Beginners Course to Making Sourdough Bread from Scratch

Learn how to feed and maintain your fridge starter, manage discard and the discard container, and keep your culture balanced with a 40 g water and 40 g flour feed.

Learn how to bake two loaves at different hydration levels using a doubled levain, then observe the gluten network and bubbles pulling away from the bowl.

Learn to make a 65% hydration sourdough loaf by combining 325 g water, 10 g salt, 100 g levain, and 500 g flour, then mix to develop a gluten network.

Demonstrates the stretch and fold method to strengthen a 65% hydration sourdough dough, with timed rests and three sets, culminating in readiness for bulk fermentation.

Learn the shaping process for sourdough, from pre-shape resting to final shaping of a boule or batard, using baskets to hold form and cold proof to develop flavor.

Opt for a shorter bulk fermentation when planning an overnight or extended cold proof, trusting the fridge rise; without cold proof, let bulk fermentation double to prevent gumminess.

Learn sourdough scoring and baking definitions, from main score and expansion score to oven spring, belly, and crumb open or closed, plus gear like Dutch ovens, bread mats, and steam.

Compare crumb at 65% vs 80% hydration in sourdough bread to show how lower hydration yields denser, stiffer crumb with big bubbles, while higher hydration results in an open crumb.

Learn a beginner-friendly boule scoring design using an axe or knife to create quad designs, followed by a main X cut before baking.

Explore a batard scoring design for a loaf, using a butter knife or string to draw guidelines and add lines, then execute a central, shallow main score to reveal bubbles.

Combine melted milk, butter, and sugar with sourdough starter, mix in flour, perform three stretch-and-folds, rise, shape into 12 buns, bake, and brush with butter.