Sourdough Artisan Bread Guide

13 Comments

1. I watched your YouTube video about making sourdough bread. It was great and gave me information. I can use in making it much easier. You used a bread recipe that had 200 g of starter and 1000 g of bread flour. However, there was not measurements for the water or salt. Can you give that information to me please? Thanks.

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   1. You can get that recipe right here: https://amybakesbread.com/sourdough-basic-country-artisan-bread/ It will have all the instructions and measurements that you need. I’m glad the video was helpful!

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2. Hello Amy:

   I love your website and am new to sourdough bread making. I made a loaf of your beginner sourdough bread. I don’t know how to judge it, taste is good, it didn’t seem to be real high, but the biggest problem is that the crust is really hard. I used a bread knife for cutting but I think a chainsaw might have worked better. lol Is it supposed to have a really hard crust? I used the cold proof as your recommended. about14 hours.
   Any idea what I could have done wrong?

   TIA
   Diana

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   1. A crisp crust is normal for a sourdough loaf, but it shouldn’t be so hard that it feels impossible to cut. A couple of things could cause a thicker crust. If the loaf baked a little too long or if the oven runs hot, the crust can become extra firm. You could try reducing the bake time slightly or lowering the oven temperature by about 10–15°F next time to see if that helps. Also, sourdough crust will be at its hardest right after baking. As the loaf cools, it usually softens a bit. If you prefer a softer crust, you can cover the loaf with a towel while it cools or store it in a bag once it’s fully cooled, which will soften the crust more. The fact that it tasted good is a great sign—your fermentation was likely right on track!

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3. I have killed many starters….So I decided to try yours. On day 6 and the starter is doing exactly what you said it would. At 5 hours it has doubled. Still needs some more days to be ready but here is my question: I am using 50:50 Organic Central Milling APF and Organic Rye. But if I am feeding daily, it seems like a waste to use 100 gm flour. Can I cut the feed in half until I need more starter? ie, 50 gm flour mixture, 50 gm water, 15 gm starter then go back to the larger feed when I need more ripe starter?

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   1. Yes, you can go down to that smaller amount of feeding if you want to. Glad your starter is coming along well!

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4. Thank you Amy , I’m looking forward to trying your recipes and now with your easy guide it will make it a lot easier for me.

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   1. Thanks for being here and loving the recipes!

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      1. Hi, thanks for your recipes. Which loaf will have the lightest, airyest, softest crumb? I made the croissant one and it was amazing.

      2. I love the crumb of the croissant loaf too. I don’t think you can go wrong with this classic artisan sourdough or even sourdough focaccia. I like the light and airy texture of this Sourdough Brioche too. It’s hard to pick the best recipe! The light and airy crumb will come from a good rise (temperature is key!). Happy baking.

5. Thank you for the generosity of your talent and experience Amy, it changed everything for me. I was about to give up and found you and now I’m a successful home sourdough baker.
   Your website is amazing, your giving will reward you tenfold. Thank you

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   1. Aww…I’m so glad you had so much success! Than you for sharing your review with me.

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6. Wonderful guide! Thank you so much! 😍👩‍🍳🍞

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