Am I right in saying that you don’t really knead this bread very much? Disclosure. That’s how I’m reading the instructions but the comments and your answer suggest that that might not be the case. You do not want the dough to tear when stretching and folding – treat it really gently. Hi Floor – you sound like you are most definitely over proving your bread.

I’d love to see a photo if you fancy sending one? This decides where the bread will tear as it rises. Baking a loaf of this dense, chewy bread requires making a fermented 'starter' from flour, but it's worth the effort. This is definitely a keeper! Vx, Hello Vanessa, I have been making this boule now since the beginning of lockdown and it has never failed me – thank you so much and I’m a novice baker too:) I wanted to ask you your advice about making two boules; could I just double the ingredients for the leaven? I was getting good results with a recipe I kind of made up and suddenly everything would go wrong.

Hi LB and it’s great that you have been making such good bread with this recipe. Your oven temperatures are a little lower, but not by that much. I am about to bake my first loaf after having bought a starter on the internet. Any tips on what could be the cause?

There are many basic sourdough recipe posts online, some good and some not so good, but baking a beautiful loaf is about more than just the practical external factors. You will also find that longer slower overnight fermentation will help make your sourdough more digestible. I think you’re right! This will help you with your classic sourdough recipe. We have plain white flour and spelt flour. any 100% hydrated starter will be fine. I’ll do it again tomorrow — this time I’ll use my cloche (first time it was on a baking stone) — but the question I have is, do I still need a pan of boiling water if I use a cloche? Yes, I made it to the recipe.

Hi Elaine. I finally ordered a fresh starter from Bakery Bits which I revived and then this weekend I tried to make my first breads using your basic sourdough recipe. My attempts have always passed the ‘Tap’ test at these timings so your’s caught my eye. The taste and the crust were really great though! Sourdough is really best left to cool completely before slicing and is even better if left for a day to let the full flavour develop. 33 Easy Homemade Protein Shake Recipes to Jump Start Your Health Routine, No More Boring Lunches – 16 Quick and Easy Take to Work Recipes, Lard Uses: 19 Wonderful Ways to Use This Homemade, Healthy Fat, 31 Picnic Food Ideas to Replace Those Boring Old Sandwiches, 4 Delicious and Different Ways to Make Homemade Butter in Your Kitchen, 25 Surprisingly Sweet Sugar-Free Dessert Recipes to Treat Yourself, 5 Steps to Storing Bacon Grease for Future Baking Uses, How to Make Homemade Applesauce (Chunky or Smooth) in Only 7 Easy Steps, 22 Delicious and Healthy Oatmeal Recipes That Are Not Bland at All, 8 Easy Tricks to Slash Your Grocery Bill for Thanksgiving on a Budget, 7 Simple Methods to Preserving Your Peach Harvest, 18 Amazing Hamburger Recipes Ready to Make Your Mouth Water, Grape Juice Recipe: How to Make Delicious Grape Juice at Home, 11 Succulent Venison Tenderloin Recipes That Are Restaurant Worthy, 14 Basic Cake Decoration Tips for Better Cake Decorating, 27 Delicious Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes Perfect for Holiday Season, Pressure Canning Meat: A Simple Tutorial to Get You Started, 41 Homemade Seasonings Your Health, Tongue, and Wallet Will Love, 100 Shiso Recipes – Cook with Confidence with This New Culinary Craze, 47 Tasty Strawberry Recipes to Amp Your Taste Buds, 25 DIY Root Cellar Plans & Ideas to Keep Your Harvest Fresh Without Refrigerators. My wife and I are enjoy my sourdough practice rounds. Glad you have been making wonderful bread! I was going to buy a bread making machine! 100g of stoneground organic wholemeal flour Now you can make your first loaf. Do I feed it, leave it out for a few hours to bubble then scoop 2 tablespoons out, to be combined with the 50g of flour and 50g water for the leaven? P. S. Btw it would be amazing idea to publish a book with recipes and techniques for soughdough bread in bread makers. Wish I could post a pic, Dee, what a lovey comment. A question I have is about the wetness of the starter, some recipes I have tried end up too wet, as I think they are intended for a dryer starter.

Super educational! The levee based on my starter (just 2-3 weeks old) was quite active (2-3 times in two hours), and the only thing I was forced to change was that I baked directly from the Dutch oven that I put in the fridge for 8h. Thanks! I’ve been told the mother gets better with age, so fingers crossed. Hi Vanessa, thank you for creating a fantastic website, I have been inspired! Hello Henrietta, you have probably over proved the dough. But more than that I teach people to understand sourdough.