Sourdough by Science: Understanding Bread Making for Successful Baking

The transformation of a few ingredients into a crackling-crusted sourdough is nothing short of miraculous. Complex and fascinating chemical and biological processes are taking place in your mixing bowl and oven, thanks to wild yeast and bacteria, and the natural sugars, enzymes, and proteins found in flour. However, baking a great loaf of sourdough does not have to be complicated or overwhelming. Understanding the science behind these processes makes all the difference. In Sourdough by Science, molecular biologist Karyn Newman provides a reliable path to sourdough success by arming you with informative descriptions of what's happening on a molecular scale and a strategy for learning from and optimizing your own bakes. Recipes are delectable, doable, and dependable--from a Rustic Boule to Wild Challah to Hazelnut Buns-- teaching you the hows and whys of bread making along the way.

Sourdough by Science has the answers to an array of sourdough questions: What is a sourdough starter? How do different flours respond? When should you add salt to a dough? How does the crust get crisp and crackly? The book makes it easy for readers to develop sourdough intuition with an invaluable and wide-ranging troubleshooting guide. Complete with resources and step-by-step photos, this is an essential book to build your bread-baking expertise.

ISBN-13: 9781682687000

Media Type: Hardcover

Publisher: Countryman Press - The

Publication Date: 01-25-2022

Pages: 304

Product Dimensions: 8.30(w) x 10.40(h) x 1.00(d)

Karyn Lynn Newman is a home baker with a PhD in cellular and molecular biology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family, where she enjoys inventing and optimizing recipes.

Table of Contents

Part 1 Introduction 10

Chapter 1 Getting Started 17

Chapter 2 Key Concepts 23

Chapter 3 Flours Used in This Cookbook 31

Part 2 How to Make Artisan Sourdough 36

Chapter 4 The Care and Keeping of a Sourdough Starter 39

Chapter 5 Stages of the Recipe, Step by Step 51

Part 3 The Artisan Bread Recipes 84

Chapter 6 Essential Recipes: Developing Your Sourdough Intuition 87

Simple Boule 91

Crusty Boule 95

Rustic Boule 99

Octo Rolls 103

Chapter 7 Following Your Muse: Personalize the Essential Loaf 107

Chapter 8 Tour de Force: Recipes Made with a Levain 113

Faithful Batard 117

Heavenly High Hydration 119

Herb and Cheese Bread 123

Winter Comfort Bread 127

Pony Bread 131

American Beauty 135

Malted Barley Bread 139

Rye Revelation 142

Sunflower Spelt Boule 144

Golden Gate Gem 147

Demi-Miche 151

Kiddo's Milk Bread 155

Chapter 9 Let Nature Take Its Course: Slow Fermentation Recipes 159

Slow and Easy 163

Artisan White 167

Oatmeal Bread 169

Pain de Campagne 172

Walnut Bread 175

60% Whole Wheat 178

Sesame Grano Duro 181

Multigrain Bread 185

Beach Rolls with Rosemary and Gruyère 187

Spelt-o-licious 190

Whole Grain Uncut 192

Rye Raisin 195

The Bomb 197

Olive Bats 200

Lazy Bones Bread 202

Part 4 Traditional Breads Using Your Sourdough Starter 204

Chapter 10 Mangia Bene, Ridi Spesso, Ama Molto: Recipes for Focaccia, Pizza, and Ciabatta 207

Focaccia 209

Slow Wild Pizza Crust 212

Wild Pizza Crust Pronto 216

The Newman Special Pizza 219

Roasted Vegetable Pizza 221

Margherita Pizza 222

Pesto Pizza 223

Ciabatta 225

Chapter 11 Jewish Breads: Bagels, Challah, and Deli Rye 229

Slow Bagels 231

Whole Wheat Bagels 234

Wild Challah 236

Deli Rye 239

Chapter 12 Rich Dough for Something Sweet 243

Rich Fluffy Dough 244 Brioche 247

Makowiec (Polish Poppy Seed Roll) 248

Hazelnut Buns 250

Nutmeg Puffs 253

Apple Monkey Bread 254

Cinnamon Rolls with Orange icing 256

Chocolate Raspberry Buns 258

Part 5 Appendix 260

Waste Nat, Want Not: Recipes Using Discarded Starter 261

Special Baking Challenges 270

Troubleshooting 276

Glossary 283

Sourdough Baking Worksheet 290

Bibliography 292

Acknowledgments 293

Index 295

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