How To Make Sourdough Bread Recipes

Steps:

• Before measuring out your 2 cups of starter culture, it must be proofed: To proof, I usually start with 1 cup of starter and stir into it equal parts of flour and warm water (for this recipe, 1 1/2 cups of each would be more than enough).
• Let mixture sit, covered loosely, for 8 to 12 hours-- the longer it sits, the sourer the flavor will be.
• At this point, measure out the 2 cups required for recipe, and return leftover starter to refrigerator for next time.
• Pour starter into mixing bowl.
• Melt butter (microwave works well).
• Add milk to butter and warm briefly (85 degrees F).
• Add the salt and sugar, stir until dissolved.
• Add this mixture to the culture and mix well.
• Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, stirring until the dough is too stiff to mix by hand.
• Turn onto floured board and knead in the remaining flour until the dough is smooth and satiny.
• Pat dough into a 1-inch thick oval and form loaf by rolling oval up from the long side, pinching the seam together as you roll the dough, tucking ends to form the loaf.
• Place in lightly greased loaf pan (I spray with cooking spray), and let rise, covered, at 85 degrees F for 1 1/2 to 3 hours.
• When the dough rises 1 to 2 inches above the edges of pan, it is ready to bake.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake an additional 30 to 40 minutes (baking time varies according to your oven and your personal taste--some like a darker crustier bread than others).
• Remove loaf from oven and brush the top lightly with melted butter; turn loaf out of the pan and cool on wire rack.
• If you prefer, you can shape this into a round or oval loaf and bake on a baking sheet.

Steps:

• For the levain: Combine the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, water and starter in a medium bowl and mix to combine. Cover and let sit at room temperature until bubbly and increased in volume by about 20 percent, about 8 hours.
• For the dough: Add the all-purpose flour, water and whole-wheat flour to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Weigh out 7 ounces of the levain (about 1 cup) and add to the mixer (discard any remaining levain). Mix on low until a shaggy dough forms. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Add the salt to the dough and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes; the dough should feel a bit sticky and wet but look smooth and very stretchy. Scrape the dough into a plastic or glass container about twice its size. Cover and let sit at room temperature until puffed, about 45 minutes.
• Put the dough on a floured work surface, flatten it gently, then fold in thirds like a business letter. Transfer it back to the container. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes.
• Repeat the folding process one more time, transfer back to the container, cover and let sit at room temperature for another 45 minutes. After the third 45-minute rest, the dough should feel soft and pillowy; when pressed with a finger, it should leave an indentation that begins to spring back.
• Gently scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide in half using a bench scraper. Shape each piece loosely into a round by gently tucking the edges under. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Drape 2 kitchen towels into 2 medium (8-inch) bowls and dust very generously with flour. Dust the top of the dough rounds very lightly with flour and flip over using a bench scraper. Flatten one piece of dough into a circle, then fold the left and right sides of the dough over the center. Keeping tension in the dough, begin folding down from the top edge in 3 segments, sealing the bottom edge with the last fold. Loosely cup the dough and, using your hands and the tension between the board and the dough, pull the bread very slowly towards yourself while creating a taut ball. Gently flip the dough ball over and into one of the prepared bowls. Cover loosely with another kitchen towel. Repeat the process with the second piece of dough. Place both in a warm place to rise until about 1 1/2 times their size, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• About 20 minutes before baking, position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven, put a 4-quart Dutch oven and lid on the rack and preheat to 500 degrees F. When preheated, carefully transfer the hot Dutch oven to a heatsafe surface with oven mitts (leave the lid in the oven). Flip one round of dough over into the Dutch oven. Using a sharp knife, scissors or bread lame, score the top of the bread in a cross or desired pattern. Return to the oven, immediately cover with the lid and bake for 20 minutes. Lower the temperature to 425 degrees F, uncover and bake until dark brown, about 10 minutes more. Transfer the bread to a cooling rack to cool completely. Return the empty Dutch oven to the oven, raise the temperature to 500 degrees F and let heat for 10 minutes before repeating the baking process with the second dough round.

Steps:

• Autolyse: Add 400 grams of warm water and the sourdough starter to a medium bowl. Stir with a rubber spatula to dissolve the starter.
• Add the bread flour and whole wheat flour. Use a spatula or your clean hands to mix until combined and there are no dry spots. Cover with a clean cotton kitchen towel and let sit in a warm place for 60 minutes.
• Bulk fermentation: After resting the dough, add the salt and remaining 10 grams water. Use your hands to incorporate the salt, squishing the dough through your fingers to make sure it is evenly distributed.
• Set a bowl of water nearby. Once the salt is incorporated, dip your hand in the water to prevent sticking. Use your wet hand to stretch the dough from the edge of the bowl upwards, then fold toward the center. Repeat a total of 8 times, rotating the bowl slightly after each fold.
• After the folds, carefully lift the dough up, flip it over, place it back in the bowl and tuck the edges under the dough. Scrape down the edges of the bowl, then cover with the kitchen towel and let rest in a warm place for 60 minutes.
• Repeat the stretching and folding process 2 more times, waiting 60 minutes after each folding session before beginning again. You should see signs of fermentation in the form of an increase in volume and bubbles along the edges and top of the dough. Wait a little longer, up to 30 more minutes between folds, if you don't see those signs yet.
• Preshape: An hour after the final stretch and fold, dip your hands in the water. Think of the dough as the face of a clock. Slide your hands into the bowl at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock. Partially lift the dough from the bowl and let it fold under itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat the lifting and fold under 5-6 times, until dough has begun to come together in a ball.
• Carefully lift the dough onto a clean surface. Lightly sprinkle the dough with the dusting flour. Using a bench scraper, or lightly floured hands, carefully rotate and drag the dough towards yourself along the surface, building tension until you have a round, taut ball of dough. Do not make the ball too tight, as it may tear. Lightly flour the dough, cover with the towel, and let rest for 30-40 minutes.
• Final shape: Dust a proofing basket or a medium bowl lined with a cotton towel lightly with flour.
• After 40 minutes, the dough should look relaxed and have spread out slightly. Lightly flour the top of the dough again. Using the bench scraper, or a silicone spatula and lightly floured hands, carefully flip the dough over, so the unfloured part is facing upwards.
• Think of the clock again. Fold in 12 o'clock towards the center, then 6 o'clock, 3 o'clock, and 9 o'clock, then each of the remaining 4 diagonal corners. Carefully transfer the dough, seam-side up, to the prepared proofing basket or bowl. Pinch the seams to ensure they are sealed. Cover the bowl with the towel.
• Final proof: Transfer the dough to the refrigerator to finish proofing overnight, 12-18 hours. If you want to bake the same day, leave at room temperature for 2-3 hours, then transfer to the refrigerator while you preheat the oven. (Overnight proofing is highly recommended!)
• When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C). Place a Dutch oven or cast iron combo cooker in the oven while it preheats. Make sure your oven has come up to temperature before baking, at least 30 minutes.
• Prepare a piece of parchment paper about the size of the bottom of your baking vessel. Place the parchment over the proofing basket and gently flip the basket over so the dough drops onto the parchment.
• Carefully remove the baking vessel from the oven. Use the parchment paper to carefully lift the dough into the pan. Use a sharp paring knife or bread lame to slash the top of the dough a few times. This scoring will allow steam to escape. Cover the vessel with the lid and carefully place in the oven.
• Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the lid and reduce the oven temperature to 450°F (230°C). Continue baking for another 15-20 minutes, until the crust is amber brown.
• Remove the bread from the oven and carefully transfer to a wire rack. Check to make sure it is done baking by tapping on the bottom--you should hear a hollow sound. Though it may be tempting to dive right in, let the bread cool completely, at least 2 hours, before slicing with a serrated knife.
• Store the loaf cut-side down on a cutting board, or in a plastic bag. You can freeze the whole loaf, or pre-slice, then freeze and pull out slices as needed.
• Notes: If you are using all-purpose flour, use 375 grams of water instead of 400 grams of water for the initial mix. If you don't have a Dutch oven or cast iron combo cooker, you could bake in a cast iron skillet, a pizza stone or a sheet pan, uncovered. You could also bake the bread in a greased 9 x 5-inch (22 x 12 cm) loaf pan (place the bread in the pan seam-side down instead of in a proofing basket.) Bake at 475°F (240°C) for 40-45 minutes, until amber brown. Reduce the oven temperature for the last 20 minutes of baking if the bread is getting too dark on top. The bread won't look as shiny and have as crispy of a crust, but will taste just as good!
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• In a glass bowl, add water and yeast. Mix the yeast into the water and let it sit for a couple minutes.
• Add in the rest of the ingredients for the starter. Mix well until everything is fully incorporated.
• Wrap the bowl with clear wrap, making sure not to tightly seal the bowl. Let the starter breathe a little and keep it in a dark place at room temperature. Stir every 12 hours until making the dough. The starter will rise and shrink each day and you should see bubbles, letting you know that the yeast is being activated!
• On day 5, combine all ingredients into a bowl, and knead for 10 minutes on low if using a machine; if kneading by hand, knead for 20 minutes until dough is stretchy yet doesn't stick to your hands.
• While the dough is kneading, store your starter for future use. Your starter will last forever as long as you maintain and care for it. It can stay in the fridge and be fed once a week with a teaspoon of sugar. To replenish your starter, simply add 1 cup of flour (125g) and ½ cup of water (120ml), mix, and place it back in the fridge. Leave it out overnight to get to room temperature before preparing the dough.
• Place kneaded dough into a large floured bowl with a towel over the top, then sprinkle flour and let it rise for 12 hours.
• Place risen dough onto a floured board and knead for a few minutes. Place it into a floured proofing basket or a medium bowl, sprinkle flour and let it rise for another 4 hours.
• Preheat oven to 480°F (250°C).
• Flip the dough onto a parchment paper, and transfer the dough and paper into a large cast-iron dutch oven.
• Score the top of the bread.
• Place the lid on top and bake for 30 minutes.
• Take the lid off and bake for another 15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
• Transfer onto a cooling rack and let it rest for an hour. Knock the bottom of the bread to listen for a hollow knock.
• Nutrition Calories: 1615 Fat: 4 grams Carbs: 340 grams Fiber: 11 grams Sugars: 19 grams Protein: 42 grams
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• • Mature starter, which you should keep refrigerated until you're ready to use it (you can get a bit from a friend or buy it online from Etsy or King Arthur Flour) • 700 grams high-quality white bread flour, plus more for feeding starter and dusting work surfaces • 300 grams high-quality whole-wheat flour, whole-grain rye flour, or spelt flour, or a combination • 20 grams kosher salt or fine sea salt • Rice flour, for dusting
• 1. Feed your starter (refreshing). In the morning, three days before you plan to serve your bread (Friday morning, for example, for loaves on Sunday), pull your starter from the refrigerator and decant 20 grams of it into a clean, clear container. Return any remaining starter to the refrigerator for future use. Stir in 100 grams of room-temperature tap water until the starter is evenly dispersed, then stir in 100 grams of white flour until you have a smooth paste. Why? The yeast and bacteria in your starter become sluggish in the cool environment of your refrigerator. They must be energized through successive feedings, a process called refreshing, to be active enough to raise the dough. 2. Cover the container, and let sit at room temperature until it has at least doubled in volume and its surface teems with sudsy bubbles, 10 to 12 hours, depending on your kitchen's temperature. 3. Feed your starter a second time. Once the starter has doubled in size (the evening of the first day), discard all but 20 grams of starter. To the 20 grams of starter, add 100 grams of water, then mix and incorporate another 100 grams of white flour. Cover and set aside at room temperature to be used in your dough the next day.
• The bulk of your work occurs on this day, so you'll want to set aside some time to tend to your dough. Depending on environmental conditions, your dough may take anywhere from five to nine hours to finish its rises. It's not active time, but you'll want to stay close to keep an eye on it.1. Mix together flour and water and let sit (autolyse). Early on the second day, weigh 700 grams of white bread flour and 300 grams of whole-wheat or whole-grain rye or spelt flour (or a blend) in a large mixing bowl. Mix to combine. Weigh out 750 grams of lukewarm tap water (about 90 degrees) and add to the flours. Mix gently with a clean hand or a flexible bench scraper until all the flours are hydrated and no dry spots remain. Cover with a damp dish towel, and let sit at least 30 minutes while you wait until your starter is ready (see Step 2). Why? If starter is the life force of bread, then the stretchy strands known as gluten are its backbone. When two proteins in flour come into contact with water, gluten forms a network inside the dough, trapping the gas produced by the yeast. To build lots of gluten from the get-go, bakers employ a technique known as autolyse, in which flour and water are mixed and left to rest, usually before adding the starter. During autolyse, gluten bonds form that create the basic structure of the dough. As little as 30 minutes of autolyse can be effective, but generally speaking a couple of hours is optimal. It will give your gluten a head start and decrease the amount of mixing down the line.2. Make sure the starter is ready to use (perform a float test). When the sudsy bubbles on the surface of a starter form a dome and it appears on the verge of collapse, drop about a teaspoon of starter into a small bowl of room temperature water. If it floats, the starter is full of gas and ready to use (ripe). If it sinks, let it sit, checking every 30 minutes, until you see even more activity and then try the test again.3. Combine the autolyse and starter. Add 200 grams of ripe starter to the bowl with the flour-water mixture. Pinching with your thumb, forefinger and middle finger on one hand and rotating the bowl with the other, mix until the starter is completely incorporated. 4. Assess texture and add salt. At this point, the dough should be wet but also extremely extensible (having the ability to stretch without snapping back). Sprinkle 20 grams salt and 20 grams of water across the dough, and pinch, as before, to incorporate. Cover with a damp towel and let sit for 10 minutes. Why? Adding salt tightens the gluten network, so the dough will go from very extensible to more elastic (having the tendency to snap back after being stretched) and stringy.5. Mix the dough. Uncover the dough. Slide a wet hand down along the inside of the bowl and underneath the dough. Grasp a handful and stretch it upward until you feel resistance, then fold it back onto the dough mass. Repeat this motion continuously for 10 minutes, rotating the bowl about 90 degrees each time. As you work the dough, it will progress from very slack and sticky to smoother and more elastic.6. Check if the dough has built enough gluten (perform the windowpane test). After 10 minutes of mixing, pinch off a golf ball-size piece of dough and gently stretch it with your fingertips, working it both longer and wider until you have a thin, even membrane through which light can pass. If the dough tears before this point, continue to mix and check again every 10 minutes. (If you're mixing for more than 20 minutes and the dough is not yet at this point, feel free to move on. Your bread will still turn out.) Use a flexible bench scraper to scrape dough out onto a clean surface. Rinse the bowl to remove any dried flour, then return the dough to the damp bowl. Why? This will help determine if the dough has developed sufficient gluten to give it strength, which enables it to hold its shape. 7. Prepare for the dough's first rise (bulk fermentation). Mark where the dough hits the side of the bowl with a piece of tape. Note the time, and the temperature of the dough. It should be 76 degrees to 80 degrees. Cover the dough with a damp towel and let sit for 60 minutes. Why? Bulk fermentation is the period after the starter has been added during which the dough undergoes its first rise. The yeast and bacteria produce gas and flavor, so a longer fermentation will result in a more flavorful bread. If your dough is above or below the optimal 76- to 80-degree range, that's fine, just note that it will accelerate or slow the bulk fermentation accordingly. If fermentation seems to be moving slowly, you can move your dough to a warmer place, like the inside of the oven with the oven light on.8. Fold the dough. Using a wet hand and the same mixing motion as Step 5, but with a gentler touch to avoid knocking out any gas, perform four folds, making a full rotation of the bowl. Cover the bowl, wait 1 hour, then perform the same series of four folds. Cover and repeat every 60 minutes, until the dough feels pillowy and filled with air, which can take at least 3 hours and as many as 7. Each time you fold the dough, it should feel lighter and sit higher in the bowl. Determining when bulk fermentation is complete can be difficult. The dough should more or less double in size - use the mark on the bowl as a reference - but that's not a guarantee. You should see lots of bubbles on the surface and sides of the dough. "It's like cream versus whipped cream," said Avery Ruzicka, the baker and an owner of Manresa Bread in California. "You should be able to see that there's volume to it." Or as Ethan Pikas, of Cellar Door Provisions in Chicago, said, "It should feel very smooth and aerated. It will feel very alive."9. Shape dough for the first time (pre-shaping). Clear and lightly flour a work surface. Gently turn out the dough, letting its weight coax it out of the bowl and loosening the sides with the bench scraper. Divide the dough in half with the bench scraper. Using floured hands and working with one piece of dough at a time, gently pull all the edges of the dough toward the center to create a round, tidy packet. (The non-floured surface will readily stick to itself.) Use a bench scraper to turn the loose ball of dough over so it rests seam-side down. Cover with a clean towel and repeat with the second half of dough. Let both pieces of dough rest, covered, on the work surface for 20 minutes. Why? Pre-shaping the dough guarantees uniform loaf size and helps to organize the gluten strands roughly into the final shape of the baked loaves. The following rest period relaxes the gluten and makes final shaping easier, leading to bread with a better overall rise. 10. Prepare the shaping baskets. As dough rests, line two baskets or mixing bowls with clean kitchen towels. Stir together a 50/50 mixture of white bread flour and rice flour. (Rice flour will prevent sticking.) Dust the interiors of the baskets generously with the 50/50 flour mixture. Set aside.11. Shape the dough a last time (final shaping). Uncover one piece of dough and lightly dust the top with the 50/50 flour mixture. In one decisive motion, use the bench scraper to lift and turn the dough over floured-side down. Slide your fingertips beneath the dough and stretch it gently into a square shape. Fold the left side of the dough inward toward the center, then fold the right side inward and overtop of the left fold. Starting at the end closest to you, roll the dough away from you into a bulky spiral. Let the dough sit for a minute or two on its seam to help it seal, then use a bench scraper to lift up the dough and place it seam-side up in one of the prepared baskets. Lightly dust the exposed part of the dough with more of the 50/50 flour mixture, and cover with a kitchen towel. Repeat with the second piece of dough.12. Let the shaped dough rise inside the baskets (proofing). Rest loaves at room temperature, checking on them periodically, until the surface of the dough has settled and the entire loaves have slightly increased in volume, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. 13. Check if dough is proofed (the poke test). Press a floured finger about 1/2 inch into the dough. If the dough springs back immediately, it needs more time - check again every 20 minutes. But, if it springs back slowly and a slight impression remains, the dough is proofed. 14. Chill the dough. Once the dough passes the poke test, cover the baskets with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator. Chill overnight and up to two days before baking. The longer the dough spends in the refrigerator, the tangier the final bread will taste.
• 1. Prepare the oven. About an hour before baking, arrange a rack in the lower third of your oven and place a large, uncovered Dutch oven inside. Heat the oven to 500 degrees. 2. Prepare the dough. Remove one loaf from the refrigerator and uncover. Lightly dust the exposed dough with the 50/50 flour mixture, massaging it into the surface. Place a piece of parchment paper over the basket, making sure the parchment is longer and wider than the basket by several inches. Invert the loaf onto the parchment paper. Remove the basket, then slowly peel away the towel. Dust the rounded side of the dough with more of the 50/50 flour mixture, rubbing it into the surface to coat evenly. 3. Make a slash in the dough. Use a lame or a serrated knife to make a long, slightly off-center slash about 1/4-inch deep, angling the blade toward the midline of the loaf. Why? Slashing the bread will help the bread expand predictably in the oven. 4. Bake the dough. Very carefully place the heated Dutch oven on the stovetop. Taking care not to touch the sides, use the parchment paper to lower the loaf into the Dutch oven. Cover and return it to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Then, carefully remove the lid and reduce the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Continue to bake the loaf uncovered until the surface is deeply browned all over, another 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the Dutch oven from the oven, and use tongs to help you pull out the loaf. Transfer the Dutch oven back to the oven, and set the oven temperature back to 500 degrees. Repeat the process with the second loaf of bread. Why? The bread is baked covered in the beginning to trap steam, which helps the loaf expand and rise as much as possible.5. Cut and serve! Allow the loaves to cool completely, for a few hours, before cutting into them. Whole loaves can be stored uncovered at room temperature for 1 day. Once cut, bread should be stored in paper bags at room temperature and will keep for 5 days or longer. After the second day, it benefits from light toasting.
• Keep your starter in a container with the lid on, labeled clearly. Once a week, discard all but 25 grams of starter (discarding most of the starter helps avoid building up a massive amount with each successive feeding). Using a digital scale for accuracy, stir 100 grams of room temperature tap water into the starter until the starter is evenly dispersed. Then stir in 100 grams of high-quality white bread flour until you have a smooth paste. Cover and place in the back of the refrigerator. Set a calendar reminder to feed your starter at the same time every week. Why? The yeast and bacteria in starter feed on sugars in the flour, and you'll need to replenish this food source on a regular basis. Cooling it down will significantly slow the level of activity, or how quickly the micro-organism consume its food source. Bakeries generally keep their starter at room temperature and feed it at least once a day because they are mixing and baking dough constantly, but for most home bakers, refrigerating your starter and feeding it once a week is sufficient. Think of it as a low-maintenance pet!

Steps:

• To make the sourdough starter, whisk 50g strong white flour and 50g strong wholemeal flour with 100ml slightly warm water until smooth. Transfer to a large jar or plastic container. Leave the lid ajar for 1 hr or so in a warm place, then seal and set aside for 24 hrs. For the next six days, you will need to 'feed' it. Each day, tip away half the original starter, add an extra 25g of each flour and 50ml slightly warm water, and stir well. After a few days, you should start to see bubbles on the surface, and it will smell yeasty. On day seven, the starter should be bubbly and smell much sweeter. It is now ready to be used, but make sure you keep half back and carry on feeding for your next loaf.
• Tip both the flours, 300ml warm water and the starter into a bowl, stir with a wooden spoon into a dough and leave somewhere for an hour.
• Tip in 25ml more water and the salt and bring everything together. Cover and leave somewhere warm for 3 hrs, folding the dough onto itself several times in the first hour. The dough should increase in size by about a third.
• Line a medium bowl with a clean tea towel and flour it really well, or flour a proving basket. Tip the dough back onto your work surface, shape into a tight, smooth ball and dust it with flour.
• Place the dough, seam-side up, in the bowl or proving basket, and leave at room temperature for 3 hrs - or better still in the fridge overnight - until risen by about a quarter.
• Heat oven to 230C/210C fan/gas 8 and put a casserole dish with a lid or a baking stone in the oven for at least 30 mins to heat up, and a large roasting tin filled with boiling water underneath. After 30 mins, carefully remove the casserole dish, invert the loaf into it and slash the top. Cover and bake for 20 mins, then take the lid off and bake for another 20 mins. Or invert onto the baking stone, slash and bake for 40 mins, or until the crust is as dark as you like it.

Steps:

• First, make your starter. In a large bowl, mix together 100g of the flour with 125ml slightly warm water. Whisk together until smooth and lump-free.
• Transfer the starter to a large jar (a 1-litre Kilner jar is good) or a plastic container. Leave the jar or container lid ajar for 1 hr or so in a warm place (around 25C is ideal), then seal and set aside for 24 hrs.
• For the next 6 days, you will need to 'feed' the starter. Each day, tip away half of the original starter, add an extra 100g of flour and 125ml slightly warm water, and stir well. Try to do this at the same time every day.
• After 3-4 days you should start to see bubbles appearing on the surface, and it will smell yeasty and a little acidic. This is a good indicator that the starter is working.
• On day 7, the starter should be quite bubbly and smell much sweeter. It is now ready to be used in baking.
• Tip the flour, 225ml warm water, the salt, honey and the starter into a bowl, or a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Stir with a wooden spoon, or on a slow setting in the machine, until combined - add extra flour if it's too sticky or a little extra warm water if it's too dry.
• Tip onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 mins until soft and elastic - you should be able to stretch it without it tearing. If you're using a mixer, turn up the speed a little and mix for 5 mins.
• Place the dough in a large, well-oiled bowl and cover. Leave in a warm place to rise for 3 hrs. You may not see much movement, but don't be disheartened, as sourdough takes much longer to rise than a conventional yeasted bread.
• Line a medium-sized bowl with a clean tea towel and flour it really well or, if you have a proving basket, you can use this (see tips below). Tip the dough back onto your work surface and knead briefly to knock out any air bubbles. Shape the dough into a smooth ball and dust it with flour.
• Place the dough, seam-side up, in the bowl or proving basket, cover loosely and leave at room temperature until roughly doubled in size. The time it takes for your bread to rise will vary depending on the strength of your starter and the temperature in the room, anywhere from 4-8 hrs. The best indicators are your eyes, so don't worry too much about timings here. You can also prove your bread overnight in the fridge. Remove it in the morning and let it continue rising for another hour or 2 at room temperature. The slower the rise, the deeper the flavour you will achieve.
• Place a large baking tray in the oven, and heat to 230C/210C fan/gas 8. Fill a small roasting tin with a little water and place this in the bottom of the oven to create steam. Remove the baking tray from the oven, sprinkle with flour, then carefully tip the risen dough onto the tray.
• Slash the top a few times with a sharp knife, if you like, then bake for 35-40 mins until golden brown. It will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Leave to cool on a wire rack for 20 mins before serving.

Steps:

• Pour the sponge in a bowl and add the sugar, salt and oil or margarine.
• Mix well and then knead in the flour a half-cup at a time.
• Knead in enough flour to make a good, flexible bread dough- you may use slightly more or less than the three cups indicated, depending on how runny your starter is.
• Just keep adding until it looks like any other bread dough.
• You can add the flour by hand, with an electric mixer, a bread machine on dough cycle or a food processor.
• Find a warm place and let the dough rise, covered loosely by a towel (I use my airing cupboard but a slightly warm oven works well too-- don't keep it on, just turn it on for a moment to warm it up before turning it off and putting the dough in).
• If you're using a bread machine's dough cycle, let it rise in the machine.
• Note that sourdough rises more slowly than yeast bread.
• Just let it keep going until it's doubled in bulk.
• Punch the dough down and knead it a little more.
• Make a loaf and place it on a lightly greased baking sheet.
• Slit the top if you like, and cover the loaf with a paper towel and place it in a warm place to rise again, until doubled in bulk.
• Place the pan with the loaf in your oven, and then turn your oven to 350 F or 190 C and bake the bread for 30-45 minutes.
• Do not preheat the oven.
• The loaf is done when the crust is brown and the bottom sounds hollow when thumped with a wooden spoon.
• Turn the loaf out onto a cooling rack or a towel and let it cool for an hour before slicing.