Fields Of Heather: Sourdough Log [or journal] Sheets

If you ask me my "Method" for making sourdough, I may look at your blankly for a minute.

Not because I don't have a method, but because I have at least 12. It depends on the day. I've been making sourdough off and on for more than 20 years, but only recently did I get "serious" about it.

By serious, I meant that I spent hours listening to all the facebook experts tell me their idea of the science behind every possible method of making sourdough bread. I heard from those who follow recipes to the gram on their scale, and those who wing it with measuring cups, or even, without measuring cups.

I heard from those who have, I kid you not, webcams hooked up to watch their starter so they know the exact minute it peaked, and they only use it at it's absolute peak. And I heard from those who pull it from the fridge feed it, and bake.

I've heard from those who feed strict ratios of specific flours daily, or even several times [!!] a day. And I've heard from those who have put their starter in the fridge and forgot about it for two weeks, then fed it and made bread.

https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2024/01/bread-flour-protein-percentages.html

I've read about the protein contents in various flours, and learned how completely unregulated that is in the United States. I've learned about hydration levels, and the "bakers percentage".

I learned how to make beeswax wraps to wrap both my starter, and my bread. [I REALLY like these.]

I read endless debates on "discard", both how it's unnecessary and wasteful, and also that it's wonderful, full of health benefits, and works in a myriad of great "sourdough discard recipes".

https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2024/01/sourdough-discard-pretzel-bites.html

I've skimmed over arguments on pans, ice cubes, silicone mats, using metal spoons [perfectly fine by the way - I've never killed a starter with a metal spoon] rinsing dishes and jars of sourdough in the sink [It's cement! It will clog your drains and you'll have to rip up your pipes! Or, just use common sense and a lot of water and you'll be fine. Depends on who you ask.]

Coil and folds or stretch and folds? Cold Retard [in the fridge overnight] or not? Make your own starter from scratch, or order one one off the internet? Super old starter, vs two week old? [From what I can tell, after three weeks, it doesn't matter where your starter came from, by then it has become "YOUR" starter, having collected yeasts from the air in your kitchen. ]

Preheat the oven - FOR A FULL HOUR NOT A MINUTE LESS, or stick the dough in while the oven warms? Open bake, roasting pan, dutch oven? Ice cubes? [Be careful with the ice cubes - read up on that one, lots of damaged equipment and ovens - but also lots who are successful with no issues..]

There is literally an argument for every. Single. Step. of the sourdough process.

It was fun for a bit. And then it quickly became overwhelming and exhausting. Because you know what? Everyone is right. And everyone is wrong.

There is no one exact right way to make sourdough. There are endless possibilities. And there's no shortcut. You have to just make the bread, try a few things, and see what works for you. The hardest part of the process will be ignoring all the voices screaming that you are doing it wrong. Especially if your bread isn't "perfect".

So let me tell you a secret - even those professionals who bake every single day in completely controlled environments occasionally have a sub-par batch of bread. It happens to everyone sooner or later. And - it's ok. I've made a lot of sub-par bread in the last 9 months of experimenting. Did any of them go to waste? Nope. "Sub-par" bread can still be really good bread!

Also - who decides what is perfect bread? If we can't all agree on how often to feed the starter, why are we suddenly all going to agree on what constitutes the perfect result?

This past year at Christmas time, our neighboring town did a Christmas Lights Contest. There were some AMAZING homes. One, at an Octagon House, that should be on a tv show - it's seriously incredible. Another had an elaborate light show set to music.

Do you know what won? A simple brick home with wreaths on the windows and white spot lights. Seriously. First Place. Because that's what the judges liked - that was their taste. Do I agree with their decision? Oh, definitely not. [I feel so strongly about this I almost used a 4 letter word.] I think it was a ridiculous decision - EVEN THOUGH, their choice is what I would probably choose, ideally, for my own home. But I wasn't the judge, and I wasn't handing out the ribbons, so my opinion is irrelevant.

The actual decorations at our farm. Definitely not the brick house look [first place winner] that I love. And yet, this was perfect for us. [also, not part of the above mentioned contest]. VERY different looks, and yet both are good.

Much like my opinion of your bread, and yours of mine, is also irrelevant.

There's a fine line between trying to improve a skill, and obsessing over someone on the internets opinion.

So, how do we learn to make the "perfect" bread for our own kitchen? Practice, practice, practice. And, as much as I am loathe to say it, you may need a youtube video or two, if you are not familiar with how bread should look at the different stages.

Then log your attempts. Keep track of what worked, and what didn't. Try the exact same recipe a few times, using different methods each time. Then try a different recipe a few times, using different methods.

And be forewarned - what works for you in the summer, may not work for you in the winter. A rainy day may even have an effect. Don't take it all too seriously. It is after all, only flour, water and salt.

Of all of the trial and error over the past 9 months, I have these personal take aways:

It always takes longer than I think it should.
You can just hit tare on the scale and add the next ingredient right on top of the first.
In a blind taste test, every one of us [my personal family & friends] preferred the taste of the dough that had been in the fridge overnight [cold retard] over the one that had not.
As much as I want to just "wing it", I find that I really do need a scale, personally. Although I've made sourdough just fine without the scale, my results tend to be better when I use one.
The Lame was worth the money. I cannot, personally, score with a knife.
And, after all of the time and effort I've put into perfecting a good crusty sourdough - my family prefers the softer sourdough sandwich bread.
Just. Make. The. Bread. Stop obsessing! Experiment, yes! But don't stress so much. It's only bread.

Here are the printables I am using currently to log my sourdough making efforts: