Starter Breads

Although many breads may be made using a basic dough (that is, one in which all the of the ingredients are combined in one step), there are many that can be made using the starter method, when some of the flour, water, and the leavening agent are combined a day ahead of baking, and allowed to ferment overnight. On the day of the baking, the remainder of the ingredients are added, and then the dough is prepared in the same as a basic dough.

Some starters may be ready to use in just a few hours, whilst others (such as sourdough starters), may require several days of initial fermentation before the bread can be prepared. Although the starter method takes much longer than the basic method, it produces a more flavourful bread with an improved texture.

In this section, you'll find information on a range of starter breads, including ciabatta from Italy and soughdough from France, Germany and San Francisco.