Bread as Heritage

Before commercial yeast packets existed, every leavened loaf of bread was a sourdough. Bakers maintained living cultures of wild yeast and bacteria — their sourdough starters — sometimes for decades or generations, carrying them across oceans during migrations and passing them between neighbours as a form of practical gift. Sourdough is not a trend; it is the original way of baking bread, and learning to do it connects you to one of the most fundamental human food traditions.

Part One: Creating Your Sourdough Starter

A sourdough starter is a living culture of wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria cultivated from flour and water. Wild yeast is naturally present on grain and in the air around you — your starter captures and concentrates it.

What You Need

  • Whole wheat or rye flour (for establishing the starter; the bran carries more wild yeast)
  • Unchlorinated water (filtered or left to stand for an hour to let chlorine dissipate)
  • A clean glass jar

Day-by-Day Starter Schedule

  1. Day 1: Mix 50g whole wheat flour + 50g water in your jar. Stir well, cover loosely, and leave at room temperature (ideally 20–24°C).
  2. Day 2–3: You may see some bubbles forming — this is encouraging. Discard half the starter, then feed with 50g flour + 50g water.
  3. Day 4–5: Activity should be increasing. Continue discarding half and feeding daily.
  4. Day 6–7: A healthy starter will double in size within 4–8 hours of feeding and smell pleasantly tangy and yeasty. It's ready to bake with.

Once established, you can switch to feeding with white bread flour if you prefer a milder flavour, and store the starter in the fridge, feeding once a week when not baking regularly.

Part Two: Baking a Basic Sourdough Loaf

Ingredients

  • 450g strong white bread flour
  • 50g whole wheat or rye flour
  • 350g water
  • 100g active, bubbly starter (fed 4–8 hours before use)
  • 10g fine salt

Method

  1. Mix: Combine flours and 300g of the water. Mix until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest for 30 minutes (this is called the autolyse — it develops gluten without kneading).
  2. Add starter and salt: Add the starter, salt, and remaining 50g water. Mix thoroughly by squeezing through your fingers until fully incorporated.
  3. Bulk fermentation: Over the next 4–5 hours at room temperature, perform 4 sets of stretch-and-folds (stretching the dough upward and folding it over itself on all four sides) spaced 30 minutes apart. Then leave undisturbed until the dough has grown by about 50% and looks airy.
  4. Shape: Turn the dough onto an unfloured surface. Shape into a round boule or oval batard using gentle tension. Place seam-side up in a floured banneton (proofing basket) or a bowl lined with a well-floured cloth.
  5. Proof: Cover and refrigerate overnight (8–16 hours). This cold, slow proof develops flavour and makes the loaf easier to score.
  6. Bake: Preheat your oven to 250°C with a Dutch oven inside. Tip the cold dough onto parchment, score the top with a sharp knife or lame, and carefully lower into the hot Dutch oven. Bake covered for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake a further 20–25 minutes until deep golden brown.

Understanding What You've Made

The crackling crust, the open crumb, the complex sour-sweet flavour — these are the products of wild fermentation, not shortcuts. Each loaf will be subtly different depending on your starter, your flour, the temperature of your kitchen, and the season. That variability is not a flaw; it's the hallmark of living, traditional food. With each bake, you'll understand your dough better and your bread will improve.