How I Unwind by Baking Sourdough in My Panasonic SD-YR2550 Bread Maker

Freshly baked sourdough loaf on bread board

Quick, fool-proof recipe for a gorgeous sourdough bread on the same day 

Homemade Sourdough Bread

Baking sourdough at home - Running a mid-century antiques business means long days fielding calls and packing fragile treasures. A few years ago, I bought a bread maker so my gluten-free son could have fresh loaves on demand. Then The Perfect Loaf introduced me to sourdough—and I was hooked. The ritual of feeding a starter and the aroma of baking sourdough at home became my daily reset button.

Why I Picked the Panasonic SD-YR2550

Baking Sourdough at Home -

After studying reviews, I chose the Panasonic SD-YR2550 for its 32 programmes, including a dedicated sourdough cycle. With it I can:

  • Mix, knead and ferment dough hands-free

  • Produce a loaf in ~5 hours, or prep dough to finish in the oven for a classic round boule

  • Toggle between gluten-free, rye and whole-meal settings for endless variety

I purchased some sourdough starter from Etsy.

 

The 24-Hour Sourdough Schedule

Baking Sourdough at Home

- Traditional sourdough often takes three days. By letting the machine handle the bulk fermentation, I cut the timeline to 24 hours—starter at 9 a.m., baked loaf at 9 a.m. the next day.

Step Time What Happens
Build starter 9 a.m. Day 1 5-hour rise on the counter
Bread-machine cycle 2 p.m. Mix → knead → first rise (2 h 30 m)
Shape & proof 4:30 p.m. 1-hour basket proof in a warm grill/oven
Cold retard 5:30 p.m.–next morning Flavour deepens in the fridge
Bake 9 a.m. Day 2 Dutch oven, 45–50 m total

Homemade Sourdough Bread

1. Build the Starter (Morning)

You’ll make 80 g of active starter.

Ingredient Weight
Mature starter 20 g
Strong white bread flour 37 g
Warm water (≈38 °C) 37 g

  1. Mix in a small bowl.

  2. Cover with cling film and wrap in a tea towel.

  3. Leave at room temperature for 5 hours—it should double and look bubbly.

 

2. Load the Bread Maker (Afternoon)

Baking Sourdough at Home:

Add ingredients to the pan exactly in this order:

  1. 80 g active starter

  2. 50 g rye or whole-meal flour

  3. 350 g strong white flour

  4. 10 g fine sea salt

  5. 280 ml warm water

Set Programme 22 – Sourdough. The SD-YR2550 will:

  • Pre-knead → rest 40 m

  • Knead 55 m

  • Rise 90 m

Total machine time: 2 h 30 m.

3. Shape & Basket Proof (Late Afternoon)

  1. Preheat an empty oven or grill to 80 °C.

  2. Lightly flour a worktop with rice flour.

  3. Turn out the dough, gently deflate, then fold all four sides toward the centre.

  4. Flip seam-side down and tighten into a taut round with a bench scraper.

  5. Dust a Banneton basket, place dough seam-side up, and cover with a linen towel.

  6. Proof in the warm grill/oven for 1 hour, until puffy. Perform the poke test—a slow spring-back with a slight dent means it’s ready.

Two Options - homemade sourdough bread

  • Same-Day Loaf: Bake immediately (skip to Step 4A).

  • Stronger-Flavour Loaf: Cold-retard 12–48 h in the fridge (Step 4B).

4A. Same-Day Bake

  1. Heat the oven to its highest setting (≈250–260 °C) for 20 minutes.

  2. Flip dough onto parchment-lined tray, score as desired.

  3. Bake 40 minutes, turning once if your oven has hot spots.

  4. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.

4B. Overnight Cold Retard & Dutch-Oven Bake

  1. Slide the covered basket into the fridge (top shelf) for up to 48 hours.

  2. Next morning, place a Dutch oven (pot + lid) inside your oven; preheat to max for 20 m.

  3. Tip the chilled dough onto parchment, score, and lower it into the hot pot.

  4. Bake 25–30 minutes with the lid on at 230 °C, then remove the lid and bake 20 minutes more for a deep colour.

  5. Cool completely on a rack— cutting too soon can give a gummy crumb.

Troubleshooting & Pro Tips

  • Thick crust? Steam is your friend—cover the loaf for the first half of baking.

  • Dense crumb? Starter may be under-fed; it should float in water when ripe.

  • Rye swap: Up to 30 % rye flour adds earthiness but can shorten rise times.

  • Bulk schedule: Need bread faster? Build your starter the night before and skip the cold proof—you can have a loaf the same day.

Final Thoughts

After two years of tweaking, this workflow lets me juggle customer enquiries while the SD-YR2550 handles the heavy lifting. The result: café-quality sourdough with minimal mess and maximum flavour.

Happy baking—and if you’re hunting for the perfect mid-century sideboard while your loaf cools, you know where to find me!

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