Brod & Taylor Sourdough Home

The Sourdough Home can both heat and cool. The Folding Proofer cannot cool- meaning it cannot bring its contents below room temperature. For example, even though the temperature range of the proofer is 21 – 49°C if the room temperature is 25°C, the Proofer will not be able to bring its contents below 25°C. The proofer is larger than the Sourdough Home and can accommodate a large mixing bowl, bread pans, or other containers used when proofing bread dough. The Sourdough Home is smaller and designed specifically with sourdough starter in mind and can accommodate up to a 1 litre jar.

The health and growth rate of a sourdough starter are heavily influenced by feeding schedule (frequency) and temperature. To maintain a healthy starter ready for baking, many bakers store their starter at room temperature and refresh on a daily basis. Room temperature can fluctuate throughout the year and fermentation activity can become unpredictable and difficult to manage. Bakers often need to adjust feeding ratios and frequency to accommodate for these temperature swings. With the Sourdough Home, you can keep your starter at a consistent temperature year-round. No need to adjust ratios or feeding schedule.

Weekend bakers may not want to feed their starter everyday- it is unnecessary and wastes a lot of flour. Often, bakers store their starter in the refrigerator as an alternative to feeding daily. However, refrigerator temperatures hover around 6°C which is too cold for the yeast and bacteria in starter. When it is time to bake, one must give the refrigerated starter a few refreshments to get it up to full strength ready for baking. Using the Sourdough Home to store your starter is the perfect solution. By keeping your starter cool, but not cold you can slow down fermentation, while not bringing it to a complete halt. Your starter will be healthy and ready to use without additional feedings.

With the SD Home, you can create a starter feeding schedule that works for you. Feed your starter once a day, every three days, or even once a week. Precise control over a wide range of temperatures allows you to manage the fermentation rate of your starter like never before and provides the ability to control when your starter peaks. Time to peak at various temperatures will depend on seed ratio, hydration level, and type of flour used. Experiment with your own starter to get desired results.