Baking bread with sourdough

Cereals such as wheat, spelt or rye are mainly used for baking bread. Good quality flour is also essential for the success of bread and pastries. If you have a mill in your neighbourhood, you are lucky enough to be able to buy freshly ground flour directly. If you buy your flour ready-made, there are a few things you should bear in mind. The higher the number of types on the flour packet, the higher the mineral content and the higher the quality of the flour. Flour with a high number contains more of the outer layers of a grain, whereas flour with a low number contains almost no outer layers. If the husk content in the flour is low, the mineral, fibre and vitamin content is much lower, but the swelling and baking properties are significantly improved, and the flour has a longer shelf life. Now it is also clear why the bread you buy in the supermarket is usually made from white flour with a low number of types.

Baking bread with sourdough allows the starch in the flour to swell better, the bread keeps longer, is more digestible and incredibly moist. You also get an unmistakably strong flavour together with delicious spices. There is no need to be afraid of preparing sourdough starter. Rye flour, water and time are the only ingredients you need for your sourdough. A little attention every day and your sourdough will be ready on day 5. You can then use it for lots of great bread recipes, or store it in a screw-top jar in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.

Very often it is the simple things, such as the smell of fresh bread, that awaken childhood memories and special experiences with people in us. Spices give your homemade bread that certain extra and are also great for your digestion. Aniseed, fennel, coriander and caraway are the basic spices for baking bread and pastries. Salt in bread also has a significant influence on whether we like the flavour of the bread. A huge advantage of home baking is that you can decide for yourself how much salt and which spices you use. You know exactly what’s in it, and you can also pay attention to the regionality and quality of the flour.

Weigh the ingredients in recipes precisely so that the dough really has the right consistency. Always cover the dough during the resting time to prevent it from drying out. A tea towel will suffice. It is best to preheat the oven well, for about 10 minutes at the specified temperature. At best, bake with plenty of steam. If your oven does not have a steam function, place a container on the lowest level of the oven for preheating. As soon as the bread goes into the oven, pour water into the ovenproof dish. Your bread will rise perfectly. To make sure that the bread is done baking, it is best to do the knock test. This involves tapping the underside of the finished bread with your finger. If it sounds hollow, your bread is ready and nothing stands in the way of enjoying it. After all, there’s nothing like a warm piece of bread with butter.