It’s no April fool! On 1st April we celebrated National Sourdough Bread Day, in honour of one of the world’s oldest leavened breads. This popular annual event honours the long history of the crusty loaf, with its chewy bite and unique flavour.
Is sourdough really from San Fran?
History buffs pay attention! Our favourite loaf was the staple food source during the California Gold Rush. Tens of thousands of miners and their families from all across the world arrived in San Francisco during the Gold Rush of the 1800s, including French bakers from the Basque region who brought with them the process of fermentation, soon adopted across the US following the success of the commercial production of a special yeast.
Now considered traditional San Francisco bread, the San Francisco 49ers’ mascot is nicknamed ‘Sourdough Sam.’
Sourdough – the comeback kid
It started life as a Covid-trend and has become one of the UK’s best loved loaves. During the global pandemic, when people were looking for wholesome ways to pass long days and ways to eat healthy food without being able to get to the shops, making sourdough went viral.
Team Quattro is always the first to jump aboard a new food bandwagon and we fully endorse the nation’s love of sourdough. It’s lighter than other breads, probably healthier and simply delicious. With a smashed avocado, a dash of lemon and some chilli flakes, a simple hunk of bread turns into a meal fit for royalty.
But is it worth the effort? Or were we just bored? We think not! It’s actually pretty easy to make at home. After trying countless recipes we’ve selected the one that works best and we’re happy to share our favourite sourdough recipe.
Ingredients
Starter
250g strong white bread flour
Levain
1 tbsp sourdough starter (see above)
100g strong white bread flour
Bread
levain (see above)
1kg strong white bread flour
20g fine sea salt
Method
Day 1 – To begin your starter, mix 50g flour with 50g tepid water in a cup. Leave semi-uncovered, at room temperature for 24 hrs. Repeat this process for 3 more days and on day 4 you should start to see some activity in the mixture – a few bubbles forming and bubbling. Now mix another 50g flour with 50g tepid water and stir into yesterday’s mixture and – you got it – leave semi-uncovered at room temperature for another 24 hrs.
Day 5 – The mixture should be very active now. If it’s not bubbling, keep going for another few days with the same routine and it will happen. You’ll know it’s ready when it smells like yoghurt.
Keep your starter in the fridge and 24 hrs before you want to use it, take it out and leave at room temperature until it becomes active again.
Now it’s time to make your levain.
Mix 1 tbsp of the starter with 100g flour and 100g water and leave for 8 hours at room temperature until it becomes active. You’ll know it’s ready when a teaspoonful of the mixture floats in warm water.
For the bread
Pour 500g room temperature water into the levain and mix together. Add the flour and mix to make a rough dough. Cover and leave somewhere warm for 1-2 hours.
Add 50g water to the dough and knead until smooth. Then wet your hands, pull the dough from one side and stretch it over itself, then repeat with the other side to develop the gluten. Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into a ball and leave uncovered for half an hour, then transfer to the fridge to chill overnight.
It’s baking day! Heat the oven and put the loaf from the fridge into a lined baking dish. Cover with a lid and bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 10 minutes.
Happy Sourdough Bread Day!