Making sourdough bread is very simple. First, you need to have a sourdough starter that has got a nice smell. The type of sourdough to be made it is rustic and has a nice rich crust. It has big air holes inside and a nice tangy when you bite into it. To make the bread weigh in water and add dry ingredients including two types of flour.
With your flour, starter, and water in a bowl blend them using a plastic bowl scraper. Add a little extra water just in case you need it. If it is a little bit sticky add water. When ready add salt into the mixture and blend it into the bowl. Because the dough is very wet use the stretch and folds kneading style. Turn the mixture into a un floured counter. From the side near the top of the dough turn and face front drop the tail down and then fold the dough over lift from the side turn and fold over.
It is a fairly quick motion you can take a bench knife and scrape away any dough that is not in cooperated. After you get some good gluten development check it by pressing the dough and let it spring up on the surface it should be a little bit shiny which is an indication that the dough is ready to rise put it in a bowl cover it with plastic.
Let it rise for about 2 hours but in halfway through in an hour you do a fold to build some strength to the dough. And give a better structure in a bowl. Put the dough on a floured counter. To fold, you literally fold it in 4 quarters. Put it back into the bowl and cover and it is going to rise in an hour.
Ingredients;
- 1 cup (227g) ripe (fed) sourdough starter
- 1 1/2 cups (340g) lukewarm water
- 1 to 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 5 cups (602g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
Instructions;
- Mix everything together and then knead to make a soft, smooth dough. It may be soft and slightly sticky, but you should be able to round it into a ball.
- Allow the dough to rise, in a lightly greased, covered bowl or another covered container, until it’s doubled in size, about 90 minutes. If you’re using a bread machine, simply let the machine complete its dough cycle.
- Gently divide the dough in half; it’ll deflate somewhat. Shape the dough into two oval loaves; or, for longer loaves, two 10″ to 11″ logs.
- Place the loaves on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Cover the loaves and let them rise until quite puffy, about 1 hour.
- Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Spray the loaves with lukewarm water. This will keep their crust soft and flexible longer in the oven, allowing them to rise as high as possible in the oven.
