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Are you fermenting sourdough bread wrong? | Fermentation Masterclass

Foodgeek

141,708 views

What's the best way to bulk ferment sourdough bread? Today I'm going to teach you how to ferment sourdough to perfection. When you understand how it works, it's a breeze. I'll walk you through the stages your dough goes through, the two variables that control it, and how to catch it at exactly the right moment. This video answers: how do I know if bulk fermentation is done for sourdough?

The written guide with more details: https://fdgk.net/sourdough-bulk-ferme...

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#sourdoughbread #fermentation #sourdough

00:00 Teaser
00:16 Introduction
00:54 Active starter and inoculation
02:24 Key temperatures
02:58 The three fermentation stages
04:03 Buildup, rising, and deflation
05:40 Using temperature and time
07:23 Recommended bulk percentages
08:41 The cold retard
09:23 Humidity and altitude tips
10:20 Conclusion

20 Comments

@AlkonKomm 4 years ago

overnight fermentation in the fridge (6-8°) has been THE game changer for me when baking sourdough bread. Not only is the taste better (more interesting/nuanced), but also the texture, the bread is more moist/juicy and stays fresh for longer, at least in my experience. You also often get those neat "bubbles" on the surface of your bread, I don't know what they're called in english, in german its "Süßbläschen". When I bake with sourdough now I mostly bake rye/spelt "Mischbrot" (mixed bread). After shaping I leave it at room temperature for maybe 1 hour until the sourdough "gets going", and then I pop it in the fridge for 12-16 hours and bake it the next day. Works every time for me, and tastes great.

@chrisconklin2981 3 years ago

The weather outside is fierce. He who bakes bread is warmed twice. Nothing better that snow on the roof and bread in the oven. Thanks for this presentation.

@hairstoyou7248 4 years ago

I would appreciate a demonstration of what your describing. What does the dough look like under/over or just right fermentation. Since most of your videos do that I expected a visual example. Thank you learn a lot from you

@enigmawyoming5201 4 years ago

I have empirically determined that scoring dough straight from the fridge at 38.5 degrees F. is 134.25% easier as long as it’s done between 80.2 and 84.8 seconds after extraction. After 84.8 seconds, ease of scoring decreases exponentially and is roughly %= 134.25 - [(t - 84.8)^2 * .02546] where t= time in seconds since extraction.

@bayyms 1 year ago

This by far the best explanation for bulk fermintation, I have seen or read so far.

@johnc3826 4 years ago

There is no end to learning about the sourdough method of making bread. Thank you for today's thorough analysis of the fermentation process. Each Sunday I look forward to a Foodgeek tutorial that I can enjoy with morning cup of coffee.

@carriehenry7348 3 years ago

I live in a high altitude high desert. So not only is the altitude problematic but also we are extremely dry. I have learned my dough needs more water than recipes say, also it takes longer for my flour to get completely hydrated, so the initial phase of resting and folding is closer together and longer. I have to bake at a higher temp to get a spring and color that other people can at a more moderate climate at a lower degree oven temp. My starter after I feed it ferments and rises faster and so in tern it also gets that alcohol smell faster. If I’m baking a lot I need to feed my starter twice a day to stop it getting hooch in the top, if I’m not baking every day I put my starter in the fridge and then take it out and feed it twice before baking with it again. I wish there were more videos about high altitude and or extreme dry environment then maybe I would learn other tips and tricks, but for now that is how I have been able to bake perfectly yummy loaves in my living situation. I hope this helps anyone searching for the same situation!

@iceone1216 3 years ago

I respect your science knowledge as I am a person where science was my profession. But you make it so much harder for a lay person to understand. I do what "bake with Jack" does. I make enough starter for 2 loaves, leave the remainder in the fridge for the next time. All I do is add a ratio of 1:1 flour/water mix and let it ferment at around 32° C for 6-8 hours or until my volume has almost doubled. I just check to make sure my starter is active. Then add to my sourdough recipe and follow Jack's simple instructions. I get great rise every time with a good distribution of air pockets. Proofing in the fridge is crucial for a good loaf.

@katherinemaas6712 4 years ago

This video was very useful, but I think the best moment was seeing you tarted up in a suit! A whole new Sune!

@mamawlife7852 2 years ago (edited)

I shape after each stretch and fold. In my last stretch and fold, i let it sit on counter for about 2 to 3 hrs, then i shape again, put in banneton, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. I've found the 3rd day i get a better rise.

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@fernandamarques9173 3 years ago

Thanks for the tips and i can tell you, i live in a place where the humidity is super high and hot, usually is 28-29C degrees but low altitude. If i loose some minutes to shape and proof it’s guaranteed I’ll have an over fermented bread. So to not loose the hydration on the ratio i like, i have to be fast on the process, is intense 😅

@carolineharwood6464 4 years ago (edited)

I’m so pleased that you’ve made this video!
I’ve been making sourdough bread for a few years and developed my own technique. I live in the South of Spain and it gets pretty hot and humid! I need to make it as simple as possible because I can’t cope with being in the kitchen for too long.
I have a very active starter at the ready in my fridge (entirely rye flour). When I’m ready to bake, I take a dollop of my starter (unmeasured!) and add rye flour and water in equal measures. It takes a couple of hours to double in volume.
Next step, I put all the ingredients in my stand mixer and let it do the work.
Then I transfer my dough to a large plastic bowl (with a drizzle of olive oil, which helps the dough to slip around nicely!).
I do a couple of stretch & folds inside the bowl (less work and mess, the better!). I leave on counter for about one hour in summer and two hours in the colder months and
NOW FOR MY TOTAL GAME CHANGER ….
I put the bowl of dough in my fridge for the bulk ferment (covered of course) and leave until the next morning. This seems to work all year round for me. The dough is always springy and risen perfectly for baking.
I do the standard shaping (which is much easier when working with cold dough) and then put in floured bannetons and pop back into the fridge while my oven heats up. I can also leave in the bannetons for longer if I’m not ready to bake. It’s so flexible!
I bake two boules in cast iron casseroles.
So I am doing the bulk of my bulk rise in the fridge all year round!!
Works perfectly every time and I get lovely, open-crumb boules.
Why does everyone say that you can’t do bulk rise in the fridge? IT IS NOT TRUE!!!

My final little trick - my local supermarket let’s me run them through their bread slicing machine!

@AZG90 2 years ago

Very interesting and useful content. Please keep them coming 🙏🏻👏🏻

@shawnwalch6448 4 years ago

This is the # 1 thing i struggle with.

@iuribogar9611 9 months ago

What an awesome video!

@londonviking3801 4 years ago

Thank you Sune. I also find your dough calculator extremely helpful.

@jeffwilliams707 2 years ago

Thanks for sharing all the knowledge….I’m just beginning my sourdough Jurney and can’t wait to see my first perfect loaf. Will definitely be back soon!

@moonsong92 4 years ago (edited)

Thanks. You gave me a hint on how to fix my flat bread.

@aconsideredmoment 4 years ago

Thank you for another wonderfully informative and entertaining video. Also, much gratitude for your thoughtful mic placement. I appreciate your responsiveness to feedback on this over time for us hard of hearing. It really helps. When the mic is on the collar, it results in a muffled sound that is both loud and hard to understand. Thanks again!!!