Recipes – Sour Dough Bread
Sourdough Starter and Bread
1.5 lb. (680 g) Loaf / Serves 10
The process of creating a sourdough starter produces a fermented
dough that contains wild yeast and lactobacilli bacteria. This process is
what helps the sourdough bread rise and give it a distinctive sour flavor.
The process to make the starter will take about 5 to 7 days in a room
that is around 70°F (21°C).
Sourdough Starter:
1 cup (106 g) organic rye or whole wheat flour (or 100 g einkorn flour)
1/2 cup (120 g) lukewarm water
To feed starter each time you will need 1 cup (124 g) all-purpose flour
and 1/2 cup (120 g) water. Make sure starter is away from any drafts.
Day 1: In a food-grade plastic or glass quart container, thoroughly mix
starter ingredients. Cover and set aside for 24 hours.
Day 2: There may be little or no activity or bubbles in your starter at this
point. Stir starter. Remove all but 1/2 cup (about 106 g) and discard the
rest. Thoroughly mix removed starter with 1 cup (124 g) all-purpose flour
and 1/2 cup (120 g) lukewarm water. Return to container and cover. Set
aside for 24 hours.
Day 3: There should be some bubbles in your starter, and it should
have a fruity smell. Starting today you will feed it twice daily, once in
the morning, once in the evening. Stir the starter. Remove all but 1/2
cup (about 106 g) and discard the rest. Thoroughly mix removed starter
with 1 cup (124 g) all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup (120 g) lukewarm water,
return to container and cover. Set aside for 12 hours. Repeat the process
again.
Day 4: Repeat process from Day 3.
Day 5: Repeat process from Day 3. By the end of the day, starter should
have almost doubled in volume and have a lot of bubbling action. It
should smell fruity or like beer. It may also have a little liquid at the top.
If the starter isn't this active you will need to repeat the process in Day 3
20
(Cycle )
for Day 6 and possibly Day 7.
When starter is ready to use, give it one last feeding following the
process in Day 3, and let sit covered for 6 hours before using. Save
the discard in a covered container in the refrigerator for future use. You
will need to feed it at least once a week to keep it active following the
process in Day 3 and feeding it before using as described above.
Sourdough Bread:
1/2 cup (120 g) lukewarm water
1 tablespoon (15 mL) honey
1 1/2 teaspoons (9 g) salt
2 1/2 cups (300 g) bread flour
2 cups (425 g) sourdough starter
2 teaspoons (7 g) bread machine yeast
Place all ingredients in order listed into bread pan. Choose Sour Dough
Bread (Cycle 4). Press Start/Pause ( ) Button. When done, remove
bread from bread pan and carefully remove kneading paddle from
bottom of loaf. Let cool before slicing.
Test Kitchen Tip:
Organic flour contains more microbes than non-organic flour, which
gives the starter a better chance to ferment and create a stronger, more
active starter.