Sourdough is a wonderfully delicious bread that is actually pretty easy to make. While traditional bread often produces a firm dough, sourdough is usually loose or pourable. Your traditional loaf can often times be made on short notice, while sourdough will require some planning, and it may take a few times before you get it right. It will be completely worth it though when you taste it.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups sourdough starter (watch video)
- 5-6 cups Swany White Wheat Flour
- 1 heaping Tbsp salt
- 1 cup filtered water, cold or room temperature
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a sizeable bowl, mix starter, water and 3 cups of whole wheat flour with a wooden spoon. Make sure it is combined well.
- Add the salt and then the remaining flour about ½ cup at a time. Completely stir in the flour with each time until you can no longer mix with a spoon. Then, begin to use your hands to mix in the flour that remains.
- Pour, year pour, dough into large loaf pans, filling ⅓ way up.
- Cover with pans with a towel and allow to sit in a warm place for 4-12 hours, until the dough is at least doubled in size.
- Place the loaves in a cold oven and turn the oven on to 350 degrees.
- Bake bread for 50-60 minutes, until the edges are golden and the bottom sounds hollow when you tap it.
- Remove to cool on wire racks for at least 30 minutes.
- This recipe makes should make 2-3 loaves, depending loaf pans used.
Some useful tips:
- You want to bake with starter that is at its peak – it will have a dome-shape on top.
- Starters peak in the 2-3 hour range after each feeding.
- Don’t skimp on the water that recipes call for. Sourdough recipes are wetter than traditional breads made with baker’s yeast.
- Make the following alterations to all sourdough recipes: In the beginning, combine the starter, water and half of the flour and let it sit for 10 minutes. Add the salt after all the remaining ingredients, knead briefly and let it sit for 10 minutes. When the dough is just pulling away from the sides of the mixer bowl, dump it out onto a lightly floured surface and let it sit for 10 minutes. Knead by hand for 5 minutes, then rest for five minutes. Repeat one more time.
- The press-your-thumb-to-test-for-springyness test works. Do it.
- The see-through-your-dough test works too. Try it.
- Two rises will produce a more sour bread than a single rise.
- The longer the dough rises, the more sour the bread will be.
- It is possible for sourdough to over-rise. When baked, this dough will become flat discs.