Full Sourdough Bread

Honestly, I think 2020 was the year of sourdough bread.  Many folks with extra time on their hands turned to baking bread and sourdough was the choice likely because finding yeast was difficult to find.  Within a couple of weeks, stores were sold out of the packets of yeast.  The larger 1 lb and 2 lb packages of yeast I buy were suddenly unavailable at the warehouse stores and online.  Folks who couldn't find yeast turned to sourdough.

Sourdough bread is almost an art form right from the starter with its own lingo like percent hydration, stretch and fold, lame, tang and etc.  Many lump any bread made with a sourdough starter as sourdough even if they added yeast, sugar or other ingredients.  A true sourdough contains only: starter, flour, water, and salt.  There are some very fundamental differences between a yeast bread and a true sourdough bread.

1. Yeast bread are kneaded to form a smooth dough.  Sourdough is sticky, so it is stretched then folded onto itself every 30 minutes until it holds it shape (about 2-4 hours).
2. Yeast bread is allowed to rise, punched down, shaped then proofed before baking for a total time of about 4 hours if that.  Sourdough is allowed autolyse (about 30 min) after mixing, then the stretched and folded, before being placed in a banneton and allowed to ferment for at least 12 hours but no more than 24 hours.  The final proof is after the slow bulk ferment that can take a few hours before the dough is ready to bake.
3. Yeast breads do not require extra moisture when baking so any baking pan or sheet can be used depending on your desired outcome.  Sourdough bread is either baked in a covered Dutch oven or on a baking sheet with a pan of water on the rack below.
4. Yeast breads start to finish take 3-4 hours.  Sourdough bread takes 24 - 30 hours.