Baked Sourdough Donuts Recipe - Practical Stewardship (2024)

FAQs

How long does it take to let sourdough rise? ›

This can take anywhere from 3-12 hours depending on the temperature of your ingredients, the potency of your starter and surrounding environment. For example, in the summer rise times can take anywhere between 2-4 hours @ 85º F/ 29º C whereas in the winter, the dough will take about 10-12 hours @ 68º F/ 20º C.

Lid it up, and throw it into the oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, uncover the lid and continue baking at 500 deg F for 20-30 minutes. 20 minutes for more tender, soft bread but 30 for a solid crust. Use your discretion.

If kept around 76°F (24°C), this sourdough starter should ripen about every 12 hours. To give it a feeding, I discard the ripe sourdough starter in the jar down to 20g, add 70g fresh all-purpose flour, 30g whole rye flour, and 100g water. Then, I give it a thorough mix until everything is hom*ogenous.

YES! You most definitely can bulk ferment sourdough too long. If you leave the dough to ferment for too long, it will become "over fermented". Over fermented dough will lose its structure and become a soupy, sloppy mess that you will not be able to shape.

You can cold ferment or cold proof your sourdough overnight because the cold temperature of the fridge stops the dough from over fermenting. If you were to leave your shaped dough on the counter overnight, you'd wake up to a soupy mess (unless it was freezing in your home).

Preheat your oven with a baking surface or combo cooker/Dutch oven inside to 450°F (230°C). Remove your dough from the fridge, score it, and transfer it to the preheated baking surface or combo cooker. Bake for 20 minutes with steam.

You can tell sourdough bread is done by looking at (and using your other senses too): the color of the crust (golden brown and blistered) the shape of the sourdough loaf (round and puffy) the sounds the crust makes (the crust will crackle)

Note: As loaves begin to overproof they lose their height and shape. The crumb becomes more dense. The holes become more ragged and irregular in shape. The crust begins to thin and separate from the crumb.

If you don't get rid of the excess, eventually you'll have more starter than your feedings can sustain. After a few days, your daily 1/4 cup flour and water won't be enough to sustain your entire jar of starter, and your starter will be slow and sluggish, not much better than discard itself.

stir your starter in between feedings - try stirring it twice in between feedings and really give it a chance to get oxygen into the mix. This will help to activate your starter without too much effort.

Can I feed my sourdough starter without discarding any? ›

If your recipe calls for more than 227g (about 1 cup) of starter, feed it without discarding until you've reached the amount you need (plus 113g to keep and feed again).

“If the dough has risen too long, it's going to feel fragile and might even collapse as you poke it,” says Maggie. If this is the case, there's a chance you can save your dough by giving it a quick re-shape. Learn more about this fix in our blog on saving overproofed dough.

Gently press your finger into the dough on the top. If the dough springs back quickly, it's underproofed. If it springs back very slowly, it's properly proofed and ready to bake. Finally, if it never springs back, the dough is overproofed.

A mature sourdough starter will reach its peak around 2 to 4 hours after being fed. If it's particularly cold, or you've given it a huge feeding ratio, this could be extended to 12 hours.

Boil Water and Place Dough Nearby

Bring a pot of water to boil on the stove, then turn off the heat and place the dough nearby. The steam from the boiling water should provide enough warmth and humidity to help your bread rise.