Sourdough by Science: Understanding Bread Making for Successful Baking

Flour + Water + Yeast + Science = Successfully Delicious Sourdough

The transformation of a few ingredients into a crackling-crusted sourdough is nothing short of miraculous. Complex and fascinating chemical and biological processes are taking place in your mixing bowl and oven, thanks to wild yeast and bacteria, and the natural sugars, enzymes, and proteins found in flour. However, baking a great loaf of sourdough does not have to be complicated or overwhelming. Understanding the science behind these processes makes all the difference. In Sourdough by Science, molecular biologist Karyn Newman provides a reliable path to sourdough success by arming you with informative descriptions of what’s happening on a molecular scale and a strategy for learning from and optimizing your own bakes. Recipes are delectable, doable, and dependable―from a Rustic Boule to Wild Challah to Hazelnut Buns― teaching you the hows and whys of bread making along the way.

Sourdough by Science has the answers to an array of sourdough questions: What is a sourdough starter? How do different flours respond? When should you add salt to a dough? How does the crust get crisp and crackly? The book makes it easy for readers to develop sourdough intuition with an invaluable and wide-ranging troubleshooting guide. Complete with resources and step-by-step photos, this is an essential book to build your bread-baking expertise.

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Karyn Lynn Newman is a home baker with a PhD in cellular and molecular biology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family, where she enjoys inventing and optimizing recipes.