Sourdough is delightfully simple, requiring just a few basic ingredients:

• Flour: Use high-quality unbleached bread flour or a mix of bread and whole wheat flour.
• Water: Filtered or spring water is ideal to avoid any chlorine that might inhibit fermentation.
• Salt: Fine sea salt enhances the flavor of your bread.
• Sourdough Starter: This natural leavening agent is a mix of flour, water, lactobacillus (lactic acid bacteria) and wild yeast.

While you don’t need fancy equipment to bake sourdough, these tools will make the process smoother and more enjoyable:

• Digital Kitchen Scale: Ensures precise measurements.
• Bench Scraper: Handy for shaping and handling sticky dough.
• Banneton Basket: Helps your dough hold its shape during proofing. Bowl with a tea or flour sack towel is an option.
• Dutch Oven: Creates the ideal steamy environment for a crispy crust.
• Thermometer: Measures dough temperature for perfect fermentation.
• Lame or Sharp Knife: For scoring the dough before baking.
• Mixing Bowls: Use glass or stainless steel for easy cleanup. Glass bowls with straighter sides are ideal. You can see what your dough is doing and how much it has risen.

Using a kitchen scale in sourdough baking is essential because precision is the key to consistent, high-quality results. Here’s why:

1. Accuracy in Measurements
   Flour, water, and salt ratios must be exact to create the right dough consistency and hydration level.
   Volume measurements (like cups) can vary based on factors such as how tightly ingredients are packed or the type of flour used, whereas a scale provides exact weights.
2. Consistent Hydration
   The hydration percentage (ratio of water to flour by weight) determines the dough's texture and handling properties. Too much or too little water can drastically affect the outcome, especially with sourdough's long fermentation process.
3. Easier Adjustments
   When scaling recipes up or down, working with weight makes adjustments much simpler. For instance, doubling a 500g flour recipe to 1kg is straightforward.
4. Precise Feeding of Your Starter
   A scale ensures your sourdough starter is fed the correct ratio of flour and water, which is crucial for maintaining its health and activity.
5. Professional-Level Baking
   Artisan bakers and professionals rely on scales because bread-making is a science. Using a scale helps you replicate professional techniques and ensures consistent results every time.

Switching to a scale might seem like an extra step at first, but it simplifies the process in the long run and gives you confidence that your dough will perform as expected.

Planning your bake is key for success. Here’s a sourdough baking schedule:

1. Morning (6:00 AM): Feed your sourdough starter at a 1:1:1 ratio (equal parts, starter, flour, water). Keep at a temp of 74-76 degrees.
2. Afternoon (10:00 AM): Levain peaks and is ready to use. Mix your dough, starter, water, flour and salt. Let rest for 30-45 minutes.
3. Afternoon (10:30 AM): Perform 2 sets of stretch and folds and then 2 sets of coil folds 30 minutes apart.
4. Afternoon (12:30 PM): Bulk Fermentation. Depending on temp of your environment and dough this could take anywhere from 3-8 hours.
5. Evening (3:30- 8:30PM): Pre-shape, let rest 30 minutes, Final shape, place in banneton, rest 15 minutes, stitch dough.
6. Evening (4:30-9:30PM): Cold fermentation. Place in refrigerator for 8-48 hours.
7. 8-48 hours later: Score and bake your dough.

Your starter is the heart of sourdough bread. It’s a living culture of wild yeast and bacteria that naturally leavens your bread. To create a starter, mix equal parts flour and water, let it ferment at room temperature, and feed it daily for about 2 weeks until it’s bubbly and active. Once established, your starter can last indefinitely with regular feedings.

1. Start with a Strong Starter: A healthy, bubbly starter is critical for a good rise.
2. Temperature Matters: Dough ferments best at 75–78°F (24–26°C).
3. Don’t Rush the Process: Sourdough takes time; enjoy the journey.
4. Hydration Levels: Start with a manageable hydration level (60-65%) before experimenting with wetter doughs.
5. Practice Scoring: A confident slash ensures the bread expands properly in the oven.

Sourdough starter is ready when the dome on top flattens out, it has lots of bubbles on top and throughout the body of the starter. Mark the top of your starter with a marker or elastic and wait 30-45 minutes. If the starter rises more, it has not peaked. Keep marking the top of your starter until it stops rising. That is when it is at its peak rise and is the most optimal time to use it.

With patience, practice and time, you’ll master the art of sourdough bread. From nurturing your starter to scoring your dough, every step is an opportunity to connect with the craft of baking. So, grab your apron, dust off your hands, and enjoy the rewarding process of creating artisan sourdough bread.