How to make sourdough Make your starter you will need 4oz bread flour 4oz stoneground wholemeal flour 4floz water mix together cover with damp cotton cloth you will need to redampen each day .leave for 3days you do not need to do anything more . After 3 days you should have A bubbly sour smelling mix this is your starter.

Step 1: Sponge Stage

Sponge stage :add 4floz of water mix to a loose paste 1tbs of salt add10oz bread flour mix to form a loose dough cover with damp cloth four 12hrs

Step 2: Dough Stage

Take you sponge which will have double in size.add 4floz of water mix in i do this with my hand this is the best way as you start to get a feel for your dough now add 8oz to 10oz of bread flour .add 8oz to start if to wet add a little more until you get a dough that is to wet I will be stickie

Step 3: Kneading Stage

Kneading !! The fun part .i use a stretch and fold method . Flour work surface turn out your dough stretch your dough out with your hands so about 50cm long then fold over its self 3 times turn stretch and refold do this for 10-15 mins your dough should have firmed up when you press your finger into the dough it should spring back

Step 4: Proving Stage

Take large bowl coat with a little oil place the dough in cover with cling film .leave to rise for 6 to 8 hrs .knock back by giving you dough a good thump!.cut off 6oz to 8oz of dough put to one side . Form your loaf give a gentle need . Now form into ball shape now pull towards your self to make a nice smooth ball shape . Place into floured lined bread former I got mine off eBay.oil some cling film cover dough without oil side down for 6hrs to 8hrs

Step 5: Starter

Keeping your starter take the cut off pice of dough add 4floz water mix into a paste add 8oz bread flour mix together to form thick a paste Pour into jar with a lid and place into fridge. This is your starter it will keep for weeks in the fridge . If you leave it longer than 2weeks you will need to feed it !!just pour in 2floz water &4oz bread flour mix and place back into fridge.to start new loaf pour 1/2 of your starter into bowl and start sponging stage. Feed your starter as above each time you make a loaf.

Step 6: Time to Bake

Per heat oven to240c Remove cling film sprinkler dough with flour this is the bottom of your loaf place baking sheet gentle onto dough and turn upside down Slowly remove former place into oven for20 mins at 240 then lower to 190 for 40-50 mins Remove from oven leave to cool