Sourdough Bread (2 Loaves)
Equipment
Sourdough Starter
Flour (preferably organic)
Water
Measuring Jug
Fermenting bucket/container
Kitchen scales
Cling Film or kitchen cloth
To make a starter
Add 50g of flour to 50ml (approximately) of warm water. Mix well, cover with cling film and leave in a dark warm place (e.g. kitchen cupboard) for 24 hours. After that time and for the following days keep feeding (adding) to this mixture every 24h with another 50g of flour and 50ml of warm water. You can keep going with adding these ingredients for as long as you want. Some people have been feeding their starter for a few years. Mine is approximately 6 months old. In order to get a good sour dough bread, your starter must be at least 7 days old. To do this batch you will need a big fermenting bucket or a large bowl, a set of kitchen scales, cling film or kitchen cloth and 2x cake tins or roasting/baking dishes.
To make the dough: (2 loaves)
600ml Water (slightly heated above temperature of starter and ideally still bottle water or filtered water.)
900g Sourdough Starter
1.5kg Bread flour, ideally Organic
20g Salt
- Start the whole process in the morning.
- Feed your starter just before using it with 50g of flour and 50g of warm water.
- Heat the 600ml water slightly and add it to an empty bucket then add 900g. of freshly fed starter. Mix well together.
- Add 1.5kg bread flour and 20g. salt and mix by hand until all incorporated.
- Cover with cling film or kitchen cloth and leave to rest for about 1.5h to allow it to prove in a warm dark place e.g. kitchen cupboard.
- After 1.5h give the dough a hard turn. To do this, simply wet your hand with oil (this will help to reduce the dough sticking to your hand) and grab the dough from the bottom underneath. Keep folding in all the way around the container. Important: Turn the dough over only 4-6 times, no more.
- Repeat step 6 four more times over a 6 hour period.
- Prepare containers that you would like to use for baking. I use baking cake tins and baking glassware. Cover them with baking paper.
- Divide the dough into two and place in the baking dishes. Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge for 8-12h.
- Pre heat oven to 240Cº, put a tray full of cold water (ideally ice cubes) in the bottom to create a steam.
- Remove the cling film and cut the dough on the top/score with a sharp knife to release the air accumulated underneath the dough. You can score a leaf shape, star, Christmas tree, cross or any other shape you desire.
- Bake for 30 -70 min (depending on your oven). My oven needs 70min for two loaves at 240 in a fan assisted oven for the bread to start getting a nice dark golden colour. Most people bake for 30min only when baking one loaf. Simply open the over after 30min and see the color of the bread.
