How to Make Sourdough Bread, Part Two

Five days have passed, and the sourdough starter is ready. I do this next step the evening before bread baking day.

To  make the primary batter needed for the actual bread, I take one cup  of my starter and place it in a warm bowl. Then I place the remaining starter, about one cup,  in the refrigerator for future use. Remember to use something non-breakable and not to seal it too tightly.

Next, add 2 cups of warm water to the 1 cup of starter in the bowl. Then add 2 1/2 cups of white flour, stirring continuously for 4 – 5 minutes or until the mixture is smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place  in a warm draft-free area for 12 hours of proofing. The next morning, the primary batter is ready to go. You end up with approximately 4 cups of primary batter, i.e. three cups for your bread recipe and one cup to store. I know this seems like a lot of work, but once you have your starter made, future peparation will not have as many steps. I promise.

Preparing BreadNow we are ready to start the bread itself.

3 cups primary batter

6 – 6 1/2 cups white flour

2 TBS white sugar

1 1/2 cups warm milk

2 TBS melted butter (or margarine)

2 tsp salt

Place the 3 cups of Pimary batter in a large warm bowl and stir in 1 cup of the flour. Stir in 2 TBS of sugar. Then add the salt, warm milk, and melted butter and stir. Next, add approximately 4 cups of the flour or enough to make the dough too stiff to stir with a spoon.

Now place the bread on a well floured bread board. Knead in enough additional flour (about 1 – 1 1/2 cups) to make the dough smooth and elastic. I find sourdough to be very forgiving, so don’t get too caught up in the consistency of the dough.

Next, lightly apply a little softened butter to the outside of the dough.  Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a cotton towel, and place in a warm, dry area (85-90° F) until the dough doubles in size, or approx. 2 hours.

Risen Dough

When the dough has finished rising, punch it down with your fist to release built up gases return the bowl to the same warm, dry place, and let rise for another 30 minutes.

Place risen dough back onto floured bread board and divide in two.  Fold each half over unto itself and pinch the bottom closed.  Place the dough with the  sealed bottom down into a well  greased (3″x5″x9”) loaf pan.

Two Pans

Brush the tops with a little melted butter and then place the pans in a warm spot for approximately 90 minutes.

After the final rising, preheat oven to 375° F, then place bread pans on the center rack and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until the bread moves away from the sides of the pans and is well browned on the top.

When baked, remove the bread immediately from the pan and place loaves on their sides on wire racks, to cool.  Brush the tops with melted butter for a softer crust.

Shiny Bread

Finally, I hope you enjoy your sourdough bread as much as we did last evening, along with our dinner of lentil soup and tossed green salad.

Dinner

If you have any questions about the recipe, or about the process of making sourdough bread, please do not hesitate to email me at  Visit@Plumbirdcorner.com

How to Make Sourdough Bread

Alverado bakery

It all started with this sign and the wonderful aroma of sourdough bread wafting through the air. We were still on vacation and spending the night in Petaluma, California. I was walking our dog, Annika, when I came upon this sign for a commercial bakery that did not sell to the public. I was reminded of the past when I’d baked my own sourdough bread. The process has always fascinated me, and history tells us that the 1849 gold rush miners carried some of their own starter. I knew that, when our vacation ended and we returned home, I would locate my old recipe and begin to make the starter batter.

If you are not familiar with the preparation of sourdough bread, it begins with a starter batter that is used instead of yeast. After the preparation of the bread, one cup of the starter is stored in the refrigerator until the next time it is needed.  After the initial preparation of the starter, which I will show here, the batter rests for five days and gathers strength. Waiting is the hardest part.

sour dough 1

Ingredients needed: Bread flour, honey, active dry yeast, and water.

3-1/2 cups bread flour

2 cups warm water (105-115° F)

1 Package of active dry yeast

1 tbl. of sugar or honey

Sour dough 3

Sprinkle yeast into 2 cups of warm water and stir gently.  Let rest for 5 minutes.  Next add 3-1/2 cups flour and 1 tbl.sugar or honey. Blend well.

sourdough 5b

Once blended thoroughly, cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and cover with a cotton towel. Place in a warm draft-free place (80-85° F) for 5 days. Be sure to stir once daily.  When preparing sourdough starter it’s very important to use glass bowls and wooden spoons, no plastic. When later storing the starter in your refrigerator, use a glass or stoneware container.  Cover lightly, as gasses that form can break the container if it is sealed too tightly.

sourdough 7

As I post this, my starter is in its third day.  I will continue with this post when it is time to prepare and bake the bread. See you then.