Now that you have your starter ready, it is the perfect time to put it to use. There are so many different ways to create a sourdough loaf. Most are super complex and time consuming. Some even take days to create! Who’s got time for that? (Well maybe some of us do right now, but hopefully this quarantine situation won’t last much longer!) I’m a pretty impatient person though, so when I want bread I don’t want to have to wait too long for it.
This week, I spent hours in my kitchen testing different methods and ideas to create a recipe that any beginner can have success creating and the results would be delicious every time. Sourdough bread is different than regular yeast bread though. It takes a longer amount of time to rise and form so this, by no means, is a quick bread. However, it is mostly just your dough sitting, and if you start in the morning you will have a delicious loaf by dinner time!
To start, mix the 3 cups of flour and warm water in a large mixing bowl until it is fully incorporated. Let it rest for 45 minutes. We are going to let that mixture “autolyse.” Autolyse is a technique of mixing flour and water together and allowing it to rest. This process helps develop the gluten and breaks down the starch in the dough which will improve the overall flavor and quality of the bread. It will also help with the elasticity of the dough.
After 45 minutes, add the starter, 1/2 cup of flour and the salt to the bowl and knead for 8 minutes. Sourdough is sticky! Do not be tempted to add more flour at this point, just keep kneading. If you are doing your kneading by hand, wet your hands so the mixture doesn’t stick too much to you. After 8 minutes, your dough should be less sticky.
Place the dough in a large, greased bowl. Cover and let it rise for 3 hours. Every hour of the 3 hours, stretch and fold the dough edges towards the center. Once again, it is easiest to do this with wet hands so the dough doesn’t stick to you. Stretch and fold the the entire edge of the dough.
The dough should be stretched and folded twice during the 3 hour rise. After 3 hours, remove the dough and place it onto a lightly floured surface. With wet hands, stretch and fold the dough edges again towards the center of the dough. Do not knead the dough, but just place and stretch it into the center. Turn the dough over onto a lightly floured surface, and with your fingertips touching, pull the dough towards you to tighten the dough and make it round. Turn the dough a quarter turn and pull it toward you again. Repeat until you have done a full 360 degree turn around the dough.
Fully cover the sides and bottom of a large mixing bowl with parchment paper.
Sprinkle flour on top of the parchment paper and gently place your dough inside the bowl. If you have a proofing basket, or banneton, you can use that too.
Lightly flour the top of your dough. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise 2 more hours. During the last 30 minutes of your rise time, place a dutch oven inside the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.
If you don’t own a dutch oven, you can use a baking stone or pan. A dutch oven is a great investment if you don’t already own one. It creates an amazing crust on this particular loaf! If you are using a baking stone or pan, place them in the oven to preheat and place a cookie sheet on an oven rack below the stone or pan you will be baking on. When it’s time to bake, pour a cup of water into the hot cookie sheet to produce steam during baking. This method will mimic the steam created in the dutch oven to give you a crispy crust.
After 2 hours, score or slash the top of your dough a few times (about 1/2 inch thick).
Remove the lid from your dutch oven carefully – it will be extremely hot! Holding the corners of the parchment paper, gently lift the dough out of the bowl and softly place the dough, with the parchment paper, inside the dutch oven (or baking stone/pan) and place the lid back on. Be sure not to drop your dough inside the dutch oven as it will flatten the dough (like punching it down) and will produce a flatter loaf.
Bake for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the lid from the dutch oven and reduce the temperature of the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake an additional 10-20 minutes until the top is browned.
Remove the loaf from the dutch oven and let it cool. Slice and enjoy!
Easy Sourdough Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- 1 1/4 cup warm water
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2/3 cup sourdough starter
- 2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl add the 3 cups of flour and warm water and mix until fully incorporated. Let the mixture rest for 45 minutes.
- Add the additional 1/2 cup of flour, the starter and the salt to the mixture and knead for 8 minutes. Do not add more flour.
- With wet hands, remove the dough and place in a large, greased bowl. Cover, place in a warm spot and allow the dough to rise for 3 hours. Every hour of the rise time, stretch and fold the dough around the edges into the center of the dough.
- Remove the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface and stretch and fold the dough again. Do not knead the dough, just place the stretched dough into the center. Turn the dough over and lightly flour the top of the dough. With your fingertips together, pull the dough towards you to create a tighter ball shape. Turn the dough a quarter turn and pull the dough towards you again. Repeat until you have gone around a full turn.
- Place the dough into a large, parchment lined bowl with a flour dusting. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm spot for 2 more hours.
- During the last 30 minutes of the rise time, place a dutch oven inside the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.
- After 2 hours, score/slash the top of the dough. Carefully remove the lid to the dutch oven. Using the parchment paper, lift the dough out of the bowl and gently place the dough, with the parchment paper, inside the dutch oven. Do not drop it in or you will flatten your loaf. Place the lid back on and bake for 20 minutes.
- Carefully remove the lid from the dutch oven, lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees F and bake an additional 10-20 minutes until the top is browned and the internal temperature is 190 degrees F.
- Remove the loaf from the dutch oven and allow to cool. Slice and enjoy!
- If you do not have a dutch oven, you can bake on a baking stone of pan. If you do this, add a cookie sheet on a lower rack below the stone/pan and allow it to preheat just like the dutch oven. When you put the loaf in the oven to bake, pour a cup of water into the cookie sheet to produce steam during baking. This will produce the crunchy crust that is so good in this loaf.
