Elevate Sourdough Bread

What You'll Get

• A high-protein sourdough loaf that still tastes like traditional sourdough
• Added prebiotic fiber from Elevate
• Four different recipes based on your baking tools and preferences

Photo Guide

Since I can only use a photo carousel at the top of this page, I'll reference photos by number throughout the article.

Photos 1-4: Loaf made using just Elevate, salt, starter, water, and a stand mixer

Photo 5: Loaf made using 50/50 Elevate and all-purpose flour following traditional stretch and fold method

Photo 6: Loaf made using 100% Elevate and the "slap and fold" kneading method

Photos 7-8: Loaf made using 50/50 Elevate and all-purpose flour, stand mixer and stretch and folds

By far the most requested recipe I've received since launching Elevate has been sourdough bread.

And honestly, I get it.

There's just something beautiful about turning flour, water, and salt into a loaf of bread that looks like it came from a fancy bakery.

After hearing the same question hundreds of times:

"Can I make sourdough with Elevate?"

I figured it was finally time to find out.

The answer is yes.

Actually, the answer is absolutely yes.

But before we go any further, I should probably make one thing clear:

I am not a sourdough expert.

I don't have a 12-year-old starter named Gerald living on my countertop.

I'm just a guy who got interested in sourdough and spent a lot of time experimenting until I found a method that works really well with Elevate.

And along the way, I failed more than I succeeded.

But I learned a few things that can hopefully save you some frustration.

My Sourdough Journey

When I first started experimenting with sourdough, I did what any reasonable person obsessed with protein would do:

I immediately tried making a loaf with 100% Elevate.

In other words, I followed a fairly standard sourdough recipe using nothing but an active starter, water, salt, and Elevate Protein Flour.

No conventional flour.

No shortcuts.

Just maximum protein.

That experiment taught me my first big lesson:

Elevate likes to be kneaded.

The biggest challenge wasn't fermentation.

It was getting the dough to come together.

Traditional sourdough develops much of its structure through stretch-and-folds during bulk fermentation. With Elevate, I found that simply wasn't enough.

Because Elevate contains a lot of protein and fiber, it takes more mixing to build a smooth, cohesive dough that's strong enough to trap gas and rise properly.

My first dough never really came together. It stayed webby, barely rose, and baked into a gummy, dense loaf.

So for my next experiment, I used a stand mixer, which helped a lot. Rather than doing 3-4 series of stretch and folds, I simply kneaded the dough in a stand mixer for about 12 minutes. Then I allowed it to bulk ferment for 4 hours, and shaped it for the final proof.

The resulting loaf tasted great, but to be fair, the crumb was denser than traditional sourdough, and the crust didn't quite resemble a bakery-level loaf (see photos 1-3). This loaf isn't as aesthetic, but it's great for toast and sandwich bread. I love to toast it and top it with cottage cheese, tomatoes and a drizzle of olive oil (see photo 4).

At that point, I decided to back things off a little and try a 50/50 blend of Elevate and all-purpose flour (recipe 2 below).

Using nothing but traditional stretch-and-folds, I ended up with a loaf that tasted fantastic, but it didn’t rise and tasted more like ciabatta.

(See Photo 5)

The flavor was excellent.

The crust was excellent.

Nobody eating it complained.

I love this recipe because it doesn't require any special equipment, and ciabatta is my favorite type of bread.

But still, I wanted more height, more oven spring, and a loaf that looked more like traditional sourdough.

That's when I started experimenting with different kneading techniques.

I tried doing 10 minutes of slap-and-folds followed by 2–3 rounds of stretch-and-folds during bulk fermentation.

I've had mixed success with this technique. I get an amazing loaf half of the time (see photo 6), and the other half of the time I get a loaf that tastes amazing, but doesn't rise as much during fermentation or in the oven.

And most importantly, it tasted just like traditional sourdough!!

The only problem with the slap and fold method is that it is SO messy. The dough sticks to your hands, even if you are consistently wetting them. So I would only use this method if 1.) you do not have a stand mixer 2.) you are willing to slam dough on the table for 10-15 minutes and 3.) you are dead set on achieving a bakery-style sourdough loaf in appearance.

So that brings us to the final experiment.

I tested a hybrid version where the dough was mixed for about 10 minutes in a stand mixer, and then followed by a couple rounds of stretch-and-folds.

And it worked (see photos 7 and 8)! So that's the first recipe you'll see below, and the one I would recommend if you're chasing that traditional sourdough taste and texture.

Can I Feed My Starter Elevate?

This is probably the most common sourdough-related question we get.

The short answer is no.

The reason comes down to how sourdough starters actually work.

A lot of people think yeast eat starch.

They don't.

Yeast primarily eat simple sugars.

In traditional flour, naturally occurring enzymes break starch down into those sugars, and the yeast happily consume them and produce carbon dioxide.

That's what makes bread rise.

Elevate behaves a little differently.

One of the primary ingredients in Elevate is resistant starch. As the name suggests, resistant starch is specifically designed to resist being broken down.

That's great news for your gut bacteria.

It's not such great news for a hungry sourdough starter.

Think of it this way:

Regular starch is like a ripe banana.

Resistant starch is like a banana wrapped in six layers of duct tape.

Your gut bacteria eventually figure out how to get to it.

Your starter mostly just stares at it and wonders where breakfast went.

The solution is simple:

Feed your starter regular flour. Bake your bread with Elevate.

Why Sourdough and Elevate Work So Well Together

Let's be honest.

Part of the appeal of sourdough is that it just feels better than grabbing a loaf off the grocery store shelf.

You mixed it.

You shaped it.

You spent way too much time staring at it while it proofed.

And somehow that makes it taste even better.

Many people also appreciate sourdough because of the long fermentation process, which creates the flavor sourdough is known for and may improve digestibility for some people.

Elevate brings a different set of benefits to the table.

By replacing half of the flour with Elevate, you're adding a significant amount of protein and prebiotic fiber while still preserving the flavor and texture that people love about traditional sourdough.

In other words:

You get sourdough that still tastes like sourdough.

Just with a lot more protein and fiber.

That's a trade I'll happily make.

A Couple Notes Before You Start

Slap-and-Folds

If you don't have a stand mixer and want to utilize the slap and fold method, never done slap-and-folds before, don't overthink it.

You're basically picking the dough up, slapping one end onto the counter, stretching it forward, and folding it back onto itself repeatedly.

After about 10 minutes, the dough should feel noticeably stronger and easier to handle.

If you've never done slap-and-folds before, I'd recommend watching a quick video before you start.

Think of the slap-and-fold session as your first round of dough development.

After that, you'll perform another 2–3 rounds of traditional stretch-and-folds during bulk fermentation.

If the dough already feels extremely tight and strong after the second additional round, don't be afraid to stop there and proceed directly to shaping.

Dough is weird.

Sometimes it tells you it's ready before the recipe does.

Scoring

Scoring Elevate dough can be a little trickier than traditional sourdough.

The same protein structure that helps create a strong loaf also makes the dough more resistant to the blade.

In other words, it tends to fight back.

My biggest piece of advice?

It's much better to score twice and get a deep cut than it is to score once and make the dough look pretty.

The goal isn't creating a beautiful design on top of the loaf.

The goal is giving the bread somewhere to expand.

Don't be afraid to go slow.

And don't be afraid to score the same line twice if your first pass isn't deep enough.

I actually think of it a little like shaving.

One pass gets you most of the way there.

A second pass cleans things up.

If you're struggling to get the blade started, try gently pulling the dough apart with your free hand to create a little extra surface tension while you score.

Recipes:

Here are four different recipes you can use for making a sourdough loaf with Elevate Protein Flour. Just note that all the same rules of sourdough apply, such as:

• Your starter should be active and bubbly. I like to feed mine about 4–8 hours before baking, depending on room temperature.
• This recipe assumes a 100% hydration starter (equal parts flour and water by weight).
• Use a kitchen scale. Sourdough is much more consistent when ingredients are measured by weight instead of cups.
• Proofing times are only estimates. Dough temperature, room temperature, and starter strength all affect fermentation, so use the dough as your guide—not the clock.
• Don't rush the cooling. Let the loaf cool completely before slicing. The crumb is still setting as it cools, and cutting too early can make it seem gummy.
• Feed your starter regular flour, not Elevate. Use Elevate in the dough itself, not to maintain your starter.

⭐ #1 Recommended

Best for

• You own a stand mixer.
• You want the loaf that's closest to traditional sourdough.
• You don't mind using a 50/50 blend of Elevate and all-purpose flour.

If you're only going to make one loaf, make this one.

Ingredients

• 160g active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
• 290g water
• 200g Elevate Protein Flour
• 200g all-purpose flour
• 8g salt

Instructions

1. Combine the starter and water in the bowl of a stand mixer.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together Elevate, all-purpose flour, and salt.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients
4. Mix together with a spatula or your hands.
5. Knead with the dough hook on medium speed for 12 minutes
6. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, cover, and let it rest for 1 hour.
   
7. Perform one round of stretch-and-folds.
8. Rest another hour.
9. Perform a second round of stretch-and-folds.
10. Rest another hour.
11. Perform one final round of stretch and folds and shape using your preferred method (I like the letter fold).
12. Place into a lightly floured banneton.
13. Proof at room temperature for 45–90 minutes, or until the dough feels slightly puffy.
14. Refrigerate overnight.
15. Bake in a preheated Dutch oven at 450°F for 25 minutes covered, then 20–25 minutes uncovered.

🥖 #2 No Stand Mixer

Best for

• You don't own a stand mixer.
• You still want an artisan-style loaf.
• You don't mind getting your hands a little dirty.

Ingredients

Exactly the same as #1.

Instructions

Follow Recipe #1 exactly with one change:

Instead of kneading in a stand mixer for 12 minutes, perform approximately 10–12 minutes of slap-and-folds.

Once the dough feels noticeably stronger, continue with the remaining steps exactly as written.

Tip: Slap-and-folds are messy. That's completely normal. Wetting your hands helps, but expect some dough to stick during the first several minutes.

💪 #3 Maximum Protein

Best for

• You want the highest-protein, highest fiber, lowest-net-carb loaf possible.
• You own a stand mixer.
• You don't mind a denser crumb.

This loaf surprised me. It rose much better than I expected and makes incredible sandwich bread. It's also great if you're lazy, as it only requires a few minutes of hands on time!

Ingredients

• 160g active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
• 290g water
• 400g Elevate Protein Flour
• 8g salt

Instructions

1. Combine the starter, water, Elevate, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.
2. Mix with your hands and/or a spatula until combined
3. Knead with the dough hook for 12 minutes.
4. Cover and bulk ferment for approximately 4 hours.
5. Shape using the letter-fold method or preferred shaping method
6. Place into a lightly floured banneton
7. Proof at room temperature for 45–90 minutes, or until slightly puffy.
8. Refrigerate overnight.
9. Bake in a preheated Dutch oven at 450°F for 25 minutes covered, then 20–25 minutes uncovered.

No autolyse.

No stretch-and-folds.

Just mix, ferment, shape, proof, and bake.

🌾 #4 Traditional Method

Best for

• You want the simplest possible method.
• You don't own a stand mixer.
• You don't mind sacrificing a little height.

This loaf won't have quite the oven spring of Recipe #1, but the flavor is outstanding. It reminds me a bit more of a rustic country loaf or ciabatta.

Ingredients

Exactly the same as #1.

Instructions

1. Combine the starter and water.
2. Add the Elevate, all-purpose flour, and salt.
3. Mix until no dry flour remains.
4. Let rest for 1 hour.
5. Perform your first stretch-and-fold.
6. Rest another 45 min-1hr
7. Perform your second stretch-and-fold.
8. Rest 45 min - 1 hr.
9. Perform your third stretch-and-fold.
10. Continue bulk fermenting until approximately 4 hours total fermentation time has elapsed.
11. Shape the dough.
12. Place into a banneton seam-side up.
13. Proof at room temperature for 45–90 minutes, or until slightly puffy.
14. Refrigerate overnight.
15. Bake in a preheated Dutch oven at 450°F for 25 minutes covered, then 20–25 minutes uncovered.