Getting Started with Sourdough

From Flour to Levain to One Great Loaf

By: Chad Robertson, Jennifer Latham

Narrated by: Chad Robertson, Jennifer Latham

Learn the basics of wild yeast bread baking in a mini master class from Chad Robertson, world-renowned inventor of Tartine bread, and Tartine head baker Jennifer Latham.

If you've always been intrigued by the idea of baking beautiful, post-worthy loaves of bread from your own sourdough starter but have found the process confusing or intimidating, this is your easy entry into producing incredible loaves at home. Chad Robertson and Jennifer Latham have taught legions of professional bakers to bake bread with a deeply flavorful crust and a custardy crumb. Now they've simplified those lessons to talk you through their process.

In just a few hours of listening, you'll learn:

• How and why natural yeast makes the most delicious, healthy, and versatile bread
• What to know about flour (and the farmers and millers who produce it)
• How to establish and tend to your starter
• How to use your starter to reliably bake a spectacular rustic loaf at home from just four ingredients: natural leaven, flour, water, and salt

©2020 Chad Robertson and Jennifer Latham (P)2020 Random House Audio

I’ve been baking sourdough for years and learned a TON

This audiobook masterclass is hands down one of the most helpful resources for baking sourdough out there.

Distraction of background music makes the book less useful

I have listened to this book several times trying to get the information being presented with little luck. There is music playing in the background that is counterproductive. Too bad, if the author was satisfied with telling his subject story and less interested in demonstrating his preferred music, the value of the book would be higher.

Learned a ton! Great resource!

Some of the highlights for me:

(1) benefits from organic whole grain/high extraction flours combined with high hydration and natural and long fermentation: potential for an incredible meal, balanced nutrition, no energy spike, no overfilled/sluggish repercussions, no risk of cancer from pesticides/herbicides.

(2) learned about glyphosate and high yield wonder bread wheat vs. heirloom native/regional wheat varieties

(3) learned about the pseudo-cereals: buckwheat, amaranth, etc.

(4) learned about the natural leavening process: creating and maintaining a starter, correct seed percentages

(5) booster levain process

(6) bassinage and 3-stage mixing techniques

(7) how, why, when to do float test

(8) the target dough temperature to aim for

(9) country loaf bread making process. The shaping parts are very informative and helpful, also the small points in the proofing steps, to let them get tall and fluffy then stow away. Wow.

Thanks a million!

I need this book

I have enjoyed the narrative , excellent smooth presentation.
Easy listening from start to finish.
Thank you Chad and Jennifer.

This is the next best option to having Chad and Jennifer beside you in your own kitchen.

The introduction is an interesting glimpse of both Chad and Jennifer’s journeys in bread making and the development of Tartine Bread along with a brief history of sourdough through the ages.
They provide invaluable tips on equipment and guide you through the development and maintenance of your own starter culture.
I would recommend listening to the full book prior to implementation so that you understand the process. This is not a path to Quick Bread but a short journey so worth the destination.
The start-stop, step by step format of the process is fantastic.
Anyone who follows Chad and Jennifer’s engaging approach should be destined for the perfect Country Loaf from their on oven.
The book also provides some great background music.

Awesome bread!

Tartine Bread is the reason I, and many many more, got into baking. Chad is the Jedy of baking and a continuous researcher in the subject. This audio narrated by Chad and Jennifer is an invaluable lesson. You will be baking awesome breads in no time, and after that, you will collecting small bits of info that might contribute to your on loafs and methods.

Sourdough Cleared Up

I understand the process so much better! Will listen while completing steps. I have been trying to master Sourdough for 3 years this go round. Started long before the pandemic. My problem is lack of consistent results. Bakers percentages explained. How to "fix" problems in the process. I have added the starter to the dough AFTER autolyse as explained and had a much better dough and resulting bread. My family prefers a tighter crumb so I don't have do high hydration unless it's for something other than sandwich bread. I understand whe to add inclusions now. I am glad this is in a format for listening to while doing.

No recipe download

Overall a decent sourdough book. But other books I’ve listened too - if there is graphs or visual information- there would be a PDF you can download. This book literally suggests getting your phone or tablet dirty and hitting pause and rewind if you want to use recipe. Or I guess you can transcribe it yourself. Just found this highly annoying. Easy to add a download. For that reason it gets 2 stars since I didn’t learn much new information - I wanted the recipe. The stories how they began was interesting though.