Sourdough Bread

Homemade bread....bought at the store right??? That's what I would have said this time last year! Its cheap, convenient and available at your local grocery store...why ever would you want to take on this task?? My mom has made bread for years.  I remember sitting in the kitchen at the farmhouse and watching grammy "beat her bread" But it wasn't anything I cared to try myself.  Mum has been telling me for years that I could do it and should try it...well she finally wore me down and sent me home with some sourdough starter and the confidence to try it on my own.  Surprisingly, it wasn't as hard as I expected it to be....but I didn't like getting my hands covered in sticky dough....enter the pretty Kitchen Aid that has been taking up real estate on my counter for almost five years!  Now I use it to make bread all the time and it is easy!!!  Here is a basic sourdough recipe..I encourage you to grab some flour and get some starter started!

Sourdough Bread
1 Cup sourdough starter* warmed to room temp
1 1/2 Cups of warm water (105-115 degrees F)
1 package active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
pinch of sugar
4 1/2-5 cups of flour

In a large bowl (I use my Kitchen Aid with the paddle attachment) combine starter, water, yeast, salt and sugar.  Add 1 Cup of flour and mix until the texture is smooth and creamy.  Add additional flour in 1/2 Cup increments mixing well after each addition, making sure to scrape the sides of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula.  I usually switch to my bread hook around cup 2 1/2 of flour...once it gets doughy I switch.  You may not use all  the flour, you are watching your dough and waiting to see it start pulling away from the sides of the bowl.  Then let the mixer do the kneading, on about med speed, for about 4 minutes.  Dough should be smooth, firm and just slightly sticky to touch.  Put 1 teaspoon of olive oil in the bottom of a large bowl.  Turn dough into the bowl and roll to coat in oil.  Let rise in a warm, draft free spot for 1 hr. (my house tends to be cool so I turn the oven on to 175 degrees, let it heat and then turn the oven OFF and put my bread right in the oven to rise, works great.  Once dough has risen, divide in half, shape into loafs (sort of torpedo shaped) and place into a greased loaf pans.  Let rise 45 minutes.  Then heat oven to 425 (make sure you have taken your bread out if you let it rise in the oven)  Just before baking slash the top of the bread with a sharp, serrated knife.  Bake 25-30 minutes until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped on the top.

When your starter gets down to 1/2 Cup you'll want to do something called setting the sponge.  To set the sponge place 1/2 Cup of starter in a med bowl and add 2 cups warm water and 2 cups of flour.  Whisk together and place in a warm place overnight (microwave works great) In the morning the sponge will have risen and will be covered in little bubbles and will smell yeasty.  Now it's ready to use.  It can be stored in glass container in the refrigerator a long time without going bad.  It may get a brownish or gray water on the top but it can be stirred and brought back to normal.  However if it turns pink and has a displeasing smell to it, you should throw it out and start a new batch as it has probably contracted a bacteria.


*Starter Recipe
2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast
2 Cups warm water
2 Cups flour

whisk ingredients together in a large bowl.  Loosely cover and let set out over night.

Sometimes I will put Freshly ground pepper and a little sea salt on the top of my bread after I've shaped it and put it in the loaf pans, I also done rosemary, rosemary and black pepper and garlic powder and minced onion.  Be creative!!