Description
This recipe creates one large round loaf of white sourdough bread. You can substitute different flour or use a combination of flours (such as half whole wheat, half white), or shape the dough into rolls or smaller loaves, for variety.
Ingredients
Scale
- 5 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup starter (see below for instructions on how to create your own)
Instructions
- Mix ingredients together and let sit in a large bowl covered with a cloth for 12 to 24 hours.
- Turn the bread out on a board and fold it into the center (do not over-handle the dough).
- Let the dough rest 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 475?F.
- Place the dough in a cast iron Dutch oven and bake 20 minutes, covered.
- Uncover and bake another 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
- To make sourdough starter: combine ¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour and ½ cup water in a large glass or ceramic bowl.
- Stir with a wooden spoon until the consistency is smooth and sticky.
- Cover loosely (I find that a plate placed on top of the bowl, but slightly askew to allow air to circulate, works well).
- Place the bowl in a location with a temperature of 70–75?F and let rest 24 hours.
- After 24 hours, you hopefully will start to see bubbles starting to form, indicating that the wild yeast is active.
- Feed the starter with the same amount of flour and water, stir well, and let rest another 24 hours.
- By now, you should be seeing bubbles and the starter should have a tangy, yeasty aroma.
- Feed the starter again, stir well, and let rest another 24 hours.
- Repeat the next day, and by day five the starter should be very bubbly and tangy, and the consistency should be thicker.
- It is now ready to use.
- Continue feeding it every day, discarding half of it if you can’t give it away or use it up fast enough!
- Category: Bread