Hey guys! Salut, it's Alex.
So today I'm going to show you how to make your very own sourdough starter.
Which is, in my opinion, just the first step to make and to bake the perfect loaf.
If you never did bread before then maybe start with another video I made
about how to make simple bread at home using a Dutch oven.
And you will crave for more and that's exactly what this whole series (because yes it's a series) is all about.
Understanding everything there is to know to bake the perfect loaf of sourdough bread.
*Ahhhh!!* Let's begin.
*hip hop beat playing in background*
And now a legitimate question: "What the f*ck is sourdough?"
Well, first off, "sourdough" is a misuse of language. We should be using "sourdough starter."
That being said, sourdough starter is a leavening agent, A.K.A. a thing that will make your bread rise.
But let me give you some context.
I say we take a closer look at all different types of leavening agents just for understanding purposes.
Chemicals include, for example, baking powder and baking soda.
and in the biological category, you've got two subcategories: industrial, like the baker's yeast for example,
and natural, or more naturally occuring in which we find our beloved sourdough starters.
So, at the end of the day, it's a biological and naturally occurring leavening agent.
Simply put, sourdough starter is just water and flour.
That's the outside, but, in fact, inside it's a bit more intricate.
You can find wild yeast and also bacterias,
or to be more specific, lactic acid bacterias.
But those guys are responsible for the rise.
They basically eat. They burp, and they fart, and the magic happens. *Laughter*
I just killed the magic.
Of course, if you're interested in something a tad more specific and scientific,
I will dedicate a full episode to the theory, but I think, for now, it's good,
and we can move on to, "Why make sourdough bread?"
Well, there are four main answers. The first one is flavor.
To me, it's simply better, but that's only a matter of perspective.
In fact, it's richer and more complex, and I think it has a
wider array of flavors than the traditional baker's yeast bread.
Second, the texture. Usually you get a crispier crust,
but also a more chewy crumb inside.
It's usually more intense and more dense, which doesn't
mean it's compact. No, you can find some good, irregular air pockets.
Three: the shelf life. It usually lasts longer than the classic yeast bread.
Mainly because it's slightly acidic.
And four: Nutrition. You loads of benefits from eating sourdough bread
including gluten-related stuff, but again, it's a very vast
and controversial subject. There will be a dedicated
video with dedicated controversial comments.
*Maniacal cooing*
Okay, now you see the big picture. Let's take a closer
look on how to make sourdough starter.
In a container, like a clean jar or tupperware,
mix in 20 grams of whole wheat, organic flour,
and 20 grams of tepid mineral water.
Let it sit loosely covered for about a day, up to three days, in a warm and dark place.
Organic flour is more likely to contain wild yeast
and bacteria because it hasn't been chemically treated
that much. Also, whole wheat has much more elements
than plain flour, so, again, it's more likely to contain the
things we need.
Finally, do avoid tap water which contains chlorine,
which is a direct enemy to yeast and bacterias.
Which is usually good, but this time it's bad.
At some point, you should see tiny bubbles sitting
on top. Not much, but it's a good sign.
It means that there is something going on.
Mhm.
*Sniffing sounds.* Smells good.
Smells ... *sniff* ... soft.
Smells like flour.
Doesn't smell funky or super sour.
Add 40 grams of water and 40 grams of flour.
*Bubbly mixing sounds*
Place it back and wait for about a day, as sourdough
starter now enters a cycle of rise and fall.
*Chimes*
This time, add 80 grams of flour and 80 grams of water.
Give it a whisk.
After less than a day, you should get a rise and plenty
of bubbles.
Ah, if it fails, do not dispair.
Just persevere, but start another one on the side.
It did rise a bit. You've got all those bubbles on the side,
and it's very delicate.
It's gentle.
*Sniffing*
Ahhhh.
It smells like a very light vinegar.
*Sniffing*
It smells a bit nutty.
A bit wine-y.
A bit yeasty, of course.
But what you should not smell would be like
something rotten, of course.
Anything that would just, you know, cause you to vomit
would obviously be not the best sign ever.
If you succeed, congratulations because you made it through
level 1, which was about creation.
At this stage, you should definitely consider baptizing
your sourdough starter.
I, uh, brilliantly named mine "Wheat." Uh. *Laughter*
But you don't have to be as creative as I am.
You can just pick a random name.
And now it's level 2.
We need to stabilize it and give it some momentum and
some rhythm.
Before moving on to that next step,
let me please express a big, massive "thank you"
to all my Patreons out there,
brilliantly supporting my work.
If you want to help, too; if you want to financially
support a creator on Youtube... Yeah! Power to the people!
Please follow the link at the end of this video
or in the description box.
For the next week or so, I suggest you
follow a daily routine.
Every morning, discard everything but two tablespoons
of your soughdough starter.
Then add two tablespoons of water and
two tablespoons of a special flour mix.
Whole wheat flour was perfect to start the population,
but now we also need to focus a bit more on
feeding it and, from my experience, plain flour works great for that.
So as a compromise, I suggest a mix of 50% whole
wheat flour and 50% plain flour.
It's the best of both worlds.
After a week or so of that daily routine,
you'll notice that your sourdough starter has become
more predictable.
So congratulations! You've made it through level 2.
Your sourdough is now stabilized—
Not immortal, but just a bit more forgiving.
If you take good care of it, like feeding it with
a tablespoon of water and flour every day,
keeping it away from draft,
it should stay alive for a very, very long time.
Like, forever, which is basically the longest time ever.
You don't have to store too much sourdough starter
in your jar. So as the amount grows, just discard some
from time to time, of course always keeping at least
a few tablespoons.
Over time, magic should happen.
Every morning when I arrive at Le Studio,
the first thing I do, even before I take my first cup of tea,
I feed, uh, my sourdough wheat
and his little brother, Rye.
So I do enjoy this long-lasting, ongoing process.
And I think, I think, you will like it, too.
So guys, that's it. I hope you enjoyed this sourdough epsiode.
I know there are many, many questions which still
remain completely unanswered.
Well, at least one. "How do you f*cking make bread?"
But that's the core principle of a series, right? *Laughter*
So, if you want to, you can write them down in the
comments down below, and I will do my best
to answer them in the coming episodes.
And that leads us to the most important thing, which is
subscribing to this channel so that you don't miss the next episode.
Bye-bye! Salut!