The Guide to Sakadane
What it is, how it works, and why it's best for your bakes.
What is sakadane?
Similar to the classic sourdough starter, sakadane is a rice-based, fermented baking starter.
Sakadane utilizes the natural yeasts found on uncooked rice to create a powerful starter, without all the maintenance of a common wheat-based starter.
Bake loafs with more spring, flat breads with better chew, and a whole host of other bakes with this naturally fermented and gluten free Japanese starter.
let's make it
Sakadane: what you'll need
- uncooked rice - the yeast source (any common rice will do)
- cooked rice - the food source
- rice koji - the transformation engine
- water - the environment
Rice koji is an essential element of sakadane. Its powerful enzymes serve as the sparks of transformation, igniting fermentation that steadily feeds your vigorous starter.
The How: Food Science Behind Sakadane
This process creates a robust starter, allowing your bakes to perform their best.
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Stage 1: Yeast Source
Native yeast strains are naturally found on uncooked rice grains. The initial incubation acts to inoculate your sakadane starter with these yeasts.
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Stage 2: Sugar Source
Rice koji's enzymes breakdown the cooked rice's starches, providing simple sugars for the natural yeasts to feast on and become vigorous.
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Stage 3: Propagation
The propagation of yeast in sakadane is done in stages. The natural yeast is harnessed from the uncooked rice before being fed a steady supply of sugars.
Why Bake with Sakadane?
Superior Strength
Because the natural rice yeast is fed gradually over time via koji fermentation, the strength of that yeast will not only lead to stronger starter, but an easier one to maintain as well.
Lower Maintenance
A reliable bread starter without the daily feeding. If kept in the fridge, sakadane can be kept stable without the need for feeding for up to 2 weeks.
Broad Versatility
Sakadane is a bread starter first and foremost, but don't let that limit you. The discard of sakadane can be used to make anything from vinegar to shoyu-like sauces.
NOTE: Just like sourdough starter, building a strong sakadane is a multiday process. Once the starter is fully developed, it can be maintained indefinitely on a biweekly basis if kept in the fridge. A small investment first, for a simpler long term process.
How to Make Sakadane: Step by Step
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Day 1
Uncooked Rice: 50g
Cooked Rice: 10g
Rice Koji: 40g
Water: 100g
> Process:
Mix all ingredients in a jar. Cap and leave on counter for 48 hours, agitating occasionally.
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Day 3
Uncooked Rice: 0g
Cooked Rice: 100g
Rice Koji: 30g
Water: 40g
Sakadane Liquid: 30g
> Process:
Strain liquid from D1 mixture. In separate jar, mix 30g sakadane solution with new cooked rice, koji, and water. Cap and leave on counter until the next day, agitate occasionally.
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Day 4
Uncooked Rice: 0g
Cooked Rice: 20g
Rice Koji: 50g
Water: 50g
Sakadane Liquid: 30g
> Process:
Strain liquid from D3 mixture. In jar, mix 30g sakadane solution with new cooked rice, koji, and water. Cap and leave on counter until the next day, agitate occasionally.
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Day 5
Uncooked Rice: 0g
Cooked Rice: 100g
Rice Koji: 15g
Water: 60g
Sakadane Liquid: 25g
> Process:
Strain liquid from D4 mixture. In jar, mix 25g sakadane solution with new cooked rice, koji, and water. Cap and leave on counter until the next day, agitate occasionally. -
Refresh
Uncooked Rice: 0g
Cooked Rice: 100g
Rice Koji: 15g
Water: 60g
Sakadane Liquid: 25g
> Process:
On Day 5, your solution should be vigorously fizzy with a sweet, yeasty smell. If the solution does not seem active enough, repeat D5 mixture an additional day.
Your finished sakadane starter will be safe for 2-3 days on the counter or up to two weeks in the fridge.
Sakadane Shokupan
For the sakadane stiff starter:
- Bread flower - 86g
- Sakadane - 43g
- Milk - 21.5g
For the dough:
- Stiff starter
- 344g Bread flower
- 21.5g Granulated sugar
- 193.5g Milk
- 43-64.5g Water (to your preferred hydration)
- 43g Greek yogurt
- 6.9g Salt
- 21.5g Butter
Sakadane Shokupan Recipe Steps
1) Let stiff starter rise until tripled in size (approximately three hours)
2) Combine stiff starter with all ingredients, except butter, in a mixer and mix until combined.
3) Switch to dough hook and knead at low speed ~10min/until smooth.
4) Add butter incrementally while mixer continues to run until fully integrated and
smooth.
5) Run mixer on high for 2-3 min.
6) Remove dough to surface and knead by hand to ensure smooth. Divide into equal halves (you can pause here and hold the dough in the fridge overnight).
7) Cover and allow to rise until double or triple in size.
8) Shape into loose boule and allow to relax for 30min.
9) Shape each portion into a stocky batard (approximately the width of your Pullman pan).
10) Place portions into Pullman pan with seam down, perpendicular to the length of the Pullman.
11) Cover and allow to rise until ~75-80% height of Pullman. Preheat oven to 200C (400F).
12) If you wish to have a square loaf, place lid on Pullman. If you want a domed top, leave lid off.
13) Bake 200C (400F) for 20 min then lower to 180C (350F) for 10 min.
14) Remove from oven and invert to remove from pan.
15) Cool completely and enjoy!
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Notes and Key Reminders
1. Scale up to fit your baking needs
2. You can experiment with the Day 0 yeast inoculation by adding fruit peels/pine needles/raisins/etc. Remove an equal mass of dry rice to adjust.
3. You can switch out steamed pearled barley as the starch source instead of rice
4. Use your sakadane as your pitch yeast for your doburoku/sake
5. Do not waste the waste
- Mix leftover sakadane solids with umami koji and salt (10%) and ferment to make sakadane miso/tamari
- Save the excess liquid and bottle as a simple doburoku alternative
- Make vinegar!
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