The Technique
Ready to bake? Here is everything you need to know to turn out perfect loaves with clear step-by-step instructions and video tutorials
Ingredients for two loaves:
675g bread flour This can be white or a combination of white and wholemeal. Crumb uses
600g white and 75g wholemeal plus 67g spelt flour (preferably stoneground)
490ml water (490g on a digital scale)
16g salt (use rock or sea salt if you have it, otherwise table salt is fine)
300g starter
HOW TO FEED YOUR STARTER VIDEO TUTORIAL
Before you begin, feed your starter. It is shipped in a relatively dormant state so it doesn't get over-excited in transit. Use 200g of the starter flour and 100g of water. Mix in the plastic bowl provided until it forms a dough ball and give a quick knead. That's it, the starter is ready to go. Leave in the fridge overnight ready for your first bake tomorrow.
Sourdough baking video guide:
How to make your dough
Add all the flour and the water in a bowl with 300g of starter, ripped into smallish pieces. Mix until it forms a sloppy dough, then tip out onto a large wooden board, table top or bench. Best not to flour the surfaces, just use the plastic scraper instead.
How to knead your dough
Knead the ingredients for about 10 minutes by hand, or about 6 to 7 minutes if using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. The most effective method for hand-kneading involves stretching the dough as much as possible. To do this efficiently, hold the dough in place with your less dominant hand while using your dominant hand to stretch out a portion of the dough, pulling and twisting it before folding it back upon itself. Repeat this process continuously
How to prove your loaves
Put the two baskets somewhere out of the way - ideally somewhere a bit cooler in summer and a bit warmer in winter. Cover with your towel - spraying the towel with your water mister is a good idea to stop the dough drying out - and leave for approximately 10 hours (summer) to 16 hours (winter). You will need to play around with your proving time as it is dependent on the temperature of the room you are proving in. Once you get the baking bug, you will get a rhythm going where it will become second nature to knock up a dough one morning (or evening) to bake the next day. Once proved the dough should have risen to the edge of the basket or above.
How to bake your sourdough
Preheat the oven to maximum temperature (turn on the oven fan if you have one), whatever that is, with the baking sheet on a rack about one third of the way from the bottom. Once the oven is heated place the ramekin filled with boiling water from the kettle at the bottom of the oven.
Sprinkle a teaspoon or two of semolina on a large bread board then gently invert one of the loaves over it. The loaf should peel out of the calico basket smoothly, if it sticks, take it slowly and try not to tear it.
Sprinkle a teaspoon or two of semolina on a large bread board then gently invert one of the loaves over it. The loaf should peel
Once on the board, use the scalpel to score the top. These can be several good deep cuts across the loaf or one or two the length of the loaf - whichever you prefer.
Open the oven and place far end of the board right at the back of the baking sheet and slide the loaf off gently. You may need to give it a gentle push.
Quickly spray three or four sprays of water around top of the loaf. Close the door and leave for five minutes.
After five minutes turn off the fan and reduce heat to 220c and bake for a further 16 minutes or until a nice dark brown.
Remove from oven with a metal slide and leave to cool for about half an hour before slicing.
Sourdough pizza crust
300g of Crumb sourdough starter
400g Pizza bread flour
100g Rye flour
240g Water
50g Honey
3 Teaspoons salt
10g Gluten
1/4 Teaspoon of dry yeast
If you want delicious homemade sourdough pizza crust then our starter will not let you down.
Place all the ingredients into a mixer and knead using a dough hook into a fairly soft dough for about 5 mins. You can knead by hand if no mixer is available.
Leave to stand at room temperature for an hour or so, then place overnight in the fridge, taking it out an hour before cooking.
Preheat your oven to the maximum temperature . Then divide the dough into 180g lumps and roll into balls. Then roll the balls out into flat pizza bases to fit you Crumb baking sheets (around 12”).
Finally, brush a bit of olive oil to coat the baking sheet to ensure the pizza doesn’t stick and place onto the baking sheet. All that’s left is to add the toppings. The bolder the better!