SOURDOUGH FROM SCRATCH: Slow Down, Make Bread

Sourdough Bread (pain au levain) is what civilised Western man ate before the advent of commercial baker's yeast. Instead the bread is risen by various wild yeasts and bacteria, cultured spontaneously, the majority of which come from the flour itself where they sit in a dormant state. Starting a new fermentation is a simple and predictable process and some call this a mother dough. Such breads have a smooth and shiny golden crust, speckled with tiny bubbles and a magnificent tear when it has been scored. As you slice through them you will witness the crumb, the name for the pattern of holes in the middle of your bread. You will need very little kit to get started and the book explains how to make a Country Loaf from scratch, troubleshooting and core recipes like San Francisco White Sourdough, Danish Rye, Brioche, Demi-Baguettes à la l'Ancienne, Focaccia Integrale, Neapolitan-Style Pizza, Pretzels and Crispbread. A beautifully designed and colour photographed book, 160pp with wipe clean softback cover.