Sourdough

Sourdough Bread Recipes

Sourdough Bread

This bread is great for sandwiches and everyday eating. Because it does not have an extended period to develop a sponge it has a subtle sour flavor. You may bake it in bread pans or on a baking sheet.
Combine:
1 cup flour (white whole wheat, white bread flour, or all purpose)
3 Tbsp. white sugar (you may use honey if you wish)
2 tsp. salt
1 cup warm 100 F (NOT HOT) milk
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 ½ cups sourdough starter (freshly fed and active)
1 Tbsp. dough enhancer (optional, see recipe below)
Gradually mix in about 3 ½- 4 cups of flour

Knead for 10 min. You may need more or less flour depending on your climate, the freshness of the flour, and the type of flour.
Put into a lightly oiled bowl and turn to cover the surface with oil. Cover and allow to rise for 2 hours or until it is about double in size. For best flavor, deflate the dough and let it rise again for about 1-2 hours. Or you may skip the second rise in the bowl, shape the dough into loaves and put them in greased baking pans. Allow them to rise 1 hour, or until doubled. Bake in 375 F preheated oven for 30-35 minutes.

Sourdough Rye

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. Make sure you give it lots of time to rise (2-3 hours for each rise). The white bread flour should provide enough gluten to get a good rise. With a total of about 4 cups of flour, the two loaves will be relatively small.

Mix together to form a sponge, cover and let it ferment overnight:
1 cup sourdough starter
1 cup rye flour
1/2 cup bread flour
2/3 cup water

Dough--add to the sponge with more or less flour to get a soft dough:
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon caraway seed
1 cup rye flour
1 cup bread flour

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until satiny. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn once to oil the surface. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise in a warm spot until doubled.
Punch down dough, and shape into loaves. Place on a greased baking sheet. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk.
Bake at 350 F (175 C) for 35-40 minutes, or until it sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom.
Alternate baking method for chewier, salty crust: Bake 20 minutes at 350 F. In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup water and 1 teaspoon salt. Remove loaves from oven and brush crust with salt water. Continue baking for 25 minutes more, brushing at 10 minute intervals.

Pizza

You may use ½ of the dough from any of the above bread recipes for a 15-inch pizza. Mix and knead your dough. Let it rise until double. Roll it out into a 15 inch circle on a floured surface. Place it on a pan. Let it rest about 20 minutes. You make pre-bake your pizza crust before adding the toppings or add the toppings and then bake it all together.

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce, 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste, ½ cup minced onion, 1 Tbsp dried basil, 1 Tbsp. dried parsley, 1 tsp sucanat (or brown sugar), ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp Italian seasonings, 1 ½ tsp minced garlic, ¼ tsp black pepper, 1 tsp. minced jalapeno
Put all ingredients in small saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes. Makes enough for two 15-inch pizzas. The sauce freezes well.

Homemade Focaccia

Any standard bread dough recipe may be used to make Focaccia, flat bread (like Sourdough Bread at the top of this page).
Use ½ recipe of dough per 12 inch circle. Prepare the dough and let it rise at least once. Deflate the dough. Cover the dough with a bowl, and let sit for 5 minutes. Place the dough on a greased baking sheet. Roll out the dough to a 12 inch circle. Lightly cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm place for 45-60 minutes.

Uncover the dough, and poke holes in it with a spoon handle at 1 inch intervals. Drizzle olive oil on the dough, and sprinkle with your choice of crushed rosemary, minced garlic, onion, cheeses, herbs, etc. if desired. Bake at 400o F for 20-25 minutes, until golden. Remove from the baking sheet, and cool on a rack.

Dough Enhancer

This may help your dough rise and bake well.
2 cups non-fat dry milk
½ cup lecithin granules
6—500 mg vitamin C tablets, crushed
1 Tbsp. ginger
1 ½ Tbsp. cornstarch

Blend all the ingredients in a blender. Put the powder in a plastic bag and store it in your freezer. You may use 1 ½ tsp. of dough conditioner per loaf of bread. This is optional for your bread, but it seems to help the dough rise and bake better. Don’t be tempted to over-do the Vitamin C. The amount has been calculated according to the recommendations of a professional baker.

My Favorite Whole Wheat Bread

Makes 2 loaves, (½ recipe makes dough for 15-inch pizza)

Stir 1 tsp. dry active yeast into 7/8 cup WARM water (90-110 F).
Stir in:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. honey
1 1/2 cup fresh active starter
Whisk together and pour in a large bowl.

Stir together with whisk to mix:
4 cups whole-wheat flour (from hard white wheat)
1 ½ tsp. salt (sea salt if available)
1 Tbsp. dough enhancer (optional--see recipe above)
1/3 cup flaxseed, ground in coffee grinder (optional, replace with additional flour if omitted)
1/3-cup oat bran (optional, replace with additional flour if omitted)

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the liquid ingredients and stir together until the dough holds together. It will be sticky at this stage. Put it out onto a bread board. You may need to add more flour if the dough is too wet or more water if the dough is too heavy. Knead the dough for 10 minutes until nice and smooth. If the dough is too sticky you may flour or wet your hands. Place the dough in a large clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise for 1 hour until double in size.

Shaping loaves:
After the first rise, remove dough, gently deflate it and knead it briefly on a bread board (lightly floured if necessary). Divide into two balls. Each ball will be about 20 ounces of dough. Spray the bread pans with cooking spray. Roll out the dough to about 12X8 inch rectangle. Roll the dough tightly starting at a short end. Pinch the bottom and end seams and place seam down in the pans. Cover with plastic wrap and it let rise in a warm place about 45 minutes. (Or see note below)

Bake in preheated oven 35 minutes at 375 F(Convection oven—24 minutes at 340 F) Cool on cooling racks. We have sharp bread knives and always have to cut a few slices straight from the oven. Heaven!

Note: A favorite way to let bread rise is to place a Pyrex measure cup filled with 1/2 cup of water in the microwave. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes until the microwave interior is warm and steamy. Put the uncovered loaf pans in the microwave with the hot water and close the door. Do NOT turn the microwave on. Just let the dough rise in the steamy oven. The steam keeps the loaves moist. When the bread has risen, take a clean cloth and wipe out the microwave oven. This is a great way to keep your microwave oven clean.