For two whole weeks, we’ve talked about one thing: Tartine Bread (Gluten-Free and Paleo friends, no worries! We haven’t become a full gluten blog! We’re still a full fermentation blog!). Still, believe it or not, we’ve only scratched the surface of the goodness that is Tartine Bread. I recommend that you buy the book, or at least, that you grab a copy of it from your local library. It’s worth it. The photos are excellent, the instructions and details are fascinating and the fermentation information is rock solid.
One of you, though, can win it here! Just use the Rafflecopter below to win a copy. Continental US only. Contest ends Monday, March 9th at 11:59pm EST.
Good luck and please let me know in the comments how you’re doing on each step of this process. The links to every step are at the bottom of this post.
- Get started with Step 1 of Sourdough Starter School
- What your starter will look like after 24 hours of fermentation
- Step 2 (Days 3-7) – Stabilizing Your Starter
- Why You Should Do a “Low-proportion” Sourdough Feeding
- 4 Things to Make with Excess Starter
- Getting Ready to Actually Bake! Equipment and Starter Health Check
- Preparing the Leaven
- Mixing the Dough and Bulk Fermentation
- Dividing, Shaping, Final Rise
- Baking and Cooling
- Tartine Bread Giveaway!!!
Adriene says
I have tried making a sourdough starter before with poor results, user error I am sure; but thanks to you, I want to give it another shot…thanks.
Becky says
Has it really been two weeks worth of posts? Time flies.
Lisa says
I would love to learn more about baking bread – I have been reading the posts and am excited to try.
beth says
i love sourdough, but have never thought about making my own – i may try it this summer.
Rebecca H. says
My sourdough starter, Steve Dave, has been resting in the refrigerator for a wee bit too long. I’m afraid to look. My bread hasn’t turned out very good yet, but I am getting better. My pizza crust is closer to reaching “good” status.
uncatim says
Glad to see links to all the steps in one place.
Miss Bee says
I am a newbie who would love to learn how to make my own bread. I am especially interested in sour dough. I have felt a bit intimidated by just the thought of getting started.
Marilee Reyes says
I tried making my own starter last year but was unsuccessful. I don’t know what I ended up with but it certainly didn’t look like the starter my mother used to have and I was a little afraid to even try it. But thanks to your wonderful series, I am ready to try again, figuratively holding your hand in the process. And thanks for putting them altogether to make it easy. I’d love to win the book too. Thanks for the opportunity.
Jerelle says
My sourdough starter, which I made a couple years ago, has been neglected for months in the fridge, but when I got it out and fed it a few times last week, it perked up beautifully and is living and well. I really want to try this bread. Thanks for these great posts!
Keely Murdoch says
I love making sourdough and would be thrilled to have this book!!!
Lisa says
I am new to sourdough. My first few loaves came out pretty good, but I still have a lot to learn!
Vicki says
Thanks for this series of posts! I have been itching to make sourdough again, and your step-by-step series has been inspirational.
Colleen @ Grow Forage Cook Ferment says
I’m a big fan of the no knead bread and I always make it with sourdough. Would love to learn more, though!
Eileen says
I’ve never made my own sourdough, but I am definitely intrigued and thinking about getting started. 🙂 Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!
Marie Taylor says
I just love sour dough bread. Your pictures look so good.
Patti Johnson says
Hi, Amanda!
First time commenter: I adore your blog! YAY!!! I usually just lurk and not comment. lol 🙂
I lurve, lurve, lurve making sourdough bread. I got into fermentation a few years back when I purchased my first fermentation crock on Etsy. After I made my first batch of sauerkraut I was hooked. I’ve been making sourdough bread since about a year ago when I made my very first starter from scratch. All my many loaves have been done using a basic no-knead recipe I found on YouTube & Breadtopia. Just makes the prettiest & yummiest loaves. It’s the only bread I eat. I find the entire sourdough starter fermentation process just fascinating. I lurve to bake my sourdough bread & biscuits. I’m working up the courage to try a sourdough pizza crust soon. 🙂
Thanks for such a wonderful blog about how much fermentation rocks and for the opportunity to win the awesome book (which I’ve had on my Amazon Wish List for a long time now) by Chad R. 🙂
Wishing you lovely adventures in fermentation!
Patti 🙂 <3
sarah says
ive never tried! it looks so difficult!
Laurinda says
I’m a ‘Read it all first, then attempt it’ kind of girl. So I’m just now starting the fermentation at Step One.
Maryann says
I’m just starting to make breads and this would be perfect.
Cathy says
I love all things fermented!
Lucy says
Total noob. Need to learn!
Daisey says
I love sourdough and have had my own starter for over 20 years. Although I’m happy with the methods I use, I’m always interested in learning more and trying something different.
Amanda says
I’ve made a few loaves of sourdough bread for my husband. I used only whole wheat flour (for making the starter and the bread), and it turned out alright. Not light and airy. I really don’t want to keep all-purpose flour on hand so I’m trying to research how to make whole wheat sourdough better. I also just purchased a book on gluten-free sourdough baking for myself, and I’m excited to try it out.
Sarah L says
I am totally new to this. I hadn’t even eaten sourdough bread until a few years ago.
Lori B says
Many years ago I tried a sourdough starter, but didn’t care for it properly. I should try again!
Joy says
Been working on 100% whole wheat sourdough bread since December, happy to find your series!
C Oliver says
I’ve been making bread nonstop for months now and I’ve read several different baking books that have been recommended to me. Tartine Bread has been on the list, but I haven’t gotten to it yet. Your bread looks fantastic though! This post brought Tartine Bread to the top of my reading list!
Janice DeC says
This has been on my ‘to do’ list. Now that I’ve plowed through my Meyer lemons, I plan to start on Wednesday.
The School For Wives says
Thank you very much for this excellent tutorial! This will be my second foray into sourdough, and I expect to have much better results this time around.
Krystal says
Haven’t tried this yet but these steps break it down in a helpful way. Maybe this weekend!
Peter T says
I came to this blog via a post on “Food in Jars”. A neighbor of mine, about 20 years ago, used to bake her own fantastic, delirious bread and I remember she had a sourdough starter. It was the first time I had ever heard of it. When I saw the link to this website I had to check it out and now I can’t wait to try it. Thanks!
Amy S. says
I’ve done sourdough before, but never got the results I wanted. I think it may be time to try again!
Katherine says
So far I have failed to make sourdough. I tried to get a starter going for a while, but I think our house is simply too cold in the winter for a happy starter. I will try again when the weather is warmer!
Amanda says
I feel ya! My house downstairs is about 62 in the winter. There are some things that might work for you, though. Try on top of your fridge or in the oven, with the light on. (If it’s too hot, I prop the door with a wooden spoon.)
diane adler says
I have an old starter that has been languishing in the frig for months. Hope it perks up like someone noted earlier. Also very interested in converting to whole wheat starter and bread. Can you ever use only whole wheat flour for your bread? Cheers.
Cam says
I’ve been making sourdough pancakes and they are so good!
Jess says
Can’t participate in the giveaway, but hello from Singapore! I’ve read Tartine Bread and you’ve explained it really well and with pictures too! Unfortunately I haven’t tried making it as the heat here at the equator means the starter development may be too quick, and my wheat allergy is flaring up! But reading this has made me reconsider baking it for others to eat (: Thanks for the series, look forward to your next one!
Amanda says
Thanks, Jess! And totally! Temperature is the ultimate key to what we successfully ferment in our environment! You may be able to find microclimates in your home that are a bit cooler and more suitable (in the low 80s would work quite well), but I have an inkling that I have no idea how hot it actually feels in Singapore (especially right now when we’re expecting a snowstorm in Philly!) :-).
I’ll be doing another series later this year on sourdough breads that are naturally wheat-free. I hope to see you back here then!
Trish B says
My previous attempt at sourdough was a miserable failure. These posts have got me working up the nerve to try again.
Al says
I’ve failed twice at trying a starter quite some time ago, but now have been “re-motivated” to try again after reading The Art of Fermentation and stumbling across your blog. Seems to be cooperating this time. Thank you!
Amanda says
That’s great to hear! You can do it!
Mary says
I have made lots of bread, but not sourdough (yet).
Michelle says
I’ve not made sourdough in years (more than I care to count), and definitely need a refresher.
elaine mclane says
Love me some homemade yeast bread with lots of butter.