The tips and guidance I share the most…

These are some reminders and tips from the conversations I’ve had, and things I’ve been asked recently, but these are also the things I am asked about the most often, they are all things I’ve said many times before, but they may be a useful reminder for you, or they may be new to you if you’re new to me ☺️

🌟 These tips are all based on using my standard master recipe and are based on my own practices and methods.

In your dough:

🌟 if it’s hot where you are, or in your kitchen, use less starter in your dough to prevent over proving
🌟 if it’s humid where you are, or in your kitchen, use less water in your dough to prevent it from being bubbly and sticky and impossible to handle and shape
🌟 if it’s hot AND humid use less starter AND less water
🌟 in all 3 of the above, nothing else in the recipe needs to change only those aspects

🌟 if your water is soft, use 25g less water in the recipe
🌟 if your water is hard, nothing needs to change
🌟 if you’re using organic or supermarket bread flour use 25g less water to prevent soft unmanageable dough

🌟🌟 the loaf in this photo above was made with 10g of starter
🌟🌟 less starter does NOT equate to less flavour or texture (as this photo shows), less starter always mean MORE flavour as the dough works harder which creates more flavour
🌟🌟 more starter does NOT mean more flavour, all it means is more risk of over proving at any time of the year

In your starter:

🌟 if it’s hot where you are, or in your kitchen, don’t leave your starter on the counter for too long, watch it carefully and once it’s started to grow and is responding put it into the fridge, it will keep growing just more slowly
🌟 if it’s hot where you are, or in your kitchen, use less water in your starter than flour to prevent it from becoming thin in the heat, as above
🌟 if it’s humid where you are, or in your kitchen, using less water in your starter if it’s getting too thin from the added moisture in the air
🌟 don’t be afraid to give your starter what it needs, ratios are not necessary, equal weights are not necessary if your starter needs different input
🌟 thick is always better than thin in a starter, a thin starter won’t rise and won’t lift your dough
🌟 if you’re making a new starter these things also apply, learn to watch your starter and see what it needs

I hope these help!

For more tips and help read more of the posts here on my website.

These are also some of the posts I send people the most often to assist their sourdough making:

Why does dough spread https://foodbodsourdough.com/why-does-my-dough-spread/

Gummy loaves https://foodbodsourdough.com/gummy-loaves/

It’s about the dough not the lame https://foodbodsourdough.com/its-often-about-the-dough-not-the-lame/

How long: https://foodbodsourdough.com/how-long/

Don’t blame starter: https://foodbodsourdough.com/dont-blame-your-starter/

How to make a starter: https://foodbodsourdough.com/how-to-make-a-starter/

My master recipe: https://foodbodsourdough.com/the-process/

Hot temps: https://foodbodsourdough.com/making-sourdough-in-hot-temperatures/

Heat and humidity: https://foodbodsourdough.com/making-sourdough-in-hot-and-humid-environments/

FAQ: https://foodbodsourdough.com/faq/

The new season of my podcast starts HERE and we’re talking SOURDOUGH!

I am very excited to announce the new season of my podcast, The Foodbod Pod, and this year we’re packing in LOTS of sourdough chat. Recipes, answers, hints, tips, we’ve got them all. Listen from the links below to hear what we’ll be bringing you – and my latest bigs news 🤩

Listen here and enjoy!

Or on Apple, Podbean, Spotify, Amazon, Google and other platforms.

Brought you in partnership with Matthews Cotswold Flour and Shanas Sourdough.

For everything you need to make fabulous sourdough: we’ve got you covered!

BIG NEWS!!

🌟 PLEASE READ 🌟 Exciting news for all sourdough bakers:

🌟 Season 2 of my podcast, The Foodbod Pod, is about to begin and this year we’re focusing heavily on our glorious SOURDOUGH! Yes! If you love sourdough, have questions, love my tips, fancy expanding your sourdough knowledge and listening to me chat all about it, you’re going to love it! It’s going to be FABULOUS!

You’ll find various links below where you can listen to all of last season episodes and subscribe ready for the upcoming season.

🌟 And and and…we return this year with our partner and sponsor Matthews Cotswold Flour and a brand new partner, Shana’s Sourdough. We are very excited about the new season, we’ve got everything covered for you, I hope you’ll love it!

🌟 So find us and subscribe ready for the first episode at the end of March and hear my next exciting news! 😉😉

Find us on these links or your preferred podcast platform:

🌟🌟 APPLE : SPOTIFY : PODBEAN : AMAZON : GOOGLE 🌟🌟

The Foodbod Pod is brought to you in partnership with Matthews Cotswold Flour and Shana’s Sourdough. Bringing you everything you need to make fabulous sourdough with my recipes and methods.

A plea to stop over heating starters…

This is a copy of a post I added to my Facebook page that I am copying here because I want it logged on my website too…

This autumn and into winter, I have seen a real trend for overheating starters, and consequently many poor starters are over fermenting, and getting thin and hungry as a result from being too warm for too long.

The fact is: A thin starter is a weak starter and will not lift a dough. And by putting starters in so much warmth for so long that’s what will happen.

So please pass this onto anyone you think it might help:

First and fore mostly, please tell anyone that you see doing do so, to stop putting their starters in warm places, places like ovens with pilot lights on/the top of the fridge/the airing cupboard/near the stove/by your Aga/or by wood burners, for hours on end, and days and nights at a time. It’s much too warm for much too long. The starter will ferment like mad and get thin and weak as a result.

I understand that people worry when it gets cold, but I’ve just made 14 brand new starters in my kitchen over the last week, including the one above, and they all just sat on my kitchen counter, at whatever the temperatures happened to be, which happened to be between 13C – 19C that week, and did their thing very happily. I didn’t put them anywhere special, or anywhere warm, just on my kitchen counter.

The fact is: They really do not need to be coddled so much.

A little bit of warmth is fine, but mostly your kitchen counter, or some part of your kitchen, is ideal. You don’t need special gadgets or anything else just your kitchen counter.

I understand that people worry about starters, especially new ones, but they really are far more resilient than people think, just give them a chance to do their thing…yes, some need tweaks along the way, but they don’t need to be cooked.

These are the facts:

If your starter is growing quickly, getting almost frothy, it’s too warm.
If it’s got a layer of dark liquid on the top, it’s too warm.
If it’s got a flat surface with teeny tiny bubbles it’s become thin from being too warm.
If it smells very strongly of acetone, or just very strongly at all, it’s too warm.

These scenarios can all be fixed by feeding your starter less water than flour, making it nice and thick again, then continuing on with the process, on the counter.

Follow the process, follow my tips, and it will be fab!

How to make a sourdough starter, the full step by step video…

You can now watch the full steps of how to make a sourdough starter on my YouTube channel, everything you need to know all in one place!

Find it HERE

Happy making!

Some top tips for your dough making..

Give your dough the time it needs to fully prove.

Watch your dough and not the clock, this is key to ensuring the dough proves as it needs to.

Do not leave dough on the oven overnight with the light on, it?s too warm for too long and it will over prove.

Give your dough time to double overnight; depending on the temperature overnight this may take shorter or longer than my usual times stated in my master recipe.

But if your dough does over prove, use it to make fabulous focaccia or flatbreads. NEVER EVER throw dough away, always use it.

If you dough spreads when you turn it out in the pan, but bakes up to a lovely loaf, don?t worry about the spreading, enjoy your loaf.

If your dough does not look like mine but bakes to a fabulous loaf, that is perfect, it does not matter what the dough looks like if the loaf is everything you hoped for.

Sourdough is a wonderfully slow process, let it happen and enjoy it, it will be worth it.

If you do not have a banneton, line a same sized bowl with a clean tea towel and sprinkle it with rice flour.

If you do not have rice flour, grind some uncooked rice, it is the same thing.

You can use any covered oven proof pan just make sure it is big enough.

You do not need to preheat your oven, or your pan.

Always my biggest and most important tip: If it tastes good IT IS GOOD!

Do not focus on looks and holes and scoring, they do not make it taste any better, plus sourdough is not defined by having ears, or being big round loaves, or full of holes. Sourdough is bread that has been made with a sourdough starter, that is it.

Enjoy what you are creating, do not spoil it by being pulled into the beauty contest.

But, if your loaves are not as you hoped, there?s always ALWAYS a particular reason and an easy tweak.

Check out all of the info throughout my site about flour, weather, scoring, storing, the FAQs, baking times takes, there is lots of free info here for you.

These are just some of the tips I share regularly, but are hopefully useful. Happy baking!

Making my master recipe in a mixer..

This loaf was made using my master recipe with the first mixes done in my KitchenAid mixer. The details below explain how I made it for anyone that would like to, or needs to, use a mixer when making my recipes.

Sourdough can be made in many ways, I love to make mine by hand, but sometimes using a mixer is useful when I have lots of doughs to make, or I want to give my arms a break; as always, there is no mess, no faff, no unnecessary steps with my process. Just simple straightforward steps.

You can use any size of KitchenAid mixer, I used my tilt head one to make this loaf, using the dough hook and the stainless steel mixing bowl that comes with the mixer, and baking in my usual enamel roaster.

PLEASE NOTE: if you are in the UK the amazing people KitchenAid UK have given me a discount code ELAINE15 to share with my bakers.

This code provides a 15% discount across the site and is valid to 31st December 2023 (perfect for Christmas shopping!). Please note that there are a few products excluded from this offer.

This is what I do:

*I use my standard master recipe: 50g starter, 350g water, 500g flour, salt
*I mix the ingredients in the standard stainless steel bowl with the dough hook on setting 1 for 4-5 mins.
*I take the dough hook out and place it in a covered bowl in between uses so that the dough does not dry on it.
*I then cover the bowl and let it sit on the counter for 1.5-2 hours, I then mix it again using the same dough hook on setting 1 for 3-4 mins. I cover the bowl again and let it sit.
*After an hour I perform a set of pulls and folds on the dough with the dough still in the mixer bowl. I cover the bowl again and let it sit.
*Before going to bed I do another set of pulls and folds then cover the bowl again and leave it to prove overnight.
*In the morning, with the dough still in the mixer bowl, I pull the dough into a tight ball and place it into my usual banneton. Covered it and put it into the fridge.
*After a few hours, I turn the dough out into my usual enamel roaster pan, scored, put the lid on and bake at 220C/450F fan/convection for 55 mins from a cold start, with the lid on the whole time.
*And the lovely loaf above and below is the outcome.

The proved dough in the morning
The dough turned out from the banneton
Scored
Baked

I made this loaf using my KA with the standard size 4.3l bowl. I also have a larger sized machine with a 4.8l bowl which is perfect for making 2 doughs at once and still all staying in the bowl the whole time, the double batch fits in it perfectly for mixing and proving. Or you can use whatever mixer you have.

My mixers

TOP TIP: soak your mixer bowl and dough hook in cold water to soak off any dough, not hot water, it will cook the dough onto the bowl.

I also tested using the KitchenAid Bread Bowl with my master recipe and it works well!

The ceramic finish is lovely, the dough does not stick at all, there are lines etched on the inside that are a very useful guide, AND once the dough has been proved in the banneton and in the fridge for a while, you turn the bowl over and bake in it. It works PERFECTLY from a cold start, and the size encourages a beautiful round loaf.

AND I used my brand new Foodbod Sourdough lame to score it.

Don’t blame your lame..

A question that I am often asked is: where can I get a better lame, mine does not seem to work that well?

And as much as I have a very beautiful new branded lame I might very happily wish to sell you, usually the issue is not actually the lame, it is the dough.

If you are having issues scoring your dough, it truly is unlikely to be an issue with the lame. Instead my questions to you would be:

Was your dough soft and sticky after the overnight proof?

When you turned your dough out from the banneton did it spread?

When you tried to score your dough did the lame just drag through it?

Did the dough collapse and not hold any shape?

But first and foremost, I would ask, how did your loaf bake?

The answer to all of the questions that I get posed about dough and loaves, is always, how did the loaf bake; because if your dough bakes to a wonderful loaf that you thoroughly enjoyed, then it does not matter how the scoring went, or how your dough behaved.

However, if you feel you would like your loaf to be somewhat enhanced or different, then read on..

If you have a nice sharp lame, or a thin sharp blade that you use, and still it drags through your dough, your dough needs some input. If your dough is soft and sticky it either needs less water from the start, or it over proved, or just needs to be pulled tighter for the banneton.

And in which case, this post will help you.

If you are happy with your dough but would like an cleaner surface to score, or more time to score pretty patterns, before baking, place your banneton full of dough into the freezer for 30 minutes, then turn it out, score and bake.

If you would like to purchase one of my lames, of course you would be more than welcome and you can find them here. But to get the best out of using them, or whatever you have got, work on firming up your dough first. Then score slowly, be decisive, and score deeper than you probably think you need to. If I can help, get in touch.

Happy scoring!

Gummy loaves

What makes a gummy loaf? I get asked this a lot so I thought I’d share some answers and possibilities here, there can be a few reasons:

Slicing into a loaf before it’s cooled enough will give you a lovely warm slice of fresh bread, but it won’t be at its best, it will end up gummy from the steam; I leave my loaves for hours and hours before slicing into them. That way they’re light and dry and the texture I want them to be. If you can’t wait, go for it, but just do keep this in mind.

Over proving can produce a moist crumb, if your loaf is wide and flat and pale on the outside with small holes and a slightly damp interior, it may well be over.

Under baking can produce a gummy interior. Try baking for longer.

Is your pan big enough for your loaf? If the pan is too small and your loaf doesn’t have the space it needs to grow as it bakes it will hinder the bake and prevent it from being fully baked inside.

Too much water can also produce a damp loaf. Try less water with your flour.

Uneven heat in your oven can be the culprit – if you loaf is nicely golden on the outside but gummy or moist in the inside, it’s baking too quickly on the outside. Trying reducing the temperature you’re baking at and bake for a bit longer. Experiment until you find the sweet spot, and take notes along the way.

Consider if you’ve added any inclusions? Have they added liquid to the dough you didn’t account for?

If you live somewhere humid and you’ve baked your lovely loaf and left it out for several hours to cool, the humidity can soften the crust and damped the loaf, try to catch it whilst it’s still crisp on the outside and store it in something that will repel moisture.

A gummy loaf could be as a result of one, or more, of these. As always, the best way to find your solution is to go through an elimination process and change one thing at a time and make notes, always make notes.

If all else fails, make toast. Dry your slices of bread out in the toaster and enjoy!

I hope this helps!

For more tips and help check out my FAQ page and my Tips Index.

Stuffed pizza rolls

I am very excited to share a recipe from my upcoming new book with you! These stuffed pizza rolls are perfect for a family get together, pretty much for any meal, for a pack up, a picnic, a party, a snack, breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner, and really any event. They also freeze and defrost perfectly, and are fun to make yourself or with kids or as a shared baking project. There’s minimal shaping, the muffin tin does it all for you, just roll them up, chop them up, stuff them into the muffin pan wells and bake!

I hope you will give them a go, give them your own twist, and that you love them…

These pizza rolls are made using one of my favorite processes—stretching out my dough after the main overnight proof, covering it with my favorite ingredients, rolling it up, chopping it up and baking the pieces into filled rolls. In this recipe, I have updated my process and use a standard muffin tray to bake the rolls in. This works perfectly to provide a uniform size but also helps to shape the rolls. It means that even if the dough gets messy or hard to handle, you can stuff it into the muffin spaces and it will still bake up beautifully to even sized muffin shaped rolls.”

🌟🌟🌟 watch the video of my recent international bakealong and you can see me making these rolls in my kitchen 🌟🌟🌟 click here to watch.


Equipment: Have a 12-hole muffin tray ready, preferably nonstick. If your muffin tin is not nonstick, lightly spray or grease inside the wells with a neutral or flavorless oil or butter.

Makes 12 roll ups

Ingredients:

Dough

50 g (1⁄4 cup) active starter

325 g (11⁄3 cups) water

500 g (4 cups) strong white bread flour

7 g (1 tsp) salt, or to taste

Filling

150 g (3/4 cup) pizza sauce

200 g (2 cups) grated cheese (I use hard “pizza mozzarella” that I can grate. You can also use a mix of mozzarella and Monterey Jack)

Additional pizza toppings of your choice (for example, thinly cut mushrooms or sliced meats such as pepperoni or chorizo [avoid anything too thick or chunky])

Method:

Step 1: In the early evening, in a large mixing bowl, roughly mix together all the ingredients, except the pizza sauce, cheese and any other filling ingredients, leaving the dough shaggy. Cover the bowl with a clean shower cap or your choice of cover and leave it on the counter for 2 hours.

Step 2: After the 2 hours, perform the first set of pulls and folds on the dough; it will be sticky at this point, but stretchy. Cover the bowl and leave it on the counter.

Step 3: Once the dough has rested for at least an hour, complete two more sets of pulls and folds on the dough throughout the evening, covering the bowl after each set. The dough will be nicely stretchy and will easily come together into a firm ball each time. Complete the final set before going to bed.

Step 4: Leave the covered bowl on the counter overnight, typically 8 to 10 hours, at 64 to 68°F (18 to 20°C).

Step 5: The next morning, place the dough, untouched but still covered, in the fridge for at least an hour, until you are ready to use it; this could be for lunch, dinner or a meal the next day. The dough will firm up, making it easier to work with later.

Step 6: When you are ready to bake, decide whether you would like to bake in a preheated oven or from a cold start. If preheating, set the oven to 400°F (200°C) convection or 425°F (220°C) conventional.

Take your bowl of dough from the fridge. Sprinkle flour over your kitchen counter. Using a bowl scraper or your hands, gently ease the bubbly risen dough from the bowl onto the counter. Use your fingertips to start stretching and pushing out the dough, until it becomes a rectangle that measures 18 x 12 inches (45 x 30 cm) with an even thickness all over. The dough will want to pull back as you stretch it; continue to pull it gently, careful not to make holes in the dough. If the dough starts to tear or seems very hard to stretch, let it rest on the counter for 5 to 10 minutes allowing the gluten in the dough to relax and try again.

Spread the pizza sauce evenly all over the stretched dough and sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the top, right up to the edges. If you are adding extra fillings, place them over the sauce and cheese. Roll up the dough from one of the longer edges toward the other to make an even, tight roll of dough. Using a dough knife or sharp knife, cut the dough into 12 equal pieces, approximately 11⁄2 inches (4 cm) wide. Place them, cut side down, in the muffin pan hollows. If the rolled up portions of filled dough start to fall apart, or you struggle with the dough holding together, push them into the pan hollows however they come. Do not worry about perfect shaping; the muffin pan will create the roll shapes for you as they bake.

Step 7: If you preheated the oven, bake the rolls uncovered for 25 minutes. If you are using a cold start, place the filled muffin pan in the cold oven, set the temperature as above and set a timer for 30 minutes.

Step 8: Once they are baked, remove the pan from the oven, carefully remove the rolls and let them sit briefly on a rack before serving. They are best eaten freshly baked, but my testers also informed me that they were still great eaten a few days later and reheated in a microwave for 30 seconds.

Top Tip: If you would prefer to bake them later, follow step 6 to fill, roll and cut the dough up into pieces, and then place the rolls into the muffin tin. Cover the tin with a large plastic bag or damp tea towel and place it into the fridge. When you are ready to bake, you can bake them directly from the fridge, following the directions above.

Happy baking! Happy making, rolling, cutting, baking, and EATING! If you choose to order it, I truly hope you like my new book xx