Jess Ho's sourdough

This is a well-tested, standard recipe for sourdough bread. Bruce Pascoe said that Dancing Grass tastes and performs similarly to rye flour, so this approximates the loaf that he makes and you can swap out the rye for Dancing Grass flour.

Jess Ho's sourdough Credit: Jess Ho

• serves

  8

• prep

  1 hour

• cook

  28 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Who gets to decide what good and bad food is? Have you ever had someone yuck your yum? Have you read outstanding reviews for a hot, new restaurant and found the food disappointing? 

Hosted by food writer Jess Ho, Bad Taste is a six-part podcast series that will make you reconsider the perception of good taste.

"In Bad Taste, I wanted to explore the complexity of different dishes and let them be their own hero. I wanted to explore the full story behind each dish and see how they make us who we are."

Each episode will analyse a food, trace back its history, and look at its relevance today through the eyes of guests Nathan Lyons, Rosheen Kaul, Bruce Pascoe, Jacob Birch, Alum Choi, Miin Chan, Beź Zewdie, Ruth Gebreyesus, Thi Le and Vien Tran. 

Ingredients

• 100 g active starter (see Note)
• 350 ml water at 35°C
• 100 g rye flour
• 400 g 00 baker’s flour
• 10 g salt
• 00 Baker's flour and rice flour, for dusting

Resting time 6-8 hrs or overnight

Cooling time 2 hours

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix your starter and water until the starter is no longer in clumps, reserving 25ml of water for later use.
2. Add your flours and use your hands to mix together until shaggy.
3. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and allow it to stand for 30 minutes so your flour hydrates fully.
4. Add the salt and the reserved 25ml of water and mix thoroughly. Once the mixture has come together, slap and fold the mixture together until smooth on a clean table for 5 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a clean bowl, then cover it with a damp tea towel.
5. Bulk your dough for 4-5 hours (depending on the weather- it will bulk slower in colder temperatures), performing a set of stretch and folds, 5 times, every 30 minutes for the first 2.5 hours. Allow the dough to rise for the remaining time in the bowl.
6. Tip the dough out onto a clean surface and preshape the dough with a bench scraper, creating tension by using the scraper to go around and under the dough in a clockwise motion. Rest for 30 minutes.
7. Dust your banneton in a 50/50 mix of baker’s flour and rice flour to make sure the dough doesn’t stick to the banneton (see Note).
8. Once the 30 minutes have elapsed, shape your dough (batard, round) and place the seam side up in your banneton. Proof at room temperature for 2-3 hours in a plastic bag closed with a rubber band, using the poke test to check the proofing.
9. Place a cast-iron pot large enough for your loaf in the oven and preheat for 1 hour at 240 degrees.
10. Turn out your dough in the cast iron base, score with a sharp knife, scissors or a razor blade, and bake covered for 20 minutes.
11. Uncover your dough and bake for a further 8 minutes or until the crust is your desired colour.
12. Cool for at least 2 hours, or until completely cool before slicing.

Note

• Don't have a starter? Here's our step-by-step guide to cultivating one at home. Don't have any fancy equipment? We've also got you covered.

Follow Bad Taste in the SBS Radio app, or wherever you get your podcasts, so you get every episode delivered straight to your device. Like the podcast? Email us at [e-mail].

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Who gets to decide what good and bad food is? Have you ever had someone yuck your yum? Have you read outstanding reviews for a hot, new restaurant and found the food disappointing? 

Hosted by food writer Jess Ho, Bad Taste is a six-part podcast series that will make you reconsider the perception of good taste.

"In Bad Taste, I wanted to explore the complexity of different dishes and let them be their own hero. I wanted to explore the full story behind each dish and see how they make us who we are."

Each episode will analyse a food, trace back its history, and look at its relevance today through the eyes of guests Nathan Lyons, Rosheen Kaul, Bruce Pascoe, Jacob Birch, Alum Choi, Miin Chan, Beź Zewdie, Ruth Gebreyesus, Thi Le and Vien Tran.