The Breadth of a Loaf

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Knead to Know

It's common when learning something new and expansive to have a lot of questions along the way. This is the how and why section to help make sense of all the seemingly complex details of bread making. Rest assured you will stretch and grow, just like your bread dough, and before you know it; you will know all you knead to know. Please note that the information you find here is generally true for all bread, sourdough or otherwise, and for all starters that are more liquid than solid in nature, not just the recipes you find on this site.

The Breadline Breadwinner process differs from those you will find most places in that you will be using what is commonly considered "discard" starter in both your bread recipe and as a constant base for your feed. We use refrigeration in our method between each bake/feed, assuming a desired use of once a week. If you don't have access to refrigeration or want/need to bake more often, you may rest your starter at room temperature but you will need to do a bake/feed at least every 48 hours.

Our 1-3 loaf recipes all use 1 cup of starter so you can select the right quantity of bread for your needs each bake. Combined with our no discard method this means your starter will always remain the same size. This creates a very simple and consistant starter that you can count on to help you create an easy and familiar routine. The best part of feeding your starter is that it happens at the same time as making the sponge for your bread. This allows it to become just another part of you making your bread instead of it being it's own thing altogether, and it's the easiest part at that.

list_alt This can be done as often as every 4-7 days or little as every two weeks should that better meet your needs, as long as you are storing your starter in the fridge between feeds. See the section on "Doubling your starter" for information about multiplying your starter for more frequent or varied bread making or for gifting.

Step 1: Use your starter to make your sponge

  1. Pour 1 liquid cup off the top of your cold ripe starter, directly out of the fridge. This should include both ripe liquid and solid starter, and put it in the bowl you will be using to make your sponge
  2. Make your sponge according to the recipe you've chosen
  3. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and leave at room temp for 8-16hrs
  4. Continue with instructions of your chosen recipe

Step 2: Feed your starter

  1. Scrape out the solid starter left in your mason jar into a clean 4 cup bowl or liquid measuring cup
  2. Add 3/4 cup water to your starter base and stir until combined
  3. Add 3/4 cup Flour to your starter and water, stir until combined
  4. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and leave on your kitchen counter for 24hrs
  5. Pour your fed starter back into it's jar, replace lid tightly, refrigerate for 4-7 days

If you would like to use your starter without refrigerating it, you can leave it at room temperature until it's been 24-48 hours after it was last fed. In either case, you'll know your starter is ready to use when there is a collection of liquid at the surface of at least 2 tsps in quantity. Always pour the usual 1 cup off the top of your starter and feed after use.

If you would like to use your starter less than once a week you absolutely can! Although the best way to keep your starter active is to use it every week or at least every other week, a mature starter can happily hibernate for more than 2 weeks in the fridge between feedings. While you can freeze your starter for longer periods between use, it's generally not neccessary, unless you won't be using it for several months. To wake up a dormant starter, either from a long stay in the fridge or from the freezer, read further on for how to wake up a sleepy starter.

Waking up a sleepy starter:

If you find after a long stay in the fridge you have over 1/2 cup of liquid on top of your starter proceed as follows:

  1. Pour off all liquid on top of your starter into a liquid measuring cup, note the amount and discard liquid
  2. Pour and scrape all your solid starter into a four cup bowl or liquid measuring cup
  3. Stir in cold water in an amount equal to the discarded liquid, cover tightly with plastic wrap and rest at room temp for 12 hours.
  4. After 12 hours continue on to your sponge and feed steps, I recommend using the 1 loaf plain white or foccacia recipes.
  5. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, label, and rest both your fed starter AND your sponge at room temp until either bubbles cover the surface or 24 hours have passed.
  6. If after 24 hours you have a layer of liquid instead of bubbles on the surface of your sponge/starter, follow the instructions in Step 6 of Getting Startered.
  7. Once bubbles completely cover the surface of your sponge/starter, move on to the usual next steps of the BLBW process.

*If you've frozen your starter and need to wake it up, first thaw in your fridge for at least 24hrs, then follow the steps above for "waking up a sleepy starter"

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