Sourdough Bread Recipe For Beginners

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:

• See the videos and photos above for target dough consistency, expansion during the rising periods, and shaping and scoring techniques.
• Early in the day, build 100g sourdough starter by feeding 30g starter with 35g flour and 35g water. Allow this to ripen over the next 3-6 hours. When the starter is at least double in size, it is ready to use in your dough.
• Mix the dough ingredients together in a large bowl. Cover, let the dough sit for about 15 minutes, and then stretch and fold the dough, forming it into a smooth ball.
• Cover the dough and let it rise (bulk ferment) until it has almost doubled in size. At warm temps (low 80s) my dough doubled in 4 hours. Colder dough may need twice or more that time.
• Flour your work surface and scrape your dough out of the bowl and onto the flour.
• Shape your dough into a boule, sandwich loaf, or whatever shape you prefer.
• While the dough rests on it's seam for a minute or so, flour your proofing basket. If you don't have a proofing basket, you can use a colander or bowl lined with a well-floured tea towel. If using a loaf pan, oil it or line it with parchment paper.
• Place the dough in your proofing basket seam-side up, or in your loaf pan seam-side down.
• Cover and let the dough rise again (final proof) for about 30 minutes at room temperature and then refrigerate the dough overnight (8-16 hours). You can also leave the dough at room temperature for longer (1-2 hours) and then bake it without the refrigeration stage. For baking in a loaf pan, let the dough rise almost completely before refrigerating it (1-2 hours) or bake it same-day.
• Artisan Style Bread Baking Instructions
• Preheat your oven and baking vessel at 500F for 30 minutes.
• Flip the dough out of the proofing basket and onto a sheet of parchment paper or the base of your hot baking vessel, score, cover, and return the vessel to the oven.
• If your baking vessel is a ceramic cloche, bake at:
• 500°F for 20 minutes, lid on
• 450°F for 5 minutes, lid on
• 450°F for 5-10 minutes, lid off
• If your baking vessel is cast iron, bake at:
• 500°F for 15 minutes lid on and then place a baking sheet under the cast iron on the same shelf
• 450°F for 10 minutes, lid on
• 450°F for 5-10 minutes, lid off
• When baking is complete, the bread should have an internal temperature of at least 205F and it should sound hollow when you knock on the bottom of the loaf.
• Loaf Pan Baking Instructions
• Preheat your oven to 375F for about 15 minutes.
• Brush the top of the dough with water and place it in the oven on the middle shelf.
• Bake for 50-60 minutes, turning the pan halfway if the bread is browning unevenly. To firm up the bottom and sides of the loaf, take it out of the loaf pan for the last 5-10 minutes.
• When baking is complete, the bread should have an internal temperature of at least 200F.
• Brush the still-warm crust with butter or oil to keep it soft.
• Ideally, these loaves should cool for about 2 hours before slicing but I completely understand if you want to dive right into your steaming bread.

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:

• 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!