Sourdough Jack Bread Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• With a sharp bread knife, cut bread in a grid-like (cross-hatch) pattern, taking care NOT to cut through the bottom crust.
• Insert cheese slices between each deep cut (about 2 dozen slices).
• Place melted butter, scallions, and poppy seeds in a small bowl. Stir to mix well. Make a blanket of aluminum foil large enough to totally encompass the bread. Place bread in the center of the foil. Drizzle butter mixture over bread and cheese.
• Wrap foil tightly around bread and place it on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes; open foil and bake 10 minutes more, until cheese is melted.
• To serve, place unwrapped bread in a napkin-lined bread basket. Guests serve themselves by ripping pieces of cheese bread from the loaf.
• SUBSTITUTE: You can substitute a flavored artisan bread for the sour dough.

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:

• 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:

• Stir together the starter, buttermilk,cornmeal and flour and let it sit covered in a cool place overnight. (I just leave it on the counter). Heat an oiled iron skillet or a cake pan in the oven at 400 degrees F. When the oven and pan are really hot, stir the egg, oil, salt, sugar, baking powder, and soda into the batter. NOTE: If mixture seems a little to thick, just add a little more buttermilk, until it is the consistency of a regular cornbread batter. Pour the batter into the hot pan and pop it into the oven to bake until done, about 25-30 minutes.
• 1.If I want it for dinner, I just start it in the morning.
• 2. I use about a 10 inch iron skillet.

Steps:

• Mixing directions To make starter, follow these steps;*Mix yeast and warm water and check to see if it is working.
• (Fizzing, bubbling), add remaining ingredients.
• Let set out all day.
• Then feed and set in refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
• To feed the starter, add sugar, instant potatoes and warm water in the same amount you used to make the starter.
• To make the bread follow these steps; Mix with 1 cup of the starter, knead about twenty strokes, place in bowl, lightly coat top with oil, let set overnight till doubled in size.
• Knead and divide in two pieces, knead again, put in greased pans, coat top with butter or oil.
• Let rise till doubled in size.
• Bake 350 for 40 minutes or until done.
• To make more, feed the remaining starter like you did the first time.
• Repeat the feeding every time you make the bread.

Steps:

• Cut the bread lengthwise and crosswise without cutting through the bottom crust into about 1" squares.
• Insert cheese between cuts.
• Combine butter, onions, garlic and poppy seeds, drizzle over the bread and cheese evenly.
• Wrap in foil, place on cookie sheet.
• Bake in 350º oven for 15 minutes.
• Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer or til cheese has melted.
• Serve warm, pull apart to eat!