Hope Batchelor is a MasterChef 2024 finalist and sourdough connoisseur who shares her incredible tips and tricks through a ‘Sourdough Sundays’ series on TikTok and Instagram. We asked for Hope’s top advice to perfect a sourdough loaf. Learn her secrets below!
Nail your starter
A strong, bubbly starter that grows to double (or even triple!) in size once fed is the key to great sourdough. I love to use a blend of rye and strong white flour. Never feed with plain flour as the protein content is too low.
Keep your starter in the fridge when you’re not baking for easy maintenance. I keep a little jar of just 50 grams of starter (you don’t need much more then that).
Below is a basic step by step starter preparation when making a loaf:
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Remove your starter from the fridge and decant into a larger container or measuring jug (a small measuring jug like this is perfect as it allows you to easily see how your starter has grown).
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Record the weight amount (this should be 50g as mentioned above).
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Feed your starter. A 1:1:1 ratio is perfect. This means, if your starter is 50g, you’ll want to feed it with 50g lukewarm water and 50g flour (made up of 25g rye flour and 25g strong white flour). This is the perfect blend for feeding. Mix the starter, flour and water together.
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Record the level your mix comes to then put your starter in a warm place covered with a tea towel and let it come to double in size. Once at double, you’re ready to start making your dough!
Remember to reserve 50g of your fed starter to return to the fridge for your next bake!
Proof your dough in the oven
An obvious tip? Of course, your dough needs to be baked! However, I’m not talking about baking your loaf…I’m talking about proofing your loaf!
I’ve found the perfect environment (especially during the UK’s colder months) is in the oven with the lightbulb setting on. It provides a warm, consistent, and draft-free environment for proofing dough, creating the ideal temperature for yeast activity and allowing the dough to rise effectively.
Shot your dough!
No, I don’t mean replace your tequila slammer with some sourdough dough! The ‘shot glass’ technique involves placing a small amount of dough in a shot glass alongside your proofing dough. When the dough in the glass doubles in size, the sourdough is fully proofed and ready to bake!
Perfect the Bake
Use a cast iron casserole for baking to create a steamy environment that helps to develop a crisp, glossy crust – just like a bakery loaf. The Stellar Cast, 25cm Casserole is perfect for a 500g flour loaf with plenty of height for your loaf to rise and plenty of width to achieve either an oblong or round loaf.
Trust the Process
Don’t be afraid of trial and error. Every sourdough bake teaches you something new, so embrace imperfections and learn from each loaf! Remember, if you tweak anything in your sourdough process, do it one thing at a time. This way, you’ll know what change improved your bake.
Tune in to Hope’s Sourdough Sundays series on Instagram for more tips and tricks along with many more sourdough recipes!
