Sourdough Bread Recipe

Sourdough Bread Recipe

Sourdough Starter
1 cup water
1 cup whole wheat flour (or any whole grain flour of choice)

1. In a sterilised jar and with a sterilised spoon, mix flour and water together (boiling water is a great steriliser).
2. Cover with a cotton cloth.  Live airborne yeasts will begin to turn it sour.
3. Stir daily with a sterilised spoon for uniform fermentation.
4. After 3 days your starter will be ready.
5. Loosely cover with a lid and store in a cool place.
6. To replenish – Always leave a small amount of starter in the jar.  Replace with more flour and water.  Stir well and store.

 Sourdough Bread
Makes 3-4 loaves
14 cups whole wheat flour (or any whole grain flour of choice – the same as your sourdough starter)
5 cups water
1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
1 cup sourdough starter

1. Mix 7 cups flour with water, salt and starter.
2. Add remaining flour slowly until dough becomes too thick to stir.
3. Kneed gently until smooth, uniform and elastic.
4. Cover and let rise 2 hours in a non-metal bowl.
5. Replenish starter
6. Knead dough again.
7. Shape into 3-4 loaves.
8. Cut shallow slits in top to keep from cracking (see tip below).
9. Place in oiled and floured bread pans.  Cover.  Let rise for 4-6 hours.
10. Place in a cold oven with a pan of plain water on oven floor.
11. Bake at 220° for 15 mins.  Lower heat to 180°C and continue cooking until golden about 45 minutes.
12. Remove from pans to cool and cut into thin slices before serving.

Tips to make your naturally leavened bread lighter:

·         Use more sourdough starter up to 1 cup per loaf

·         Add to the flour one or two tablespoons of wheat-gluten flour

·         Knead the bread more

·         Cut none or at most one shallow slit in the top of the loaf

·         Use wooden or ceramic leavening bowls as metal reduces fermentation activity

·         Remember humidity can affect the rising of any bread

Recipe from Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford

  27/09/2012     Recipes     0 Comment(s)