Why sourdough is worth the faff

If you can make a cup of tea, you can make sourdough. It's just flour, water, salt and time. No kneading until your arms ache, no expensive proving baskets, no mystique. The wild yeast on your flour and in your kitchen does the hard work. Yes, it takes longer than a shop-bought loaf. But the reward — a crackling crust, a tangy crumb, and the smug feeling of having made it yourself — is worth every minute.

You don't need a stand mixer, a Dutch oven, or a proving basket. A jam jar, a mixing bowl, a tea towel and a heavy casserole dish (or a baking tray) will do. Let's walk through it.

Building and feeding a starter

A starter is a living culture of flour and water. To begin, mix 50g strong white flour with 50g lukewarm water in a clean jam jar. Stir, loosely cover, leave at room temperature. Every day for a week, tip away half the mixture and add another 50g flour and 50g water. By day five or six, it should smell pleasantly sour, look bubbly, and double in size a few hours after feeding. That's your starter ready to bake.

After that, keep it in the fridge and feed it once a week (or the day before you bake). If a clear liquid appears on top, that's alcohol — just stir it back in or pour it off. Don't panic if it looks odd. Starters are forgiving.

Mixing, resting, and folding the dough

For one large loaf, you'll need: 500g strong white flour (or a mix of white and wholemeal), 350g water, 100g active starter, and 10g salt. Mix the flour and water first and leave for 30 minutes — this is called autolyse and it makes the dough easier to handle. Then add the starter and salt, squidge everything together with wet hands until no dry flour remains.

Now, instead of kneading, do four sets of 'stretch and folds'. Wait 30 minutes, then wet your hand, lift one side of the dough, stretch it up and fold it over the middle. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat four times. Do this every 30 minutes for two hours. The dough will become smoother and more elastic. That's it for technique. No slap-and-fold required.

Shaping without a proving basket

After the folds, let the dough rise at room temperature until it's about 50% bigger — usually two to four hours. Then tip it onto a lightly floured worktop. Shape it into a rough round by folding the edges into the centre. Leave it for 20 minutes. Then shape it firmly: pull the dough towards you, cupping your hands, to create tension on the top. You want a tight, smooth ball (a boule) or an oval (a batard).

Line a colander with a clean tea towel and dust it generously with flour. Place the dough seam-side up in the colander. Cover with clingfilm and leave in the fridge overnight, or for at least four hours. The cold slows the rise and builds flavour. A colander works just as well as any fancy basket.

Baking for a crisp crust (no Dutch oven required)

Preheat your oven to 230°C (210°C fan, gas mark 8) with a heavy casserole dish or a baking tray inside for at least 30 minutes. If you have a casserole dish with a lid, use it — it traps steam and gives a brilliant rise. If not, put a roasting tin on the bottom shelf and fill it with boiling water when you put the bread in.

Turn the dough out onto a piece of baking parchment. Score the top with a sharp knife or a blade — one long slash or a cross. Slide it into the hot dish or onto the tray. Bake for 20 minutes with the lid on (or with the steam tray), then 25 minutes uncovered until deep golden brown. It should sound hollow when tapped underneath. Cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing. Yes, an hour. The crumb is still setting.

Timing, troubleshooting, and enjoying the process

Sourdough is flexible. If you want fresh bread for lunch, mix the dough in the evening, do the folds, then leave it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, shape it, let it sit for an hour, and bake. If life gets in the way, a longer fridge prove only improves the flavour.

• Dense loaf? Your starter might be sluggish. Feed it twice a day for two days before baking.
• Gummy crumb? You sliced it too soon, or the dough was underproved. Wait longer next time.
• No rise in the oven? Your oven wasn't hot enough. Give it a full 30-minute preheat.
• Too sour? Use a younger starter (feed it 4–6 hours before mixing) and a shorter fridge prove.

Most importantly, don't aim for perfection. Your first loaf might be a bit flat. Your second will be better. By your fifth, you'll be turning out bread that rivals any bakery — and you'll have done it with a jam jar, a colander, and a bit of patience. That's proper British home baking.