Title: Sourdough Artisan Baking — LearnCoachAssist

Q: What is sourdough?
A: Bread leavened by a culture of wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria instead of commercial yeast.

Q: What is a sourdough starter?
A: A symbiotic culture of wild yeast and bacteria living in flour and water.

Q: What is the scientific name for the yeasts in sourdough?
A: Various, most commonly Saccharomyces and Kazachstania species.

Q: What is the scientific name for the bacteria?
A: Various lactobacilli, often Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis.

Q: What is a SCOBY?
A: Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast; the term applies to sourdough cultures too.

Q: What is the role of yeast in bread?
A: Produces CO₂ that leavens the dough.

Q: What is the role of bacteria in sourdough?
A: Produces lactic and acetic acid for flavor and preservation.

Q: What is the difference between sourdough and yeasted bread?
A: Sourdough uses wild fermentation; yeasted uses commercial yeast packets.

Q: How long does sourdough fermentation take?
A: 4-24+ hours depending on temperature and recipe.

Q: What is bulk fermentation?
A: The first rise after mixing, before shaping.

Q: What is proofing?
A: The final rise after shaping, before baking.

Q: What is autolyse?
A: An initial rest of flour and water before adding salt and starter.

Q: What does autolyse do?
A: Hydrates flour, develops gluten gently, eases mixing.

Q: What is fermentolyse?
A: Autolyse including the starter from the beginning.

Q: What is hydration (baking)?
A: Ratio of water to flour by weight, expressed as a percentage.

Q: What is the typical sourdough hydration?
A: 65-80%; higher is more open crumb but harder to handle.

Q: What is "baker's percentage"?
A: Expressing ingredients as a percentage of total flour weight.

Q: What is the role of salt?
A: Strengthens gluten, regulates fermentation, adds flavor.

Q: What is the typical salt percentage?
A: ~2% of flour weight.

Q: What is gluten?
A: A protein network formed when wheat flour mixes with water.

Q: What proteins form gluten?
A: Glutenin and gliadin.

Q: What is gluten development?
A: Building the protein network through hydration, mixing, and time.

Q: What is windowpane test?
A: Stretching dough to see if it forms a translucent membrane without tearing.

Q: What is stretch and fold?
A: A gentle technique to develop gluten during bulk fermentation.

Q: What is the coil fold?
A: A folding technique especially good for high-hydration doughs.

Q: What is the slap and fold (Bertinet)?
A: An aggressive technique to develop gluten quickly.

Q: What is bench rest?
A: A short rest after preshape before final shaping.

Q: What is shaping?
A: Forming the dough into its final shape with proper surface tension.

Q: What is preshape?
A: A loose preliminary shape before bench rest and final shape.

Q: What is the role of surface tension?
A: Gives the loaf structure to rise upward, not outward.

Q: What is a banneton?
A: A proofing basket lined with linen or rattan that gives shape and texture.

Q: What is a couche?
A: A heavy linen cloth used for proofing baguettes and batards.

Q: What is bench scraper?
A: A flat tool for handling dough on the counter.

Q: What is dough scraper?
A: A flexible tool for handling sticky dough.

Q: What is a lame?
A: A razor blade tool for scoring loaves before baking.

Q: What is scoring?
A: Cutting the dough surface before baking to control expansion.

Q: What is ear (bread)?
A: A raised flap of crust created by a properly scored loaf.

Q: What is oven spring?
A: The rapid rise of dough in the first minutes of baking.

Q: What is the Maillard reaction?
A: A chemical reaction between amino acids and sugars producing browning and flavor at ~140°C+.

Q: What is caramelization?
A: Sugar browning at higher temperatures, contributing to crust.

Q: What is a dutch oven for baking?
A: A heavy lidded pot creating a steamy enclosed environment.

Q: Why use a dutch oven?
A: Traps steam for great crust and oven spring without specialty equipment.

Q: What is steam in baking?
A: Critical for crust development; delays crust formation for maximum rise.

Q: What is the typical baking temperature for sourdough?
A: 450-500°F (230-260°C).

Q: What is the typical baking time?
A: 30-50 minutes depending on size and oven.

Q: What is internal temperature of done bread?
A: 200-210°F (93-99°C); 205°F is a common target.

Q: What is "the thump test"?
A: A baked loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Q: How long should bread cool before cutting?
A: At least 1 hour; the bread continues cooking internally.

Q: What is starter feeding?
A: Mixing fresh flour and water into the starter to maintain it.

Q: What is the typical feed ratio?
A: 1:1:1 (starter:flour:water) by weight; ratios vary.

Q: What is the "float test"?
A: A spoonful of starter floats in water when ready to use.

Q: What is peak starter?
A: The point when starter has doubled and is most active.

Q: What is "discard"?
A: Removed portion of starter during feeding; can be used in many recipes.

Q: What is the most common reason starters fail?
A: Underfeeding, inconsistent temperature, contamination.

Q: What is "lazy" starter?
A: A starter at low or no activity, often needing several feedings to revive.

Q: How long can a starter rest in the fridge?
A: Weeks to months between feedings if kept cool.

Q: What is the difference between active and dormant starter?
A: Active is recently fed and bubbly; dormant is refrigerated and slow.

Q: What is the typical starter ratio in a recipe?
A: 10-20% of flour weight (varies).

Q: What is the role of temperature?
A: Controls fermentation speed; warm = fast, cold = slow.

Q: What is desired dough temperature (DDT)?
A: A target dough temperature after mixing, often 75-80°F.

Q: What is the formula for water temperature?
A: Friction factor and ambient temperature determine the right water temp.

Q: What is cold retard?
A: Slowing fermentation in the refrigerator for flavor and convenience.

Q: What is the role of cold retard?
A: Develops complex flavor and lets you bake on your schedule.

Q: How long can you cold retard?
A: 8-48 hours, sometimes longer.

Q: What is the difference between sour and mild sourdough?
A: More fermentation = sourer; rye and higher hydration increase tang.

Q: What is the role of acetic acid?
A: More vinegar-like sourness; produced at cooler temperatures.

Q: What is the role of lactic acid?
A: More yogurt-like tang; produced at warmer temperatures.

Q: What is "old dough" (pâte fermentée)?
A: Leftover dough added to a new batch for flavor.

Q: What is poolish?
A: A wet pre-ferment used in French baking.

Q: What is biga?
A: A stiff Italian pre-ferment.

Q: What is levain?
A: Often used synonymously with sourdough starter or build-up portion.

Q: What is the difference between sourdough and yeasted with pre-ferment?
A: Sourdough uses wild yeast; yeasted with poolish/biga uses commercial yeast.

Q: What is whole wheat flour?
A: Milled from the entire wheat kernel; contains bran and germ.

Q: What is bread flour?
A: Higher protein (12-14%) for stronger gluten.

Q: What is all-purpose flour?
A: Moderate protein (10-12%); versatile.

Q: What is whole grain percentage's effect?
A: More whole grain = denser crumb, more complex flavor, faster fermentation.

Q: What is rye flour?
A: A different grain with less gluten; needs different handling.

Q: What is spelt flour?
A: An ancient wheat with mild flavor and lower gluten.

Q: What is einkorn?
A: An ancient grain with very different gluten structure.

Q: What is the role of milled grain freshness?
A: Fresh-milled flour ferments faster and has more flavor.

Q: What is a stone-milled flour?
A: Flour ground between stones, often preserving more nutrients.

Q: What is "high-extraction" flour?
A: Flour with most of the bran sifted out; between whole and white.

Q: What is the gluten-free sourdough?
A: Sourdough made with non-wheat flours; requires different techniques.

Q: What is buckwheat?
A: A pseudo-grain (not wheat); can be used in gluten-free baking.

Q: What is the difference between sourdough and quick bread?
A: Sourdough is leavened by fermentation; quick bread uses baking soda or powder.

Q: What is the role of fat in bread?
A: Tenderizes crumb and adds flavor; e.g., olive oil in focaccia.

Q: What is enriched dough?
A: Dough with significant fat, sugar, eggs, or dairy (brioche, challah).

Q: What is the difference between lean and enriched dough?
A: Lean is just flour/water/salt/leavening; enriched includes fats/sugars.

Q: What is focaccia?
A: An Italian flat bread, often with olive oil and toppings.

Q: What is ciabatta?
A: A high-hydration Italian bread with open crumb and chewy texture.

Q: What is baguette?
A: A long, thin French bread; classic and challenging.

Q: What is pain de mie?
A: A French sandwich loaf, often in a Pullman pan.

Q: What is brioche?
A: An enriched French bread with butter and eggs.

Q: What is challah?
A: A braided Jewish bread, often enriched with eggs.

Q: What is naan?
A: A leavened flatbread from South Asia.

Q: What is pita?
A: A round flatbread that puffs into a pocket.

Q: What is sourdough pizza?
A: Pizza dough leavened with sourdough starter.

Q: What is the difference between Neapolitan and New York pizza?
A: Neapolitan is thin, high-heat, soft; New York is hand-tossed, lower heat, firmer.

Q: What is the typical home oven temperature for pizza?
A: As high as possible, often 500-550°F (260-290°C).

Q: What is a pizza stone?
A: A baking surface that retains heat and absorbs moisture.

Q: What is a baking steel?
A: A metal alternative to a pizza stone with better heat conductivity.

Q: What is the role of resting starter in fridge?
A: Allows weekly baking schedule without daily feeding.

Q: What is the troubleshooting for a flat loaf?
A: Likely under-fermented, poor shaping, or weak starter.

Q: What is the troubleshooting for a gummy interior?
A: Likely under-baked or cut too soon.

Q: What is the troubleshooting for dense bread?
A: Possibly weak starter, low hydration, or under-development.

Q: What is the troubleshooting for overly sour bread?
A: Reduce fermentation time, lower hydration, increase salt slightly.

Q: What is the troubleshooting for blown-out loaves?
A: Likely under-proofed; the dough still has energy at oven entry.

Q: What is the poke test?
A: Press dough gently; if it springs back slowly with slight indent, it's ready.

Q: What is the difference between underproofed and overproofed?
A: Under: dough springs back fast, weak structure; over: dough collapses, no oven spring.

Q: What is "the second rise" purpose?
A: Develops flavor and structure between mixing and baking.

Q: What is the relationship between salt and yeast?
A: Salt slows yeast slightly; aids in flavor and structure.

Q: What is the role of yeast in flavor?
A: Produces volatile compounds; sourdough yeasts contribute complex flavors.

Q: What is the role of lactic acid bacteria flavor-wise?
A: Produces tangy, complex acids; differentiates sourdough.

Q: What is "no-knead" bread (Bittman)?
A: A technique using long fermentation and dutch oven; minimal kneading.

Q: What is the "tartine method"?
A: Chad Robertson's method emphasizing high hydration and stretch-and-folds.

Q: What is Forkish's "Flour Water Salt Yeast" approach?
A: A baker's book popularizing artisan home baking.

Q: What is the role of a kitchen scale?
A: Weight measurements are vastly more accurate than volume.

Q: What is "by weight" vs "by volume"?
A: Weight measurements are reproducible; volume varies widely.

Q: What is the typical kitchen scale precision?
A: Resolution to 1g is ideal for baking.

Q: What is the role of journaling?
A: Notes on each bake accelerate learning.

Q: What is the difference between artisan and industrial baking?
A: Artisan uses long fermentation, minimal additives; industrial maximizes speed and shelf life.

Q: What is "real bread"?
A: Bread made without industrial additives; defined by movement aims.

Q: What is dough development?
A: Building gluten structure through hydration, mixing, and time.

Q: What is "fermentation tolerance"?
A: A dough's ability to handle long fermentation without collapsing.

Q: What is the role of strong flour?
A: Higher protein for more gluten; tolerates longer fermentation.

Q: What is the difference between "Type 00" and bread flour?
A: "Type 00" is finely milled Italian flour; varies in protein; often used for pizza.

Q: What is the role of malt?
A: Diastatic malt provides enzymes that break starch into sugars for yeast.

Q: What is diastatic malt powder?
A: Sprouted, dried, ground grain with active enzymes.

Q: What is non-diastatic malt?
A: Heat-treated malt without active enzymes; adds flavor and color.

Q: What is dough conditioner?
A: An additive improving dough handling and bread quality; not used in artisan baking.

Q: What is the role of vital wheat gluten?
A: A protein boost added to lower-protein flours; not used in artisan baking traditionally.

Q: What is the role of vitamin C (ascorbic acid)?
A: A dough strengthener used in some commercial baking; not in traditional sourdough.

Q: What is the role of seeds and inclusions?
A: Add texture, flavor, nutrition (sesame, sunflower, flax, oats).

Q: What is the soaking of seeds?
A: Hydrating seeds beforehand prevents them stealing moisture from dough.

Q: What is the role of olive oil in bread?
A: Tenderizes and flavors; common in focaccia, ciabatta.

Q: What is the impact of altitude?
A: Higher altitude = faster rise; recipes may need adjustment.

Q: What is overproofed dough's recovery?
A: Reshape and bake quickly; the bread will be denser but edible.

Q: What is "rye starter"?
A: A sourdough starter built with rye flour; very active and tangy.

Q: What is the role of seeds (rye)?
A: Caraway, fennel, anise are classic rye additions.

Q: What is the difference between dark and light rye?
A: Dark uses more whole rye; light uses sifted rye.

Q: What is pumpernickel?
A: A dense German rye bread baked at low temperature for hours.

Q: What is the difference between artisan and sandwich bread?
A: Artisan is open crumb, crusty; sandwich is fine crumb, soft, often pan-baked.

Q: What is "open crumb"?
A: Bread interior with large, irregular holes.

Q: What is "tight crumb"?
A: Bread interior with small, even holes; ideal for sandwiches.

Q: What is the role of hydration in crumb?
A: Higher hydration generally = more open crumb.

Q: What is the relationship between fermentation and crumb?
A: Proper fermentation creates structure for the crumb.

Q: What is the difference between scoring depth?
A: Deep cuts open more dramatically; shallow cuts produce gentle ears.

Q: What is "decorative scoring"?
A: Artistic patterns on bread surface; functional and beautiful.

Q: What is the typical crust character of sourdough?
A: Crackling, complex, sometimes blistered.

Q: What is "ear" placement?
A: Score at a shallow angle (20-30°) for prominent ears.

Q: What is the role of dough strength?
A: Strong dough holds shape; weak dough flattens.

Q: What is the difference between "porous" and "wet" interior?
A: Porous is well-baked open crumb; wet is under-baked.

Q: What is the importance of cooling on a rack?
A: Allows steam to escape; prevents soggy bottom.

Q: How long does sourdough stay fresh?
A: 2-4 days at room temperature wrapped in cloth; longer if frozen.

Q: How do you store sourdough?
A: In a paper bag or cloth; plastic softens the crust.

Q: Can you freeze sourdough?
A: Yes; slice first and freeze for easy thawing.

Q: What is "stale bread" use?
A: Bread crumbs, croutons, panzanella, French toast, panades, soup thickener.

Q: What is the role of bread in culture?
A: A staple food across most human civilizations.

Q: What is the symbolism of bread?
A: Sustenance, hospitality, community, religious significance.

Q: What is "breaking bread"?
A: A phrase for sharing a meal and building community.

Q: What is the importance of patience in sourdough?
A: Long fermentation creates flavor; rushing causes problems.

Q: What is bench flour?
A: Flour for dusting surfaces and dough during handling.

Q: What is "shaping with structure"?
A: Building tension as you shape for a tall, well-risen loaf.

Q: What is the rolling technique?
A: Folding dough toward yourself to build surface tension.

Q: What is the seam side?
A: The bottom of the loaf where the dough was folded; weakest point.

Q: What is "stitch" shaping?
A: Pinching the dough seam closed for clean shape.

Q: What is final proof at room temp vs fridge?
A: Room temp is faster, fridge is slower with more flavor.

Q: What is the impact of room temperature on starter?
A: Warmer kitchen speeds fermentation dramatically.

Q: What is the role of patience in starter creation?
A: A new starter typically takes 5-14 days to mature.

Q: What is the typical starter creation steps?
A: Mix flour and water → daily feeding → discard portion → watch for bubbles and rise.

Q: What is the troubleshooting for stinky starter?
A: Possibly hooch (alcohol), needs feeding.

Q: What is hooch?
A: The dark liquid on top of starter; alcohol from yeast; pour off and feed.

Q: What is the importance of clean utensils?
A: Prevents contamination of cultures.

Q: What is the difference between sourdough and other fermented foods?
A: Sourdough is bread; others include kimchi, yogurt, beer, kombucha — all rely on microbes.

Q: What is "fermentation cooking"?
A: A movement embracing fermented foods for flavor and health.

Q: What is the role of sourdough in digestion?
A: Long fermentation may reduce phytic acid and improve digestibility.

Q: What is the gluten claim in sourdough?
A: Some celiacs find sourdough easier; not safe for them but research is ongoing.

Q: What is the impact of milling fresh?
A: Fresh-milled flour has more enzymes, oils, and rapid fermentation.

Q: What is the difference between conventional and heritage wheat?
A: Heritage wheat varieties have unique flavors and nutrient profiles.

Q: What is "field-to-loaf"?
A: Knowing the origin of your grain; small mill movement.

Q: What is community supported bakery?
A: Subscription model supporting local artisan bakeries.

Q: What is open-source baking?
A: Sharing recipes, techniques, and starter cultures freely.

Q: What is the joy of baking sourdough?
A: Connection with tradition, slow craft, working with living organisms.

Q: What is the takeaway of artisan baking?
A: Bread rewards patience and attention; small choices yield dramatic results.

Q: What is "fermentolysis" benefit?
A: Includes starter from the start; saves time and supports gluten development.

Q: What is the role of room temperature in starter creation?
A: 75-78°F (24-26°C) is ideal; cooler kitchens slow the process.

Q: What is the rye boost technique?
A: Adding a small amount of rye to white starter accelerates activity.

Q: What is a "split starter"?
A: Maintaining two starters (e.g., white and rye) for different breads.

Q: What is the "stiff starter"?
A: A starter at 50-60% hydration; slower fermentation, more lactic flavor.

Q: What is the typical sourdough loaf weight?
A: 750-1,000 grams for a standard boule or batard.

Q: What is a boule?
A: A round loaf of bread.

Q: What is a batard?
A: An oval loaf shape, between baguette and boule.

Q: What is a miche?
A: A large, rustic round loaf, often with whole grains.

Q: What is the "ear" perfectionism?
A: A common goal but not the only measure of a good loaf.

Q: What is the role of patience?
A: Sourdough rewards consistent practice over many bakes.

Q: What is "the long apprenticeship"?
A: Months to years to develop intuition with your starter and dough.

Q: What is the joy of baking?
A: Connection with ancient craft, sharing food, sensory pleasure.

Q: What is "weekly bake" rhythm?
A: Many home bakers settle into a weekly schedule baking 1-3 loaves.

Q: What is the difference between baking as hobby and as profession?
A: Hobby allows experimentation; pro requires consistency and speed.

Q: What is the role of community?
A: Local guilds, online forums, and classes accelerate learning.