Embark on a delightful culinary journey into the world of sourdough bread, a delectable treat that has captured the hearts and taste buds of bread enthusiasts for centuries. Sourdough, a living bread, is a testament to the harmonious union of flour, water, and the wild yeast and bacteria that reside within. As a baker, you hold the power to cultivate this unique microbial culture, nurturing it with care to produce a loaf that boasts a tangy flavor, a chewy texture, and an aroma that fills the air with its inviting presence. This article will guide you through the magical process of crafting sourdough bread, providing you with detailed recipes for various types of sourdough loaves, including the classic San Francisco Sourdough, the rustic Italian Sourdough, and the wholesome Whole Wheat Sourdough. Each recipe is meticulously explained, taking you step-by-step through the process of creating your own sourdough starter, mixing and kneading the dough, shaping and proofing the loaves, and finally, baking them to perfection. Whether you're a seasoned baker or just starting your sourdough adventure, this comprehensive guide will equip you with the knowledge and techniques to create exceptional sourdough breads that will delight your senses and leave you craving more.
Let's cook with our recipes!
SOURDOUGH BREAD
This no-knead sourdough bread is delicious. It has a crisp crust and distinctive sourdough flavor from the "starter" yeast mixture you stir up in advance. I was surprised at how easy it is! -Evelyn Gebhardt, Kasilof, Alaska
Provided by Taste of Home
Time 1h5m
Yield 2 loaves.
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- In a 4-qt. non-metallic bowl, dissolve yeast in 2 cups warm water; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in 2 cups flour until smooth. Cover loosely with a clean towel. Let stand in a warm place (80°to 90°) to ferment for 48 hours; do not stir. (The mixture will become bubbly and rise, have a "yeasty" sour aroma and change color from transparent yellow to gray over the course of 48 hours.) , Stir in milk powder, butter, sugar, salt, remaining water and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. (Do not knead.) Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours. , Heavily grease baking sheets and sprinkle with cornmeal. Gently punch dough down. Turn onto a well-floured surface; divide in half. (If baking loaves one at a time, cover and refrigerate half of dough. Proceed with shaping and second rise when oven is ready so shaped loaf can be baked immediately after the second rise.) , With floured hands, gently move the dough in a circular motion. Use friction from the counter to stretch the surface and create a smooth top and round loaf. Quickly and gently transfer to prepared pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°., With a sharp knife, make three diagonal slashes across tops of loaves. Immediately bake 10 minutes. Gently brush or spray loaves with cold water; bake 25-35 minutes longer or until golden brown.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 120 calories, Fat 1g fat (1g saturated fat), Cholesterol 2mg cholesterol, Sodium 157mg sodium, Carbohydrate 23g carbohydrate (1g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 4g protein.
SOURDOUGH BREAD
Yes! You can make a tangy sourdough boule from scratch. Cooking it in a Dutch oven guarantees a delicious crunchy-chewy crust.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Time 16h
Yield 2 medium boules
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- For the levain: Combine the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, water and starter in a medium bowl and mix to combine. Cover and let sit at room temperature until bubbly and increased in volume by about 20 percent, about 8 hours.
- For the dough: Add the all-purpose flour, water and whole-wheat flour to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Weigh out 7 ounces of the levain (about 1 cup) and add to the mixer (discard any remaining levain). Mix on low until a shaggy dough forms. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Add the salt to the dough and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes; the dough should feel a bit sticky and wet but look smooth and very stretchy. Scrape the dough into a plastic or glass container about twice its size. Cover and let sit at room temperature until puffed, about 45 minutes.
- Put the dough on a floured work surface, flatten it gently, then fold in thirds like a business letter. Transfer it back to the container. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes.
- Repeat the folding process one more time, transfer back to the container, cover and let sit at room temperature for another 45 minutes. After the third 45-minute rest, the dough should feel soft and pillowy; when pressed with a finger, it should leave an indentation that begins to spring back.
- Gently scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide in half using a bench scraper. Shape each piece loosely into a round by gently tucking the edges under. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Drape 2 kitchen towels into 2 medium (8-inch) bowls and dust very generously with flour. Dust the top of the dough rounds very lightly with flour and flip over using a bench scraper. Flatten one piece of dough into a circle, then fold the left and right sides of the dough over the center. Keeping tension in the dough, begin folding down from the top edge in 3 segments, sealing the bottom edge with the last fold. Loosely cup the dough and, using your hands and the tension between the board and the dough, pull the bread very slowly towards yourself while creating a taut ball. Gently flip the dough ball over and into one of the prepared bowls. Cover loosely with another kitchen towel. Repeat the process with the second piece of dough. Place both in a warm place to rise until about 1 1/2 times their size, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
- About 20 minutes before baking, position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven, put a 4-quart Dutch oven and lid on the rack and preheat to 500 degrees F. When preheated, carefully transfer the hot Dutch oven to a heatsafe surface with oven mitts (leave the lid in the oven). Flip one round of dough over into the Dutch oven. Using a sharp knife, scissors or bread lame, score the top of the bread in a cross or desired pattern. Return to the oven, immediately cover with the lid and bake for 20 minutes. Lower the temperature to 425 degrees F, uncover and bake until dark brown, about 10 minutes more. Transfer the bread to a cooling rack to cool completely. Return the empty Dutch oven to the oven, raise the temperature to 500 degrees F and let heat for 10 minutes before repeating the baking process with the second dough round.
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE SOURDOUGH BREAD RECIPE BY TASTY
Here's what you need: warm water, active dry yeast, flour, sugar, flour, salt, water, starter
Provided by Tasty
Categories Sides
Yield 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- In a glass bowl, add water and yeast. Mix the yeast into the water and let it sit for a couple minutes.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients for the starter. Mix well until everything is fully incorporated.
- Wrap the bowl with clear wrap, making sure not to tightly seal the bowl. Let the starter breathe a little and keep it in a dark place at room temperature. Stir every 12 hours until making the dough. The starter will rise and shrink each day and you should see bubbles, letting you know that the yeast is being activated!
- On day 5, combine all ingredients into a bowl, and knead for 10 minutes on low if using a machine; if kneading by hand, knead for 20 minutes until dough is stretchy yet doesn't stick to your hands.
- While the dough is kneading, store your starter for future use. Your starter will last forever as long as you maintain and care for it. It can stay in the fridge and be fed once a week with a teaspoon of sugar. To replenish your starter, simply add 1 cup of flour (125g) and ½ cup of water (120ml), mix, and place it back in the fridge. Leave it out overnight to get to room temperature before preparing the dough.
- Place kneaded dough into a large floured bowl with a towel over the top, then sprinkle flour and let it rise for 12 hours.
- Place risen dough onto a floured board and knead for a few minutes. Place it into a floured proofing basket or a medium bowl, sprinkle flour and let it rise for another 4 hours.
- Preheat oven to 480°F (250°C).
- Flip the dough onto a parchment paper, and transfer the dough and paper into a large cast-iron dutch oven.
- Score the top of the bread.
- Place the lid on top and bake for 30 minutes.
- Take the lid off and bake for another 15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
- Transfer onto a cooling rack and let it rest for an hour. Knock the bottom of the bread to listen for a hollow knock.
- Nutrition Calories: 1615 Fat: 4 grams Carbs: 340 grams Fiber: 11 grams Sugars: 19 grams Protein: 42 grams
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 460 calories, Carbohydrate 96 grams, Fat 1 gram, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 12 grams, Sugar 2 grams
HOW TO MAKE SOURDOUGH BREAD
Make a sourdough starter from scratch, then use it to bake a flavoursome loaf of bread with our simple step-by-step recipe.
Provided by Cassie Best
Categories Side dish
Time 1h40m
Yield Makes 1 loaf
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- First, make your starter. In a large bowl, mix together 100g of the flour with 125ml slightly warm water. Whisk together until smooth and lump-free.
- Transfer the starter to a large jar (a 1-litre Kilner jar is good) or a plastic container. Leave the jar or container lid ajar for 1 hr or so in a warm place (around 25C is ideal), then seal and set aside for 24 hrs.
- For the next 6 days, you will need to 'feed' the starter. Each day, tip away half of the original starter, add an extra 100g of flour and 125ml slightly warm water, and stir well. Try to do this at the same time every day.
- After 3-4 days you should start to see bubbles appearing on the surface, and it will smell yeasty and a little acidic. This is a good indicator that the starter is working.
- On day 7, the starter should be quite bubbly and smell much sweeter. It is now ready to be used in baking.
- Tip the flour, 225ml warm water, the salt, honey and the starter into a bowl, or a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Stir with a wooden spoon, or on a slow setting in the machine, until combined - add extra flour if it's too sticky or a little extra warm water if it's too dry.
- Tip onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 mins until soft and elastic - you should be able to stretch it without it tearing. If you're using a mixer, turn up the speed a little and mix for 5 mins.
- Place the dough in a large, well-oiled bowl and cover. Leave in a warm place to rise for 3 hrs. You may not see much movement, but don't be disheartened, as sourdough takes much longer to rise than a conventional yeasted bread.
- Line a medium-sized bowl with a clean tea towel and flour it really well or, if you have a proving basket, you can use this (see tips below). Tip the dough back onto your work surface and knead briefly to knock out any air bubbles. Shape the dough into a smooth ball and dust it with flour.
- Place the dough, seam-side up, in the bowl or proving basket, cover loosely and leave at room temperature until roughly doubled in size. The time it takes for your bread to rise will vary depending on the strength of your starter and the temperature in the room, anywhere from 4-8 hrs. The best indicators are your eyes, so don't worry too much about timings here. You can also prove your bread overnight in the fridge. Remove it in the morning and let it continue rising for another hour or 2 at room temperature. The slower the rise, the deeper the flavour you will achieve.
- Place a large baking tray in the oven, and heat to 230C/210C fan/gas 8. Fill a small roasting tin with a little water and place this in the bottom of the oven to create steam. Remove the baking tray from the oven, sprinkle with flour, then carefully tip the risen dough onto the tray.
- Slash the top a few times with a sharp knife, if you like, then bake for 35-40 mins until golden brown. It will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Leave to cool on a wire rack for 20 mins before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 245 calories, Fat 1 grams fat, Carbohydrate 48 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 1 grams sugar, Fiber 2 grams fiber, Protein 8 grams protein, Sodium 0.4 milligram of sodium
Tips:
- Use a digital kitchen scale to accurately measure ingredients, especially for the sourdough starter.
- Keep your sourdough starter in a warm place, ideally between 75-80°F (24-27°C).
- Discard half of the starter before each feeding to keep it healthy and active.
- When mixing the dough, be careful not to over-knead it, as this can result in a tough bread.
- Let the dough rise in a warm place, covered with a damp cloth or plastic wrap, until it has doubled in size.
- When baking the bread, preheat the oven to the highest temperature possible and use a Dutch oven or baking stone to create a steamy environment.
- Let the bread cool completely before slicing and serving.
Conclusion:
Making sourdough bread from scratch is a rewarding experience, but it does require some time and patience. By following the tips and instructions provided in this article, you can create a delicious and nutritious loaf of bread that is sure to impress your family and friends. With practice, you will be able to master the art of sourdough baking and enjoy fresh, homemade bread whenever you like.
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