So you made your own sourdough starter (recipe and process here, if not) and you’re ready to bake your first loaf!
If you’ve looked at any sourdough loaf/boule/bread recipe, you’ve seen in the instructions something about a “stretch and fold.” Some recipes make the process sound extremely over-complicated, likely scaring many aspiring bakers away from even attempting their first sourdough loaf!
Some recipes try so hard to verbally explain the stretch and fold process and just leave you rereading and feeling even more confused.
Well, GREAT NEWS! I’m here to simplify this process and just show you what exactly that means.
So the next time you’re looking at a bread recipe that tells you to “stretch and fold” the sourdough bread dough anywhere from one to eight times and includes four paragraphs of attempted explanation on how to do that- just skip all those words and chuckle to yourself.
Because it really, truly is this easy.
I’ll post a video so you can see exactly what happens. If you’d like me to type out the process, leave a comment and I’ll do my best to make it as concise and non-confusing as possible!
In the video I flip the dough over a few times to show you exactly what’s happening on the top and the bottom of the dough, and what my hands are doing.
Some recipes will tell you to “stretch and fold” until the dough can’t stretch anymore. Some recipes tell you to do it oh so delicately and gently. Honestly, I find that a good four or five times does everything you need it to and nothing that you don’t.
Pro-tip: if your dough is a little too sticky – this might seem counter-intuitive, but wet your hands and then handle your dough! Sourdough is a different beast than regular bread doughs or other baked goods. For other items, oil on the hands or extra flour may be the perfect solution, but that’s not the case with sourdough!