Smart Sourdough: The No-Starter, No-Waste, No-Cheat, No-Fail Way to Make Naturally Fermented Bread in 24 Hours or Less with a Home Proofer, Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, Sous Vide Cooker, or Other Warmer

· Shepard Publications
5.0
2 reviews
Ebook
200
Pages
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About this ebook

NO STARTER -- NO WASTE -- NO CHEAT -- NO FAIL 

 

100% NATURALLY FERMENTED BREAD IN JUST 24 HOURS WITH YOUR HOME PROOFER, INSTANT POT, SLOW COOKER, SOUS VIDE COOKER, OR OTHER WARMER

 

There's sourdough, and then there's SMART sourdough -- a whole new approach to an ancient bread! 

 

Most sourdough recipes lead you through days or even weeks of developing a starter before you can make your bread -- and then into a lifetime of maintaining that starter. But this book is based on the belief that all that rigmarole is no longer needed. With modern methods of regulating temperature, and with the easy availability of baker's yeast, honest-to-goodness naturally fermented sourdough bread can be made from start to finish in less than a day. 

 

With all the benefits of naturally fermented sourdough, it's only the hassle of making it that has discouraged home bakers. Well, hassle no more. The age of smart sourdough has arrived. 

 

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Mark Shepard began baking his own sourdough bread in 1979 and went on to publish the bestselling booklet "Simple Sourdough." In 2012, he began developing a sourdough method that's even simpler and more reliable -- one that could be used by anyone, with no fear of failure. Mark now lives in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and fellow author, Anne L. Watson. 

 

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"A guidebook that introduces a quicker, easier, and more modern method for creating homemade sourdough bread . . . His straightforward strategy is particularly notable in that it takes less than a day and doesn't use a starter. The author provides useful chapters spotlighting how bakers can customize dough formation and taste variations based on loaf size, sourness level, and flavor diversifications; methods for rye, buckwheat, tomato basil, chocolate cherry, and other loaves are included, as well as sections on bread bowls, pizza crusts, and pancakes . . . Generously illustrated with charts, illustrations, and photographs. Overall, Shepard's book will encourage home bakers of any skill level to embark on a new, quicker, and easier way to make their own bread . . . A splendid and novel approach that takes the mystery out of a formerly time-consuming process." -- Kirkus Reviews, April 22, 2022

 

"A fresh new look at making your own sourdough . . . I love Mark's attention to detail. No matter your setup, tools, or needs, he's got you covered . . . I questioned his use of a pinch or two of baker's yeast, but his research and experiments have me sold. His recipes combine the advantages of cultivated yeast and naturally occurring sourdough bacteria to make bread that actually rises and doesn't take days to make."—Holly Howe, author of "Fermentation Made Easy! Mouthwatering Sauerkraut" 

 

“Mark Shepard shares how to make sourdough bread, with its characteristic flavor and health benefits, without maintaining a long-term starter. It’s relevant to anyone looking to save time in the kitchen, learn a new technique, or just read a very detailed and interesting book on sourdough.”—Emily Buehler, author of “Bread Science: The Chemistry and Craft of Making Bread” 

 


Ratings and reviews

5.0
2 reviews
Jamie Brydone-Jack
November 12, 2021
A Different Way to Make Sourdough… Lovingly Detailed — As a native of the San Francisco Bay Area, I have a particular fondness for good sourdough. In fact, I nurtured a standard starter for years. So when I saw this book at a book review site, the idea of no-starter sourdough intrigued me. Let me start by saying I think this book and its method are amazing. What makes it so? The amount of detail the author goes into about this process he's developed over time to make sourdough in less than 24 hours without using a starter. He debunks myths, details ingredients and equipment to use, and lays out why he has chosen to use or do particular things. As someone who enjoys just reading cookbooks, as well as using them, it was a fascinating read. But if you choose this book, don't worry that it's just a book on technique. The author provides recipes, detailed and minimalist, using different flour blends and for different sized loaves. He does this after providing a detailed description of how to make a basic loaf and then gives a shortcut, at-a-glance “recipe sketch.” You'll even learn how to make standards like pancakes and pizza dough as well as more novel recipes like dosa or ones with add-ins to create a particular flavor profile (e.g., Mediterranean or Middle Eastern). There's even a later chapter on how he’s used his basic technique to make other fermented foods like yogurt, pickles, and sauerkraut. For these latter ones, he only describes his experiments, not giving a full recipe or sketch. (Personally, I would have loved it if he actually included full recipes or sketches for these, as I do find them intriguing!) The book is logically organized, which I always appreciate, and the author has a conversational, easy-to-understand way of writing that I always love to see in nonfiction books. Even though you're not using a traditional starter, his method is still somewhat labor and equipment intensive. but if you're into baking or sourdough in particular, you'll likely have some pieces of equipment on hand and will want to give it a go, despite the time needed, as the method does sound very intriguing. — I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
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brf1948
September 21, 2021
I received a free electronic copy of this sourdough bread-making guide from Netgalley, Mark Shepard, and Shepard Publications. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this work of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of Smart Sourdough. This is a very interesting, very technical book and I learned a lot about something I thought I had already conquered. I am pleased to recommend it to friends and family. I did learn a lot from Smart Sourdough. A long-time breadmaker, I have ventured into sourdough a couple of times over the years but was mostly disappointed. I love sourdough but that may just be because the smell brings back that perfect sourdough sampled on the pier in San Francisco. In my kitchen, I find I prefer using my mother's recipes for yeast doughs of all sorts. That said, I have tried this concept a couple of times. It is fast, it is good bread, a nutty flavor I enjoyed, but I didn't like the texture of the bread. I will use the recipe more, as with my instant pot it is simple, and perhaps time will take care of the density of the bread, but when I want a good sourdough, I will probably continue to go to my local bakery.
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