Perfecting our Homestead Sourdough Loaf: Comfort of Carbs

Have you dabbled in homestead sourdough breadmaking? Seems like I’ve seen a few more sourdough loaves in my Instagram feed these last couple months.

A few years ago, I decided if I wanted to practice any homesteady skill, it was bread making. But the things that look the easiest, usually are the most difficult. (Pie crust making too.)

There’s nothing you’ll love more than a loaf of homestead sourdough. Oh the comforts in carbs.

Perhaps there’s a necessity in creating homestead sourdough these days.

I have been in awe of the particular food resources that haven’t been available in the grocery store. Yeast and flour? Who knew everyone would search out yeast and flour for their pandemic pantries.

Why the shock for me? Simply because our North American culture has been averse to carbs. (Me? I’ve been consuming carbs all along).

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Of course there’s an easy way around yeast bread products: homestead sourdough!

Making bread without yeast? Might be a necessity at times.

My learned hints enabling a homestead sourdough starter:

• Your sourdough starter didn’t die, it just needs to be fed more often.
• Feed the starter every morning and night. One part flour with one part water and whip with a fork. Keep covered on the counter beside the stove. (If you don’t use it regularly, put it in the fridge. But why aren’t you using it anyway? Such good bread.)

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Beyond sourdough…

I like a bread that can be cut with a knife without cutting my fingers (in other words, I like a crust, but not so crusty that I’m worried that I’ll need to bring the kids to emerg).

• Soak a cup of seeds in half cup warm water.
• Soak a teaspoon yeast in teaspoon sugar and half cup kefir water.
• Measure three cups flour with a teaspoon sea salt.
• Mix in a cup of sourdough starter, an egg, a 1/4 cup oil, and enough kefir water to get the mix nice and doughy.

My favourite multigrain bread dough ever (from Reformation Acres): Healthy Multi Grain Seed Bread

Another simple sourdough loaf video from Jill Winger, the Prairie Homestead, that has helped so many on YouTube.

My tips on sourdough:

• Make sure the dough is wettish.
• Let it rise for a very long time. 18-24 hours is great.
• Fold fold fold your dough.
• If you want it pretty, place your folded dough into a raising basket.
• Put a covered Dutch oven sitting in the oven (at 450 degrees) for an hour before baking.
• Set the oven to convection bake (it’ll bake all over).
• Carefully place the bread dough into the Dutch oven (it’s blazing hot) and cover.
• Put water in a tray below the bread (this is the baker’s secret to a crusty loaf).
• Don’t take that bread out of the oven until you smell its deliciousness. (A practiced skill).

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