17 minute read
Success with Sourdough
S U C C E S S
w i t h S O U R D O U G H
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B Y C A R O L I N E S C H I F F
I’VE BEEN COOKING AND BAKING professionally for over a decade, and sourdough always intimidated me. I could make complex desserts, truffles, perfect layer cakes, silky ice creams, and 500 cookies before 7 a.m., but this fermentation thing just wasn’t in my wheelhouse. Maybe it was the percentages that gave me mild PTSD from elementary school math class. Maybe it’s that pastry and bread are two different disciplines, two teams, and you’re on one or the other. All the books out there were too intimidating to even get through the intros, as I panicked at terms like autolyze and bulk fermentation. Are you stressed out yet?
All this anxiety and self-doubt kept me from the true pleasure and satisfaction of wild yeast until relatively recently in my career, when someone showed me how to do it in such a simple way. Rigo, our kitchen manager at Gage & Tollner, is hands-down one of the best chefs I’ve ever met. He also happens to be a selftaught fermentation expert. When we were writing the menu for Gage & Tollner, we knew we wanted to do bread in-house. Of course, this sent me into a panic, but cool-as-a-cucumber Rigo brought in the starter he had been nurturing for a year, and just showed me how to feed it. He had me do it each day, until that part of the process made sense to me and became routine. Then he showed me how to mix, shape, and bake some boules. He didn’t talk about percentages and hydration. It was just a daily task, and once my hands were in it, doing it, everything made sense. My fear and anxiety just melted away, like butter on a still-warm-from-theoven boule.
To put it simply, sourdough starter is natural yeast. It’s made with nothing more than flour, water, and time. Time allows it to gobble up all the wild yeast in the environment, and then fermentation occurs. You don’t have to do anything but feed it properly! Sourdough bread uses that active starter, some more flour, salt, and whatever else you like. All that wild yeast and fermentation allows it to rise.
Why use wild yeast as opposed to commercial? For me it’s all about flavor and texture. Wild yeast makes things tangy and chewy, and I really dig that!
Making a Star ter
Alright, let’s make a 100% hydration starter. Don’t let this talk of percentages scare you; it simply means that it’s equal weights of water and fl our, left to ferment. I like a 100% hydration starter because I’ve found it to work well in so many baked goods, and it’s just so easy to do equal parts from a brainpower standpoint. Each day you feed it a bit and discard a bit to give all the yeasty microbes something to nosh on. Th e more it eats, the more active it gets. Aft er about a week it’s usually ready, but it can take up to 14 days, depending on temperature and your environment, so don’t worry if it’s going slowly. Just keep up the daily feedings.
What’s up with the discard? Discard is the portion of starter that gets, well, discarded with each feeding. Th ere are a few diff erent approaches and schools of thought, but from my standpoint, discard is necessary for two reasons. First, with a new starter, the yeast needs to eat a lot to get really active. If you don’t discard some of the starter, it just won’t have as much food and may go slower. Second, if you don’t discard some, you’ll very quickly have vats of starter fermenting in your kitchen, and if you live in a Brooklyn apartment like me, you likely don’t have the space or use for gallons of fermenting starter. Oft en it gets thrown out, but I implore you, don’t! It’s got so much going for it in terms of fl avor and versatility, plus it reduces food waste if you can work it into a baked good! But more on the discard later. For now, let’s get this starter going.
T H E TO O L S
A DIGITAL SCALE A scale is important for accurate ratios, and makes sourdough baking easier. You can get a great one for around $20. If you choose to measure instead, stir your fl our to lighten it, use a spoon to sprinkle it into the measuring cup, and level off . (Measure the discard when it is dormant, but measure the starter aft er it has doubled.) UNBLEACHED ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR I like a farmer-ground variety or King Arthur Flour. RYE OR WHOLE-WHEAT FLOUR Try to get local, farmer-ground fl our, as it will ferment faster and have better fl avor. I love Janie’s Mill and Belle Valley Ancient Grains, both available online. A 32 OZ. JAR with a lid, or a small piece of cloth and a rubber band A small MIXING BOWL A SPATULA TAPE OR RUBBER BAND that can fi t around the jar to mark the level of the starter
T H E P R O C E S S
DAY 1
In a small bowl, combine
100 grams lukewarm water
(½ cup) with 100 grams rye
minus 1 Tbs.). Stir until well combined, and transfer to the jar using the spatula. Cover, vented, and let stand overnight. You may see some bubbles aft er standing, but if not, that’s okay. Total current weight: 200 grams.
DAY 2
In a small bowl, combine
100 grams lukewarm water
(½ cup) with 100 grams rye
minus 1 Tbs.), and mix well. Add 100 grams (⅓ cup plus 1 Tbs.) of the Day 1 mix. Discard the rest. Rinse and dry the jar (do not use soap), and return the starter to the jar. Cover, vented, overnight. You may see a few bubbles forming. Total current weight: 300 grams.
DAY 3
In a small bowl, combine
100 grams lukewarm water with 50 grams rye (½ cup plus 1 Tbsp.) or whole-wheat
fl our (½ cup minus 1 Tbs.), and 50 grams (⅓ cup plus
1 Tbsp.) farmer-ground
all-purpose fl our. Add
200 grams (¾ cup) of the
Day 2 mix. Discard the rest. Rinse and dry the jar (do not use soap), and return the starter to the jar. Cover, vented, overnight. Total current weight: 400 grams.
DAYS 4–6
In a small bowl, combine
wheat fl our, and 50 grams
(⅓ cup plus 1 Tbsp.) farmer-
ground all-purpose fl our. Add 200 grams (¾ cup) of the Day 3 mix. Th e rest is discard; now you can begin to save in the refrigerator). Rinse and dry the jar (do not use soap), and return the starter to the jar. Cover, vented, overnight. Total current weight: 400 grams. Continue this process for Day 5 and Day 6. You will see bubbles and growth, and it will have a yeasty aroma, like ripe fruit, wine, or beer. Start tracking its daily growth. Aft er you feed and discard the starter, use the tape or rubber band to mark the level in the jar so you can see how much it is rising aft er each feeding, up to twice its volume in several hours.
DAY 7
Feed and discard the starter, as above. Th e starter will likely be active enough to bake with, yet to be sure look for these two things:
First, aft er feeding, if it doubles in size within a couple of hours, it’s ready to be used.
Second, aft er it has doubled in size, drop a little starter in room-temperature water. If it fl oats, it’s ready.
If at Day 7 your starter isn’t ready, continue with the daily feedings; it can take up to two weeks. In the meantime, use the discard—the Savory Pancake recipe on p. 45 is a good place to start.
sourdough focaccia
So you’re ready to bake with your starter! Congratulations. Now what?! If dreamy photos of beautifully scored sourdough boules on Instagram give you anxiety; I hear you. I see you. I feel you. I was like you. It’s perfectly reasonable to cringe at those who tell you “it’s so easy,” because a crusty boule takes trial and error, plus, it involves heating a Dutch oven to a screaming hot 500°F, and then placing the dough in this screaming hot piece of cast iron, and …. I won’t get into it. It can be a terrifying experience, leading to third-degree burns if you’re not careful and, in my opinion, not the best place to start your sourdough journey. Enter: FOCACCIA. I love focaccia as a beginner bread for a few reasons. First, “I don’t want to eat a whole loaf of focaccia,” said no one ever. Second, it’s easy to mix, and you can watch all the fermentation happen and get familiar with how your starter behaves. Third, it’s versatile! You can leave it plain with just olive oil and sea salt, which makes it great for sandwiches. Or dress it up with veggies, olives, or roasted garlic, taking it as far as some light pizza toppings for a more substantial meal. Generous amounts of olive oil make it unctuous and crispy on the bottom, with a fluffy interior. It just hits to spot. This has a long fermentation time so it’s ideal to mix in the evening, and let the bulk fermentation happen overnight. Just make sure your starter has been well fed earlier in the day so it’s ready to do the heavy lifting. You can then bake it off in the morning. You’ll want to do this recipe with the digital scale for the best results. Makes one focaccia
480 g (2 cups plus 2 Tbs.) lukewarm water (about 90°F) 150 g (1 scant cup) active and recently fed sourdough starter at 100% hydration 600 g (5 cups) all-purpose flour, or a combination of half bread flour and half all-purpose flour 9 g (11/2 tsp.) kosher salt 3 Tbs. olive oil, divided Toppings, such as fresh herbs, olives, nuts, cherry tomatoes, roasted peppers, artichokes, and/or cheese (optional) Flaky sea salt
In a large bowl, stir together the water and active starter (test to make sure a little of the starter floats before adding it all).
Add half the flour, and mix well by hand, (a few lumps are okay). Cover, and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. (This stage is called ”autolyze”; it begins the hydration and gluten development.)
Add the remaining flour and kosher salt, and mix by hand until uniform; it will be wet and shaggy. Cover and rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
Fold the ball of dough over on itself 4 times, rotating the bowl as you go (I like to use a bowl scraper to do this). Cover, and let rest 1 hour. Do this two more times, for a total of 3 folds in 3 hours. Cover, and refrigerate for about 10 hours. (This stage is called bulk fermentation.)
Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Oil a 9x13-inch baking pan or 15x10-inch pan with 2 Tbs. of the oil. Gently transfer the dough to the pan using a bowl scraper, fold it over itself, then gently press it into a rectangle. It doesn’t need to fill the pan completely as it will spread as it rests. Cover with a clean dish towel, and let rise at room temperature for about 1 hour.
Position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 450°F. Remove the towel; the dough should have bubbles on the surface. Gently use your fingers to dimple the dough, gently push it into the corners of the pan, if needed. (The oil should pool nicely in the corners.) Drizzle the remaining 1 Tbs. oil over the dimples in the dough. Gently press in any toppings onto the dough (resist the urge to cover it like a pizza, as you want about 50% of the dough to be visible). Cover with a clean dish towel, and let rest 20 minutes.
Remove the towel, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Bake until golden and bubbly with a few charred bubbles, about 30 minutes. Use tongs or a spatula to carefully transfer the focaccia to a wire rack to cool (this will ensure a crisp bottom).
SOURDOUGH DISCARD
Now that you’re baking with starter, you have all that discard. If you feed your starter every day (or with any regular frequency), and didn’t discard any, you’d have vats and vats of the stuff. Most home bakers aren’t baking enough to not have discard, but if you are, I applaud you and I also have a lot of questions about the square footage of your kitchen. At the restaurant we have minimal discard because we bake at a high volume with a very active starter, but at home it tends to accumulate. If you ever find yourself in a position of not having enough starter to bake with, simply feed as usual a couple of times without discarding any. You’ll build it up enough to have what you need. However, more often than not, you’re going to have some, and it’s a shame to waste. It’s flour and water—the basis of so many recipes—plus it has all the great flavor from fermentation, and still has a little bit of leavening power thanks to that as well. The uses are endless, and people have been using the discard for centuries, so I encourage you to play with it. You can collect the discard in a vessel throughout the week, store in the fridge if not using right away, and once you’ve got a half-cup or more, have some fun with it. It should also be noted that one of the most wonderful things you can do with your discard is give it to a friend so they can begin their own sourdough journey.
savory pancake
The easiest of the discard recipes! When COVID-19 quarantine began, it was breaking my heart to throw out any discard. A chef friend dumped hers into a pan, fried it, and that was it! That effortless technique inspired me to make this pancake a staple in my kitchen. You can get creative and add 1/3 cup additional ingredients (see ideas, below). All starters are a little different, so you may need to adjust the heat and cooking time.
Makes one 8-inch pancake
2 Tbs. neutral oil (such as canola oil, or grapeseed oil), butter, or ghee 1 cup sourdough discard, room temperature Kosher salt 2 tsp. white sesame seeds ¼ cup sliced scallions
Heat the oil in an 8-inch nonstick or castiron skillet over medium-high heat. Season the discard with a pinch of salt, and add to the hot pan, tilting the pan to create an even layer. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and scallions. Cook until the edges begin to set and bubbles form, about 3 minutes. Carefully flip the pancake, and cook until the bottom is golden brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. (If the pancake browns too quickly, reduce the heat. If necessary, add more oil to the pan.)
Invert the pancake onto a cutting board, scallion-side up. Slice into wedges, and serve warm.
VARIATIONS Chopped jalapeño and ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese; 1/3 cup chopped and drained kimchi; ¼ cup chopped roasted red peppers, 2 Tbs. crumbled feta cheese, and torn fresh basil leaves for garnish; 2 Tbs. grated Parmesan or Romano cheese (plus more for garnish), freshly ground black pepper, and fried egg for topping; 1/3 cup leftover roasted vegetables and chopped fresh herbs.
sourdough snacking cake
Inspired by morning glory muffins, this one-bowl cake is just a little sweet and loaded with other good stuff. It’s earthy flavor comes from the discarded starter and additional whole-wheat flour, making it satisfying and filling. It’s delicious for breakfast, as a snack, or with an afternoon coffee break. Makes one 8-inch cake
Nonstick cooking spray 1/2 cup sourdough discard, room temperature 2 large eggs 1/3 cup canola oil or grapeseed oil 1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1/2 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar 1/2 cup all purpose flour 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour, such as Red Fife 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. baking powder Kosher salt 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom (optional) 1/2 tsp. ground ginger (optional) 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut 1 cup chopped toasted nuts and dried fruit* 2 Tbs. oats and 1 Tbs. pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds, for garnish (optional) Position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch round cake pan with cooking spray, and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the discard, eggs, oil, yogurt, vanilla, and brown sugar. Add the flours, baking soda, baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt and cinnamon, as well as the cardamom and ginger (if using), and, using a spatula, gently fold together until uniform. Stir in the coconut, nuts, and dried fruit.
Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Top with the oats and the pumpkin seeds, if using.
Bake until set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool slightly before inverting onto a platter or cutting board.
*NOTE Favorite combinations include dried cherries and almonds; dried currants and roasted hazelnuts; dried figs and almonds; dried strawberries and toasted pine nuts; and dried pineapple bits and pecans.
sourdough discard biscuits
The water from the starter replaces buttermilk or cream in these biscuits, making them a little lighter, but thanks to the fermented flavor and adequate amount of butter, they still taste indulgent. Make the plain biscuits to use for breakfast sandwiches, or slather with butter and jam. The cheddar-jalapeño variation is great with soup. The chocolate-chunk variation is, if you ask me, better than a chocolate chip cookie. They’re more of a scone than biscuit, and so very welcome. Makes 8 biscuits
1½ cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 1 Tbs. baking powder Kosher salt 1 Tbs. granulated sugar ½ cup (4 oz.) butter, chilled and cut into chunks 1 cup sourdough discard, room temperature ½ cup heavy cream 1 egg, beaten 1 Tbs. whole milk Flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper (optional)
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, 3/4 tsp. salt, the sugar, and butter. Use a pastry blender to cut in the butter until pea-size (the mixture will look crumbly). (Add the jalapeños and cheddar, or the chocolate chunks, and toss to distribute evenly, if making those variations.)
Add the starter and cream, and gently fold the mixture just until the dough holds together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and shape into a rectangle. Gently roll until about 1/2 inch thick. Fold the dough in half, bringing the short ends together, and rotate 90 degrees. Repeat rolling, folding, and rotating until you’ve done 6 full turns, dusting with flour as needed, if the dough becomes sticky.
Roll the dough into a 1-inch-thick rectangle, and cut into 8 squares. Transfer the biscuits to a parchmentlined baking sheet. Freeze for 30 minutes or up to overnight.
Preheat the oven 375°F. Remove the biscuits from the freezer. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Generously brush the top of the biscuits with the egg wash. For the plain or savory biscuits, top each with a little flaky salt and pepper, if desired. For the jalapeño-cheddar biscuits, sprinkle with cheese. For the sweet biscuits, sprinkle with granulated sugar and flaky salt.
Bake until golden, about 30 minutes. If the biscuits were frozen overnight, bake for 35 minutes.
SAVORY VARIATION Add 2 minced jalapeño or serrano peppers, and 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese before adding the discard. Top the biscuits with additional cheese after the egg wash.
SWEET VARIATION Use 3 Tbs. granulated sugar, and 1 cup dark chocolate chunks before adding the discard.
