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Homemade Sourdough: Easy, At-Home Artisan Bread Making
Start, grow, and bake your own delicious, homemade sourdough bread, with or without commercial yeast!
Homemade Sourdough is the ultimate guide to creating your own sourdough bread. Learn sourdough formulas and recipes and follow along as the author explains the science behind sourdough and provides a guide to the world of starters, wild yeasts, proofing, pre-ferments, and motherdough.
You'll find dozens of delicious recipes, not just for bread but for other baked goods, from muffins to pizza crust to chocolate cake. Sourdough rises through the action of lactic acid, so it doesn't require store-bought yeast, but the sourdough starter method works beautifully with either commercial yeast or wild yeast.
Sourdough bread baking is a great skill for a sustainable, self-sufficient lifestyle and provides the added health benefits of being made through fermentation. And if you are interested in lowering your intake of gluten, sourdough preparations can produce lively, tasty loaves with lower amounts of gluten than other methods.
There is no better way to embrace heritage flavors and time-tested bread-baking techniques than with sourdough. Foodies, farmers, DIYers, and locavores—you will want to devour this book.
Homemade Sourdough is the ultimate guide to creating your own sourdough bread. Learn sourdough formulas and recipes and follow along as the author explains the science behind sourdough and provides a guide to the world of starters, wild yeasts, proofing, pre-ferments, and motherdough.
You'll find dozens of delicious recipes, not just for bread but for other baked goods, from muffins to pizza crust to chocolate cake. Sourdough rises through the action of lactic acid, so it doesn't require store-bought yeast, but the sourdough starter method works beautifully with either commercial yeast or wild yeast.
Sourdough bread baking is a great skill for a sustainable, self-sufficient lifestyle and provides the added health benefits of being made through fermentation. And if you are interested in lowering your intake of gluten, sourdough preparations can produce lively, tasty loaves with lower amounts of gluten than other methods.
There is no better way to embrace heritage flavors and time-tested bread-baking techniques than with sourdough. Foodies, farmers, DIYers, and locavores—you will want to devour this book.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2015
About the author
Jane Mason
8 booksI am a writer, business woman, and award winning social entrepreneur. One of my many awards includes being named as a Red Magazine “Red Hot Business Woman” for which the award ceremony was located at 10 Downing street in London. Seriously.
A Canadian native of German and English parents (mother was born in Hamburg and arrived in Canada via Puerto Rico; father was born in London, grew up in Hangkow, and arrived as a refugee in Canada in 1940), the vast majority of meals were had around the kitchen table and included debates about the state of the Canadian economy, the merits of potatoes vs rice, and discussions about the next meal. All of our food was prepared at home and, as my mother insisted she could taste preservatives, she did not buy anything edible from the inside aisles of the supermarket.
My least favourite job was being the self-appointed head of global photocopying at an accounting firm before machines copied double sided, or collated. Thankfully a good education (BA and MA in English; MBA) and a series of wonderful jobs that involved brilliant colleagues, fascinating clients, thousands of air miles, and a great deal of dining out (as well as advancements in photocopy technology) has meant that I get to do my most favourite jobs most of the time. My most favourite jobs are when I work as part of a team to solve complicated problems and produce content that engages and inspires people, and effects positive change. Writing is a big part of that.
In addition to four cook books (Making Bread at Home, The Book of Buns, Homemade Sourdough, and Mexico: The World Vegetarian) I have written articles for various scholarly and foodie magazines in the UK. I founded Bread Angels to change the world through bread, and I work with senior leaders in multi-national companies around the world as a strategy consultant and executive coach. Until recently I lectured to undergraduates in Mexico about critical thinking and rhetoric. I am a secret poet.
www.virtuousbread.com
insta and tiktok: @virtuousbread
A Canadian native of German and English parents (mother was born in Hamburg and arrived in Canada via Puerto Rico; father was born in London, grew up in Hangkow, and arrived as a refugee in Canada in 1940), the vast majority of meals were had around the kitchen table and included debates about the state of the Canadian economy, the merits of potatoes vs rice, and discussions about the next meal. All of our food was prepared at home and, as my mother insisted she could taste preservatives, she did not buy anything edible from the inside aisles of the supermarket.
My least favourite job was being the self-appointed head of global photocopying at an accounting firm before machines copied double sided, or collated. Thankfully a good education (BA and MA in English; MBA) and a series of wonderful jobs that involved brilliant colleagues, fascinating clients, thousands of air miles, and a great deal of dining out (as well as advancements in photocopy technology) has meant that I get to do my most favourite jobs most of the time. My most favourite jobs are when I work as part of a team to solve complicated problems and produce content that engages and inspires people, and effects positive change. Writing is a big part of that.
In addition to four cook books (Making Bread at Home, The Book of Buns, Homemade Sourdough, and Mexico: The World Vegetarian) I have written articles for various scholarly and foodie magazines in the UK. I founded Bread Angels to change the world through bread, and I work with senior leaders in multi-national companies around the world as a strategy consultant and executive coach. Until recently I lectured to undergraduates in Mexico about critical thinking and rhetoric. I am a secret poet.
www.virtuousbread.com
insta and tiktok: @virtuousbread
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 13, 2020
Awesome book! I have baked sourdough bread a few times, and I want to start again. This book is very handy for newbies, but it is as useful for people familiar with sourdough. Absolutely mouthwatering recipes with fabulous pictures. I’ll try many of these. Fingers crossed I’ll make eatable bread. To help with this there are useful tips on how to avoid things going wrong.
This is a non nonsense book with the essential information you need, and that’s what I want from a book like this. I’ll be using it as a reference book, and will most likely get back to it every time I try to work my magic on sourdough bread. Highly recommended!
This is a non nonsense book with the essential information you need, and that’s what I want from a book like this. I’ll be using it as a reference book, and will most likely get back to it every time I try to work my magic on sourdough bread. Highly recommended!
August 21, 2017
After the thrill of capturing wild yeast using Jane Mason's 'never throw any of it away' method outlined in her book "All You Knead is Bread", I started to run into snags. Or rather, major sourness. So I got her book "Homemade Sourdough" out of the library. And contrary to what Goodreads says, the book IS by Jane Mason. ¹
I particularly liked seeing the subheading "Demystifying Sourdough" in the introduction.
I flipped through the book, looking for a recipe that would take less time and chose the one for French Bread. Looking at the ingredients, I was surprised to see that it calls for just 1 teaspoon (6gm) of salt. In baker's percentages, that's not even 1%. Without trying the amount listed, I upped the amount to a more normal 2% and even then, we thought the bread could have used a tiny bit more salt.
Also surprising is the fact that almost all of the recipes, including the one for French bread, call for "bread flour". Sure, strong flour is handy to have around (think bagels...). The second time I tried the French bread recipe, I used the unbleached "no-additives" all-purpose flour we have on-hand (milled from Canadian hard spring wheat). It has a 13% protein level.² The loaf made with all-purpose flour turned out virtually the same as the previous one made with bread flour (actually, it was all-purpose flour mixed with vital wheat gluten to mimic "bread flour" because it's almost impossible to get unbleached bread flour here).
So for me, with steps missing - no weights listed for salt (don't get me started on the importance of measuring salt by weight), how to tell when the starter is refreshed aside from waiting "8 hours or overnight" (in summer here, without air-conditioning, overnight may be too long and the starter could have already eaten up all the extra flour), how to score (the most that is said in recipes "slash the top"), how to know when the bread really is done (a thermometer is not even mentioned in the equipment list). It's because of the recipes that I gave this book a rating of 3 rather than 4 stars. If I were allowed to hand out half-stars, I would have given it 3.5 stars.
This is not really a first-time baker's book and the recipes (aside from those for how to get a starter going) are definitely not the biggest draw. However, this book, used in concert with other books on baking with natural yeast, is an invaluable resource. We would never have taken the big step to reintroduce a pet to the household if it hadn't been for Mason's arguably radical notion to create and maintain the starter without throwing any of it away.
Alas, I wish I could say that the book did indeed demystify the process. But for me, there were not quite enough answers in quite enough detail. For instance, it would be nice if Mason could have expanded a little more on "choose recipes that take less time". Also, it would have been helpful to say a little more than "simply follow the instructions in the recipe" in the section about refreshing starters.
There are some very handy troubleshooting pages with photos of the problems like "bread is dense, brick-like", or "bread is cracked", or "bread collapses in the middle", or "bread is sticky and under-baked".
1. Surprisingly, if you look up "Homemade Sourdough" on the internet, you may find it in various book sites listed with the author as Ed Wood, rather than Jane Mason. Ed Wood did contribute recipes, but the book is definitely by Jane Mason:
2. From The Kitchn: "the approximate protein content of all the common types of flour: Bread Flour: 14 - 16%; All-Purpose (AP) Flour: 10 - 12%; Pastry Flour: 9%; Cake Flour: 7-8%" - Emma Christensen, The Kitchn | What's the Difference? Cake Flour, Pastry Flour, All-Purpose Flour, and Bread Flour)
Baking with sourdough is a life-long journey and every day is exciting, with a little frisson of danger! I would love to be able to tell you that every loaf has been a beauty but that would be a lie. There have been some spectacularly ugly loaves along the way but—repeat the mantra after me—everything is good toasted, even if it's ugly. [...]
[I]t's worth mentioning that while baking sourdough bread might seem daunting—people frequently say that it takes forever—the reality is that it is actually simpler than baking other types of bread. That's because sourdough does its thing over so many hours that you're free to leave it and go to work or got to bed. [...] The actual time you need to spend interacting with your dough is a matter of minutes, and once you make your starter you can keep it for life! (Foreword)
I particularly liked seeing the subheading "Demystifying Sourdough" in the introduction.
Sourdough baking seems to have acquired a mystique. The truth is that baking sourdough bread is simple and intuitive—anyone can do it. [...] [D]on't worry—there is no one right way. [...] Of course, there are plenty of other books and many other ways to bake sourdough bread, and we encourage you to experiment and find the ways that work for you. We hope that this book helps you on your journey. (Introduction)
I flipped through the book, looking for a recipe that would take less time and chose the one for French Bread. Looking at the ingredients, I was surprised to see that it calls for just 1 teaspoon (6gm) of salt. In baker's percentages, that's not even 1%. Without trying the amount listed, I upped the amount to a more normal 2% and even then, we thought the bread could have used a tiny bit more salt.
Also surprising is the fact that almost all of the recipes, including the one for French bread, call for "bread flour". Sure, strong flour is handy to have around (think bagels...). The second time I tried the French bread recipe, I used the unbleached "no-additives" all-purpose flour we have on-hand (milled from Canadian hard spring wheat). It has a 13% protein level.² The loaf made with all-purpose flour turned out virtually the same as the previous one made with bread flour (actually, it was all-purpose flour mixed with vital wheat gluten to mimic "bread flour" because it's almost impossible to get unbleached bread flour here).
Wheat flour is easily available in most countries around the world. It is available in different strenghts and levels of fineness and whiteness. Unfortunately, there is no universal system for labeling flour [...] Most recipes in this book call for "bread" flour. You may see it labeled as "high-protein flour," "extra strong flour," or "strong flour." You may also see it labeled as "durum flour". (Ingredients)
So for me, with steps missing - no weights listed for salt (don't get me started on the importance of measuring salt by weight), how to tell when the starter is refreshed aside from waiting "8 hours or overnight" (in summer here, without air-conditioning, overnight may be too long and the starter could have already eaten up all the extra flour), how to score (the most that is said in recipes "slash the top"), how to know when the bread really is done (a thermometer is not even mentioned in the equipment list). It's because of the recipes that I gave this book a rating of 3 rather than 4 stars. If I were allowed to hand out half-stars, I would have given it 3.5 stars.
A lame is a straight-edged razor on a stick that bakers use to make the cuts in their loaves. A thin, sharp blade handled with confidence and panache will make a beautiful pattern on your crust and help control any cracking that may occur as your loaves are baking. There are dozens of videos on the internet about how to use a lame to best advantage, but be warned—it's not as easy as it looks. Your first few attempts will leave you with what look like healed scars on your bread, but persevere, as it will get easier and your cuts will get better. (Equipment)
This is not really a first-time baker's book and the recipes (aside from those for how to get a starter going) are definitely not the biggest draw. However, this book, used in concert with other books on baking with natural yeast, is an invaluable resource. We would never have taken the big step to reintroduce a pet to the household if it hadn't been for Mason's arguably radical notion to create and maintain the starter without throwing any of it away.
It is simple to make your own starters and there arre many ways to do it. Some recipes ask you to use a little yeast, and some ask for a little grape, apple, vinegar, or pineapple. [...] Some recipes ask you to throw away some of your starter every day while you are making it. You can experiment to your heart's content or you can follow the recipes in this book. All you need are flour and water. [...] In this book, we use two different starters: [rye and wheat]. They behave differently [...] You can make starters out of many other grains (any other grain, if I am being honest) (Sourdough Basics)
~ ~ ~
The sourdough starter must be refreshed (airy or bubbly, and sweet smelling) to make bread that rises. You can either feed flour and water to your starter every day to keep it constantly refreshed (ideal if you are baking in large quantities every day) or allow it to go dormant between bakes. To do this, simply leave it in the refrigerator (in an airtight container) or freezer. [...] It takes between 4 and 24 hours to refresh a dormant sourdough starter, depending on how long it has been sleeping. You will know the starter is refreshed when it is lively, bubbly, and sweet smelling. [...]
The starter gets weaker as it gets older. This is because you have an increasingly large amount of starter to which you are adding a relatively small amount of new food. The yeast eats the new food in record time (you will see it froth almost instantly then an hour later it's calm again) and goes to sleep. Sleepy yeast does not make great bread, which is why some methods tell you to throw half your starter away on a regular basis. I'm against this method because I don't believe in wasting food. [...]
To refresh the starter when you need it, simply follow the instructions in the recipe. The recipes in this book assume you will store your starter in the refrigerator and that it will need refreshing. To that end they build in refreshment time and you get used to planning this in advance. (Storing and Using a Sourdough Starter)
Alas, I wish I could say that the book did indeed demystify the process. But for me, there were not quite enough answers in quite enough detail. For instance, it would be nice if Mason could have expanded a little more on "choose recipes that take less time". Also, it would have been helpful to say a little more than "simply follow the instructions in the recipe" in the section about refreshing starters.
Sourdough bread doesn't need to taste sour: the longer you take to put your final dough together, the more acidic it will smell and taste. If you like a more acidic taste, select the recipes that take a lot of time to make. If you prefer a less acidic taste, choose recipes that take less time. [...] As you develop your baking skills you will be able to adjust any recipe to suit your tastes. The term "sourdough" is therefore a little misleading, and many bakers refer to sourdough bread as wild yeast bread or natural yeast bread instead. (Sourdough Basics)
~ ~ ~
OPTION 2: Refresh your starter when you need it You can freeze your starter, you can dry your starter, you can refrigerate it in an airtight container, and it will just go to sleep. [...] What you can't do is leave it in a liquid state at room temperature much longer than a couple of days without feeding it. At room temperature the yeast will eventually eat everything in sight and then starve to death. [...]
To refresh the starter when you need it, simply follow the instructions in the recipe. The recipes in this book assume you will store your starter in the refrigerator and that it will need refreshing. To that end, they build in refreshment time, and you get used to planning this in advance. In five minutes you have taken out your starter and fed it, and then you can go to bed or go to work and pick up the process later.
If you kill your starter, it's not the end of the world, as you can make more in four days. (Storing and Using a Sourdough Starter)
There are some very handy troubleshooting pages with photos of the problems like "bread is dense, brick-like", or "bread is cracked", or "bread collapses in the middle", or "bread is sticky and under-baked".
The dough is ready to bake when it passes the probe test. Poke the loaf gently with your finger, making a little indentation. If the dough springs back and the indentation disappears in under a minute, it is ready to bake. If the dough is firm and the indentation stays, it is not ready. If you put the dough in the oven at this stage, it may crack because the dough is not sufficiently relaxed to withstand the "oven spring" without cracking. It will be a little dense but it will still taste good. On the other hand, if the dough is very soft an dairy you have let it over rise. (Sourdough Basics)
~ ~ ~
Before using the proofing basket, season it by painting a thin mixture of cornstarch and water all over the basket with a small paintbrush and leave it to dry. [...] After a few uses, scrub the basket with hot soapy water and let it dry completely before you use it again. They do need washng from time to time or tiny bugs may take up residence. (Equipment)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
1. Surprisingly, if you look up "Homemade Sourdough" on the internet, you may find it in various book sites listed with the author as Ed Wood, rather than Jane Mason. Ed Wood did contribute recipes, but the book is definitely by Jane Mason:
I was rather shocked today to find a book that I have written, and that is published by Quarto, is listed on your site under someone else's name. Contractually and evidentially (ie my name is lead on the cover) I am the lead author and Ed Wood (currently listed as the author) merely provided some - not even all - of the recipes. I would very much like this to be corrected on the site so that I am listed as the author. That way, people who are looking for my books can find it and credit is where credit is due. I look forward to hearing from you. (Facebook | Jane Mason to Quarto Adults, 4 May 2015)
2. From The Kitchn: "the approximate protein content of all the common types of flour: Bread Flour: 14 - 16%; All-Purpose (AP) Flour: 10 - 12%; Pastry Flour: 9%; Cake Flour: 7-8%" - Emma Christensen, The Kitchn | What's the Difference? Cake Flour, Pastry Flour, All-Purpose Flour, and Bread Flour)
~ ~ ~
Ed Wood is a sourdough enthusiast, and owner of the successful Ed Wood's International Sourdoughs (www.sourdo.com) based in Idaho, USA [...] Ed's background includes a PhD from Cornell University with studies in nutrition, and a trip to Egypt with the National Geographic Society to learn how the pyramid builders in Giza made some of man's first leavened sourdough bread to feed 30,000 pyramid builders. [...] He is the author of Classic Sourdoughs: A Home Baker's Handbook.
Jane Mason founded Virtuous Bread (www.virtuousbread.com) in 2010 to make is fun and easy for people oall over the world to make, find and learn about bread, and in so doing to forge the link between bread and virtue. Jane bakes, teaches baking, and speaks about bread as a catalyst for social change. Completely selft taught, Jane has had the fortune to bake with excellent bakers from South Africa to Sweden, and it is this knowledge of global bread and it's role in the lives of billions of pople all over the world that makers yher special. She is the author of All You Knead Is Bread and The Book Of Buns.
(Acknowledgements)
January 21, 2025
yes i’m adding this to my read shelf. great recipes and easy-to-read, friendly copy. everyone come over for homemade sourdough in a week
May 14, 2015
I am going to tell everyone up upfront that this review is not done by a Chef, or someone who spends a lot of time in the kitchen. To most, I might be considered a box-aterian. Meaning what I eat often comes out of the box and goes directly to a heat source. When I first saw this book I was attracted by the pictures, and the ET AL. on the authors line for the signatures. You may have guess it already. I am a bit of nerd and seeing the familiar research format paired with an incredible cover I started to think about trying out baking bread. This books promised simplicity appealed to my inner carbavore. I love bread!
Going through this book I guarantee you will flip through the pictures and pick out the breads you want to try. FYI, I am a big garlic fan and this book did fall short on instructing me to add it to the recipes. Some of the combinations I would have never thought of. Such as, Chocolate sourdough cream cheese swirls, or making my own bagels. To anyone who actually reads this, one of those breads I did not add garlic. I’ll leave you to guess which one. Smile.
I am really impressed with this book because it taught me things that I either forgot or never knew. For example, Sourdough bread starters once created can be stored indefinitely. Whereas commercially produced yeast has a shelf life of about a year unless stored in the freezer. I don’t know if this is common knowledge but the book got me looking into other starters and tease the reader with different ways to create them. By the time I started using this book to have kitchen adventures I felt like a pro using tools. Proofing baskets, plastic scrapers, a baking stone, a shower cap, and a plant mister are recommended. It felt silly to use the shower cap but using it made the difference.
Buy this book if you want a cooking/baking experience for yourself or to share. Both the pictures and descriptions of what to do if you get in trouble are great. There is more than enough information in this book to provoke your thoughts on the history, food chemistry, taste adventures, and it surprised the heck out of me, but health and food allergies. I can’t recommend this book enough as the recipes and the organization of the book made this a great read! I hope you enjoy it and share the experience.
Mr. Joe
Going through this book I guarantee you will flip through the pictures and pick out the breads you want to try. FYI, I am a big garlic fan and this book did fall short on instructing me to add it to the recipes. Some of the combinations I would have never thought of. Such as, Chocolate sourdough cream cheese swirls, or making my own bagels. To anyone who actually reads this, one of those breads I did not add garlic. I’ll leave you to guess which one. Smile.
I am really impressed with this book because it taught me things that I either forgot or never knew. For example, Sourdough bread starters once created can be stored indefinitely. Whereas commercially produced yeast has a shelf life of about a year unless stored in the freezer. I don’t know if this is common knowledge but the book got me looking into other starters and tease the reader with different ways to create them. By the time I started using this book to have kitchen adventures I felt like a pro using tools. Proofing baskets, plastic scrapers, a baking stone, a shower cap, and a plant mister are recommended. It felt silly to use the shower cap but using it made the difference.
Buy this book if you want a cooking/baking experience for yourself or to share. Both the pictures and descriptions of what to do if you get in trouble are great. There is more than enough information in this book to provoke your thoughts on the history, food chemistry, taste adventures, and it surprised the heck out of me, but health and food allergies. I can’t recommend this book enough as the recipes and the organization of the book made this a great read! I hope you enjoy it and share the experience.
Mr. Joe
September 14, 2024
2.75/5⭐️
Great book if you're just starting out with sourdough! Good recipes and definitions of different terms!
Great book if you're just starting out with sourdough! Good recipes and definitions of different terms!
February 19, 2020
Starting off with the pros: I love the tone of this and it gives a good balance of scientific explanation and cooking tips for home bakers. It's approachable and not nearly as....pretentious as other sourdough cookbooks often are. There are things I've taken away from this and integrated into my baking that have been helpful for me, HOWEVER there's one epic drawback and that's that.....
Something is very whack with these recipes. Either I'm systemically misunderstanding something or the author is consistently putting in way, way too much water. Weirdly, it looks like she uses roughly the ratios recommended in general by other authors for sourdough recipes (100 flour: 60-70 water: 15-30 starter) volumetrically, whereas those ratios are generally designed to be by mass, which makes a big big difference because water is pretty heavy. I adjusted her rye starter recipe on the fly because it was just way too wet. And then when I went to bake a recipe (light finnish rye) I went against my intuition and followed it to the letter to start with. Mistake. What was supposed to be a 'wet dough' was a pancake batter. I let the mix rest to autolyse and see if it would tighten up: no dice. Eventually I added flour until it was just tight enough I could vaguely get it to hold it's shape and put it in tins to bake. It was still so loose that it flowed to the side of the tin, which was evident in its final baked form. And then, maybe it's just me and maybe it's just the recipe in question, but the bread was way too freaking sweet for my taste. Like, almost inedibly so.
So in conclusion there are some reasons I like this book and again, I do use some of the info I gleaned from it so reading it wasn't a complete waste of time, but it ultimately fails badly as a cookbook because, for me at least, the recipes really, really don't work.
Something is very whack with these recipes. Either I'm systemically misunderstanding something or the author is consistently putting in way, way too much water. Weirdly, it looks like she uses roughly the ratios recommended in general by other authors for sourdough recipes (100 flour: 60-70 water: 15-30 starter) volumetrically, whereas those ratios are generally designed to be by mass, which makes a big big difference because water is pretty heavy. I adjusted her rye starter recipe on the fly because it was just way too wet. And then when I went to bake a recipe (light finnish rye) I went against my intuition and followed it to the letter to start with. Mistake. What was supposed to be a 'wet dough' was a pancake batter. I let the mix rest to autolyse and see if it would tighten up: no dice. Eventually I added flour until it was just tight enough I could vaguely get it to hold it's shape and put it in tins to bake. It was still so loose that it flowed to the side of the tin, which was evident in its final baked form. And then, maybe it's just me and maybe it's just the recipe in question, but the bread was way too freaking sweet for my taste. Like, almost inedibly so.
So in conclusion there are some reasons I like this book and again, I do use some of the info I gleaned from it so reading it wasn't a complete waste of time, but it ultimately fails badly as a cookbook because, for me at least, the recipes really, really don't work.
January 30, 2021
Homemade Sourdough was a nice book for beginners and experienced sourdough makers alike.
I thought information and techniques were well explained. While I do not like the kneading method (I prefer folding method) some of these recipes want me to give it another go.
While I enjoyed the flours used, for where I live they are not super accessible and I don't know how it would be for others who are new to this technique of baking.
For newbies I appreciated that there were several terms were listed to explain the same thing so people can easily learn the many, many terms in sourdough making.
I thought the recipes were well thought out. They would also be a good jumping board for trying your own flavours. I am excited to try some of these that have milk in them, as I have never added that to my dough.
I received an eARC from Quarto Publishing and Chartwell Books. All opinions are 100% my own.
I thought information and techniques were well explained. While I do not like the kneading method (I prefer folding method) some of these recipes want me to give it another go.
While I enjoyed the flours used, for where I live they are not super accessible and I don't know how it would be for others who are new to this technique of baking.
For newbies I appreciated that there were several terms were listed to explain the same thing so people can easily learn the many, many terms in sourdough making.
I thought the recipes were well thought out. They would also be a good jumping board for trying your own flavours. I am excited to try some of these that have milk in them, as I have never added that to my dough.
I received an eARC from Quarto Publishing and Chartwell Books. All opinions are 100% my own.
July 15, 2023
This was my introduction to sourdough after being gifted it by my best friend. It well and truly got me stuck into things.
I have not tried all the recipes yet (ciabatta looks oddly low hydration), but the starter instructions helped me make Cake (wheat starter) and Jeeves (rye starter). I will say you probably want to wait longer than seven days before using your starter.
I absolutely love the troubleshooting pages - genius for worried novices (or worried anyone!). They aren't exhaustive, but cover a decent amount of ground.
The batter bread was a delicious surprise! I'm excited to continue trying recipes.
I have not tried all the recipes yet (ciabatta looks oddly low hydration), but the starter instructions helped me make Cake (wheat starter) and Jeeves (rye starter). I will say you probably want to wait longer than seven days before using your starter.
I absolutely love the troubleshooting pages - genius for worried novices (or worried anyone!). They aren't exhaustive, but cover a decent amount of ground.
The batter bread was a delicious surprise! I'm excited to continue trying recipes.
December 6, 2024
No.
I have been baking sourdough using recipes on the internet for over 2 years, I bought this book to have something physical to reference. I've made about anything you can think of in the last 2 years using internet recipes. From bread, to pizza crust, to naan, bagels, English muffins, cinnamon rolls, on and on. But using this book, not a single recipe comes out. Everything is entirely too dry, resulting in a dense product. I have a strong starter and used more starter than called for, and fermented in warmer longer environments, and it doesn't turn out. It's not a book for beginners either, that's for sure.
I have been baking sourdough using recipes on the internet for over 2 years, I bought this book to have something physical to reference. I've made about anything you can think of in the last 2 years using internet recipes. From bread, to pizza crust, to naan, bagels, English muffins, cinnamon rolls, on and on. But using this book, not a single recipe comes out. Everything is entirely too dry, resulting in a dense product. I have a strong starter and used more starter than called for, and fermented in warmer longer environments, and it doesn't turn out. It's not a book for beginners either, that's for sure.
March 27, 2018
A number of the recipes in this book are amazingly inaccurate. These inaccuracies lead to impossibly high hydration in the doughs that result. This is particularly true of the section on rye breads, probably because we are instructed to make a rye starter with essentially a 3:1 water to flour ratio. I would not recommend this book for any baker that is not highly experienced and therefore incapable of the difficult task of adjusting the dough that results from many of this recipes.
March 27, 2020
The recipes seem good and I’m eager to try, but the directions are kind of vague, especially if you’ve never made sourdough before.
In the beginning, regarding starter: make it this way, see recipes for maintaining.
In the recipes: pour off starter for recipe and save any extra.
So when and how am I supposed to feed it?
Not a good book for beginners.
In the beginning, regarding starter: make it this way, see recipes for maintaining.
In the recipes: pour off starter for recipe and save any extra.
So when and how am I supposed to feed it?
Not a good book for beginners.
May 11, 2022
I have made the French bread, San Fransisco sour dough loaf, and the English muffins, so far. They all turned out great, although the French loaves haven’t browned the way I had hoped they would. I might need to spritz the oven with water. I make the San Fran loaf in a Dutch oven at a higher heat and it browns beautifully.
The English muffins- perfect!
The English muffins- perfect!
November 7, 2023
I've been making yeasted bread for a while, but I cheat and use the bread maker 😁.
Reading through this is giving me more confidence and encouragement to actually start sourdough, unlike internet sources which have been stressful. Lots of recipes and tips throughout and everything looks good
Reading through this is giving me more confidence and encouragement to actually start sourdough, unlike internet sources which have been stressful. Lots of recipes and tips throughout and everything looks good
February 16, 2024
Ready to follow, diverse recipes. She makes sourdough so much less intimidating and finicky.
December 13, 2020
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Homemade Sourdough is a technique tutorial and cooking guide with recipes developed and curated by Jane Mason. Due out 29th Dec 2020 from Quarto on their Chartwell Books imprint, it's 160 pages and will be available in hardcover format.
Despite being prizewinning expert bakers, the authors have written an accessible, understandable, usable book about sourdough for the rest of us. An introductory chapter covers the basics including demystifying the process, the different steps involved, ingredients, and moving on to a very (very) basic tutorial for making and maintaining a starter. This is one of those "if I can do it, ANYONE can do it" situations. It's not hard and for a long time I've been intimidated by the process, but I just followed the instructions and it worked without any tears.The author has done a good job of breaking down the basic tools and supplies and a good tutorial for a basic loaf to get readers started.
The recipes/tutorials are arranged by base flour (rye, wheat, flavored wheat, sweet breads and buns). Recipes include a short description, ingredients in a bullet style list in a sidebar, and step by step directions. Ingredient measures are provided in American standard and metric (yay!). Most (but not all) ingredients will be easy to source at a relatively well stocked grocery. Some specialty flours might need to be bought from bakers' supply or a specialist grocer. The photography is not abundant, not all of the loaves are accompanied by pictures. The photos which are included are clear and attractive and serving suggestions are appealing and appropriate. The tutorials are accompanied by step-by-step photos which are clear and easy to follow.
The book includes a cross referenced index with ingredients and recipes listed. There are many recipes included in each category; definitely enough to keep bakers busy for a long while. This would be a superlative gift or for the home cook's library. I couldn't think of any sourdough recipes which weren't included (and indeed there are many more in this volume that I was previously familiar with).
Five stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Homemade Sourdough is a technique tutorial and cooking guide with recipes developed and curated by Jane Mason. Due out 29th Dec 2020 from Quarto on their Chartwell Books imprint, it's 160 pages and will be available in hardcover format.
Despite being prizewinning expert bakers, the authors have written an accessible, understandable, usable book about sourdough for the rest of us. An introductory chapter covers the basics including demystifying the process, the different steps involved, ingredients, and moving on to a very (very) basic tutorial for making and maintaining a starter. This is one of those "if I can do it, ANYONE can do it" situations. It's not hard and for a long time I've been intimidated by the process, but I just followed the instructions and it worked without any tears.The author has done a good job of breaking down the basic tools and supplies and a good tutorial for a basic loaf to get readers started.
The recipes/tutorials are arranged by base flour (rye, wheat, flavored wheat, sweet breads and buns). Recipes include a short description, ingredients in a bullet style list in a sidebar, and step by step directions. Ingredient measures are provided in American standard and metric (yay!). Most (but not all) ingredients will be easy to source at a relatively well stocked grocery. Some specialty flours might need to be bought from bakers' supply or a specialist grocer. The photography is not abundant, not all of the loaves are accompanied by pictures. The photos which are included are clear and attractive and serving suggestions are appealing and appropriate. The tutorials are accompanied by step-by-step photos which are clear and easy to follow.
The book includes a cross referenced index with ingredients and recipes listed. There are many recipes included in each category; definitely enough to keep bakers busy for a long while. This would be a superlative gift or for the home cook's library. I couldn't think of any sourdough recipes which weren't included (and indeed there are many more in this volume that I was previously familiar with).
Five stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
August 5, 2022
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
Homemade Sourdough is nicely laid out, easy-to-follow, and fairly comprehensive. There are many photographs to explain the points and I especially liked that there is a troubleshooting section to quickly help you fix bread issues such as bread that comes out as dense or with huge holes. At the same time, there are odd areas of missing information and the typeset is small enough to give you a headache reading it.The recipes are what you would expect: wheat, rye, flavored wheat, sweet breads and buns, and various batter items such as pancakes and waffles. The tips are intermixed throughout, which was a bit daunting when e.g., trying to find the basics for kneading correctly. On one hand, I like that the tips for rye bread are with the rye bread recipes. But at the same time, they are not listed in the table of contents and so can get lost easily. It does make the introduction small but it can be frustrating to track things down when it comes time to bake.
The book is fairly comprehensive - storing, different flours, and explaining why you need to do certain steps (e.g., why you knead and what to watch for when doing it). But then at the same time, it'll tell you that if a dough is overkneaded, it is no longer good and needs to be thrown away (without explaining why overkneading means the dough is ruined). But on the whole, I have to say this this has been one of the most comprehensive on the subject but definitely does not feel onerous to go through and do the recipes.
The author has a very practical approach that is especially appreciated. The recipes don't require super special flours or anything beyond a nice proofing basket and a plastic bread scraper. You won't have to put the starter on a pedestal and pray to it daily that it ferments nicely - I really liked that she makes it all sound very easy and is very encouraging along the way. I also liked that the author spent time explaining when/how to add fresh ingredients like fruit and nuts - and how best to prepare those items before adding to the dough.
There is extra information in the end about bread and health - as well as why sourdough is a bit better than your normal loaves in terms of helping your digestion. As well, there is a small resources guide, index, and glossary. A top 10 sourdough tips (also at the end) is a good thing to check through just before starting to keep the making process smooth.
In all, nicely laid out, with plenty of pictures and a lot of good and practical tips. There are many recipes including your traditionally San Francisco sourdough to various buns, muffins, and flavored breads. Just note that the text is incredibly small and difficult to read as a result. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
December 15, 2020
I love to bake bread and I have tried recipes from a number or bread baking books. However, I always felt that sourdough was something for advanced bakers. So, I was too shy to try it. After reading this book I feel ready to give it a go.
This is a mine of information about techniques, ingredients, baking techniques etc. What I found very nice was the amount of details about how the starter should look like, how the dough should feel like when you work with it, common mistakes one can make, little disasters (and how everything is always nice toasted) and many tips for all stages of the process. There are good pictures that illustrate the techniques and the recipes. As a newcomer to sourdough I appreciated the effort made by the author to make the whole process as familiar and friendly as possible, and to stick to simple ingredients. And there are many recipes to choose from.
I am ready to start with my first sourdough and put in practice all the good advice from this book. Thanks to the author on behalf of the sourdough rookies (and surely of many experienced bakers too).
Many thanks to NetGalley, Quarto Publishing and Jane Mason for the privilege of reading and reviewing this books thanks to an advance reader’s copy.
This is a mine of information about techniques, ingredients, baking techniques etc. What I found very nice was the amount of details about how the starter should look like, how the dough should feel like when you work with it, common mistakes one can make, little disasters (and how everything is always nice toasted) and many tips for all stages of the process. There are good pictures that illustrate the techniques and the recipes. As a newcomer to sourdough I appreciated the effort made by the author to make the whole process as familiar and friendly as possible, and to stick to simple ingredients. And there are many recipes to choose from.
I am ready to start with my first sourdough and put in practice all the good advice from this book. Thanks to the author on behalf of the sourdough rookies (and surely of many experienced bakers too).
Many thanks to NetGalley, Quarto Publishing and Jane Mason for the privilege of reading and reviewing this books thanks to an advance reader’s copy.
November 19, 2020
Homemade Sourdough: Easy, At-Home Artisan Bread Making by Jane Mason
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group – Chartwell Books
Genre: Cooking, Food & Wine
Release Date: December 22, 2020
Homemade Sourdough by Jane Mason is a resource and recipe book discussing bread basics (& so much more).
The beginning of the book explains all the things you need to know about baking bread. There is so much information - I know I will be reaching back to this again and again.
The recipes are broken in the following chapters: Batter Bread, Everyday Rye, Everyday Wheat, Flavored Wheat, & Sweet Breads and Buns. I want to eat just about everything! Also, the recipes seem easy to follow and are well explained!
I will be getting this book for my husband for Christmas. During the first 'lockdown' in my state, my husband discovered a love for baking bread (I already knew I loved eating bread so this was a match made in heaven!) and I know he will appreciate these recipes!
I'm so grateful to Jane Mason, Quarto Publishing Group – Chartwell Books, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group – Chartwell Books
Genre: Cooking, Food & Wine
Release Date: December 22, 2020
Homemade Sourdough by Jane Mason is a resource and recipe book discussing bread basics (& so much more).
The beginning of the book explains all the things you need to know about baking bread. There is so much information - I know I will be reaching back to this again and again.
The recipes are broken in the following chapters: Batter Bread, Everyday Rye, Everyday Wheat, Flavored Wheat, & Sweet Breads and Buns. I want to eat just about everything! Also, the recipes seem easy to follow and are well explained!
I will be getting this book for my husband for Christmas. During the first 'lockdown' in my state, my husband discovered a love for baking bread (I already knew I loved eating bread so this was a match made in heaven!) and I know he will appreciate these recipes!
I'm so grateful to Jane Mason, Quarto Publishing Group – Chartwell Books, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.
November 16, 2020
Good job Jane!
At first, I wasn't expecting much from this book, because the title is not telling you what's inside specifically. As I read further, after the preparation and all, here comes the recipes.. I am so excited to see sooooo many rye recipes in this book! There are many kinds of rye bread I never heard of. After this, I'm going to give it a try.
Besides rye recipes, of course, there are some recipes with wheat or spelt, that part isn't so special for me. I saw the 181 page is double,
The introduction's font is a bit difficult to read imo.
Generally, this book is good. Jane has troubleshooting examples for you. When she explains things, it's easy to understand. Like when she compares us with bread, we are both burping to release gas. I laughed. Thank you for sharing Jane!
At first, I wasn't expecting much from this book, because the title is not telling you what's inside specifically. As I read further, after the preparation and all, here comes the recipes.. I am so excited to see sooooo many rye recipes in this book! There are many kinds of rye bread I never heard of. After this, I'm going to give it a try.
Besides rye recipes, of course, there are some recipes with wheat or spelt, that part isn't so special for me. I saw the 181 page is double,
The introduction's font is a bit difficult to read imo.
Generally, this book is good. Jane has troubleshooting examples for you. When she explains things, it's easy to understand. Like when she compares us with bread, we are both burping to release gas. I laughed. Thank you for sharing Jane!
November 18, 2020
As someone who is a beginner bread baker- this book has clear, fun instruction. There’s shared knowledge. The layout is simple and eye catching. The photography is perfect. Thank you to Netgalley & Quarto Publishing Group for the gifted PDF copy.
December 2, 2020
Beautiful book! I love the step by step instructions and all the tips. I've been wanting to try making sourdough and I'll use this book to try it. It looks easy to follow and the recipes look so delicious! I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review
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