Juliana Garofalo recently offered beginner-friendly tips for sourdough bread making.
Making sourdough bread dough can be challenging at first. However, Juliana Garofalo explained that the difficulty is part of what makes your first perfect loaf so special.
Not everyone wants to spend weeks or even months in the stage of trial and error, so Garofalo recently shared her best beginner sourdough bread-making tips.
1. Use a Starter
Garofalo explained one of the first mistakes many new sourdough bread bakers make is to attempt to create their starter. Ask a fellow baker to share their starter, and you’ll have the foundation for successful sourdough.
2. Speak With Fellow Bakers
The best way to learn the ins and outs of sourdough baking is to speak with a baker who has already been successful in making loaves.
Juliana Garofalo explained that making sourdough bread is an art, and having an experienced mentor can make all the difference. She mentioned that it’s easier than ever to chat with others about sourdough bread-making thanks to Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms.
3. Use a Thermometer
There are numerous variables regarding time and temperature when making sourdough bread, and a thermometer will help you navigate them. Garofalo also suggests planning your bake for when you can be present. You don’t want to have to leave the dough without supervision.
4. Continuously Refresh the Starter
The sourdough bread baking process requires time and effort, but those who love the flavor believe it’s well worth it. Garofalo suggests refreshing the starter at least once a week, even if you don’t plan to make a loaf. This will help keep the microbe levels high for the next batch.
5. Record Your Findings
You’ll learn something new every time you make a sourdough bread loaf. Garofalo suggests recording your temperatures, timing, and any changes you make to your recipe.
Keeping a record of each bake will also help you determine where something went wrong, so you can correct yourself next time. Reviewing your trials and errors in the future can also help others.
The Benefits of Sourdough Baking
Juliana Garofalo welcomes people to begin sourdough bread baking because it offers numerous benefits. Not only is the bread delicious to eat, but it also makes an excellent gift for loved ones.
Sourdough bread making is a challenge that’s exciting and rewarding for those who love to bake. The bread also acts as a probiotic and can help restore good bacteria in the intestines.
“I love gifting sourdough bread to my loved ones, so I can continue perfecting my process,” Garofalo concluded. “The challenge keeps many bakers hooked, even once they think they’ve made the perfect loaf.”