Getting Started with Sourdough

October 1, 2020

Robertson, co-owner of Tartine Bakery, and Latham, the head baker, team up to present a mini-class in sourdough. This audio-only release is just shy of two hours, and covers the science behind the bread along with tips and techniques for making a perfect loaf. While advanced bakers may not find much here that is essentially new, it is a good introduction to sourdough for those new to it. The directions for mixing, shaping, and baking the loaf are clearly described and easy to follow along. Listeners will need pencil and paper to make notes about the formula. The authors' narration is pleasant, with sprightly jazz music adding a playful mood to the audio. VERDICT This is a non-intimidating introduction to making sourdough that, with its briefness, will be welcomed by home bakers who just want to try out something new.--Donna Bachowski, Grand Island, FL

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

If you're looking to rise to the challenge of creating naturally leavened bread, these two able companions will instruct, entertain, and accompany you. Self-confessed bread nerds Chad Robertson, cofounder of the esteemed bakery Tartine, and Jennifer Latham, Tartine's head bread baker, lead listeners through the process of making Tartine's exceptional country loaf. After sharing their personal bread epiphanies and the virtues of small-batch millers' different grains, they illuminate the bread "formula," complete with explanations, charming verbal illustrations ("stretch the dough in from where the ears might be"), and definitions of unfamiliar terms. The production encourages listeners to stop, go, and do, then return for more instruction. They're teachers with contrasting styles: Chad's is reserved but passionate; Jennifer's is cheerfully casual, outgoing, and overtly encouraging. J.C.G. 2021 Audies Finalist � AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine