Artisan Sourdough: Wholesome Recipes, Organic Grains

By Casper Andre Lugg and Ivar Hveem Fjeld

Master the art of sourdough, from creating a starter to baking and serving delicious loaves in this full-color, step-by-step, illustrated guide.

For a growing number of people, eating heathy is more important than ever. We’re rejecting processed, packaged foods filled with unpronounceable chemicals, and are embracing, organic whole foods, including whole grain and slow made breads like sourdough—the oldest method of bread baking.

In Artisan Sourdough, bakers Casper Andre Lugg and Marin Ivar Hveem Fjeld show you how to master this traditional style of bread which has never been more relevant or popular. This how-to book features fifteen no-fail recipes with clear, step-by-step instructions and photographs to help you make your own artisanal loaves at home.

The methods and recipes in Artisan Sourdough continue a tradition that is more than 5,000 years old: mix flour and water, then allow the dough to ferment and rise by itself. This extended fermentation process allows for maximum flavor—and easier digestion. With an emphasis on local, heirloom, and ancient grains, the authors introduce the natural ingredients used in artisan baking, teaching how to make a stable starter, and explaining how to “set the leaven” to create perfect baked loaves. The book comes complete with cook’s notes and a trouble-shooting section to help you to avoid soggy bottoms, over baking, and other common problems.

This is an indispensable resource for bakers, the perfect starter guide for the beginner bread baker that demystifies this traditional food that has been enjoyed around the world for generations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Mar 19, 2019
• ISBN: 9780062864130

Book preview

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Flour, Water & Salt

Flour, Water & Salt

Sourdough is the original baked bread. The methods and recipes that appear in this book build upon a practice that is more than 5,000 years old. The basic elements have always been the same: mix flour and water, then let the dough ferment and rise by itself.

Anyone can bake good sourdough bread. You just have to give it time and attention and use the best ingredients possible. You will always gets more out of using raw materials from dedicated organic farmers and millers who care for the soil and the processing of grain.

Flour, water, and salt—that is all you need. Our method does not require much physical work, because it is first and foremost about letting natural processes take place at their own pace. It is a flexible way of baking to which most schedules can be adapted. Time, however, is critical. In fact, time can almost be viewed as the fourth ingredient. It is time that lets the flavors of the grain mature, which gives bread its unique quality.

There are many different grains available and some are thousands of years old. In our native Scandinavia, they were mostly overrun by the emergence of modern agriculture. But thanks to some enthusiasts, ancient grains—such as einkorn, emmer, spelt, naked barley, and rye meal—are being cultivated again.

The roots of organic grain plants run deep into the ground and extract all the nutrients they need right from the soil. Neither spraying nor artificial fertilizer is necessary. The result of growing organic grain is extra flavor and nutrition. All the breads in this book are baked with organic grain and stone-ground flour from small independent farms and mills not far from where we live. When flour is ground on stone and not in industrial roller mills, the grain is exposed to minimal heat, which helps preserve its nutrients and flavor. This gentler treatment preserves the oil from the germ, which provides plenty of aromas from the grain to pass on to the bread.

Baking with sourdough may seem complicated at first. Once you have had the dough in your hands a few times, however, you will find that the learning curve may be steep but the process is rewarding. There’s only one way to become a good sourdough baker, and that is by baking as much as possible.

There are many paths to good sourdough bread, but the method we present in this book produces, in our opinion, the best results. It is a method that perfectly suits baking with stone-ground flour from small-scale production, which often have weaker baking properties than commercial flour. When these loaves are successful, they result in an airy and moist crumb, a caramelized and crisp crust, and have a distinctive flavor from the grain. Good