Why would someone even want to make sourdough? Well, I make it cause it's fun, it feel rewarding, the bread is really yummy, and it is an awesome thing to share with other people (both the stories and the bread)!
Naturally leavened sourdough bread is very different than most sandwich bread you find at the grocery story, those loaves are packed with ingredients that enable FAST and CHEAP production of bread. And if you already buy sourdough bread be wary! A lot of sourdough on shelves still use commercial yeast and simply have citric acid added to create that sour taste that is produced by a naturally leavened sourdough bread. A naturally leavened sourdough only requires THREE ingredients: flour, water, and salt.
There's a lot of science and hypothesis behind why naturally leavened bread is better for you, when compared to commercial yeast. These include being gluten-sensitive friendly, helping with nurturing good gut bacteria, and more.
Making naturally leavened sourdough IS a pretty long and high-effort process. It also takes quite a bit of practice to get really good at some techniques that you use in developing the dough. But the reward is amazing and very tasty.
The first thing you will need in making sourdough is sourdough starter. This is basically a culture that grows the bacteria that you need to get your dough to rise.
You can make your own starter from scratch (takes flour, water, and 5-7 days), you can buy some a local bakery, online from King Arthur Flour, or get some dried/active sourdough from a friend. I'll even ship you some dried starter if you send me a message on Instagram.
Now let's dive in: