"Sourdough baking is a slow dance between flour, water, and time." - Sarah Owens
Sourdough is considered to be the holy grail of baking because it is a challenging and complex bread to make, requiring a mastery of several different techniques and factors to create the perfect loaf. It has been over a year since my mentor, Anuradha Srinivasan, told me to get into sourdough. But having read about what it entails, I was apprehensive. I was not sure if I had the patience to get into something as demanding as this.
For those who do not know what sourdough is, Sourdough baking is a method of making bread that involves using naturally occurring yeast and bacteria to leaven the dough instead of commercial yeast. The process begins with a sourdough starter, which is a mixture of flour and water that has been fermented for several days. The starter contains wild yeast and bacteria that are naturally present in the flour and in the environment. It can take several days to create a starter, and the fermentation process can be affected by factors such as temperature and humidity. In short, this is not for the faint hearted.
Earlier this year, I stumbled upon a website that was selling sourdough starter that had a provenance of over 200 years. I was intrigued and thought may be this is where I should start my sourdough journey. I went ahead and ordered the starter. The starter came in dry powder form with precise instructions on how to go about starting my own batch.
Once I had the sourdough starter ripe enough to bake, Anu provided me with a bunch of recipes to bake various things. My first couple of attempts in baking sourdough boules were barely passable. But I was hooked on to the process of feeding and taking care of the starter and the sweet and tart smell of the starter every time I open the bottle in which it is stored. I kept at it and read a lot about various techniques followed by different people to understand the nuances. I understood the difference between bread flour and all purpose flour. I learnt what oven spring means or what open crumb is. I managed to tweak the processes to adjust for my idiosyncrasies. The quality of the bread started getting better and I was also able to experiment with various toppings and flavors.
Sourdough bread has a unique, tangy flavor that is difficult to replicate with other types of bread. The long fermentation process of the sourdough starter gives the bread a rich, complex flavor that is both savory and slightly sour. My family loves sourdough bread and my daughter has made a standing order that I bake a new loaf immediately after a loaf is consumed. And my wife is happy with the fact that the bread is an healthier option than commercial bread. The natural fermentation process of the sourdough starter breaks down the gluten in the flour, making it easier to digest. It also increases the bioavailability of minerals like zinc and iron, making them easier for the body to absorb.Sourdough bread also has a lower glycemic index than commercial bread, which means that it causes a slower and more sustained rise in blood sugar levels.
Sourdough is not limited to just bread. It can be used to make a wide variety of baked goods, from bread to pizza dough to pancakes. I have tried to make sourdough banana loaf, sourdough focaccia bread, both of which turned out to be quite good. Sourdough pancakes, pizza and croissants are in the plans. I am not restricting my use of sourdough for baking just bread. I have just dropped some sourdough started into Dosai batter and have realized that it gives a very different flavor to the Dosais. I have to try it with Idlis too to see if I can get much softer and fluffier Idlis. I am told it can be added to the Chappati dough too.
I have baked in the last month more frequently than I have baked ever. Taking care of the starter, feeding it as needed, trying different flour combination, being finicky with the proofing process have become a way of life or border line obsession as per my family. I hope I sustain this initial enthusiasm over the days to come and to try to incorporate sourdough into newer dishes.
Celebrity chef Paul Hollywood says, "Sourdough baking is a metaphor for life. It teaches us that sometimes the best things come from slow and steady effort, and that a little bit of patience can go a long way." And I agree with that with all my heart.
