Making Dough From a Sourdough Bread Starter Part 2

By : Mary Stage | 0 Comments | On : April 16, 2020 | Category : Sourdough Bread

All credits go to Cindy Ward

SOURDOUGH “DOUGH” – part 2

Go Back to Sourdough Dough Part 1

Ok…it’s an hour (or up to 4 hours) later. This next part of the process is the “kneading” process…but there is no kneading involved!

Step 1 Mix in the salt. Pour the dissolved salt over the dough. Work the liquid into the dough by using your whole hand, not just your fingertips, and pinch and squeeze the dough to incorporate the added liquid. Squeeze the dough between your thumb and first finger. You will be breaking the dough ball into smaller pieces by squeezing it between your thumb and first finger, bring the dough back together with your hand and continue to pinch and squeeze until the liquid is incorporated. I wanted to take pics of this part but my hands were in the dough and hubby is still sleeping. Don’t over think it though…just squeeze and pinch between thumb and forefinger, breaking dough into smaller pieces, bring dough back together and repeat until water/salt mixture is incorporated.

Step 2 – Fold your dough. This process will take 2 1/2 hours but it requires a fold only ever 1/2 an hour. You are going to fold the dough 6 times during that time from…initially and then every 30 minutes.

I have to keep track by setting the oven timer for 30 minutes each time or I get busy and will forget!

Cindy Ward

I also write down on a piece of paper ” 1 2 3 4 5 6″ and I cross off a number each time I fold. You might be able to keep track of this in your head but I will mess up for sure if I do that!

To fold your dough…reach under the dough at the top of the bowl and gently grab the top quarter of the dough, gently stretch it up but don’t break it and fold it over the top of the dough ball. Turn your bowl a 1/4 turn and do the same thing. Turn your bowl another 1/4 turn and fold and then a final 1/4 turn and fold for the 4th time. That’s it…you’ve done your first fold! Now cover it up and come back in 30 minutes and do it again until you have done it a total of 6 times. You will see a big change in the dough as you do these folds…it starts out sort of wet and shaggy and with each fold you’ll notice the dough getting smoother.

Again it was difficult for me to get pics of this process so I found this pic online to sort of give you an idea of the fold. Just grab some dough, stretch it up a bit and fold over the dough ball, turn and repeat.

Step 3 – let dough rest/rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour…I do an hour. Your dough will rise and look a bit puffy at the end of that hour but don’t expect it to double…just rise a bit and look puffy.

Continue on to SOURDOUGH DOUGH part 3