Pascale's Kitchen: Start up your sourdough

• Published date: 30 September 2021
• Author: PASCALE PEREZ-RUBIN
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

I really can't think of anything more enticing than bread that recently came out of the oven. So many of our senses are activated simultaneously. It starts with a wonderful aroma wafting throughout the entire house. Then, when the bread starts to brown, the smell of the crispy, hard outer layer – a deeper smell – is added to the air.

After the loaf has cooled down, the sound of a slice of bread being cut, or a chunk being broken off, reaches our ears. And of course, our eyes see the gorgeous bread in front of us. Then, finally, comes the moment of truth when we finally take our first bite.

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Bread is such a basic food, so full of nutrients, and is eaten by people all over the world. We say a blessing over bread before eating, and we invite guests into our homes to join us in breaking bread.

To prepare bread, we only need four simple ingredients: flour, water, salt and a raising agent. The number of different ways we can come up with to combine these ingredients enables us to create lots of types of breads. There are also so many distinct types of flours, and an endless number of toppings and additions we can add to dough.

Another way to make your bread distinct is by shaping the dough before baking. You can place the dough in a pan without shaping it at all, or you can create the most intricate shapes. However you shape your dough, homemade bread always comes out awesome.

When I was a young girl, we would make white bread, dark bread or bread with caraway seeds. I remember from my childhood the wonderful smell of the challot my mother would bake every Friday for Shabbat.

Nowadays, people bake a huge range of types of breads, from a large variety of flours to chose from, which enables you to create a whole host of different bread.

Sourdough bread is one of the most unique types, since it is made using sourdough starter, and requires more extensive kneading, shaping and cutting. Moreover, people are now adding new flavors to their bread, such as herbs, or using gluten-free flour.

I recently discovered Udi Galili, a sourdough guru. I invited Udi to join me for a morning of baking and discovery in my kitchen, and he not only agreed, but he brought with him a variety of pots that were all filled with dough in various stages of preparation.

I was surprised to learn that Udi had no cooking or baking training, and that his last...