Sourdough Dictionary
I was realizing when writing my last post that there’s a big chance some of you won’t know what a starter, or a stretch and fold, or fermentation is… so here’s your sourdough dictionary! Let me know if there’s anything i’m missing!
Sourdough: A type of bread made from a wild yeast also known as a sourdough starter. Sourdough is made tangy by the bacteria lactobacilli present in the sourdough starter. Cool, right?
Starter: A mixture of flour and water that contains bacteria, yeast, and organic acids. Made with either an established colony of bacteria (someone else’s starter) or by starting your own and capturing wild bacteria and yeasts over a longer period.
Yeast: The part of the sourdough starter which allows the bread to rise. During the fermentation process, yeasts and bacteria feed off the starch and oxygen present and create carbon dioxide. This gas is trapped in the matrix of the bread dough, creating a risen bread dough.
Gluten: A mixture of two proteins found in grains such as wheat, rye, barley, spelt, and einkorn. Gluten gives traditional breads their elasticity, trapping carbon dioxide that makes the bread fluffy and light.
Kneading: The process of gluten development through movement. By stretching the dough upon itself, often on a lightly floured work surface, the gluten is activated and a smooth, elastic dough develops.
Stretch and Fold: An alternative to traditional kneading used to develop gluten. This method is performed periodically throughout the bulk fermentation. The concept is to take a corner of the dough, fold it upon itself, rotate the dough, and repeat. Once all four corners of the dough have been stretched and folded, gluten development and a smooth, elastic dough are underway.
Bulk Fermentation: This step is the first fermentation period of the dough after the initial mixing of flour, starter, and water and often comes after a period of kneading. The bulk fermentation generally takes place at room temperature, unless otherwise noted in the recipe and is a longer period of time (4 -12 hours) than the final proofing period. This step may be listed as proofing, rising, or bulk fermentation in a recipe but is always the first period of fermentation and a timeframe should be given in the recipe.
Proofing: This is the final rise of the bread before it sees the oven. It generally, but not always, happens after the final shaping of the loaf.
Scoring: This is when you cut the outside of the dough with a very sharp razor or knife just before baking. Scoring increases the loaf’s ability to expand once it meets a hot oven. Scoring can be done simply for rising purposes or decorative!
Hydration: The ratio of water to flour in a sourdough starter or bread dough. The hydration is calculated by dividing the total amount of water by the total amount of flour.
Hooch: A layer of liquid that sometimes accumulates on the top of the sourdough starter. It often has a component of alcohol to it due to infrequent feedings or stress on the sourdough starter. It can be poured off just before a feeding to rid the starter of any off flavors.