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Sourdough Bread

Sourdough Bread

Makes 1 loaf

There's a particular kind of magic in watching a sourdough starter come to life - just flour, water and time, slowly turning into something bubbling and alive. But the vessel matters as much as the ingredients. Glass is inert by nature, so it never interferes with that wild, natural fermentation - just flour, water and yeast doing exactly what they're meant to do. Store your starter in a Consol Glass Preserve Jar 500ml with Black Lid and watch the process unfold in plain sight, knowing nothing unwanted has made it into the mix.

Ingredients: 

Sourdough Starter (build over 7 days):

  • Day 1: 50g Wholemeal + 50g water

  • Day 2: 50g Wholemeal + 50g water

  • Day 3: Discard 100g, add 100g flour + 100g water

  • Day 4: Discard 150g, add 100g flour + 100g water

  • Day 5: Discard 200g, add 150g wholemeal flour + 150g water

  • Day 6: Discard 250g, add 200g wholemeal flour + 200g water

  • Day 7: Starter should be active and bubbly - ready to use

White Sourdough Dough:

  • 400g Strong white flour

  • 5g Salt

  • 230ml Water

  • 160g Sourdough starter (active and bubbly)

Method: 

Building the starter:

  1. Day 1: In a clean Consol Glass Preserve Jar 500ml, stir the wholemeal flour and water together until fully combined. Cover and leave at room temperature overnight.

  2. Days 2 - 6: Each day, discard the listed amount of starter, then stir in the day's flour and water. Cover and leave overnight. From Day 4 onward, the starter should start smelling pleasantly sour with small bubbles forming on the surface.

  3. Day 7: Your starter should now be very active, full of bubbles and ready to bake with. Keep a portion back to feed and use again next time.

Making the dough:

  1. In a Consol Glass San Marino Mixing Bowl 4000ml, combine the flour and salt. Add the water and starter, then mix together to form a rough dough.

  2. Knead using one of the following methods:

  • Option A - Traditional knead: Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and knead for about 10 minutes, until it passes the windowpane test (see Notes) - smooth, soft and elastic.

  • Option B - Stretch & rest knead: Turn out and knead for 10 seconds. Return to the bowl and rest for 10 minutes. Repeat twice more - by the third time, the dough should be smooth, soft and elastic. Don't be tempted to add extra flour, even if it feels slightly sticky.

  1. Return the dough to the bowl, cover and prove at room temperature for 4 hours.

  2. Turn out and knock back gently to release the air - this also helps equalise the dough's temperature. Shape into a tight round ball.

  3. Place seam-side up into a flour-dusted proving basket, or a tea-towel-lined, floured Consol Glass Lisbon Square Roaster 2400ml. Cover and refrigerate overnight (see Notes for a same-day alternative).

  4. The next morning, preheat the oven to 230°C. Turn the dough out onto a floured baking tray or hot baking stone, domed side facing up. Score the top about ½ cm deep (see Notes).

  5. Create steam by adding ice cubes or a splash of boiling water to a hot tray at the base of the oven. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, until deeply golden and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped underneath.

  6. Cool completely before slicing - then get back to feeding your starter in your Consol Glass Preserve Jar 500ml, ready for the next bake.

Notes:

  • Feeding & storing your starter long-term: Once active, feed your starter with equal weights of flour and water (e.g. 200g starter = 200g flour + 200g water). Discard any excess so it doesn't outgrow its jar. Feed daily if kept at room temperature, or store in the fridge for up to 10 days between bakes. Planning to bake? Take the starter out the night before, feed it, and leave at room temperature overnight - it should be active and bubbly by morning.

  • The windowpane test: Stretch a small piece of dough gently between your fingers. If it stretches thin enough to see light through without tearing, it's kneaded enough.

  • Same-day option: Short on time? Skip the overnight fridge proving and instead let the shaped dough prove at room temperature for 3 - 3½ hours before baking.

  • Why scoring matters: That signature slash isn't just decorative - it controls where and how the loaf expands in the oven, giving you a cleaner rise.

 

Sourdough Bread