Sourdough Weekend Workshop Day 1

Being stuck in Lockdown (definitly for all the right reasons) doesn't have to be all 'doom and gloom' On a positive side, it's a great opportunity to learn a new skill and have great fun baking bread!

As part of Real Bread Aotearoa and the Real Bread Campaign's Sourdough September, Mad Hatter wanted to show you how to make a great Sourdough loaf at home 😀🎩 The commercially available stuff which claims to be sourdough, often contains many other additives and commercial yeast. However, what you are going to make, is the 'real deal' and definitely not 'sourfaux'

Proper Sourdough (Real Bread), should only contain 3 ingredients;

1. Flour

2. Water

3. Salt

That's it .... simple and no nasty additives!

Why Sourdough?

It's the oldest way of leavening bread and it's aromatic, delicious and full of flavour. More importantly, there is growing evidence to show that it may offer a number of nutritional and other health benefits ... which in this modern age of chemically laden and processed foods, can only be a good thing.

This can only be achieved through long fermentation of the dough, with a live sourdough starter - which is a culture of natural yeasts and lactic acid bacteria (good bugs!), that occur naturally on the surface of the grains, which are used to make flour.

To make your loaf, you will need;

1. 500g white bread flour - but not self raising (which contains raising agents)

2. 8g salt - sea salt is best, but use whatever you have

3. 150g sourdough starter - make your own or use ours - Mad Hatter Sourdough Starter

4. 300g warm water (approx 30°C)

Method:

1. In a bowl, dissolve and break up the sourdough starter in the warm water

2. Add the flour and salt

3. Mix together and knead the dough using your preferred method

4. Cover the dough and leave in a warm place to rest

Shaping:

1. Gently punch down the dough to release the trapped air

2. Remove from the bowl and shape the dough into a ball

3. Place dough into a proofing basket and cover (shower caps are awesome)

4. Leave to prove for about 2 hours at room temperature

5. Place in the refrigerator and leave overnight