Unfussy Sourdough

I LOVE sourdough, but was always put off by "keeping the starter alive." My mind was blown when I learned that you can keep the starter (or "discard") in the fridge... which keeps it dormant and ready to rock next time you want to bake.

With that said, the fussiest thing about baking sourdough is the timing, which can be annoying. I found a recipe that worked, but I had to re-write the instructions to make it work for my ADHD brain. 

Important notes:

  1. Do not wash sourdough starter down the drain. It's essentially concrete. Scrape as much out of bowls and jars with a spatula and discard in the compost before washing dishes!
  2. When I make multiple loaves I will make the dough separately. I don't have industrial sized bowls!

Equipment you'll need (with some shop links, of course):

  • A wide mouth glass jar: or a pickle jar, you don't need anything fancy as long as it's clean! You'll need an elastic band or marker too.
  • Cover for the jar: you can use a lid if you've got one, or a washable cover that fits many different sizes
  • Apron: if you want to keep your clothes free of flour you should get one of these.
  • A large glass bowl: you can find these for under $5 at most thrift shops
  • Bowl covers: we sell sets that work perfectly! The large one fits on most large bowls, and the smaller one fits on the loaf pan. 
  • A 1.5-quart (5x9") glass loaf pan: again, thrift stores for the win! I got all four of mine at various shops
  • Kitchen scale: I'd recommend visiting your local hardware shop or dollar store. Please avoid Scamazon if you can!
  • Hot plates: these are to protect your counter when the bread comes out of the oven. We have some cute potholders that work perfectly for this!
  • Cooling rack: many things can be a make-shift cooling rack, like a trivet from an instant pot, or a tray from a toaster oven.
  • Spatula: to scrape your jar clean of starter. This is specifically for jars and works wonders!
  • Cutting board: it would be a shame to go through all of this work to cut your bread on a crappy old board, am I right? Check out our selection of non-toxic boards, made by me!
  • Bread knife: check your local hardware or home goods store! Canadian Tire or Winners might be good bets.
  • Snack bag: because you're going to want to make a sandwich, duh! Check out these awesome washable bags.
  • Cloths to clean the counter: our favourite are Swedish dish cloths, which are 100% natural and compostable.

Unfussy Sandwich Sourdough Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 400 grams of organic bread flour
  • 200 grams of lukewarm water
  • 100 grams of active starter
  • 20 grams of local raw honey
  • 20 grams of olive oil
  • 8 grams of salt

Directions:

Sometime in the morning: 

  1. Take your dormant starter out of fridge
  2. In a new clean jar add 90g of the starter, 90g warm water, 90g flour (this is enough for 2 loaves) *this is where the scale is critical
  3. Stir it and cover jar
  4. Put an elastic around the jar where the top of the starter is (make sure the jar is big enough for the starter to double in size!)
  5. Leave the jar on the counter for the day. Soon this will be your “active” starter.

Around 6 or 7pm (when the starter has doubled and is very bubbly):

  1. Combine water and starter, mix in the oil, honey then add flour. You can add salt at this stage OR after the first rest. Put the remaining starter in the fridge for next time you bake.
  2. Knead until a soft, smooth dough forms. 
  3. Cover dough and let it rest for 30-60min.
  4. One set of stretch and fold, rest 1 hour. (Do this 2 times)
  5. Let it double in size on your counter over night (“bulk ferment”)

First thing in the morning:

  1. Stretch the dough out to form a rectangle and place it in a greased bread pan and cover.
  2. Place in fridge for a few hours (“cold proof”)
  3. Preheat oven to 375° F (not convection). Score the top and bake for 43-45 minutes (top should be a soft golden brown)
  4. Let it cool for one hour before slicing (if you slice it too soon it will be gummy!)

ENJOY! 

I am not a professional baker but this recipe and method has worked for me many times now, and I hope it will work well for you, too! If you see anything wonky please shoot me a DM on Instagram or email me at rowan@larchlife.com