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Tools of the Trade — What You Should Have on Hand Before Beginning Your Sourdough Journey
1. Access to freshly milled organic flour. This will make all the difference in the quality of your baked goods. There are many types of wheat flour, ancient grains, and non-wheat flours that can be used for sourdough. I will list my top five kinds of wheat flour below.
- Organic All-Purpose: This is a perfect flour for feeding your starter and baking pies, cakes, muffins, and tortillas.
- Organic Bread Flour: Bread flour is slightly higher in protein than all-purpose flour, which creates more gluten and traps more gasses thus giving bread more structure and loft. Bread flour is great for baking soft and lofty loaves of bread with a nice open crumb.
An open crumb sourdough loaf made with 100% bread flour. Copyright Butter For All
- Organic Whole Wheat: Whole wheat flour has the bran and husk of the flour kernel milled in. It has a sweet and earthy flavor with more natural fiber. I like to add up to 50% whole wheat flour in many recipes. The bran of the flour kernel will interfere with gluten production, which is why 100% whole wheat bread is much more dense with a tighter crumb structure. Whole wheat flour is great for adding to any recipe to give it more flavor and texture.
- Organic Triple 200 Wheat Flours: Triple 200 flours are still whole wheat but they have been passed through a 200 gauge sieve three times, making the flour extra soft and light. They are fabulous for adding whole wheat flavor with a very delicate texture. Triple 200 is perfect for adding whole wheat flavor to delicate cakes, doughnuts, bread, and cookies.
An artisan style boule made with 50% Triple 200 Whole Wheat Flour and 50% Bread Flour
Copyright Butter For All
- Organic Heirloom and Ancient Grains: Heirloom and ancient grains are making a huge comeback as people start to reinvest in the traditional food-ways of our ancestors. Einkorn, Emmer, Spelt, and Kamut are just a few of the choices on the market. They all have varying levels of gluten, typically lower than industrialized hybridized wheat. Heirloom grains can have lots of different flavor profiles as well, from sweet to smoky to nutty. Once you are feeling confident with your baking skills it is fun to add these ancient grains into any of your baking projects!
Some locally milled flours I use in my sourdough baking projects.
If you don’t have access to freshly milled local flour there are several brands that I have personally had great success with.
2. Fresh unchlorinated water. Chlorine can really harm the growth of wild yeast and bacteria, not to mention it’s gross. Chlorinated water can be left to off-gas for 24 to 48 hours in an open glass container if needed. But the best thing you can invest in is a high powered portable water filter. I would recommend The Berkey Water Filter to anyone. It’s portable, has a great capacity, and the filters last years with proper care. It is also so reassuring to have the Berkey in case of emergency situations. Please do not use bottled water. Plastic water bottles are one of the most unsustainable choices that people make.
3. A baking scale. This is such a crucial tool for baking exceptional sourdough. Can you bake good bread without one? Sure. I did it for years, but my bread was elevated to the next level when I started paying close attention to the hydration and weights of my recipes.
4. A glass storage container. The proper storage container for your starter is really important. The starter needs to breathe but shouldn’t be left open to the elements. Fruit flies can be a bothersome pest to sourdough and can contaminate a starter with unwanted bacteria. I choose to use a locking lid jar with the rubber seal removed. This allows the starter to breathe without it drying out or becoming infested with intruders.
5. A set of ceramic or glass mixing bowls. Sometimes the metal alloys found in aluminum or even stainless steel mixing bowls can have a negative effect on fermentation. I suggest a sturdy set of ceramic or glass mixing bowls to keep your starter in prime condition for baking.
6. A proofing basket (Banneton). Traditional proofing baskets made from willow are beautiful and functional. They give sourdough loaves an artisanal shape and texture. The lightweight willow is breathable and the shape of the basket supports the dough and gives the bread optimal conditions to rise to full potential.
7. A Dutch oven. I can’t stress enough how much baking in a Dutch oven improved my bread game. The Dutch oven traps steam inside while baking, keeping the crust soft and stretchy and allowing the bread to rise as high as possible. The lid of the Dutch oven is removed halfway through baking to allow the crust to brown nicely.
8. A dough whisk. This handy little tool is perfect for mixing doughs of all kinds. You can even use it to stretch and fold your dough.
9. Parchment paper. Parchment paper is a baking luxury that I highly recommend. It can be used to line cookie sheets when making crackers, in between balls of dough, or as a sling for transporting your delicate loaves to the oven. Make sure to look for an eco-friendly brand and reuse parchment whenever possible!
10. A bread lame. A bread lame is the tool used by bakers to easily hold a sharp razor blade for scoring bread. The lame gives you a nice handle and provides comfort and accuracy during the important scoring process.
And finally here are some fun optional additions to the sourdough baker’s tool chest.
A grain mill for grinding fresh flours from wheat, oats, and more, cast iron loaf pans; a baking stone for pizza and rolls; a stand mixer; baguette forms; and measuring cups, scoops and wooden spoons.
Cathleen
Saturday 25th of February 2023
What is the difference between bread flour and home ground 100% wheat flour? Thank you for your help.
Butter For All
Monday 27th of February 2023
Hi Cathleen!
Bread flour is in most cases a hybridized wheat with a high protein content. Typically it is either sifted or hulled to remove the outer bran and keep the soft, white, inner starch. The high protein content translates to higher gluten development and a more open crumb structure.
Home ground wheat flour can be any wheat variety you choose, but it will have 100% of its hull ground into the flour. So it will have more vitamins and minerals, more flavor, translating to a higher chance of spoilage due to the increased oil content, and more anti-nutrients that will need to be taken care of with soaking, sprouting or souring. It's best to keep whole wheat kernels and fresh ground flour in the refrigerator or freezer. Or only grind as much as you can use in a few days. Whole wheat flour will create a bread that is much more dense with less gluten development, but a lot more flavor and nutrition.
I hope that helps!
Courtney
Ella
Wednesday 22nd of February 2023
Hello Courtney, I started my sourdough starter journey last week. I used day 1 50g of whole wheat flour and 50g water, day 2,3 and 4 i used ratio 1:2:2 (25g starter, 50g flour and 50g water). It was doing very well day 2 (almost rised twice by 24 hours), day 3 rised less but bubbles were there, day 4 the same. Am I feeding it too much? You have a different ratio in your recipe - 50g starter, 25g flour and 25g water. Temperature in my kitchen is between 70-72 degrees
Thank you for your advice! Ella
Butter For All
Monday 27th of February 2023
Hey again! I answered you in the previous question, but I will say that the temp could be increased to really favor the yeast. Check out the temperature inside your oven with the light on. If it's between 80-95℉ you could keep your starter in there while it becomes established. If it's too warm in the oven, try cracking the door to see what temp the oven stays at.
Ella
Wednesday 22nd of February 2023
Hello Courtney, I started my sourdough starter journey last week and I'm on day 4 now. It rises less then before and it troubles me. I used 50g whole wheat flour and 50g water 1st day. Next days I used ratio 1:2:2 (25g starter, 50g flour and 50g water). I noticed that you used a different ratio in your recipe - 50g starter, 25g flour and 25g water. Am I giving him too much in my feedings?
Thank you, Ella
Butter For All
Monday 27th of February 2023
Hi Ella!
Sorry for the slow reply I recommend a 1:2:2 ratio for reviving a dehydrated starter, but for starting a starter from scratch, I like a 2:1:1 ratio. This ensures the yeast (who may be struggling to reproduce quickly) aren't getting overly diminished with each feeding. It's really very normal for you to see a big rise in the first day or two when the bacteria isn't as established, followed by a slower period of yeast growth as things start to balance out and the lactic acid starts to build. The yeast have to adjust to this new acidic environment. Hopefully you kept going and are starting to see some consistency with rising. I think you could continue with a 1:2:2 ratio (there is no definitive ratio) or try reversing it to see what works best in your situation. I hope you'll follow up to let me know how it goes!
Best of luck,
Courtney
Wendy
Sunday 15th of January 2023
Hello!l Courtney!
I am a beginner and I appreciate your very thorough articles. So helpful and something I plan on sharing with my daughter. 😊💕
One request… when viewing your articles on my iPhone, the DO NOT SELL tab blocks the left side of the screen making it difficult to read all of your instructions. If there is any way you could move that tab to another location, it sure would be helpful.👍
Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to being your student!
My Best, Wendy
Butter For All
Wednesday 18th of January 2023
Hi Wendy,
Thank you for your thoughtful note, I love hearing that you are getting your daughter involved in cooking and baking!
I'm so sorry there is a tab blocking you from accessing the site correctly. I'm not sure what the "Do not sell" tab is. So would you mind grabbing a screen shot and emailing it to me at courtney@butterforall.com please? I will check it out and see if it's something I can fix myself!
Sarah
Sunday 7th of August 2022
Hi Courtney!
I’m very new to the sourdough world and am doing some reading before I fully commit. With your starter recipe, what size of glass container do you use? Some have said it can more than double in size... I want to have a big enough jar but not too big... Also, would a plastics twist lid work? I’m thinking it would breathe very well?
Thanks for being such a thorough sourdough resource for this newbie!
Butter For All
Thursday 11th of August 2022
Hi Sarah!
Welcome! Typically I use a quart jar or larger. I like to have lots of starter on hand for many baking projects. But it really depends on how much you want to keep. You can always switch containers if you need to make more or less. You are right, a plastic screw on ball jar lid works great! I also like locking lid jars with the seal removed. You'll have to keep me posted on your progress!!
Happy Baking,
Courtney