My sourdough starter is a mature 3 years old now and I have tried a number of bread recipes. This is our favourite and I bake 2 loaves a week. The entire process takes about 18 hours depending on the room temperature. It is possible to speed up or slow down the rising time by using a slightly warm oven or by letting the dough rise in the fridge. (slow!) The recipe is versatile and the bread is moist, slices easily and resists mould due to the acidity.
Basic recipe:
3/4 cup of starter, 1-1/4 cups water, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 3 cups of flour
I use a combination of flour types and like to add flax seeds and hemp seeds.
I use 2/3 whole-grain flour and 1/3 unbleached white flour for the bread.
 |
The total amount of flour needed depends on several factors that are beyond my control such as humidity. After making the bread a few times, it becomes easier to know when you have enough added flour. It is not necessary to knead the bread for 10 minutes as the sourdough starter does that work in the extended rising period.
Put the dough in an oiled, covered container and leave it for 8-12 hours. After the first rise, I place the punched-down dough on parchment paper. If you don't have parchment paper, coat the dough in flour for the second rise.
The second rise is faster and takes 2-4 hours depending on the room temperature. I use a 1.5-litre cast iron pot with a lid for baking. You really can use any pot you want as long as it has a lid. The bread is less crusty in a lighter pot.
Heat the pot in a 450 F oven for 30 minutes. Carefully lift the parchment paper and dough and place it in the pot. Put the lid on. The bread is basically steaming for the first 15 minutes. Remove the lid for the last 15 minutes of baking time.
I have made this bread with 100% white flour and it rises higher due to larger air bubbles in the dough. I would recommend slashing the top of the dough with a sharp knife in a couple of places if you use predominately white flour. This allows some of the air out so the bread is not too "holey".
Looking after the starter:
- Feed the starter weekly or after each use.
- Take the starter out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature before using it in a recipe
- The starter may separate with greyish water on top. Stir it up before using it.
- If you don't use the starter in a week, discard some of it and add fresh flour and water (1/4 c flour and 1/4 cup water at minimum)
- I use 1-1/2 cups of starter for 2 loaves of bread. I add 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of water back into the jar and leave it on the counter until it bubbles. It is then stored in the fridge.
- Occasionally, the starter may get too sour. I use a clean jar, add 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of water and a couple of tablespoons of the sour starter to start a fresher sponge.
- Keep in mind that sourdough starter has been used to make bread for millennia. It is quite resilient and you do not need to be scientific about its care. Breadmaking is more art than science.
