The Sourdough Series: The Third Loaf

Welcome back to the loaf chat! For the past few blog posts on the Sourdough Series I have focused on the first loaves I ever created with Richard III, my sourdough starter for those that are new here. This post is all about my third, and most successful, loaf. Not to be dramatic, but this was the loaf that changed my entire sourdough journey. To recap on my sourdough loaf journey thus far, my first two loaves were less than ideal. They were definitely bread loaves (and were still very edible), but they weren’t even close to what I was expecting my sourdough bread to be. They were dense, doughy, and filled with giant air pockets. Knowing what a delicious, fluffy, airy sourdough loaf should taste, feel, and look like (and I had high standards, I’ve had San Fransisco sourdough and there is truly nothing better), I knew there was something going on with my process. I did tons of research and kept consistently seeing that my loaves were a sign of under-fermentation. This means that the loaf is not being given enough time to bulk ferment at room temperature which is the process that creates carbon dioxide that helps the loaf rise and get that fluffy texture, as well as produce lactic acid which gives sourdough it’s naturally sour taste. This process is affected by the strength of your starter, the temperature of your home, and time. Richard is still a very young starter but I knew he was active because of the way he reacted after I fed him, I was seeing a good rise, lots of bubbles, and he has a nice thick texture to him. I keep my fermenting loaves in the warmest room in my house and although it is winter time right now which might slightly affect the fermentation, it’s nowhere near cold in my home. One thing I was unsure of was the time I was bulk fermenting my loaves. I followed a recipe that said to bulk ferment for 4-6 hours and I tried both 4 hours for the first loaf and then 6 hours for the second loaf but I was still seeing extreme signs of under-fermentation. I am completely new to this process so I had absolutely no idea what a normal bulk fermentation time should be, but when I researched I kept seeing 8-12 hours. This was nearly DOUBLE what I was doing before so this was the point I decided to move on from the recipe I was using and try to find a recipe that called for a longer bulk fermentation time.

This was when I was introduced to the incredible Farmhouse on Boone blog. Lisa is an absolute wizard with sourdough. She not only helped me perfect my sourdough loaf, but I have also used tons of her other recipes that are deliciously amazing every time, and I am so excited to share them with you after this last loaf post. I have also read all of her beginner sourdough posts to learn more about my sourdough starter, more about the benefits of sourdough, all of the wondrous things you can make from both an active starter and discard, and tons of other tips and tricks. I cannot rave about her enough and if you are looking to start a sourdough journey, I highly recommend using Lisa and her blog as a resource. Here is the Beginner’s Sourdough Bread Recipe that I tried for my third loaf and let me tell you, I legitimately cried tears of joy at how amazing my bread came out. After all the doubts I had about my starter, my baking abilities, and my overall sourdough journey in general, this third loaf gave me back all the confidence I needed to stick it out. The dough rose beautifully during fermentation, the loaf had such a beautifully golden crust yet had this light squishiness to it, and when I cut it open it was gorgeously airy with tiny dispersed air pockets that sprung back if squeezed. Gone was the heavy, doughy loaf that stuck to the roof of your mouth. I had created a loaf that I have only ever bought from a fresh bakery. I was utterly amazed. You can read the detailed recipe using the link I provided but here is what I did, using Lisa’s recipe as a guide:

1. I fed Richard 4 hours before starting the dough. After experimenting with the last loaf I marked that his peak activation (the point he has risen the highest and has the most bubbles) was around 4 hours so this is typically the feeding schedule I do now.
2. I followed the recipe exactly except for one small change – I decided to use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour because of the better results and texture I had for my second loaf. I also measured the temperature of my water as I had read that warm, room temperature water is best. I typically use water that is between 70-75 degrees F. which is about room temperature. I use a bread whisk instead of my hands or a wooden spoon because I find it gives me a more cohesive dough.
3. This recipe called for stretch and folds, rather than the coil and folds I was doing with the previous recipe, which I found created a much smoother dough after the third round.
4. I bulk fermented for 9 hours until the dough was about doubled in size. After the 9 hours I noticed a significantly better rise, the dough was extremely bouncy and airy, it had a nice jiggle and tons of nice air bubbles throughout. I was absolutely amazed!
   • Note: You can over-ferment, where you will see the opposite effects of under-fermentation where there will be huge air pockets at the bottom of the dough and dense dough towards the top. I haven’t experienced over-fermentation yet and I have bulk fermented for up to 12 hours so I think anywhere between 8-12 hours is a safe bet.
5. After the bulk fermentation, it’s now time to shape the dough. You don’t have to do this part perfect by any means and it definitely takes some practice so don’t be afraid of this step. I really liked how this new recipe called for folding and pinching the dough from both sides as opposed to the single side I was doing with my other loaves. This created a beautifully smooth top crust which helps create the crispy, golden crust while baking.
6. I actually bought rice flour, woohoo! As I mentioned in my last post, I read that dusting your bread banneton with rice flour can not only help prevent sticking during the overnight fermentation, but it also doesn’t turn into a doughy mess from the condensation that’s produced from the loaf. So after shaping, I dusted my bread banneton with rice flour, placed my shaped dough with the pinched seams face up, and I covered in plastic wrap rather than using plastic bags as the recipe calls for. I find that plastic wrap works nicely so this could be a good option for you too if you don’t have any plastic bags lying around.
7. I did the second overnight fermentation in the fridge for 12 hours.
8. The next morning, I preheated my dutch oven for about an hour at 500 degrees F. just as the recipe calls for. I turned my dough onto a piece of parchment paper but before doing that I did sprinkle some all-purpose flour over the surface of the dough due to the condensation that caused the bottom of the loaf to get a bit wet. This helped prevent any sticking during the bake.
9. I baked covered at 500 degrees for 20 minutes, then uncovered at 475 degrees for 20 minutes.
10. The crust was beautifully golden, it was hollow when I tapped on the bottom, there was an incredible rise during the bake, and it had a little squish to it when I poked it. And yes, this was the point I burst into happy tears.
11. As all recipes call for, I let the loaf cool on a drying rack for 2 hours before cutting into it (this is honestly the hardest step to follow).

Guys, I am not kidding. This was some of the best bread I have ever had. My husband and I practically ate the entire loaf in 2 days. I could not believe the drastic difference in this loaf compared to my first 2 loaves. It was light, fluffy, and airy with a beautifully tender crust and it actually had that slight sour taste that I have never been able to produce before! Ever since switching to Farmhouse on Boone’s recipe, I have created consistently perfect loaves every single week without fail. After repeating the recipe 3 more times and creating better and better loaves, I knew I had mastered the basic artisan sourdough loaf. I was so confident that I baked 5 loaves in 3 days to give as Christmas gifts this year, and the compliments I received were so heart warming!

We now never buy any type of artisan loaf from the store and I am baking a loaf at least once per week. It gets easier every time and at this point it truly just feels like second nature. The more you practice, the easier it will become. And once you perfect it, you will never go back to store-bought bread again. Store-bought bread has so many added ingredients and preservatives, but this loaf? This loaf has a total of 4 extremely simple, natural ingredients and it creates a bread that is better than ANY store-bought loaf I have ever eaten. Not only will your body thank you for nourishing it with fresh, natural, homemade bread, but your tastebuds will also be in heaven. Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy this deliciousness:

• Plain with butter
• As a spoon for soup
• Grilled cheese
• Avocado toast
• French Toast

Are you ready to enjoy freshly baked bread? Let this be your inspiration to start your sourdough journey today! Let me know what your favorite ways to enjoy your bread in the comments!