SOURDOUGH STARTER
I got my sourdough starter a couple months ago and had no idea what I was getting into. Feeding it regularly? Watch it grow? Prune it and get rid of the “discard”? Name it?!! Was this a new pet or something we were supposed to eat?!
It’s really not as hard as it sounds by the first initial read about it on the internet. Keep it in the fridge until you are ready to use it. Then feed it with flour and water before you want to bake with it. I know several people leave it on the counter and feed it daily but I have only used mine on the weekends so I don’t feel the need to tend to it that often. The most important concept to this all of this is TIME. Sourdough forces you to slow down and is not an instant gratification type of hobby…but I think that’s a good thing. Something that makes you practice waiting in a world that is always about rushing.
Once I got over my initial fear of killing this thing like I do most plants that make their way inside my house I really dove in. Every weekend I was experimenting with recipes and trying something new – bread, pancakes, muffins, croutons, hamburger buns and crackers – I found that this new little member of the family, fondly named Timmy, was actually pretty forgiving and not so bad.
Bread
My favorite recipe is this Beginner Sourdough Loaf by Little Spoon Farm. I love the way she simplifies all her recipes so that even gals like me feel a new sense of confidence in the kitchen. Again, time was the hardest part for me to get down but I’m getting the hang of it! If I feed it around noon on a Friday, by Saturday morning I’ve got the prettiest loaf of homemade bread fresh from the oven.
Easy Sourdough Bread Loaf
Ingredients
- 50 g active sourdough starter
- 350 g water
- 10 g sea salt
- 500 g bread flour
Directions
- Make the Dough: Stir together 50 g of active starter and 350 g of water into a large mixing bowl. Add 500 g of bread flour and 10 g of sea salt and continue to combine using a stiff spatula or wooden spoon until there are no flour bits left. It’s going to look messy and not well combined but just wait! Cover the bowl with a towel and let rest on the counter for 1 hour.
- Stretch & Fold: Now the fun starts…grab a little bowl of water- wet fingers and stretch dough up and over itself. Turn bowl a quarter turn and repeat until you have made a full circle. The dough will start to get a smoother appearance and should form into a tight ball. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest 30 minutes.
- Stretch & Fold – Round 2: Do the same thing as above then start step 4
- Bulk Fermentation: Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 7-10 hours on the kitchen counter. If the counter is cold at all underneath I lay a towel down first. The dough will rise about 50% when it’s ready to move to step 5. Patience, friend!
- Shape & Second rise: Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface. Gently tuck dough into itself and form a tight ball. Put seam side down and transfer to a piece of clean parchment paper. Use the parchment paper like a sling to move into a medium size bowl to rest. Cover the bowl and let it rest on the counter for 1-2 hours.
- Bake Prep: 30 minutes before baking put your (empty) dutch oven in the oven and let it preheat at 450°F. While you wait, score the top of your dough loaf using a razor or sharp knife.
- Bake: transfer dough into your heated dutch oven using the parchment paper as a sling. Bake with lid on for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue to bake for another 20 minutes. Internal temperature should be around 205°F.
- Cool: transfer baked bread onto a cooling rack for 1-2 hours as it will continue to bake
- Serve: You did it! Time to try it – slice it up with some butter or your favorite jam!
- Store: wrap bread in a kitchen towel to store on the counter for up to 3 days. You can also pre-slice pieces and individually wrap to freeze. This makes for an easy breakfast in the mornings – just pop in the toaster from frozen and add your favorite topping.
This bread is the chef’s kiss! It is so good toasted with butter at dinner or for avocado toast in the mornings. I have a feeling this one will be a keeper in your recipe book too! Enjoy!
-Kelly