Cold Fermentation Method for Making Sourdough Bread

Hello Dear Friends,

Our sourdough adventure started 8 years ago with our yeast, which we would later name Rıza. For 7,5 years, Rıza has helped us in making all kinds of pastries such as sourdough bread, bagels, pastries, and rolls. Then one day, when it could no longer function, my wife started sourdough again. This 7-day process with detailed explanations day by day. here You can read.

The name of our new sourdough is Leyla :) Maya Leyla and I are currently making delicious breads. So what's the name of your yeast? Write your maya story in the comments section. I would like to read :)

These days when we spend time at home are a unique opportunity for those who want to try sourdough. For this reason, we wanted to share with you in detail our bread making methods that we have applied recently.

Lets start then…

How should I knead the dough?

After putting the flour, water and yeast into the mixer's bowl, start mixing at the lowest speed. Knead for 3 minutes until the dough comes together. The dough will roll up onto the hook. In this part, the dough is no longer kneaded, it just turns. In order for the dough to have an elastic structure, it must be well kneaded. While mixing, stop the mixer at intervals of 3 minutes, scrape the dough from the dough hook and mix again. Start at low speed and gradually increase to high speed. Knead for 30 seconds at the highest speed and start the process. Knead in this way for a total of 15 minutes. The dough will be smooth and supple like gum.

What is autolysis, how and why is it done?

Before adding salt and yeast to the dough, autolysis helps the dough to become stronger and the gluten fibers in the flour to form. This makes the dough more pliable and easier to work with. Leave it for 30 minutes at room temperature in cooler environments for 1 hour, then add the salt and yeast as in the recipe.

What is cold fermentation? Why is it done?

The yeast we mix into the dough multiply in the dough and begin to break down sugar and gluten. During the fermentation process at room temperature, the yeast, which grows rapidly in a warm environment, swells before it can sufficiently break down the sugar and gluten in the bread. We will still have bread, but not a healthy and nutritious bread. In cold fermentation, the yeast in the dough, which is waiting for at least 30 hours in the refrigerator at +5 degrees, grows more slowly because the temperature is low and the breeding yeasts find time to break down the gluten and sugar in the dough. This is called the fermentation process. You have a fermented bread that is very low in gluten and sugar, less sour and nutritious, and easy to digest. It is a laborious job, but if we want to eat a healthy bread by making sourdough bread, we have to skip this process.

with me when you try my recipe Don't forget to share on instagram :) You can also add a photo in the comments section below this article. Include a photo of the bread you made in your comment. I'm looking forward to :)

I would love to share my recipes with your photos in my story :) My Instagram account: @kitchensirlari 
Love…

Dimensions are for 1 bread.

*Yeast feeding should be done 1 day in advance to make bread.

Feeding Yeast for Bread:

• 20 g Sourdough
• 50 gr Flour mix (50% bread white flour + 50% whole wheat flour)
• 40 ml water

Yeast Feeding Method:

Add yeast, flour, and then water into a jar and mix them together so that no lumps remain. Put in a dark place at room temperature. It should wait at least 8-9 hours. If you are going to make the bread in the morning, do this at around 24:00 at night so that the yeast is ready in the morning.

Ingredients for Cold Fermentation Method Recipe for Making Sourdough Bread

• 100 gr Sourdough
• 450 Gr Bread White Flour
• 50 Gr Whole Wheat Flour
• 340 ml water
• 10 g salt

How to Make Sourdough Bread Cold Fermentation Method Recipe?

1. Add 330 ml of water to the mixer bowl. Separate 10 ml of it.
2. Add the flours into the water and knead the dough by running the mixer and mixing at medium speed.
3. Before adding the salt and yeast, transfer the kneaded dough into a bowl that you lightly oiled with olive oil and autolysis. For this, the above What is autolysis, how and why is it done?Read the headline.
4. After the autolysis process, take the dough back into the mixer and start kneading. Dissolve the yeast and salt in the 10 ml of water you have reserved and add to the dough. Start kneading at low speed for 2-3 minutes. The kneading process is very important in this part. For this, the above How should I knead the dough?Read the headline.
5. The dough will have a very elastic and gum-like consistency. Take the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and fold it towards the middle by pulling it from all four corners as shown in the photos above.
6. Repeat this folding process every half hour. Wet your hands before folding, so that the dough does not stick to your hands.
7. After the third fold, wait half an hour, take the dough to the floured counter and pull the dough out into a rectangle.
8.  Fold the short sides to the middle and start at the top, pulling from the corners to the middle, stitch the dough and roll the dough from the top to the bottom. The stages are illustrated above with photos.
9. Form a taut ball by inserting one hand under the dough and twisting it.
10.  Lay a cloth in a deep bowl and sprinkle flour on the meringue. Place the dough in the bowl with the rounded part facing down. Cover it with a cover and let it sit at room temperature for half an hour.
11. At the end of half an hour, place the bowl in the refrigerator, covered, for the cold fermentation process. (Above “ What is cold fermentation? Why is it done?Read the title.)
12. Our dough will spend up to 30 hours in the refrigerator. If you start making the bread around 9 am, it will be ready to bake in the evening the next day.
13. At the end of the time, take the bread out of the fridge and leave it at room temperature for 1 hour.
14.  Meanwhile, set the oven to 250 degrees. Put the cast iron pan in the oven without the lid.
15. When the oven is hot, take the pan out of the oven (Be careful as it will be very hot!) and turn the dough in the pan into the pan.
16. With a sharp knife or razor cut a deep square cut into the top of the dough. If you have it, spray a few drops of water with a sprinkler, otherwise wet your hands and spray water on the dough with your fingers.
17. Put the pot in the oven and lower the temperature to 220. Before closing the oven door, spray the inside of the oven with water and allow steam to form.
18. In this way, after 40 minutes of cooking with the lid of the pot closed, open the lid and cook for another 15 minutes.
19. Take the bread out of the oven, take it out of the pot, put it on a wire so that the bottom can get air. Otherwise, it will make moisture and get wet.

Notes:

1. Do not slice the bread hot, you can wait for it to rest for at least 1 hour until it comes to room temperature and then slice it.
2. If you are not going to eat the bread right away, cut it in half and put it in a freezer bag and put it in the freezer. You can take it out the night before and consume it in the morning.

Bon Appetit.

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