Sourdough Bread

Sourdough bread is one of those things you either love or hate.  When I was younger I didn't care for the taste but as I've gotten older, my palate has matured as well and now I really like sourdough.  I originally made this recipe for my Breakstone's party and I cut up the bread to dip in the ranch dip.  The bread was a huge hit and I was really glad that this recipe made 2 loaves.  I enjoyed a slice spread with Nutella the next morning. 

Making sourdough requires time and patience.  It's not something you can decide in the morning you want to bake and pull out a delicious loaf of bread by dinner time.  It requires a bit of advanced planning to allow for the fermentation of the sourdough starter.  That being said, it's definitely worth the time and wait.

You will need:
1-1/2 cups cold sourdough starter (recipe below)
4-1/4 to 5-1/4 cups flour
2-1/4 teaspoons yeast
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup warm water (110 degrees)

1.  Stir the sourdough starter before measuring 1-1/2 cups cold starter.  Let it come to room temperature before using, the starter may expand. 

2.  In a large mixing bowl, stir together 2 cups of flour, yeast and salt. 

3.  Switch to the dough hook and gradually add in the starter and water on low speed.  After water and starter is incorporated, turn the mixer up to medium speed and mix for 2 minutes.  Then mix on high speed for 2 more minutes, scraping the bowl as needed. 

4.  Reduce the mixer speed to low and add in enough flour to make a soft dough.  Continue mixing for 8 minutes (or knead by hand for 8 minutes), until smooth.

5.  Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease all sides.  Cover bowl and let the dough rise until doubled, about an hour.

6.  Grease a large cookie sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal (optional). 

7.  Gently punch down dough to deflate.  Divide dough in half and shape each half into a ball.  With a sharp knife, gently cut an X into the dough, about 1/4 inch deep.  (My cuts were too deep, resulting in a unique shape of bread.)

8.  Place dough balls on the cookie sheet and cover loosely.  Let the dough rise in a warm place 30-45 minutes, until doubled. 

9.  Bake at 400 for 35-40 minutes, spraying with water every 5 minutes for the first 10 minutes.  Remove bread from cookie sheets and cool before cutting.

Sourdough Starter:
3-1/2 cups flour
2-1/4 teaspoons yeast
2 cups warm water (110-120 degrees)

1.  Mix the flour and yeast in a 4-quart or larger container.

2.  Gradually mix in the water until smooth. Mine was quite thick and doughy, which worried me at first but as the starter ferments it thins out and becomes watery.

3.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place for 2 to 4 days or until bubbly and sour smelling.

4.  Transfer to a 2-quart or larger contain with a tight-fitting lid. Store in the fridge until ready to use.

Not the most beautiful loaf of bread but it sure tasted good!

Source:  Alli-n-Son