Making Sourdough Bread
About one week before Thanksgiving Day, I began a sourdough starter in anticipation of having fresh bread for the dinner. This is the method I used. It is adapted from my BH&G bread baking cookbook.
I do have to apologize for not taking more photos. I simply forgot, what with all that I had on my plate, so to speak.
1/2 t fresh active dry yeast
3/4 cup plus 3 cups lukewarm water (105°-115°)
3 cups flour
4 t white or brown sugar
In a plastic or glass bowl, dissolve the yeast in the 3/4 cup water. Stir in the 3 cups water, flour and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer til smooth.
Loosely cover with a clean towel or cheesecloth and let the mixture stand at warm room temperature (75-85°) for 5-10 days. Stir 2-3 times every day. When ready, the mixture will be bubbly and a little frothy, and smell sour.
Transfer to a plastic or glass container and store tightly covered in the refrigerator.
To use, stir well and measure the amount needed (usually around 1 cup). Bring to room temperature.
(Replenish it by adding 3/4 cup of flour, 3/4 cup warm water and 1 t of sugar to the remaining starter. Return it to the refrigerator).
To save time, I added the starter and bread ingredients to the bread machine and processed on the bread cycle.
Bread
1 3/4 cups starter
1/4 cup water
4 cups bread flour
1 t salt
1 1/4 t yeast
cornmeal (for French loaf)
beaten egg white plus 1 T water (for French loaf)
After dough processes on bread cycle, remove to flour covered surface, cover with a towel and let rest 10 minutes.
For round, form in to a circle. For French loaf, shape into a rectangle and roll up.
Place on a baking sheet covered with cornmeal. Brush French loaf with egg white mixture.
Cover and let rise 35-45 more minutes, or til doubled. With a sharp knife, cut slits on the top of the loaves.
Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. Remove round loaf and cool on a rack. For the French loaf, brush once again with remaining egg white mixture and return to bake another 10-15 minutes or so. Bread is done when is sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack.
I formed one loaf into a "French style" loaf and one into a round. My sister and I dug in so fast to the round that I never got a good photo.
This is the French style, sliced and oozing with fresh butter.
I do have to apologize for not taking more photos. I simply forgot, what with all that I had on my plate, so to speak.
1/2 t fresh active dry yeast
3/4 cup plus 3 cups lukewarm water (105°-115°)
3 cups flour
4 t white or brown sugar
In a plastic or glass bowl, dissolve the yeast in the 3/4 cup water. Stir in the 3 cups water, flour and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer til smooth.
Loosely cover with a clean towel or cheesecloth and let the mixture stand at warm room temperature (75-85°) for 5-10 days. Stir 2-3 times every day. When ready, the mixture will be bubbly and a little frothy, and smell sour.
Transfer to a plastic or glass container and store tightly covered in the refrigerator.
To use, stir well and measure the amount needed (usually around 1 cup). Bring to room temperature.
(Replenish it by adding 3/4 cup of flour, 3/4 cup warm water and 1 t of sugar to the remaining starter. Return it to the refrigerator).
To save time, I added the starter and bread ingredients to the bread machine and processed on the bread cycle.
Bread
1 3/4 cups starter
1/4 cup water
4 cups bread flour
1 t salt
1 1/4 t yeast
cornmeal (for French loaf)
beaten egg white plus 1 T water (for French loaf)
After dough processes on bread cycle, remove to flour covered surface, cover with a towel and let rest 10 minutes.
For round, form in to a circle. For French loaf, shape into a rectangle and roll up.
Place on a baking sheet covered with cornmeal. Brush French loaf with egg white mixture.
Cover and let rise 35-45 more minutes, or til doubled. With a sharp knife, cut slits on the top of the loaves.
Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. Remove round loaf and cool on a rack. For the French loaf, brush once again with remaining egg white mixture and return to bake another 10-15 minutes or so. Bread is done when is sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack.
I formed one loaf into a "French style" loaf and one into a round. My sister and I dug in so fast to the round that I never got a good photo.
This is the French style, sliced and oozing with fresh butter.
Comments
Post a Comment