Sourdough Bread Class – three ways

I want to show you three ways of making sourdough bread. I want to condense everything I have learned to help you identify how you want to make bread and what kind of bread you want to make.

By this I mean.
I would like to show you the No Knead, Knead and Knead Lots method.

No Knead – using a tin
The easiest way to make sourdough bread is to make a loose dough (a rather wet dough). The dough is mixed very well and then allowed to bulk ferment. The dough is not kneaded and gluten is not developed. After the bulk fermentation, the dough is poured into a tin to do a final rise and is then baked. The bread produced will have a flat top but will otherwise be delicious.

Knead – using a tin
Then there is the knead approach. In this case the dough is firmer with less water used, and the dough is kneaded for up to 10 mins. This develops some of the gluten in the bread and allows you to shape the dough. The dough is bulk fermented and then shaped before being placed in a tin. It is allowed to do a final rise and it is then baked. This method, which includes kneading will produce a bread with a rounded top.

Knead Lots – no need for a tin
This method is for those of you who want to be able to make free form loaves, in other words loaves of bread that are not baked in a tin. The kind of bread that artisinal bakeries make. To make this kind of bread you need to knead the dough a great deal more. Up to 20 mins to truly develop the dough. And there are lots more steps involved in the process.
I would like you to choose your own adventure hence before coming to the class please have a think about which method best suits your needs.

In the class I will cover all three approaches.
We will begin with the easiest way to make bread, and work our way through the other two methods.

I will provide.
Levain made from rye
All tools
Flour from Wholegrain Milling Co: this will be a lightly sifted white flour with lots of germ and bran. Hence it is not a pure white flour and will produce a denser healthier bread.
Digital notes sent to you via email which you need to print out before class.

Lunch
We will make flat breads on the day. Please bring a vegetarian filling to share, which is free from packaging. Zero waste lunch.
Please also bring your apron, a tea towel and a jar to take home levain.
Each of you will take home a loaf of bread.

Sunday June 14th 9-6pm at ORTO Farm.