Sourdough Baking and Cooking: From Starter to Gourmet Meals

Sourdough baking is both an ancient craft and a rewarding culinary science, yet many beginners feel intimidated by the complex terminology and fermentation schedules. This course demystifies the entire process, giving you the confidence to work with wild yeast in your own home kitchen. You will transition from a curious beginner to a confident home baker and cook, capable of maintaining a healthy starter and integrating sourdough into a wide variety of delicious everyday recipes. What you will learn: Understand the science of wild yeast, lactic acid bacteria, and gluten development; Cultivate and maintain a thriving sourdough starter from scratch using simple flour and water; Master the essential steps of baking rustic loaves, including autolyse, stretching, folding, and shaping; Apply baker's percentages and hydration calculations to customize your dough; Create gourmet meals and baked goods using active starter and leftover sourdough discard; Practice troubleshooting common baking issues, from under-proofing to weak oven spring. You will begin with core foundational concepts, learning the science behind fermentation and starter maintenance before moving on to step-by-step dough preparation techniques and creative cooking methods. This course is designed entirely for beginners, with no prior baking or sourdough experience required. Start your sourdough journey today and discover the joy of baking from scratch.