Smart Sourdough: The No-Starter, No-Waste, No-Cheat, No-Fail Way to Make Naturally Fermented Bread in 24 Hours or Less with a Home Proofer, Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, Sous Vide Cooker, or Other Warmer

by Mark Shepard

Overview

NO STARTER  --  NO WASTE  --  NO CHEAT  --  NO FAIL 
 
100% NATURALLY FERMENTED BREAD IN JUST 24 HOURS WITH YOUR HOME PROOFER, INSTANT POT, SLOW COOKER, SOUS VIDE COOKER, OR OTHER WARMER
 
There's sourdough, and then there's SMART sourdough -- a whole new approach to an ancient bread! 
 
Most sourdough recipes lead you through days or even weeks of developing a starter before you can make your bread -- and then into a lifetime of maintaining that starter. But this book is based on the belief that all that rigmarole is no longer needed. With modern methods of regulating temperature, and with the easy availability of baker's yeast, honest-to-goodness naturally fermented sourdough bread can be made from start to finish in less than a day. 
 
With all the benefits of naturally fermented sourdough, it's only the hassle of making it that has discouraged home bakers. Well, hassle no more. The age of smart sourdough has arrived. 
 
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Mark Shepard began baking his own sourdough bread in 1979 and went on to publish the bestselling booklet "Simple Sourdough." In 2012, he began developing a sourdough method that's even simpler and more reliable -- one that could be used by anyone, with no fear of failure. Mark now lives in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and fellow author, Anne L. Watson. 
 
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"A guidebook that introduces a quicker, easier, and more modern method for creating homemade sourdough bread . . . His straightforward strategy is particularly notable in that it takes less than a day and doesn't use a starter. The author provides useful chapters spotlighting how bakers can customize dough formation and taste variations based on loaf size, sourness level, and flavor diversifications; methods for rye, buckwheat, tomato basil, chocolate cherry, and other loaves are included, as well as sections on bread bowls, pizza crusts, and pancakes . . . Generously illustrated with charts, illustrations, and photographs. Overall, Shepard's book will encourage home bakers of any skill level to embark on a new, quicker, and easier way to make their own bread . . . A splendid and novel approach that takes the mystery out of a formerly time-consuming process." -- Kirkus Reviews, April 22, 2022
 
"A fresh new look at making your own sourdough . . . I love Mark's attention to detail. No matter your setup, tools, or needs, he's got you covered . . . I questioned his use of a pinch or two of baker's yeast, but his research and experiments have me sold. His recipes combine the advantages of cultivated yeast and naturally occurring sourdough bacteria to make bread that actually rises and doesn't take days to make."—Holly Howe, author of "Fermentation Made Easy! Mouthwatering Sauerkraut" 
 
"Mark Shepard shares how to make sourdough bread, with its characteristic flavor and health benefits, without maintaining a long-term starter. It's relevant to anyone looking to save time in the kitchen, learn a new technique, or just read a very detailed and interesting book on sourdough."—Emily Buehler, author of "Bread Science: The Chemistry and Craft of Making Bread" 
 
 

Product Details

BN ID:	2940165691102
Publisher:	Shepard Publications
Publication date:	09/15/2021
Sold by:	Draft2Digital
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	308,339
File size:	14 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

Read an Excerpt

GETTING STARTED

If you've never made sourdough before, you'll be surprised how simple it can be. And if you have made sourdough before, you may be even more surprised!

Most sourdough recipes lead you through days or even weeks of developing a starter before you can make your bread‐and then into a lifetime of maintaining that starter. But this book is based on the belief that all that rigmarole is no longer needed. With modern methods of regulating temperature, and with the easy availability of (gasp!) baker's yeast, honest-to-goodness naturally fermented sourdough bread can be made from start to finish in less than a day.

Let me explain. Though sourdough bakers often talk about collecting "wild yeast" in their starters, what they're actually trying to collect is a combination of yeast and bacteria‐a special kind called lactic acid bacteria, named after the main acid they give off.

If the name lactic acid sounds exotic or intimidating, it doesn't have to. It's what creates sourness or tang in sour cream, yogurt, and many other milk products‐which is why it's called lactic, or "related to milk." It's also the main source of sourness in pickles and sauerkraut whenever they're naturally fermented instead of made with vinegar.

All those foods are produced with bacteria of the same family found in sourdough. And it's these bacteria, rather than any kind of yeast, that make sourdough what it is.

In case you have any doubt about that, consider these advantages of making naturally fermented sourdough over making conventional yeast bread:

• Gives the bread a delicious sourness or tang.
• Weakens the gluten, making it easier to digest for people who might otherwise have trouble with it.
• Adds acids that slow the digestion of starches, for a lower glycemic index and improved blood sugar response.
• Reduces amounts of antinutrients like phytic acid and lectins, making nutrients in the flour more available to you.
• Resists spoilage in the baked bread and keeps it fresher longer.

Every one of these advantages is produced chiefly or entirely by the sourdough bacteria, not the sourdough yeast. And the one job that is chiefly handled by the sourdough yeast‐making the bread rise‐is done as well or better by baker's yeast.

That being true, why worry about sourdough yeast at all? A good part of the labor of traditional sourdough is keeping the yeast going strong in a starter. In place of that, why not focus on nurturing the bacteria and just add a bit of baker's yeast at the end? Not so strangely, that's exactly how sourdough is made today in many commercial bakeries!

And there's more. With yeast out of the equation, it turns out you can get flour to ferment very quickly, even from scratch. So quickly, in fact, you don't need a starter at all. Just add water to high-quality whole grain flour, keep the mixture at a good temperature for a matter of hours, and occasionally add more flour. You'll get sourdough every time.

With all the benefits of naturally fermented sourdough, it's only the hassle of making it that has discouraged home bakers. Well, hassle no more. The age of smart sourdough has arrived.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Anne L. Watson

GETTING STARTED

SOURDOUGH SUPERSTITIONS
Who's Afraid of Baker's Yeast?

THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS
Flour Fallacies

THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT
Why Weigh Your Flour?

THE RIGHT CONDITIONS

THE RIGHT METHOD

THE RIGHT SETUP
Brod & Taylor Proofer Setup
Instant Pot Setup
Sous Vide Setup
Testing Your Setup
Sponge Setup Test
Loaf Setup Test

MAKING SMART SOURDOUGH
Smart Whole Wheat Sourdough (recipe sketch)
Smart Whole Wheat Sourdough (full recipe)
Starting with Salt
The Joy of Kneading
Oven Enigmas
Smart Cleanup

TESTING YOUR SOURDOUGH

SCALING YOUR SOURDOUGH
Smart Whole Wheat Sourdough (Medium Loaf)
Smart Whole Wheat Sourdough (Small Loaf)
Smart Whole Wheat Sourdough (Double Large Loaf)
Smart Whole Wheat Sourdough (Double Medium Loaf)
Smart Whole Wheat Sourdough (Triple Medium Loaf)

CUSTOMIZING YOUR SOURDOUGH
Smart Whole Wheat Sourdough (100% Whole Wheat)
Smart Whole Wheat Sourdough (25% Whole Wheat)
Smart Whole Wheat Sourdough (Less Sour)
Smart Whole Wheat Sourdough (More Sour)
Smart Whole Wheat Sourdough (San Francisco Style)
Smart Whole Wheat Sourdough (Mark's Loaf)

DIVERSIFYING YOUR SOURDOUGH
Smart Rye Sourdough
Smart Buckwheat Sourdough
Smart Barley Sourdough
Smart Barley Pumpernickel
Smart Tomato Basil Sourdough
Smart Buckwheat Walnut Sourdough
Smart Mediterranean Sourdough
Smart Middle Eastern Sourdough
Smart Raisin Sourdough
Smart Chocolate Cherry Sourdough

BAKING IN THE ROUND
Making Sourdough Bread Bowls

GRINDING YOUR OWN FLOUR
NutriMill Tips

MAKING SOURDOUGH PIZZA
Smart Sourdough Pizza Dough
Mark's Sourdough Skillet Pizza

MAKING SOURDOUGH PANCAKES
Smart Sourdough No-Rise Pancakes
Smart Sourdough Malt Pancakes
Smart Sourdough Buckwheat Pancakes
Smart Sourdough Rice Pancakes
Smart Dosa
Mark's Masala Dosa

BEYOND SOURDOUGH

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Sourdough vs. Salt-Rising

Editorial Reviews

2022-04-22
A guidebook that introduces a quicker, easier, and more modern method to creating homemade sourdough bread.

Journalist and author Shepard expands on his former cookbook Simple Sourdough(2017) in this technique-driven guide that effectively simplifies making sourdough items with instructional recipes, tips, and tricks. His straightforward strategy is particularly notable in that it takes less than a day and doesn’t use a starter. The book is accessibly organized into sections covering the method’s various techniques. An opening chapter quickly dispels some common misconceptions about the sourdough process (such as what frothy starter bubbles really mean, and the necessity of salt) and moves on to discuss the four basic ingredients one needs to create his version of a four-cycle sourdough. The author also examines and rates warming devices and proofing equipment for dexterity, reliability, and proven effectiveness in making quality bread, making the work a useful product guide. Shepard knowledgeably discusses salinity and aeration when starting a yeast cycle and proudly touts his revolutionary “no-waste” fermentation method; the use of modern temperature controls, he points out, can help one create a sourdough batch from fermented flour by adopting leavening principles used in larger bakeries. Easy-to-follow instructions emphasize the importance of quality ingredients, manual kneading, and the proper conditions for dough to ferment, rise, and bake properly. The author helpfully recognizes that his readers have many different preferences, so he provides useful chapters spotlighting how bakers can customize dough formation and taste variations based on loaf size, sourness level, and flavor diversifications; methods for rye, buckwheat, tomato basil, chocolate cherry, and other loaves are included, as well as sections on bread bowls, pizza crusts, and pancakes. Any nagging questions that readers may have are succinctly addressed in an illuminating final chapter that tackles common bread-baking issues. The book is also generously illustrated with charts, illustrations, and photographs by the author. Overall, Shepard’s book will encourage home bakers of any skill level to embark on a new, quicker, and easier way to make their own bread.

A splendid and novel approach that takes the mystery out of a formerly time-consuming process.

Kirkus Reviews