When you first start baking with the beginning of sourdough, the learning curve feels steep. You go online for information and are quickly overwhelmed not only by the amount of potential reading, but also by the countless conflicting “facts.”
It's a lot to absorb! That's why we're here to debunk some of the most common sourdough myths—and replace them with common sense, time-tested tips for your own sourdough baking, based on our extensive experience. So take a deep breath and relax: Sourdough is supposed to be fun, not stressful.
Myth #1: Sourdough bread is hard to make
Baking with sourdough doesn't have to be complicated. Yes, there are some recipes that involve preferences, multiple fermentation days, and a strict schedule. But sourdough can also be incredibly straightforward – witness our beginner-friendly recipe Basic sourdough breada high-rising, delicious sandwich bread.
Food photography and styling by Liz Neily
It's true that sourdough baking can become a lifelong quest for that perfect loaf. But it can also focus on a passion for the process itself, as you learn how to take care of your starter and use it in all kinds of recipes, from artisan-style crusty loaves to simple ones. pancake or even chocolate chip cookies. After all, sourdough can be simpler and more forgiving than you might realize. And the best way to get good at it is to start.
Myth #2: Where your starter comes from determines the flavor of your bread
“I love San Francisco sourdough bread. Should I get my starter from San Francisco?” Not at all! No matter where your original starter comes from, it quickly becomes your drink, inoculated with the bacteria and natural cultures found in your neighborhood. And the taste of bread is not determined by where your starter was originally born, but by how you build and maintain that starter — as well as according to the recipe you choose. For example, usually a recipe that calls for chilling the dough overnight (or longer) before baking will produce a firmer loaf.
Myth #3: The older your starter, the better your bread
Is sourdough starter like fine wine, getting better with age? No. A regularly fed starter is constantly being refreshed, with some of the original being removed and replaced with new flour and water; this food keeps your beginner healthy and active. As a result, an “old” starter—the one you created 20 years ago and fed faithfully—contains no physical trace of that first starter.
After all, how many months or years your starter has been alive it has no real impact on the quality of your bread; what matters most is how well you maintain your starter and therefore how healthy and active it is.
Food photography and styling by Liz Neily
Myth #4: True sourdough bread is only made with starter yeast, never with commercial yeast
While sourdough purists say that “real” sourdough is only made with its own starter and never includes commercial yeast, there is ultimately no sourdough policeman who lays down the law.
Yes, you can challenge yourself to raise your own sourdough bread with just starters. But if you just can't get the growth you want, that's okay add some packaged yeast, as we do with these recipes for Rustic bread with dough AND Merlin's Magical Sourdough Bread. Your goal is great tasting bread, no matter how you get there.
Photography by Kristin Teig; food styling by Liz Neily
Myth #5: Sourdough bread is always a crusty, crumbly open piece
The typical sourdough bread you see online is a crusty golden round, full of irregular holes and with a peaked “ear” on top, like the classics. Village bread.
But you can also use your starter to make many different types of bread, like soft whole wheat sandwich bread, Sour Dough Focaccia, even sweet and delicious Cinnamon Sourdough bread with raisins. You don't need a special pan or special tools to bake great sourdough bread; all you need is a starter, flour, water and a recipe you like.
Myth #6: You must use filtered and/or distilled water to fuel your engine
Some bakers believe that water treated with chemicals (eg tap water from a municipal system) can inhibit the growth of beneficial bacteria in your engine. But given the variables (the type and concentration of chemicals, the types of beneficial bacteria found in your engine) it's hard to make a firm connection between chemicals and beginner health. Given the minimal effect chemicals like chlorine can have, many bakers (including those at King Arthur's Test Kitchen) simply use tap water. So go the extra mile and use “pure” water if you want to, but you don't really have to.
What about hard water vs. soft water? Again, the impact of hard vs. soft water is pretty minimal—so if your water isn't off-the-charts hard or soft, don't worry about it.
Photography by Kristin Teig; food styling by Liz Neily
Myth #7: You have to feed your starter twice a day, every day
Feeding your starter every 12 hours means it's ready for you to bake with in no time. But if you're not baking with your starter a few times a week, that's fine store in the fridge and just feed once a week. If you follow a weekly feeding schedule, allow yourself a day or so for some foods at room temperature to fully activate before roasting. Either way – make sure you cover your starter between meals; or glass or plastic container with a lid it works well. Just make sure the cover isn't all the way tight, as you want to give your engine some room to breathe while it rests.
Another common myth: If you don't feed your freezer starter at least once a week, it will die. Sincerely, it is very hard to kill the starter. Even if you haven't fed your starter in weeks and it looks awful (black liquid or a wrinkled skin on top), it will probably be fine once you feed it. For more on the neglected starter, see What if I forget to feed my starter?
Photography by Kristin Teig; food styling by Liz Neily
Myth #8: Never expose your engine to containers, bowls, or utensils made of silicone, metal, or plastic
Other than using a metal that reacts to acidic ingredients (eg, cast iron, copper, or uncoated aluminum), any utensil, bowl, or container you choose will do. In fact, most bakeries only use plastic or metal utensils and containers.
Most bakers prefer to use a clear glass or plastic containers for feeding and storing their starter, as they provide such an easy view of the growth and health of the starter. But go ahead and use stainless steel mixing bowls and your favorite silicone spatula; they won't bother your starter (or dough) at all.
PJ Hamel
Myth #9: The float test is a great way to tell if your fed starter is ready to be baked with
While it seems to make sense, the scoring test it's just a very unreliable method of determining if your starter is healthy and active enough to use. It is best to simply trace the progress of your motor fed into its bowl or container; if it has doubled in size in eight hours or less, it is ripe and ready to go.
Are you ready to start baking with sourdough but don't want to spend days (potentially weeks) building your starter from scratch? King Arthur's new starter it's a simple and reliable way to start cooking your own sourdough.
Cover picture (Vermont Sourdough) by Danielle Sykes.
