HYDERABAD: Sourdough has risen to popularity lately and is everywhere on social media. Known for its crusty yet airy texture, this oldest form of bread leavening, which is hand-kneaded giving it a rustic look, is now on many DIYers’ to-do-list. But many don’t seem to get it right.
There are tons of reasons why the recipe could fail and one might eventually turn sour towards the concept of sourdough. But chefs and bakers in the city are here to clear all doubts and help master the technique. Ratish Melhotra (@ratish97), consultant at Nue Cafe, explains that as the bread is made using a mix of wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria which are naturally present in flour.
The key to a good sourdough bread is time and patience. “Unlike the regular leavened breads, traditional sourdough fermentation takes longer to ferment and rise, which is what creates its peculiar texture. Sourdough uses an active culture/starter made from scratch, which is maintained and fed for weeks. It is then used to leaven the dough for over 12-18 hours.
When one patiently works through the timings and feeds it well, a good batch of sourdough is guaranteed.” Not many know that it doesn’t use commercial yeast. Sharing his experience of making sourdough, he says: “I was shocked to hear of a few places using commercial yeast in and around the city. True sourdough doesn’t use gluten powder and has an active culture. It is not about getting the dark crust or the fancy scoring.” Baker Nisha Dürr (@ nisha_ durr) lists out a few mistakes bakers often make while making sourdough.
“While it would take some practice to get the hang of it, making sourdough doesn’t have to be so complicated. It just takes a healthy practice of feeding and maintaining your starter to keep it alive and active. You don’t need an old, established starter, you can build your own starter, as long as you’re feeding it regularly,” she says. Natasha Gupta (@livingforeveronlytoeat), a home baker and owner of Natasha’s Sourdoughery, says baking sourdough is a diverse and versatile process.
“Every time you bake sourdough it is different — what worked last time for you might not work this time. For example, the external environment, including the temperature, humidity, etc. are extremely crucial while baking sourdough. If you made a good loaf during the summer, the same schedule or recipe
won’t work in the winter or monsoon.” Natasha adds that chefs/bakers need to ensure that they are constantly experimenting and not relying on someone else’s recipe.
COMMON MISTAKES
— Nisha Dürr, baker