Bake Affair Rye Sourdough, 100 g

Sourdough is used for making a variety of baked goods. Among other things, it ensures better moisture retention and thus makes it easier to work with the dough. It also helps to bind important minerals and it slows down the growth of mould. Sourdough bread is easier to digest, tastes better and stays fresh much longer than bread made without sourdough.

Bake Affair's rye sourdough has an acidity of approximately 125 and is well suited for refining the taste of dark breads and rolls.

How to prepare sourdough:

Take a mason jar with a capacity of at least 1 litre to prepare sourdough. Simply place the lid on the jar opening to cover it - do not screw the lid on or close it tightly.

It is sufficient to store the batch at room temperature. If left in a warmer room, it will be ready after 4-5 days.

Day 1: Take 50 g light rye flour, 1 tablespoon rye sourdough and 60 g tap water. Mix these ingredients together by hand until the mixture resembles a thick paste. It should be mixed by hand for the first two days as this encourages wild yeast and natural bacteria that ensure good fermentation. Then place the mixture in your jar and cover the jar opening halfway with the lid (do not tighten). Let it rest for at least 24 hours.

Day 2: The starter might have developed a light aroma overnight and smells slightly sweet. On day 2, add another 50 g of light rye flour and 50 g of water to the dough. Mix the ingredients together by hand. The dough should be a little creamier than the day before. Cover the jar opening halfway with the lid on - do not tight. Let it rest for another 24 hours.

Day 3: The starter is already starting to change and takes on a slightly sour, yoghurt-like smell. On day 3, add a further 50 g light rye flour and 50 g water to the dough. This time you can stir it together with a spoon until the dough is again a creamy paste. Place the lid halfway over the jar opening and let it rest for another 24 hours.

Day 4: By now the starter should have started bubbling and developing a smell similar to tart apple cider. Again add 50 g light rye flour and 50 g water to the dough and stir with a spoon until creamy. Place the lid halfway over the jar opening and let it rest for another 24 hours.

Day 5: The dough is almost ready to be used for baking. Repeat the same process as on day 4 - add 50 g light rye flour and 50 g water, stir well and leave half covered for 24 hours.

Day 6: Add 50g of flour and 50g of water one last time, stir and leave to rise at room temperature for another 24 hours. If your dough has not developed any bubbles by this time, "feed" it with some whole grain rye flour and keep it in a warm spot - ideally at 28°C but not warmer than 32°C. Place it for example next to the radiator, in a fermentation box or wrapped in a towel on a hot water bottle.

Day 7: Your sourdough starter is now ready. You can keep it in the fridge from now on. "Feed" it every 10-14 days by discarding 50 g of the dough and adding a further 50 g flour and 50 g water and mixing it in thoroughly. Let it rest at room temperature until it doubles in size, then place it back in the fridge.

Pre-dough for sourdough: To make your sourdough, use about 10 - 30% starter for flour. That means for every kilogram of flour in your recipe, mix 100 - 300 g flour with the same amount of water and add 10 - 30 g of sourdough starter.

Baking with sourdough: Because the sourdough does not have much leavening power at the beginning, you should also add yeast when baking bread initially. The older and more mature the sourdough, the greater is its leavening power.