BAKING SOURDOUGH BREAD IN THE WINTER❄️
sourdough bread is just flour, water, and salt… but the next most important factor is temperature! So while you ADJUST TO THE wHETHER SHIFT, DON’T FORGET THAT YOUR BAKING SCHEDULE IS AFFECTED TOO😉
Yeast is pretty fussy about temperature - it requires a perfect warm environment to grow and thrive:) Too hot- your yeast cells will die, too cold- and the yeast won’t do its work! Temperature plays a large role whenever you're baking, but especially when it comes to natural yeast (a.k.a sourdough:)
So when winter comes around, and your kitchen can get pretty chilly, here are some things to keep in mind!
There are a few different parts of your baking schedule to pay attention to in the winter:
1) Activating Your Starter🫙
2) Water temperature🌡️
3) The Bulk Rise🎈
So let’s get started!
1) Activating your starter🫙:
When you feed your starter in the winter, you’ll notice it will rise much slower than usual. It’s important to only use your starter for baking when it’s fully active! This will ensure that you'll have light and fluffy sourdough bread!
You can tell your starter is active if it’s:
A looser consistency
Bubbly on top and around the sides
Risen Significantly
And, you can always try the float test!
Here are a few suggestions to keep your starter warm and active:
1) Warm Water: When leaving the starter to rise during the day, feed it with warm water. At night, feed with room temperature water (Never use cold water in winter, your kitchen is cold enough!)
2) A Warmer Spot: Try to find a warmer spot in your kitchen for your starter!
*A little hack: Last year, I noticed my countertops were freezing, stalling my starter from rising. So someone gave me the idea to move my sourdough up high because heat rises! It works really well! Stick your starter on top of your fridge or cabinet, and it’ll rise faster!
2) Water temperature🌡️:
The temperature of the water in your sourdough dough makes a big difference! Warmer water = warmer dough and better rise! Make sure to use warmer water when making sourdough bread in the winter!
3)The Bulk Rise🎈:
Sourdough bread generally takes between 5-8 hours to reach its peak rise after stretch and folds! In the winter, if your kitchen gets chilly, you may see it taking a lot longer, and it’s hard to gauge when your dough is at its optimal rise…
So Here’s A Few Tips:
1) No Metal (If possible): Metal gets super cold, so using a plastic or glass bowl to make your dough will help the dough stay a little warmer in the winter!
2) Warm Spot For Your Dough: Finding a warmer spot to leave your dough can be a little challenging, but if you have a microwave or an oven with a light that could work! Just stick your dough in the oven/microwave (off), with the light on since that will provide a little bit of heat! Otherwise, just try to leave the dough in a spot in your apartment that’s a drop warmer🌞!
Overnight Rise: In the summer, your dough can over-proof if you leave it to rise overnight, since the warmer temperature causes the dough to rise faster. But, in the winter, it’s cool enough to leave your dough overnight! Just make sure not to leave it for too long- max 7-8 hours💤!
