Biology And Chemistry Of Sourdough
Sourdough is a stable culture of lactic acid bacteria and yeast in a mixture of flour and water. Broadly speaking, the yeast produces gas which leavens the dough, and the lactic acid bacteria produce lactic acid, which contributes flavor in the form of sourness. The lactic acid bacteria metabolize sugars that the yeast cannot, while the yeast metabolizes the by-products of lactic acid fermentation. During sourdough fermentation, many cereal enzymes, particularly phytases, proteases and pentosanases, are activated through acidification and contribute to biochemical changes during sourdough fermentation.
What Makes San Francisco Bread Sour
What gives San Francisco sourdough its particularly sour flavor? Some argue that it’s the makeup of the wild yeast strains native to the area, but if that were the case, you wouldn’t be able to make sour breads in other localities without introducing some of that extra-sour San Francisco yeast first. This is clearly not the case, and indeed, once the particular strain of lactobacillus bacteria responsible for San Francisco bread’s sour flavor was identified, it’s been discovered all over the world. L. sanfranciscensis is what French and Italian country-style loaves owe their sourness to, it turns out.
“Good sour flavor really comes down to technique.”
In reality, good sour flavor really comes down to technique. All starter-based breadsthose are breads in which the leavening comes from a batch of yeast and microbe-infested dough, rather than from dried or blocked commercial yeastare made by combining a proportion of starter dough with fresh dough. That starter is packed with little buggers.
According to Discover Magazine, a single teaspoon of active starter contains as many as 50 million yeasts and 5 billion lactobacilli bacteria. There are more bugs in a half cup of starter than there are humans who have ever existed in the universe. Think about that next time you bite into a loaf!
Sourdough ~ The Holy Grail Of Breads
Sourdough is truly the holy grail of bread. Once you master this, you will have truly have mastered the art of bread making.
It isnt hard to make, but it does take time and a bit of technique. With practice, you will get a feel for your sourdough starter and for your sourdough in general. Yes, they all have different personalities and characteristics. Get to know yours, what it likes and dislikes.
Learn to trust your instincts and remember it is a process. Enjoy the process! It really is quite rewarding and absolutely delicious!
Also Check: Whole Grain Bread Gluten Free
A Closer Look At San Francisco Sourdough
While sourdough starters and bread made from starters have been around for thousands of years, the term sourdough has a pretty short history. It is a US term that came into use during the California Gold Rush days of the late 1800s.
Many gold miners obtained provisions in the booming coastal town of San Francisco before heading up into the mountains, and a good bread starter would have been a vital necessity. Starters from that area produced bread with a unique and particularly sour tang. Thus, the starters and bread from that area became known as sourdough.
What is the difference say to my beginners organic sourdough bread recipe? WATER or in bread terms hydration! There is less water in this dough which will create a stiffer dough and a crackly harder crust with a good crumb. It also rises considerably more than my beginners recipe.
Did You Make This Recipe
We want to see it! Tag and use hashtag #redstaryeast
I have used the Sour Dough Starter three times and Im not getting the results I would get with normal Red Star Yeast. Ive baked Sour Dough Bread for years and Ive followed the recipes to a t but I just dont get a large porous dough that I normally get. Anything you can recommend?
Red Star Yeast |
Hi Jan the large holes is achieve with higher hydration doughs. Wed be happy to troubleshoot your recipe with you. Email us or call our toll-free number: Kind regards,
What ingredients do you add to make a sourdough bread with the instant sourdough yeast + sourdough culture packet that says make real sourdough without a starter? also can I have the steps? This is my first time, my five-year-old daughter wants to help me make it. Thank you!
Red Star Yeast | Reply
Hi Esther Heres a link to all the recipes we have that use the Platinum Instant Sourdough . You can also substitute 1 full packet of the Platinum Instant Sourdough for 1 packet dry yeast. It is not meant to be substituted for a sourdough starter because that also has water/liquids and flour. More information on this product can be found here: .I hope you will find this information helpful. Happy baking!
San Francisco Sourdough Bread ~ Red Star Yeast
Red Star Yeast |
Read Also: Easy Banana Bread Recipe Healthy
The Top Places To Buy Sourdough Bread In San Francisco
San Franciscos sourdough bread dates back to the Gold Rush when French migrants discovered that the natural yeasts and bacteria in the air could be used for fermentation of the dough. Today, San Francisco is regarded as the countrys best place to find delicious bread, with lots of talented bakers. With so many to choose from its difficult to decide where to go, so check out our selection of must-try bakeries around the city.
The New York Times’ Suzanne Lenzer Once Said Of Tartine’s Bread As Bread Recipes Go Its Nearly Perfect
After one bite of a Tartine baguette I would have to agree. Just by looking at its doughy caverns I could tell it was going to be good. It had a complex flavor that was absent from the other loaves, and the texture was smooth without being too soft. It was easy to bite into, but still had a satisfying crunch to it.
Despite, a full stomach, I had a hard time stopping myself from devouring the whole thing.
Cost: Standard baguette, $5.80
Also Check: Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus Bread Maker
This Is How To Make Your First Loaf Of Sourdough Bread
This recipe makes 2 loaves of San-Francisco style sourdough bread.
Measure out 1 1/2 cups of starter to make your first two loaves. Today you can give a cup of starter to a friend the way Colleen did. However, I have kept all the starter for myself most of the time. I just feed it and return it to the refrigerator.
When I do it this way, I have more starter to work with and can bake four loaves instead of two each time. This makes very happy friends!
I used a stand mixer from start to finish and found it was extremely easy to do. Of course, you can choose to do it with a hand mixer or spoon and knead the dough by hand. Channel your inner log cabin dweller if you like. Its entirely up to you. But for this, I love my big strong Kitchen Aid mixer. It is a dependable old friend.
To the starter, you will add warm water, yeast, sugar and salt, and a little butter. I like to use the whip attachment at first to get everything well blended and start developing the gluten. When Ive added enough flour that the mixture starts getting too thick, I change to a dough hook.
Next, I add flour gradually until the magic moment when the dough starts to pull away and clean the sides of the bowl, like in the picture above. At this point, I add flour in tiny increments. I add only enough until I can pinch the dough without it feeling sticky.
Sourdough produces a smooth ball of dough that is silky and smooth as a babys cheek. It is truly a joy to handle.
Where Is The Best Sourdough Bread In San Francisco
Sharing is caring!
What is the famous sourdough bread in San Francisco? Boudin is the definitive home of sourdough in San Francisco. It was established in 1849, and has since evolved into a chain with a full menu of baked goods, sandwiches, and soups. Its a pretty big tourist attraction too, and I was a little skeptical that it had been able to maintain its original quality.
Who makes San Francisco sourdough bread? Then theres Boudin Bakery, considered San Franciscos oldest continuously operating business, which has been churning out loaves of sourdough bread since first opening its doors in 1849 just one year after Marshall discovered gold at Sutters Mill.
What makes San Francisco sourdough bread different? So let me try to repeat that: San Francisco sourdough tastes sour because of a unique local bacteria called lactobacillus San Francisco. That, and a yeast called candida milleri are the real secret to San Francisco sourdough bread. In other words, the secret ingredient is no secret at all: Its blowing in the wind.
What is the difference between sourdough and San Francisco sourdough? However, San Francisco sourdough tends to be more sour, aerated and chewy than other types. All sourdough bread is leavened with a starter prepared by spontaneous fermentation of a mixture of flour and water. Large-scale commercial sourdough usually has extra yeast added to speed up production.
Also Check: Breed Of Dog That Bites The Most
How Old Is The San Francisco Sourdough Starter
The Internets Favourite Sourdough Starter! This diabolical starter traces its roots back to the San Francisco gold rush but has been living and mingling with Kensington Markets eclectic denizens for the past several years, and has now mutated into its own beast! its been in continuous use since 1850!
Heres How To Bake Your First Loaf Of Sourdough Bread
Now you can shape your loaves and put them on a sheet pan you have greased or sprayed. It will typically take a little longer to rise that ordinary yeast bread. As it does, it forms a beautiful texture so be patient! The dough needs to rise until its double in size.
Find a nice warm spot in your kitchen and cover the loaves lightly with a clean towel. Now, wait while the yeast works its magic. Tick-tock, tick-tock.
When the bread has doubled in size, score the top of each loaf in several places with a serrated knife. Using a pastry brush, gently apply the egg wash evenly over the entire surface of the loaves. This is what gives the bread its beautiful, crispy, golden crust.
Now bake until its evenly browned and sounds hollow when you tap on the surface. Set on a rack to cool and try to control your urge to tear into the hot loaf!!
Give your loaves a chance to cool a bit so you can handle them easily. Slice off a piece while its still warm and slather on some real butter. This, my friend, is bread heaven.
Recommended Reading: Panera Bread West Springfield Ma
What Is San Francisco Dough
ABOUT US. Dough brings its classic menu with fresh ideas and innovative concept : San Franciscos Mid-Market Corridor. At the bustling intersection of 11th and Market Streets, Dough sits at the epicenter of the recent resurgence of this historic quarter and home of Twitter HQ, UBER HQ, and Square.
Sharing is caring!
Acme San Francisco Sourdough
- Hours: Mon Fri 7am 7:30pm, Sat and Sun 8am 7pm
- Claim to fame: The Pain au Levain variation of traditional sourdough
Acmes Pain au Levain sourdough contains about 20% whole wheat flour and uses a whole wheat sourdough starter. They explain more about their bread, What distinguishes this loaf from other sourdoughs is its particularly strong smokey crust and its chewy lighter interior crumb speckled with whole wheat. While they mainly stock restaurants and groceries you can visit them at the Ferry Building.
Stock up on a loaf of this delicious San Francisco Sourdough on your way to Angel Island for a picnic. While youre there, you can get cheese from Cowgirl Creamery or some jam to go with your bread from Village Market.
- Hours: See here for the Bakery and see here for Tartine Manufactory
- Claim to fame: Co-founder and pastry chef Elisabeth Prueitt bakes technically perfect pastries with and without gluten
Chad Robertson, Co-founder and baker, has instilled in Tartine a profound love of the grain. Their relationship with local farmers allows them to get a much better grain with which to make their bread. They take a thoughtful and poetic approach to baking. As quoted on their website , A baker reads the weather, the flour, the levain, yesterdays baked bread before starting to mix.
Read Also: Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread Wall Decor
The Best Sourdough Bread In San Francisco
The history of sourdough bread in San Francisco goes way back to the time of the gold rush, when Basque migrants started baking bread in the area using the natural yeasts and bacteria present in the air for fermentation. San Francisco is widely regarded as the mecca of sour-style bread, though that reputation really has more to do with the culture of bread baking, the high concentration of great bakers, and the stiff competition than any sort of magical bread-baking climate .
The baking scene in San Francisco these days is better than it’s ever been, with the 1980s-era stalwarts of the artisan bread movementAcme, Semifreddi, and the likestill going strong, and the newer bakersTartine, Josey Baker Bread, and Firebrand, to name a fewbringing on some serious competition and challenging the status quo of what San Francisco bread is supposed to taste like.
What’s the state of the scene today? We tasted a dozen different loaves available in San Francisco to get a lay of the land.
How My Excellent Sourdough Adventure Began
My personal sourdough baking adventure started when my friend Colleen put a message out on Facebook. Who would like some sourdough starter? I have way more than I can use. It sounded like an intriguing experiment for the newly found time on my hands at the height of the shelter-at-home phase of the COVID 19 virus.
I drove out to her home to pick up my new project. She handed me an innocent-looking little Rubbermaid container filled with the newly made starter. Then, she gave me a sheet of instructions and a sheaf of recipes in a manila file folder. This warning was boldly written in red marker on the cover. NEVER USE A METAL SPOON OR BOWL!
When I started to drive away, she chuckled softly and said, You might be sorry you got involved with this undertaking. Its one more thing to add to your daily to-do list! I heard what she said but I kept thinking about what terrific grilled sandwiches it would make.
Also Check: Cheesecake Factory Brown Bread Walmart
Restaurants Serving San Francisco Sourdough
So far weve shown you great bakeries where you can pick up a fresh loaf of bread, and a few where you can get a slice for a sandwich or soup. If youre looking for a restaurant with sourdough bread on hand, here are some spots to try.
- Address: 1517 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109
- Hours: Mon-Fri 10:30am 5:30pm
Many dishes at this popular hole-in-the-wall come with a side of sourdough bread, like the crab cocktail or the crab back. Try Swan Oyster Depots clam chowder with a side of sourdough for a classic seafood combination.
- Address: Locations in SoMa, Potrero Hill, and West Portal
- Hours:All locations open daily 11am 10pm
Like the Mill, Goat Hill Pizza is serving up delicious pies with a classic sourdough base. Named for the goats who roamed the lot behind the original location, Goat Hill Pizza has been serving up smiles since 1975. Their dough is mixed daily and rests for three days to develop its distinctive sourdough flavor.
- Address: 2347 3rd St. San Francisco CA 94107
- Hours: Daily 11am 10pm
What can we say, we like our pizza dough in San Francisco to be sour. Thats how Long Bridge Pizza owners and Bay Area natives Neal DeNardi and Andrew Markoulis like their pizza too. Our goal is to create a laid back vibe for everyone to enjoy some serious pizza in the neighborhood, they say. Get a classic cheese or try one of their creations like the Jerry Pie, topped with Mozzarella, Ricotta, Cherry Tomatoes, Pesto, Garlic, Olive Oil, Parmesan .
Best San Francisco Sourdough Bakeries
In 1849, the Boudin family discovered something amazing. When making their traditional French bread , the Boudins used natural, wild yeasts from the air of San Francisco. The result was a tangy, sweet tasting bread. And thus San Francisco sourdough was created. Something about our salty, foggy air adds a little something extra that makes tasting bread in this city a rite of passage. Today, 168 years later, there are dozens of bakeries across the city using their own mother, or starter, with wild yeasts caught from the San Francisco airsome of which are amazing, some no so much. But if youre going to eat sourdough anywhere, we suggest you head to one of these top 5 bakeries.
Don’t Miss: Purina Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy Food
San Francisco Sourdough Bread Recipe
Are you ready to tackle this recipe? Great! Couple quick tips. Get a scale! Bread making is a science and measuring should be exact.
Next, purchase a true San Francisco sourdough starter. It makes a difference.
Finally, dont overthink this. It should be fun and remember it is a learning process. Enjoy the process and give me a shout out if you should have any questions.
- Total Time:4 hours 35 minutes
- Yield:2 loaves 1x
A Traditional San Francisco Sourdough Bread Recipe!