Sourdough Basics vol. III: How to Make Bread Step-By-Step

Hey there Bread Friend!

Today’s newsletter is the third part of my monthly series — Sourdough Basics — where I share the foundational knowledge every sourdough baker should have.

Last on Sourdough Basics:

• Sourdough Basics Vol I: What is Sourdough?

• Sourdough Basics vol. II: What is Fermentation?

Now that we know what sourdough is and how fermentation works, it’s time to make a bread step-by-step! I’ll guide you through all the steps, explaining when to add the ingredients, what happens to the dough during autolyse and bulk fermentation so you know what it should look like and when it’s ready to shape and bake.

If there’s a topic you’d love for me to include in this series, leave a comment or send me a message — I’d truly love hearing from you!

OR — If you can’t wait for these topics to arrive in the form of a newsletter, you can dive straight into all these topics in my Sourdough Book A Sourdough Journey right here:

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Thank you so much for sticking around!
Please help me keep this journey going by liking, sharing, commenting or reposting!

xx Alisa

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Mixing a Bread Step-by-Step

First of all — there is no right or wrong in sourdough baking and with time you will get to learn what works best for you in your environment and with the flours that you use.

I have made this guide to make it easier to learn and understand sourdough by following some ”basic rules” in order to be able to ”break the rules” later on and make sourdough fit it into your schedule and everyday life, in stead of the sourdough holding power over your time and your day.

By understanding why all these sourdough steps are necessary when mixing a dough, you will know what to look for when reading your dough and learn to see what it needs, in order to get your perfect loaf.

Behind the Paywall:

1. Building a Levain

2. Autolyse

3. Adding Levain

4. Adding Salt

5. Kneading

6. Coil Folds, Stretch & Fold or Lamination

7. Bulk Fermentation

8. Preshape & Final Shape

9. Scoring your Loaf

10. Baking Bread

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1. Building a Levain

You always have to start by building a levain and waiting for it to peak. The amount of levain used in a bread dough is typically 20% of the total amount of flour used - the flour always being the 100%. A levain is typically fed with the same flours as used in the bread recipe and will peak within 4-6 hours when fed [1:1:1] and kept at around 21°C.

Levain Rule Breaker
If it’s summer and your dough is fermenting too fast, not giving you time to build up enough strength before shaping – add less levain to the main dough next time, using