Sourdough bread from the Jagglhof

The recipe of a sourdough is a really good kept secret. There are lots of recipies in different books and forums in the internet and the smell of the sourdough is making backers and gourmets mouths watering. And the sourdough is just ah mix of flour and water. Even though its ingredients are so simple, the sourdough remains a mystery. 

I find baking with sourdough particularly fascinating. Of course, it’s a bit quicker with yeast, but even sourdough bread doesn’t require a great deal of effort. You just need to set aside a bit more time and be well organised. It’s well worth the patience! Sourdough bread not only boasts an excellent flavour, but is also particularly easy to digest, keeps well and, especially in rye-heavy doughs, contributes to a particularly good texture.

Making your own sourdough starter

If you don’t already have sourdough at home, you can make some very easily. All you need is (rye) flour and water, a bowl, a wooden spoon and 4–5 days. On the first day, mix 100 g of flour and 100 g of water into a thick, custard-like mixture, then leave it covered at room temperature. Stir it once after 12 hours, and after a further 12 hours, stir in another 100 g of flour and 100 g of water. Repeat this process over 4–5 days until the sourdough has developed a distinctly sour taste and a smooth consistency. (Note: after 2–3 days, the smell and appearance may not be particularly appealing at first – don’t let that put you off!) The sourdough can then be used for baking. Don’t forget: set aside a small amount and store it in a screw-top jar in the fridge.

Use your sourdough regularly

Once you have a sourdough at home, you can constantly use it. You can even use it for years, if you regularely add flour and water to it and stir it thoroughly. For example, for our recipe you need 600g of sourdough. Put the sourdough out of your fridge, mix it with 300g of flour and 300g of water, stir it, then cover it and leave it over night. Before you mix the sourdough with the rest of the ingredients, put a little bit of the dough aside and put it in the fridge again - so you always have some at home and can constantly use it for baking bread. 

And if you like to try some sourdough bread now, just try out our recipe :)

Ingredients for the starter:

 

  • 50 g sourdough starter
  • 300 g rye flour
  • 300 ml water

 

Ingredients for the dough:

 

  • 600 g sourdough starter
  • 550 g rye flour
  • 100 g wholemeal spelt flour or wheat flour
  • 20 g salt
  • Bread spice mix
  • approx. 400 ml water

Preparation:

  1. Remove the sourdough starter from the fridge (approx. 50 g) and mix with 300 g rye flour and 300 ml water to form a custard-like mixture. Cover and leave to stand at room temperature for approx. 8 hours.
  2. Take approx. 50 g of this sourdough, place it in a screw-top jar and store in the fridge until the next time you bake. Mix the remaining sourdough (approx. 600 g) with the flour, salt, bread spice and water. Cover and leave to prove for approx. 6–8 hours.
  3. Shape the dough into 2 loaves and leave to prove in a proving basket for approx. 1 hour.
  4. Preheat the oven with a baking tray to 240°C.
  5. Turn the loaves out onto the baking tray and bake for approx. 1 hour, reducing the temperature to 200°C after 15 minutes.
  6. Remove the bread from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.

Good luck and enjoy!

Marget