Sourdough: The Saga

I have been diligently making at least one loaf of sourdough bread per week since the beginning of May. I learned new things about bread making through various sources, and I was constantly changing the way I made my bread. I was looking for a bread that was soft on the inside with a nice crust and a good sour flavor. I finally found it! Surprisingly, it is the most simple recipe of any I've tried. The ingredients are flour, salt, and water. Thats it!

Now before you make this recipe, you will need to grow a starter. A starter is basically fermented flour and water. I explained starters and shared some useful links in an earlier post found here. It is really easy, but it takes 2 weeks. I have also been told that you can buy sourdough starters at bakeries. If you do this, make sure to read up on starters so you can keep it alive. Starters last forever if you don't kill them. Mine has been alive for about 9 months.

Oh and another disclaimer! This bread is made using a no knead technique. The benefit of this technique is no kneading. The drawback is that you will have to start the night before you want to bake it. Read the whole recipe before you start, or you will end up very annoyed. Bread making isn't a science. It is based on you paying attention and getting a feel for things. Don't freak out! There is a lot of room for error, and I'm sure if you follow my directions it will turn out just fine!

Well, here's the product of all of my hard work.

Amy's Sourdough Bread:

Ingredients:

• 3 c. unbleached bread flour (unbleached all purpose flour works fine too)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 c. sourdough starter
• 1/2 c. water (may be a little more or less depending on how watery your starter is)

Instructions:

• Start the night before you plan on baking - Mix together the flour and salt in a large bowl
• Add the sourdough starter and begin mixing with your hands
• Still mixing with your hands, slowly add enough water to form a soft and slightly sticky dough - if you add too much water don't fret, you can add a little more flour until the appropriate consistency is reached
• Leave the dough in the bowl and cover with a dishtowel - go to sleep you won't have to mess with your dough again until the morning (make sure your house doesn't get below 70 degrees or the bread won't rise

• When you wake up in the morning deflate the dough (it will have risen) and take it out of the bowl
• Hold the dough in both hands and pull outward stretching the dough but not pulling it apart - take the ends of the dough in your hands and fold into the center, press down with the heal of your palm (i do this on a lightly floured cutting board). Repeat this step three more times
• Place the dough back in the bowl to rise for about 4 hours or until the dough has almost doubled in size
• Line a large bowl with a heavily flour dusted cloth (i use a dishtowel)
• Stretch and fold the dough (like explained earlier) until the glutens form and the dough becomes much harder to stretch (about 4 times)
• Place the dough in the cloth lined bowl to rise for about 6 hours or until almost doubled in size
• When dough has risen preheat oven to 500 degrees - go ahead and put your baking sheet or baking stone into the oven to preheat as well
• Carefully turn dough out onto lightweight cutting board
• When oven has reached 500 degrees use the cutting board to slide the dough onto the hot baking sheet or stone in the oven
• Place a large stainless steel bowl over the dough - if you don't have one place a pan of water in the oven - the moisture contributes to a crisp but not to crunchy crust - make sure to keep an eye on the loaf to make sure it doesn't over bake if you don't use the bowl
• Bake for 25 minutes
• When done, the loaf will sound hollow when thumped with a spoon
• Cool on cooling rack

Thats it! Ask me questions if any of that is confusing. I'm excited that other people might enjoy this bread too and I'm glad to help!