Now that we’re in Lockdown 3.0, many readers are back to baking.
While banana bread was the obsession of the early days of lockdown, many have become a bit more ambitious with their batch baking turning their hand to sourdough.
However, it’s not without its challenges. Between getting the starter right, preparing it at the correct temperature and dealing with the fact that sourdough can be as temperamental as a moody teenager, it is a hot topic between professional and amateur bakers alike.
There are four components to sourdough: water, flour, starter and salt.
One man that is praised for getting it right is William Despard of the Bretzel Bakery in Dublin, who last year was named the Supreme Champion at Blas na hÉireann, the Irish food awards. It was his Pain de Maison Boule – a naturally fermented large round sourdough loaf made with wheat and wholemeal rye flour – that scooped the prize.
Bretzel Bakery has an interesting history. That distinguishable waft of baking bread has been a fixture of the Portobello community for over 150 years. William says: “Around 1870, it was set up by a Russian emigrant, who missed the bakeries back home. Then around the turn of the century, a lot of Jews arrived in the area, it was known as ‘Little Jerusalem’.
William won Supreme Champion at the 2020 Blas na hÉireann awards for his sourdough.
“A Jewish family ran it, which again influenced the style of baking. In the 1940s, it was taken over by an Irishman called Christy Hackett and his son Morgan sold it to me 20 years ago.
“The Bretzel Bakery has a lot of history and tradition but throughout it was also quirky and innovative.
“Like many farmers, I very much see myself as a custodian of it, to pass on to future generations and although last year was extremely challenging, this bakery has already survived the 1918 pandemic and two world wars, and we must go on.”
Natural, fermented bread made with only four components – flour, water, starter and salt – has been a focus for William since day one. “Good sourdough doesn’t have any additives or preservatives, it is much better for our gut health and doesn’t spike blood sugars in the same way that conventional white bread does.”
However, it took people a while to catch onto the beauty of sourdough. After all, we are a nation obsessed with the sliced pan. Since it became a staple ingredient in the “brunch boom” of the past decade though, it has had a revolution of its own.
As restaurants and cafes are closed again, people are keen to perfect it in their own homes. Eager to help the nation achieve sourdough success, William answers some reader queries.
Anonymous, Cork
We’ve tried and failed to make sourdough for the last 12 months after making our own starter each time from scratch. Last week, I picked up a starter from Bread & Roses in Cork so I’m going to give it another go. How do you know when the starter is ready?
Getting a starter from a bakery is a great idea. We give ours out for free as well. My advice is to use the starter as soon as you get it, within a few hours anyway. If the starter is at room temperature, then it’s ready to use. If its refrigerated and fresh, then leave it return to room temperature before using it.
It can be frustrating when your starter fails so use this opportunity to really examine the fresh starter before you start baking so you know the signs that it’s ready, for future reference. Smell it so you are familiarising yourself with that fresh yeasty smell and push on it gently and you’ll feel than its less dense than flour and water.
The float test is also a good way to check if your starter is ready. You cut off a bit of starter, about a teaspoon, put it in a cup of water at room temperature and if it floats, it’s ready.
If you haven’t had a chance to use it as soon as you get it though, then you need to refrigerate it and bring it back to room temperature when you are ready to bake. You will also have to encourage a bit of action by adding fresh flour and water. If you are buying starter to bypass all that, it kind of defeats the purpose to refrigerate it, so it’s best to use it straight away.
Sandra Morrisey, Carlow
Twice last year I tried to grow my own starter but it never really took off. I was growing it in the utility room but recently someone said it might be too cold. Does it really make a difference if I have it in the kitchen or the utility room?
It does if you have a very cold utility room. A starter is like any living organism, you have to feed it in the right way. So you need to have the right conditions-the right amount of food, given consistently and frequently. And the right temperature. Starter will react differently at 18°C compared to 20°C compared to 22°C. Too cold and it won’t grow and too warm and it will grow too quickly. That’s why when you put the starter in the fridge to preserve it, it essentially goes to sleep. But the fun part of developing a starter is that it can be a little experimental so move it to the kitchen and see the difference it makes.
Marie O’Shea, Kilkenny
I get past the starter part fine, and the folding but then the bread seems to get wet and flop so I know then it won’t hold its shape as it seems too moist. It is big and looks great and then gets moist and flat.
I suspect this reader needs to get a proving basket. Without it, the bread is not going to get the strength to support its own weight. If you prove it in a bowl or tin and then scoop it out to form a loaf, then you are going to de-gas it. You’re knocking all the gases out of it and once they are gone, they won’t come back. As a result, the bread can get floppy, as you described. The best thing to do is turn your proving basket directly onto your baking tray, it should slide out easily and then get it into the oven as fast as you can.
Linda Thompson, Mayo
Does it matter what flour I use?
Yes, it really does. You are looking for natural plain flour and it’s worth reading the label. Even some plain flour has additives and if there are chemicals in the flour, this is at odds with making a naturally fermented bread. If you are using your own starter, consider that its strain of yeast is about 100 times weaker than a big block of commercial yeast. It’s very delicate and any kind of additives in the flour can upset that balance. Also watch out for anti-cake mechanisms and preservatives. Dunany Flour from Drogheda, Durrow Mills in Westmeath and Kells Wholemeal Flour in Bennettsbridge in Kilkenny are all good options.
The Bretzel Bakery has shared its sourdough recipe with Irish Country Living. Tag us on Instagram at @irishcountryliving and @thebretzelbakery with your sourdough success.
Now that we’re in Lockdown 3.0, many readers are back to baking.
While banana bread was the obsession of the early days of lockdown, many have become a bit more ambitious with their batch baking turning their hand to sourdough.
However, it’s not without its challenges. Between getting the starter right, preparing it at the correct temperature and dealing with the fact that sourdough can be as temperamental as a moody teenager, it is a hot topic between professional and amateur bakers alike.
There are four components to sourdough: water, flour, starter and salt.
One man that is praised for getting it right is William Despard of the Bretzel Bakery in Dublin, who last year was named the Supreme Champion at Blas na hÉireann, the Irish food awards. It was his Pain de Maison Boule – a naturally fermented large round sourdough loaf made with wheat and wholemeal rye flour – that scooped the prize.
Bretzel Bakery has an interesting history. That distinguishable waft of baking bread has been a fixture of the Portobello community for over 150 years. William says: “Around 1870, it was set up by a Russian emigrant, who missed the bakeries back home. Then around the turn of the century, a lot of Jews arrived in the area, it was known as ‘Little Jerusalem’.
William won Supreme Champion at the 2020 Blas na hÉireann awards for his sourdough.
“A Jewish family ran it, which again influenced the style of baking. In the 1940s, it was taken over by an Irishman called Christy Hackett and his son Morgan sold it to me 20 years ago.
“The Bretzel Bakery has a lot of history and tradition but throughout it was also quirky and innovative.
“Like many farmers, I very much see myself as a custodian of it, to pass on to future generations and although last year was extremely challenging, this bakery has already survived the 1918 pandemic and two world wars, and we must go on.”
Natural, fermented bread made with only four components – flour, water, starter and salt – has been a focus for William since day one. “Good sourdough doesn’t have any additives or preservatives, it is much better for our gut health and doesn’t spike blood sugars in the same way that conventional white bread does.”
However, it took people a while to catch onto the beauty of sourdough. After all, we are a nation obsessed with the sliced pan. Since it became a staple ingredient in the “brunch boom” of the past decade though, it has had a revolution of its own.
As restaurants and cafes are closed again, people are keen to perfect it in their own homes. Eager to help the nation achieve sourdough success, William answers some reader queries.
Anonymous, Cork
We’ve tried and failed to make sourdough for the last 12 months after making our own starter each time from scratch. Last week, I picked up a starter from Bread & Roses in Cork so I’m going to give it another go. How do you know when the starter is ready?
Getting a starter from a bakery is a great idea. We give ours out for free as well. My advice is to use the starter as soon as you get it, within a few hours anyway. If the starter is at room temperature, then it’s ready to use. If its refrigerated and fresh, then leave it return to room temperature before using it.
It can be frustrating when your starter fails so use this opportunity to really examine the fresh starter before you start baking so you know the signs that it’s ready, for future reference. Smell it so you are familiarising yourself with that fresh yeasty smell and push on it gently and you’ll feel than its less dense than flour and water.
The float test is also a good way to check if your starter is ready. You cut off a bit of starter, about a teaspoon, put it in a cup of water at room temperature and if it floats, it’s ready.
If you haven’t had a chance to use it as soon as you get it though, then you need to refrigerate it and bring it back to room temperature when you are ready to bake. You will also have to encourage a bit of action by adding fresh flour and water. If you are buying starter to bypass all that, it kind of defeats the purpose to refrigerate it, so it’s best to use it straight away.
Sandra Morrisey, Carlow
Twice last year I tried to grow my own starter but it never really took off. I was growing it in the utility room but recently someone said it might be too cold. Does it really make a difference if I have it in the kitchen or the utility room?
It does if you have a very cold utility room. A starter is like any living organism, you have to feed it in the right way. So you need to have the right conditions-the right amount of food, given consistently and frequently. And the right temperature. Starter will react differently at 18°C compared to 20°C compared to 22°C. Too cold and it won’t grow and too warm and it will grow too quickly. That’s why when you put the starter in the fridge to preserve it, it essentially goes to sleep. But the fun part of developing a starter is that it can be a little experimental so move it to the kitchen and see the difference it makes.
Marie O’Shea, Kilkenny
I get past the starter part fine, and the folding but then the bread seems to get wet and flop so I know then it won’t hold its shape as it seems too moist. It is big and looks great and then gets moist and flat.
I suspect this reader needs to get a proving basket. Without it, the bread is not going to get the strength to support its own weight. If you prove it in a bowl or tin and then scoop it out to form a loaf, then you are going to de-gas it. You’re knocking all the gases out of it and once they are gone, they won’t come back. As a result, the bread can get floppy, as you described. The best thing to do is turn your proving basket directly onto your baking tray, it should slide out easily and then get it into the oven as fast as you can.
Linda Thompson, Mayo
Does it matter what flour I use?
Yes, it really does. You are looking for natural plain flour and it’s worth reading the label. Even some plain flour has additives and if there are chemicals in the flour, this is at odds with making a naturally fermented bread. If you are using your own starter, consider that its strain of yeast is about 100 times weaker than a big block of commercial yeast. It’s very delicate and any kind of additives in the flour can upset that balance. Also watch out for anti-cake mechanisms and preservatives. Dunany Flour from Drogheda, Durrow Mills in Westmeath and Kells Wholemeal Flour in Bennettsbridge in Kilkenny are all good options.
The Bretzel Bakery has shared its sourdough recipe with Irish Country Living. Tag us on Instagram at @irishcountryliving and @thebretzelbakery with your sourdough success.
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