This week I was lucky enough to spend a morning with the lovely Danny McCubbin from Jamie’s Food Tube, teaching him how to make sourdough bread. After studying this versatile and complex dough for the last few years, I knew it would be difficult to summarise it’s process in a short video.
I hope I have illustrated the fundamentals and most importantly shown how simple, fun and delicious basic sourdough can be. If you decide to bake the recipe, please tweet me your pictures!
Hx
Dealing with Dough 
Hello Hugo,
I’ve watched the video and the bread looks great!
Can you please post the full recipe?
I would love to get it too. How much flour do you add to the dough?
Hi Hugo,
We’ve finally got round to making a sourdough starter after being bamboozled by all of the different recipes for the starter. We’re following Jamie’s recipe from Happy Days but I still feel uncertain about the consistency of the starter. Jamie states it should be a ‘soft dough’. A lot of other recipes state that it should be the consistency of a batter. What do you think Jamie means by a ‘soft dough’ – how loose, how wet? I’m getting the fear again! If you’ve used this recipe it would be great to hear your thoughts. I tried to contact Jamie via his website but the online form isn’t working.
Thanks, Kim.
Hi Hugo,
I’ve been bamboozled by the different methods for sourdough starter so much so that I had to forget about it for a while. I’m in the process of trying out Jamie’s Happy Days recipe but I’m not feeling very confident. He states that the consistency of the rye starter should be ‘soft dough’. A lot of other starters have the consistency of batter. I’m confused. My starter looks too firm. Please Help!
Kim
Hi Kim,
Sorry for my delayed response, and thank you so much for visiting the site!
I’m afraid I haven’t used the recipe you mention above, but I can add a little of my insight which will (hopefully!) work.
I would describe the consistency of a starter as quite wet (you certainly wouldn’t be able to pick it up and knead it like a dough), but just after you have mixed/fed it, it should have a slight domed surface. Over time, say one or two hours, this dome will recede as the starter relaxes, and the top of it will appear flat rather than domed.
This is why it is important to use a jar or clear container where you can keep an eye on the starter’s cross section. I would say your starter should be a kind of thick custard consistency – a liquid that sort of holds it’s shape – does that make sense?
Hope so! Please get in touch if you have any other questions.
Warm wishes,
Hugo
Thank you Hugo. Wonderful.
Hi Hugo, I just watched the fantastic video. I have been making my own sourdough bread for a couple months now, and now that I feel I am no longer a complete novice, I am eager to try your recipe out to get a greater rise and fluffier consistency.