Notes on a weekend sourdough routine
Most sourdough guides assume you are home all day. I am not, so over the past year I settled on a routine that fits around a normal week and still produces bread worth eating.
On Friday evening I feed the starter and mix the dough with flour, water and salt, then leave it covered on the counter overnight. On Saturday morning it has roughly doubled. A few gentle folds, a rest, and then it goes into the fridge for the rest of the day.
The fridge is the useful part. Cold dough is easier to shape, and the long rest develops more flavour than any amount of fussing. In the evening I shape it, let it warm up for an hour and bake it in a preheated pot.
It does not always work. Some loaves come out dense, some spread flat. I write down what I did each time in a small notebook, and that has taught me more than any recipe.
Next note: A walk along the old canal path