“Why, oh why, can’t I justbake a loaf of lighter, less dense sourdough bread? Why is it so heavy?”
This is something that every sourdough baker faces…
…including me.
June F. recently asked this question, and since I know it plagues everyone from time to time, I figured it was time to answer it. 🙂
I finally got a good whole wheat starter. In fact, I made my first loaf yesterday. It is VERY dense and heavy, so I need to work on lightening it up somehow. Wardee, could you address how to make a lighter, less dense loaf of sourdough bread? That would be awesome! — June F.
Coming up… 11 tips for lighter, less dense sourdough bread. These are the same tips I follow to make my own sourdough bread light and lofty!
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The Question:
June F. asks:
I finally got a good whole wheat starter. In fact, I made my first loaf yesterday. It is VERY dense and heavy, so I need to work on lightening it up somehow. Wardee, could you address how to make a lighter, less dense loaf of sourdough bread? That would be awesome!
My Answer: 11 Tips For Lighter, Less Dense Sourdough Bread
Here comes a list of tips for you. Some may apply, some not. These are all the things I can think of to help you get lighter, less dense sourdough bread!
#1 — Use a lighter flour.
Whole wheat flour (hard red) is the heaviest flour I know. Now, the hard white variety of whole wheat is lighter and sweeter, so that one thing could improve your bread. If you go with spelt or even einkorn, you will get even lighter results, in my experience.
#2 — Use some (or all) sifted flour.
Sift your flour to remove the heavy parts (bran) and the resulting flour is lighter. You can combine this with whole flour or use all sifted flour in your recipe. This tip helps no matter which type of flour you’re using.
#3 — Make sure your starter is strong and ready for bread.
Young sourdough starters may not be mature enough for bread. They don’t have a strong enough colony of yeasts (which do the rising). So give your starter a few more weeks of regular care (twice daily feedings, at least) to get it strong. You’ll know it’s strong because it’s got tons of bubbles and lift on its own. Here’s how to start a sourdough starter — it’s easy!Or if you want to purchase, I recommend sourdough starters from Cultures For Health.
#4 — Adjust the moisture level of the dough.
Both too wet or too dry dough can result in dense bread. One mistake people make when using whole-grain flours is they add the flour and move on with the recipe. Yet, whole grain flours take awhile to absorb moisture, so it’s better to add some of the flour and give it 15 minutes or so to absorb water. Then come back and add more flour to get the right consistency.
In kneaded bread doughs, I look for somewhat sticky dough — not dry and not too sticky. This is something you learn as you practice. (Also, you can see the consistency I like in our eCourse videos.)
#5 — Add baking soda before shaping.
Not only will baking soda “sweeten” the dough and make it less sour, it reacts with the acids in the dough (which the starter produces) in a fizzy chemical reaction. You won’t necessarily see fizz in your bread dough, but you will see it lift before your eyes.
Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon to a loaf’s worthright before shaping into a loaf by sprinkling it on the dough, then folding it in, then shaping into a loaf, letting it rise, and baking it. (This is the method I use in our no-knead sourdough einkorn recipe; get it free here.)
#6 — Knead shorter or knead longer.
If it’s a kneaded recipe, you may not have kneaded enough — or you may have kneaded too much.
The dough needs to have a nice stretch so that when the yeasts are giving off gas and wanting to lift it up, the dough network can accommodate that and follow along. It’s teamwork. The yeasts push; the dough lifts. If the dough is not kneaded enough; it’s not stretchy enough to lift much. If the dough is kneaded too much, those long strands of developed gluten that would stretch getbroken and won’t stretch because they’re too short.
To know if your dough is kneaded just right (like Goldilocks and the 3 Bears “just right”), do the “window test” — take a small amount of dough and stretch it between your fingers. Does it stretch out to about an inch where you can see through it but it doesn’t snap or break apart? Then it passes.
#7 — Let it rise in a warm place.
Sourdough needs a warm and comfy spot to rise. Too cold and the organisms are slowed way down to the point that they’re nearly dormant. Liven them up by keeping them warm — in an oven with a pilot light on, near the fireplace, near the venting burner for your oven (while something else is baking), or even in a cube dehydrator like the Excalibur (just barely turn the fan on). It needs to be warm to rise, and rise is oh-so-important for being lighter and less dense.
#8 — Bake in a hot, hot oven.
When the dough is ready for baking, put it in the oven that’s hot, hot, hot — aka pre-heated to a high temperature, like 450 degrees Fahrenheit. It can bake that way for the first 15 minutes or so and then you turn down the temp. Or some sourdough recipes have you baking at that temp the whole way through. Anyway, that heat acts like a “poof” for the dough and gives it a big lift.
#9 — Let go of perfection.
I’m throwing this in there because some of the most tasty breads I’ve eaten are less than perfect. 🙂 It’s ok!
#10 — Let go of complicated recipes.
If you’re a member of Traditional Cooking School, we have several other recipes in our classes — Honey Whole Wheat, Spelt Sourdough, Hard White Wheat Sourdough.
For free, you’ll find these:
- No-Knead Einkorn Sourdough Artisan Loaf (pictured at top)
- Not-So-Dense (or Sour) Sourdough Bread
- Sourdough Soda Bread
Our paid-products get rave reviews and go in depth with more techniques and demonstrations:
- Sourdough eCourse(included withmembership)
- Einkorn Baking eCourse (included with membership; features many sourdough einkorn recipes!)
- (contains some videos, but not as many as theSourdough eCourse)
- (contains some videos, but not as many as theEinkorn Baking eCourse)
And think outside the box! Use other recipes as breads — for instance, theseSourdough English Muffins. We love these! They make great toast and sandwiches. You can also use pancakes and waffles as breads. 🙂
#11 — Use your less-than-perfect sourdough loaf for other things!
If it’s not perfect, turn your loafinto stuffing, bread pudding, croutons… or toast!
Free Recipes & Instructions
Want more help getting started or using sourdough?Try out ourFree Sourdough No-Knead Einkorn Bread Recipe. It also includes instructions for making your own sourdough starter!
For More Information
- How To Make An Einkorn Sourdough Starter (Video Demo!)
- Sourdough Starters from Cultures For Health
- Sourdough eCourse(included with TCS membership)
- Einkorn Baking eCourse (features many sourdough einkorn recipes!)
- (contains some videos, but not as many as theSourdough eCourse)
- (contains some videos, but not as many as theEinkorn Baking eCourse)
- Where To Buy Einkorn Berries or Flour: Ancient Grains, LLC orJovial Foods
- Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread (with FREE Video)
- Einkorn 101
- 4 Reasons I *Heart* Einkorn
- Why Won’t My Sourdough Bread Rise? How To Know When Your Starter Is Strong Enough For Bread-Baking
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What tips would you add for achieving lighter, less dense sourdough bread?
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