October White Sourdough recipe

October White Sourdough

Verona, Italy
Perfect sourdough

Mixture

39%
44%
16%
Liquid Flour Other
October White Sourdough

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Since 2014

My wife and I love baking and we decided to experiment with sourdough in order to obtain bread (and pastry) with more complex flavour profiles.

Characteristics

The idea behind this sourdough was having a leaven with a balanced mildly acidic flavour which could be used both in bread and in sweet preparations. The acidic note can be accentuated by fermenting bread for longer stretches of time, but in usual conditions it does not overpower the contribution of flours and other ingredients (seeds, nuts, ...) to the bread's flavor profile.

Taste & flavour

October White Sourdough top shot
October White Sourdough jar shot
October White Sourdough front shot
October White Sourdough rising shot

Recipe

Starting ingredients

  • 100g Water
  • 100g Flour
  • 0.5Cup Persimmon juice
  • 100g Starter
  • 100g Flour
  • 50g Water
  • 50g Starter
  • 200g Flour
  • 200g Water

Feeding ingredients

  • 200g Water
  • 200g Strong white flour
  • 2tbsp Starter
1
Add the starter to a bowl where you poured water at room temperature (or cooler in hot summer days) and stir until completely dissolved. Add the flour and stir to obtain a thick batter consistence. Cover with cling film and let ferment overnight on the kitchen counter.
200g Water 200g Strong white flour 2tbsp Starter

Working method

1
To get the fermentation started mix equal amounts of flour and water and add the juice of a persimmon (about half a cup) you let for some days draining in a sieve over your kitchen counter (yes, it will smell horribly acidic!). Cover the bowl with a tea towel or cheese cloth and leave at room temperature for a couple of days until you see small bubbles appear.
100g Water 100g Flour 0.5Cup Persimmon juice
2
For the following 15 days feed your starter at least every second day by taking half of what you have, adding the same weight in flour and half the weight in water. In this second phase the starter will get to a firm biga-like consistency. Keep in a bowl covered with a tea towel. I performed the procedure in Italian mid-October (around 20°C inside).
100g Starter 100g Flour 50g Water
3
Dissolve the starter in water and incorporate the flour. This step will bring you back to a poolish-like texture which is the one your starter will keep from now on. Cover your bowl with cling film and let ferment overnight (reduce time in very warm periods). Use 200g for baking, put the rest in a jar and keep in the fridge up to 1 week. Repeat this step before each baking session.
50g Starter 200g Flour 200g Water

Result

Everyday Bread

We use our sourdough to bake our everyday bread with white flour, spelt flour and occasional additions.
October White Sourdough Everyday Bread first overview
October White Sourdough Everyday Bread second overview
October White Sourdough Everyday Bread first slice
October White Sourdough Everyday Bread second slice

Everyday Loaf

We use our sourdough to bake our everyday bread with white flour, spelt flour and occasional additions.
October White Sourdough Everyday Loaf first overview
October White Sourdough Everyday Loaf second overview
October White Sourdough Everyday Loaf first slice
October White Sourdough Everyday Loaf second slice

Preserve your sourdough for the future

Create your own Explore sourdough library