March 6, 2010 - 7:39am
Need a good sourdough bread recipe
So I successfully started a starter using the 'Starting a Starter - Sourdough 101, a tutorial' instructions on this site. Now what? I couldn't find a sourdough recipe using the search function. Can anyone share their simple sourdough bread recipe with me? I am ready to bake today -- my first loaf of sourdogh ever. Thanks.
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I suggest you start here
This is SteveB's blog site called Bread cetera. Steve is an expert sourdough baker and has many easy to follow breads on his site that I know you will enjoy. You can make any bread using your new natural yeast once you understand how to use it. Steve has video clips showing technique to guide you on the way.
Eric
Thanks, that looks like a great site. But when I put "sourdough bread" in the search function it lists Multigrain bread, potato leek bread, more musings on mixing, cherry pecan bread, etc. I really would love it if someone would post their favorite, easy sourdough bread recipe here. Anyone?
If you just click on the link provided by Eric in his above post, it takes you directly to a good sourdough bread recipe ("Pain au Levain"). No need to use the search function, unless the sourdough recipe is not what you're looking for. But it's a good one to start with. It's about as good and basic as it gets.
I start with a sourdough levain composed of: 2 oz. starter mixed in 5 oz. gently warmed filtered water, then 5 oz. bread (or KA AP) flour mixed in, set on counter for 10-12 hrs. (cool kitchen, 64 F. daytime, even 59 F. overnight, doesn't seem to matter). I use 6-qt. prof. Kitchen Aid. I whisk levain in 12 oz. warmed filtered water in mixer bowl, then add 19 oz. flour (1 oz. dark rye, 1 oz. coarse w/w, 2.5 oz. hi-protein w/w, 14.5 oz bread flour or KA AP). Mix for 15 minutes. Then add 18 GM salt (sea is nice), mix 4-5 min. more, 'til "extensible." Put in oiled bowl, cover with plastic (shower cap works), fold 3X every 20 min., then let it grow for about 3 hrs. If nearly doubled, then preshape, let rest 5-10 min., final shaping into 1 or 2 loaves, put in floured linen-lined basket(s), let rise 2.5-3 hrs. Turn out onto parchment-lined "peel" (or rimless cookie sheets). I preheat oven W/ STONE at 500 at least half hour before loading dough, w/ water-filled pan below for steam, then load dough, spritz w/ water 4-5X for first 10 min, then lower oven to 450, bake for 20-25 min. Check for proper browning. You can add 3-4 oz. Kalamata (rinsed, dried, halved) pitted olives manually when you take dough out of mixer. Great bread! ALTERNATE METHOD: The "no-knead" way: Turn dough from basket into 5- or 6-qt. cast iron pot, which acts as a mini steam oven (preheat to 500, then lower to 450 after CAREFULLY loading and slashing dough), check for beginning browning after about 25 min., remove lid for another 10-12 min. or a little longer.
joyfulbaker
Thanks. I ended up using this 'recipe' -- www dot instructables dot com/id/Sourdough-Bread/ but unfortunately I didn't realize until after I had committed all the ingredients that it was a 'no-knead' recipe and would basically take 24 hours until it was ready. So after letting the dough sit for about two hours, I kneaded it for 15 minutes, let it rise, then punched it down and let it rise one more (short) time and then baked it at 450 for 25 minutes covered and about 5 or ten more uncovered. It stuck to the clay pot I used, so I got to eat the mangled bottom crust that was torn off as I manhandled it out of the pan. That was pretty good (to a non-connoisseur like me, anyway). I'll see how the rest of the loaf is later. Thanks again for the help.