There are so many reasons that I love sourdough. One huge bonus is having a natural starter ready and waiting for you so that you don’t have to rely on buying yeast. For more information on how to get a starter going, see Sourdough Starter. Once you have that sourdough starter going, come back here and start making sourdough bread!
Before you make most sourdough recipes, you need to get your starter ready. These aren’t the instructions to make a starter. Click the link above for that. This is for taking out that starter and getting it revved up and ready to make bread.
- Take it out of the refrigerator and let it warm to room temperature for an hour or two
- Feed by adding 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup water. You need to have at least 1/4 cup of starter left over after using it today, so if you need to, add 1 cup flour and 1/2-2/3 cup water instead.
- Wait 6-8 hours for starter to be at maximum activation.
- Follow directions for recipes below and enjoy!
Sourdough Bread Recipe
I get my starter out in the morning, feed it, make the dough at night, and then put it in the oven the next morning. You just have to plan one day in advance and it turns out great. If you are not patient enough, your bread will be dense. It will spread out by morning. If I really want to I gently fold it, let it rise for an hour or two again, then put it in the oven.
Sourdough Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2-1/3 cups activated sourdough starter `
- 3-1/3 cup unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 to 1-1/2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon salt
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together. Dough should be very soft. If you need to, wet your hands as you knead instead of adding too much flour. Dough should hold shape, but still be soft. Knead for 10 minutes. It should be very stretchy when you are done. Place the dough in a 9 x 5 in loaf pan, cover, and allow to rise for 12-24 hours.
- Carefully place the dough on a floured peel or cookie sheet. Score with a sharp knife. Gently slice a few x’s into the top of the loaf. This will prevent it from splitting on the sides. If it collapses too much then let it rise a little again.
- Turn your oven on to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and place a baking stone or cookie sheet in it to begin to heat. After the dough is doubled in size, transfer directly to the heated baking stone or cookie sheet.
- Bake at 400 Fahrenheit for 20-30min. (depending on thickness of chosen loaf). You can use a spray bottle filled with water to spray the insides of the walls of your oven. The moisture will give your loaf a nice crust (I just get a little water in a cup and throw it in the bottom of the oven after I put the loaf in)
16 comments
Leave your reply.