One Night Sponge Sour using Motherdough starter


A Motherdough starter is a lower hydration starter kept in the refrigerator to ferment over time.

Here is the basic recipe for making two pounds of Motherdough:

  • 1 cup vigorous sourdough starter
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 cups bread flour
Process this dough as usual for about 2 minutes in your dough machine or mix by hand. Put the motherdough into the refrigerator right away in a large covered bowl or plastic bucket (like an icecream bucket). Then let the motherdough refrigerate for up to a week. If you want to keep it longer than a week, you need to take out the motherdough and stir in some new motherdough (half the above amounts would work fine). This Motherdough can be used for some of the other recipes in the Special Recipe folder.

One Night Sponge Sour using one pound of motherdough starter:

Makes 3 loaves weighing about 1 lb 14 oz each.
In the evening around 6 pm (later the warmer it is):

    Mix together in a large bowl:

  • One pound of motherdough starter (approx 2 cups )
  • 3 cups of cool water
  • 1 cup regular sourdough starter
  • 2 Tablespoons Oil
  • 4 cups of bread flour

This is the sponge. Mix for about one minute to incorporate all ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap lightly (let air in).
Proof overnight (If it is hot where you live, you may have to put it in a refrigerator overnight).

My house was 68 degrees for this recipe, the heat can affect the proofing times.

Next morning at 8 - 9 A.M. take out your sponge batter and add..

  • 1/3 cup whole meal cracked whole wheat
  • Approximately 4 cups bread flour
  • 1 Tablespoons salt

With a thick wooden spoon or your hand, stir for a minute or two. Cover lightly and let proof 3 - 3.5 hours or until doubled.
Stir down dough and shape loaves.
Let loaves proof until ready 2 hours more or less.

When loaves are ready, bake in a preheated 500 degree oven for five minutes (slashing and misting with water as usual), after the five minutes turn oven down to 425 and bake for another 12 minutes, turn loaf, bake for another 12 minutes. Cool. If the other loaves look like they are proofing too fast, place them in the refrigerator while they are waiting their turn.

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