Sourdough Bread Recipe

There are plenty of sourdough recipes out there. This one is from King Arthur brand flour:


1 cup sourdough starter
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
2 tsp yeast
1 TBS sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 cups All-Purpose Flour

Preparation:

Combine all of the ingredients, kneading to form a smooth dough.

Allow the dough to rise, in a covered bowl, until it's doubled in size, about 90 minutes.

Gently divide the dough in half; it'll deflate somewhat.

Gently shape the dough into two oval loaves; or, for longer loaves, two 10" to 11" logs. Place the loaves on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise until very puffy, about 1 hour. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F.

Spray the loaves with lukewarm water.

Make two fairly deep diagonal slashes in each; a serrated bread knife, wielded firmly, works well here.

Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes, until it's a very deep golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Sourdough Starter Recipe

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 2 cups warm water
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. granulated sugar (optional)

Preparation:

In large (non-metallic bowl) mix ingredients together. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for four to eight days. This allows the dough to ferment (you can do this without the yeast as well, although you may need to let the dough ferment a little longer).

The dough is ready to use when it is bubbly and has a slight sour odor. If the dough appears pink or orange, or any other strange color, do not use it. Throw it out and start over. 

Store in a covered container in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake.

When using the starter to make sourdough bread, first divide the starter in half. Add 1 cup water and 1 cup flour to one of the halves. Mix well and leave that half out on the counter until bubbly again, then refrigerate. This is referred to as "feeding" your starter. Use the other half to make your bread. Each time you make a new loaf of bread, you'll do the same thing - divide and feed your starter.

Don't worry if a clear or light brown liquid accumulates on top of your dough. This is an alcohol that occurs with fermentation and will bake off when cooked. Just stir this back into the starter.