I most certainly don't expect you to know every bread term out there, but consider this your little sourdough cheat sheet. Refer back to it whenever you hear a term you don't know, or perhaps forgot - this way you can sound cool when talking to all of the bread heads. :)
You. Are. Welcome.
Autolyse. My dough looks underdeveloped and very slack . Oven spring. 80% hydration. Crumb with giant holes...
When you dare to enter the sourdough world, you often will hear these terms. The thing is, only intermediate to advanced bakers talk like that which is fine and everything, but really confusing to the beginner baker. You can bake perfectly good bread without memorizing every bread term in a sourdough baking glossary - I did it and so can you!
(I can't tell you how many people leave my Sourdough Classes and say, "wow, you made it so much simpler than I thought it would be!")
But, because I know you’ll fall down the rabbit hole eventually (I know I did), here are 12 terms that I feel you will benefit from.
1.) Sourdough Starter
A live fermented culture of flour and water. A portion is used to make bread dough rise- no commercial yeast is required. You can make a sourdough starter from scratch or purchase one.
2.) Levain
This is an offshoot of your sourdough starter. For example, if you take a portion of your starter (made with all purpose flour), and mix it in a separate bowl with with rye flour, you’ve now created a levain. The goal of a levain is to build specific flavor profiles, with different types of flour, without changing the original makeup of the sourdough starter itself. People use the term “sourdough starter” and “levain” interchangeably which is confusing - this confused me for a long time. Now, you know the difference.
3.) Autolyse
Also known as the “first rest,” this term refers to the stage right after the dough has been mixed.
4.) Bulk Fermentation
Sourdough needs to rise twice. The bulk rise, also known as the “first rise” or “bulk rise” is where the majority of the gluten development takes place. This is a crucial step in sourdough baking. Strong gluten is needed for proper structure and overall height. The bulk rise can take anywhere from 4 -12+ hours or more, depending on the temperature it's kept. Either way, rush the bulk rise and you’ll end up eating a brick.
5.) Stretch and Folding
During the bulk rise, you have the choice to stretch and fold the dough. This is a technique that gently aerates the dough. Incorporating this technique will increase the overall volume and strength of your bread.
6.) Second Rise
Remember what I said earlier? Sourdough needs to rise twice? This is it. Also known as the “final proof” or “final rise” here, the shaped dough rises for the very last time. The duration is no where near as long as the bulk rise; you’re looking at 30 minutes and up to 2 hours at room temperature, or alternatively, overnight in the fridge - my preferred method. The dough is ready when it puffs up and no longer looks dense.
7.) Proofing Basket
Usually made from natural fiber, proofing baskets, cradle the dough and prevent it from spreading during the second rise.
8.) Score
A cut or slash made in the dough prior to baking. It allows the steam to escape and controls the direction in which the loaf opens up.
9.) Bread Lame
Pronounced “lahm,” a bread lame is a tool that bakers use to score the dough. It’s essentially a razor blade attached to a long handle.
10.) Oven Spring
This refers to the increase in size of the bread during baking. Plump, lofty loaves have great oven spring whereas dense, flat loaves lack oven spring.
11.) Crumb
This is the interior cross section of the bread - big holes? Small holes? Dry? Damp? This is what bakers call the “crumb”
12.) Hydration
You will hear bakers talk about hydration all the time. I wouldn’t get too caught up in this when you’re first starting out- it can sound really confusing. But it’s not. Hydration is the ratio of water to flour in bread dough.
Ready to bake sourdough bread?! Click here for my Sourdough eBooks. Or sign up for one of my in-person Basic Sourdough Classes - classes currently held at my home in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.
Happy Baking!
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