Some friends bought me a bread machine and I started baking. Soon I left the machine and started baking with yeast in my oven. A couple of years later, looking for flavour and a more natural style of bread, I started reading blogs and books to try my luck with sourdough. I never looked back.

Characteristics

It is not very liquid, the consistency is more similar to a final bread dough. It is quite acetic when I take it out of the fridge, but gets more lactic cause I feed it repeatedly before using it. The first feed is typically two nights before baking, and it takes longer to bubble cause's still cold from the fridge. The next morning, when I feed it again, it more than doubles in 3 to 4 hours.

Viscocity

Taste & flavour

Recipe

Starting ingredients

70% Wheat
30% Water

Feeding ingredients

40% Sourdough
40% Wheat flour
20% Water

I take it out of the fridge and feed it water and flour. Then leave it at room temp for one or two more feeds (the whole process can take up to 24-48 hours), until it is ready to use as a levain.

40% Sourdough 40% Wheat flour 20% Water

Working method

My sourdough is made of wheat flour. I usually keep it in the fridge, up to a month sometimes. Then I feed it twice or three times at room temperature (20-28°) before baking with it. It is not very liquid, more similar to the final dough, and quite acetic. But feeding it repeatedly, every 10 to 4 hours, before using it as a levain helps controling the acid and enhacing lactic nuances.

70% Wheat 30% Water