The Art of Soughdough

THE ART OF SOURDOUGH

By Anthony Raffo

Where do I start with bread? It holds a very special place in my heart, with its simple fermentation process that can define countries and cultures. Like olive oil-soaked focaccia from Italy, fluffy pillows of buttery brioche from France and of course the spongy and gummy texture and beautiful crispy crust of rye sourdough from England.

Sourdough is one of the oldest forms of bread, dating back as far as the Egyptians. Bread production that relies on the use of sourdough as a leavening agent has been around for most of human history.

The use of British ancient grains such as rye and spelt make for a true British sourdough and for me, the king of breads to toast. The spongy texture of the interior of sourdough really undergoes an amazing transformation once it’s been toasted, turning the crumb into little crispy crystals. Just add a little salted butter to melt on top and all in the world seems right. It not only tastes amazing, but sourdough has a number of health benefits due to my old friend fermentation. Wild lactobacillaceae, a group of lactic acid bacteria, are what give that characteristic sourness to the bread, and they are great for your gut. These lactic acids are a great fuel for your gut microbes and can aid digestion. Sourdough can also help keep your blood sugars in a good range and reduce the risk of heart disease - what more could you want from your bread?

I never really paid much attention to bread growing up, and as a chef it was one of those things that you would just serve alongside the meal, never really being the star. This of course all changed when I started a micro bakery during the pandemic. I really started geeking out on bread, researching the different processes and histories. We produced many different breads, but sourdough was the one that really caught my attention, mainly due to the fermentation process. Anyone who knows me knows

I’m obsessed with fermentation and that one ingredient I couldn’t live without is bacteria.

One of the most interesting facts I found out was about the scoring on top of the loaf: not only has it got a very practical use of letting your sourdough rise in the oven without rupturing and creating a beautiful ear, it also has a historical use. Back when we lived in little communities there would be a communal oven and people would have a signature scoring pattern so once baked everyone would know whose bread was whose.

Now I’m at Anglo, the restaurant where I am head chef, it is only fitting that we serve a British spelt and rye sourdough championed as a standout course all on its own, served with a roasted yeast butter.

I’m going to share that recipe with you now although I will say that sourdough is a living thing and that it very much relies on humidity, temperature and of course the different bacteria in the air. So, this recipe that works for us in the restaurant may need tweaking for your own location, but therein lies the fun in making your own bread.

Sourdough Recipe: Ingredients: 195g spelt based starter 750g T55 bread flour 75g rye flour 600g warm water 17.5g salt

Method: 1. Place your room temperature starter and flours in a mixing bowl with the dough hook attachment. 2. Add your warm water and lightly mix the ingredients until they are just combined and leave until you see the mix rising. 3. Add your salt and now mix on a high speed until the dough is cleaned away from the sides of the mixing bowl and forms a smooth dough on the hook. 4. Remove dough from the bowl and place into a wet tray. 5. Every 30 minutes fold your dough by bringing each side into the middle. 6. Repeat this folding 4 times. 7. Now remove your folded and risen dough out of the tray and on to your work bench and divide your dough into your preferred weights for your bread baskets. 8. Place your floured bread baskets with dough into the fridge to rise and ferment overnight. 9. Pre-heat your oven and baking tray to 250°C. 10. Turn your sourdough out from the baskets straight onto your hot tray and score with a razor blade as you like. 11. Place into the pre-heated oven and splash one cup of water into the bottom of your oven then close the door immediately to create steam inside. 12. Leave for 10 to 15 minutes depending on size of your loaves. 13. Open the oven door to allow the steam to escape and then it close again and wait another 10 to 15 minutes. 14. Remove from oven and leave to cool slightly. Fresh warm sourdough is amazing, but you should never cut it straight out of the oven - you should always leave it to rest as you would a steak. 15. Enjoy your home-made sourdough, slathered with some delicious butter!