question: even with making large slashes before baking, the loaf expands so much that it “bursts” beyond the slashes. Any tips on what could be the cause?

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      19 February 2018 at 12:50 am

      It sounds a little over proofed .. so perhaps bake an hour earlier?

      Reply
  61. Judith Barrow says

    30 January 2018 at 9:37 am

    Vanessa, I will be coming on one of your courses very soon. I have been using Mr H’s overnight sourdough recipe. I am going to have a go with this one. I have a cloche but my problem is oven temperatures. I have an Everhot range oven (storage heat) so it is not possible to turn down the temperature easily. Do you have any suggestions. I am baking at a far higher temperature than you recommend. Results are reasonable but I think there is definitely room for improvement.

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      23 March 2018 at 8:16 pm

      Well perhaps try baking for less time .. I often bake at 240 and drop to 200 ..

      Reply
  62. Jay Blair says

    2 February 2018 at 3:59 am

    I love, and am inspired by, your Instagram posts. I’ve been sourdough bread baking for a couple of years, and have had some good successes. I’m exited to try your basic sourdough recipe this weekend. I have one concern: the bake times. All my experience to date has had bake times of 20 minutes covered, then 20–25 minutes uncovered. Your formula calls for 70 to 75 minutes. Your oven temperatures are a little lower, but not by that much. Can you reassure me that I won’t end up with burnt or dried-out bread? I converted your celsius temperatures to fahrenheit, and arrived at 430 degrees covered for one hour, then uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes at 355 degrees. Did I miscalculate anything? Thanks!

    Reply
  63. silvia says

    9 February 2018 at 2:02 am

    Hi,

    I have been baking for years but only have done sourdough for a few months. I was getting good results with a recipe I kind of made up and suddenly everything would go wrong. I decided to start from scratch and found this recipe. Made it last night and just took the lid off of my bread in the DO but it’s still baking but I can tell it’s turned out great! I wasn’t sure whether the fridge proving needed to be covered so I went with covered. I got good oven spring. Obviously haven’t seen the crumb yet but I’m not fussed about it. I just want nice tasty bread for my family as I can’t get anything decent where I live. The bread rose beautifully and even if I didn’t get holes, I know the bread will taste awesome. The whole house smells like a bread shop. Thank you. Oh, I found I needed to add a bit more water to make the dough workable but as you said that comes down to feel and flour and temperature. Thanks again!!!

    Reply
  64. Joe Cettina says

    18 February 2018 at 5:19 pm

    Why do you prepare and use a leaven?
    Cant you just use the starter that you have made
    Thanks Joe

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      19 February 2018 at 12:47 am

      you need to build the strength of the microbes.

      Reply
  65. Wendy Sait says

    6 March 2018 at 12:25 pm

    Thanks to your recipe I am now making very nice sourdough bread, which both looks and tastes good. However, I do find that it goes stale very quickly. I quarter the loaf and store three of the quarters in the freezer as it goes stale overnight. I store the fresh bread in a polythene bag in the bread bin. Also find that it is absolutely at it’s best on the day of baking or removal from the freezer by the next day it is dry. I always understood that sourdough was a better keeper than yeast breads. Am I doing something wrong.

    Reply
  66. Maree Tink says

    8 March 2018 at 9:36 am

    Made this today and it is a great ‘go to’, no fuss reliable recipe. I put dough into fridge overnight then shaped and into banneton in morning for proving. Thanks! pic IG @simply_sourdough

    Reply
  67. Tara Sharma Martin says

    15 October 2018 at 7:58 am

    Hi Vanessa,

    what is the difference between this basic recipe and the chart for The classic white sourdough boule in your book ?

    Many thanks …

    Reply
  68. Jane Archutowska says

    13 November 2018 at 5:49 pm

    Hi Vanessa

    Great website!

    I am about to bake my first loaf after having bought a starter on the internet. It’s been going now for 3 days with the flour and water that I have added after discarding some and is bubbling away nicely and smells good!

    I’m confused… is this what you call the leaven or is this still called a starter?

    Apologies if this is a really stupid question.

    Jane

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      23 November 2018 at 7:14 am

      Please refer to the glossary.. it in the tabs in the menu..

      Reply
  69. Rudy says

    22 April 2019 at 5:26 pm

    Thanks , I have just been looking for information approximately
    this subject for ages and yours is the greatest I have came upon till now.
    But, what about the conclusion? Are you certain concerning the supply?

    Reply
  70. Nige Harris says

    23 June 2019 at 1:38 pm

    Hi, how would you adjust this for a Spelt Sourdough loaf.

    Thanks,

    Nige

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      3 July 2019 at 6:43 am

      Spelt really doesn’t have the strength to stand up as a boule unless you really are an advanced Baker I suggest putting it in a tin

      Reply
  71. Martyn says

    29 July 2019 at 10:35 am

    I’m working my way through your brilliant book. In that, you suggest preheating the oven to 250C if it will go that high, reducing to 180 when the bread is in the oven. Your basic recipe on the website suggests 220C initially. Is the difference important?

    Reply
    • Vanessa Kimbell says

      13 August 2019 at 7:12 am

      Hi Martyn,

      The Basic recipe is a domestic version. Most domestic ovens don’t go much above that. The book had to accommodate the fact that many professional bakers use it. So it is a bit more advanced than my basic. Here I load hot then drop the oven, but I use a Rofco. You will have experiment to find what works for you in your oven.
      Best
      Vanessa

      Reply
  72. Vanessa Kimbell says

    10 February 2017 at 8:05 pm

    Use some potato flour to dust you banneton with. It also sounds like you are over prooving.
    Did you refresh your starter and the make leaven?

    Reply
  73. Michael says

    17 February 2017 at 7:21 pm

    Yes, I refresh it every day. And I mixed a table spoon of it with 50g flour and 50g water. After mixing with flour I leave it for about 2.5 hours before I add salt mixture. After folding this 3 times I prove in the fridge over night or about 12 hours at about 4degrees.

    Reply
  74. Wendy Sait says

    27 January 2018 at 11:28 am

    Yes the leaven was refreshed as per the instructions three times, and was quite lively. I dusted the bannaton very well with the Soffiat 00 flour and the dough dropped out quite easily. I put the dough in the fridge at 9.30 the previous night and removed it at 8am and put it into the hot oven at 9am when it had reached temperature. I would say that I did find the dough quite heavy to work and wonder whether it needed more liquid in the mix although I followed the recipe to the letter. Many thanks for you very prompt reply. Wendy.

    Reply
  75. Vanessa Kimbell says

    23 March 2018 at 8:19 pm

    It really is dependent on your flour .. it like saying I’m driving a car how fast does it go? Just make minor adjustments to the hydration to find what suits your flour …

    Reply
  76. Katharina Thomas says

    11 January 2018 at 8:33 pm

    Hi Vanessa,
    I tried a number of different recipes but this one was the first that truly worked for me. I am using a terra cotta Roemertopf and it seems to help to keep the dough in shape and I get nice oven spring but can only make smaller loaves due to size of the Roemertopf. However, when I used today a MasonCash terracotta base with a dome to create a bigger loaf, the dough seems to loose it’s shape when transfering out of the proofing basket. The crust is till very crunchy and the bread still edible with sourdough type holes in it but it just is on the flat side. Is this due to overproofing or what could be the reason? I try to create enough tension when I shape the dough or do you think this is the problem?

    Reply
  77. Vanessa Kimbell says

    16 January 2018 at 5:45 pm

    It sounds like your starter needs ramping up a bit ..

    refresh your starter before baking

    Reply
  78. Greg says

    21 February 2018 at 10:39 am

    Hi Vanessa,
    Love French, Italian and Greek breads. Your recipe sounds very simple and comments/tips are very helpful indeed. As I am trying to learn the soughdough technique, was wondering whether I could leave the dough at room temperature (atound 17-18C) for 8 hours instead of keeping it in a fridge? Furthermore, for a month now, I have been feeding my starter with rye and whole meal flour every 12 hours (50gr water + 50gr flour+ 50gr remaining starter) . Hence I want to know whether instead of making leaven I could add 100gr of my starter? I. e. 8hours after last fed? Many thanks. P. S. Btw it would be amazing idea to publish a book with recipes and techniques for soughdough bread in bread makers.

    Reply
  79. Vanessa Kimbell says

    23 March 2018 at 8:14 pm

    Hi Greg that book is out next week.
    Hard to tell about your questions as I am nit in your kitchen and have no idea of your ambient temperature of flour .. but have a go!
    Best Vanessa

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

sourdoughschool

Instagram post 2197352216627702566_3184418718 BREAD AND GUTS FEBRUARY 2020 SOLD OUT ❌
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
But don't panic, there are still 2 spaces on our Bread and Guts April workshop. Tap the picture to reserve now.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Want to know more about the workshop? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The microbiome is at the core of our research on bread and this is the Bread & Guts workshop – we will be creating our bread around a savoury sourdough theme with a focus on using and combining ingredients with evidence of a beneficial effect on the gut microbiome. We’ll be creating a blend of flour, milling the grains to make fresh flour and creating new formulae for some beautiful gut-friendly sourdough bread.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This is beyond bread.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Tap the link in our bio to explore all our 2020 courses.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Posted by Georgia
Instagram post 2196644532056126300_3184418718 BRAIN HEALTH ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Has anyone been listening to BBC Radio 4 this afternoon? Such a fantastic programme on the mind. 
It is not enough to just ferment your bread. There are many other factors that affect health.

What we teach is about more than just baking. It is about everything surrounding sourdough, including what we eat with our bread. What we teach here is science-based, and today we've been looking at how eating blueberries can help reduce cognitive decline and read studies on the neurocognitive benefit of blueberries.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
So something delicious that may increase cognitive function is eat blueberries with your sourdough... they are absolute delicious crushed with a squeeze of lemon on a slice of fresh buttered bread.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Head to our stories to read some of our research into blueberries!
Instagram post 2195987676979664561_3184418718 SOURDOUGH HYDRATION
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Do you know how much water to put in your sourdough? Tell us in the comments below. 👇 Is it something you've yet to fully get your head around?
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Do you want to learn how to do it by @vanessakimbell herself?
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Join us for a Sourdough Diploma. Perfect for beginners and above, these courses are the perfect way to absorb yourself in all things sourdough whilst learning about nutrition and digestion - all whilst enjoying being in the beautiful Northamptonshire countryside. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We have a limited number of spaces available in 2020. Tap the link in our bio or tap the picture.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Posted by Georgia
Instagram post 2195273958389998856_3184418718 Are you working with sportspeople or are you a professional athlete?
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
As part of our series of Health and Wellbeing Sourdough Workshops, we have a specialist course on sourdough with a focus on creating bread for sportspeople.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
@vanessakimbell was inspired to create this course as one of The Sourdough School students (who is a British Olympic Coach) wanted to explore the evidence around fermentation for long slow release of carbohydrates, and ways to increase resistant starch, and support gut microbial heath for sportspeople.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Running in March 2020, this 4-day course is one we're very excited about - we'll be developing formulae, with the above focus in mind, by referencing key research papers.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We're combing bread and science. We're going beyond bread in this course but at the heart of it all, there is our love - sourdough.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
If you are interested in sports and diet, tap the picture to read more about the workshop. Do you know an athlete? Tag them below. 👇
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Posted by Georgia
Instagram post 2194557520568610328_3184418718 "[@vanessakimbell] brings health, life, and bread into a full circle and you realize how such a basic element in our life has the capacity to have such a big impact, both nutritionally and socially. It's not only healthy for us, but it has the ability to bring people together from all walks of life." - Sarah, M.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We always say that The Sourdough School is more than just bread and we love that our students get to experience this for themselves.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Don't miss out on one of our 2020 workshops. Book now at www.sourdough.co.uk⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Posted by Georgia
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Email Sign Up:

Privacy and Cookies

Call 07707 480336 - Email bookings@sourdough.co.uk
Copyright © 2019 The Sourdough School Ltd | Registered in England and Wales: 08412236
Website by Callia Web