Hi! Pretty new to baking and sourdough. I've made maybe 15 or 20 loaves. I was gifted the starter, and haven't had any issues with it thus far. My issue with my most recent loaves are they tastes just like white bread? Not sour at all. I've used this recipe before, and have gotten the traditional sour flavor, but not this time. Any thoughts or suggestions to get it more sour? I love it as sour as it can be. (I didn't think to take pictures until after I started cutting, sorry!)
1000g AP King A Flour
730g Water
Autolyze 1 Hr
Add
200g Active Starter
20g salt
20g water
Mix w/ Stand Mixer 10-15min.
Bulk ferment with 3 rounds of stretch and fold every half hour. Warm kitchen (75-80 degrees 4-5 hours to bulk)
Shape 2 loaves and proof 1 hr
Refrigerate overnight 12-14 hr
Baked in hot Dutch oven 450 degrees 20min, remove lid 20 more min
by heen_the_errand_dog
11 Comments
Natural Sourdough is not usually sour tasting. The commercial Sourdough has artificial flavor or citric acid added.
Starve your starter between feedings so that it gets hooch on top. You’ll stir it back in when feeding. This will make it more sour. You’ll be able to taste it and smell it. Depending on how sour you want it, do this several times.
I’ve been told that the colder (and longer) the bulk fermentation, the more sour flavor builds up. I’m not sure though, this may be folklore.
Nice crumb though!
This is gorgeous. I’d eat it sour or not!
I will say, my bread is rarely very sour. I have noticed in the summer when things get funky faster, it can lean more sour. Maybe let your starter go over a little, try long cold ferments.
I refrigerate my loaves for up to 3 days after being put in the banneton for a more sour flavor. My favorite loaf is a 3 day loaf, but usually I can’t wait that long before I need more bread!
I heard adding some rye flour to your loaf or separate the starter you’ll be using for your loaf and feed that starter rye flour it gives alot of sour taste
I do a few different things that are supposed to help ( some already mentioned) and I get really nice sour loaves!
I use ~10-15% rye flour, currently I’m playing with spelt as well and is has a nice flavor, but the rye really helps.
I starve my starter and only feed it every other day, I don’t refrigerate only because we bake a lot of bread and I use all my discard for my crackers that my family is addicted to.
I feed my starter with half rye and half bread flour when I do feed it.
Long bulk fermentation, my house is cold ~65 most of the time which means it takes FOREVER to ferment, but it also develops great flavor. It seriously takes me 12-16 hours to double aty home temp. Once shaped I leave my loaves in the fridge for an additional 18-36 hours, rarely 36 it’s usually closer to 24.
In addition to what others have said, just wanted to add that mine suddenly got a lot more sour after the starter got over a year old. So starter maturity might be a thing as well.
I have found that 48 hours in the fridge makes a great sour flavor
I replace 10% of my bread flour with dark rye flour. It gives me that type of flavor after an overnight bulk ferment. I haven’t tried fridge fermentation, but that is supposed to help as well.