A journey into the baker's mind

Should start from ...the starters!
Sorry for the game of words, but it s true. Since usually (but not always, as we will see in the future) sourdough bread baking is based on starter quality and characteristics. You can thing of baking as a ride on a suspended line; Every step you take will move you forward to the end (which is the baked bread) but also every step will be easier or harder depending on the quality of the step before. If it was in balance, then also the next will be easy balanced. Therefore the most important thing is to start with the right step isn' t it?

Starter:
I refer as "Starter" for a balanced culture of bacterias and yeasts which, once inoculated, will start the fermentation process. I do believe that starter is different from sourdough. In which way, we will see next. As I said before, it' s vital that the starter is in perfect conditions. To achieve that, it' s important to keep a high grade of cleaning of the whole area we are going to use and of course of the instruments (hands included).
A starter should be kept in low quantity because we are not going to use it directly for baking and we don't want to waste flour. One of the best way to build a starter for me is this:

1 part white strong flour
1 part water (pure, medium hardness, 25°c)

Mix the ingredients and let rest in a closed jar at 25°c for 2 days (or until some bubbles show off)
Take the half of the mix and add same quantity of flour and water. Let it ferment 1 day.
Repeat this phase until you get a lot of bubbles (activity) in just 3 to 4 hours. Then it s ready to be stored in a fridge at 4°c
Enjoy !