Sourdough even in its simplest form has steps. Many many steps. I was very overwhelmed when I first set out to make sourdough however it was the first ever loaf of bread I made and it was successful so anybody is capable. So let’s summarise these steps and go over some of the terms that you may hear when learning to make sourdough.

• Starter – A week+ long process of growing wild yeast to use in this recipe. Please see this separate post on how to create a sourdough starter.
• Levan – The final feed of the sourdough starter that will be used in the bread recipe to ensure it is active at the time of use.
• Bulk Ferment – The first rise once all of the ingredients have been combined.
• Proofing – This just means when the dough is fermenting and rising once the bread has been shaped.

It actually works in our favour that making sourdough does have so many steps as you can do a little bit when you have time and leave the dough to rise in the fridge over night.

My knowledge comes from various blogs and books but I found Patrick Ryans sourdough recipe and method so simple and less daunting. It is great  for beginners. You can check out his video here.

Equipment Needed to Make Sourdough Bread

• 2 large bowls with 2 tea towels
• 1 large pyrex dish with a lid/dutch oven
• sharp blade for scoring
• optional: stand mixer with dough hook
• baking paper