Sourdough Bread – Kneaded

Sourdough Bread – Kneaded

Your perfect recipe to make sourdough bread from scratch

Sourdough has been one of my favorite breads ever since I was first introduced to it. Its unique hearty flavor and texture is unparalleled. No other bread can match the experience of a slice of warm sourdough with a dollop of butter.

But the experience of making sourdough bread is even more amazing! Its truly magical to see just flour, water and salt turn into a lovely, crusty loaf of bread with such a depth of flavors – truly magical. The only other ingredients that go in are patience, love, diligence and wonder!

Here’s the recipe-

You will need:

  • 175g Sourdough starter (at room temp)
  • 400g Bread flour
  • 230g tepid warm water
  • A large bowl, preferably glass. If using metal, make sure its not too cold
  • A proving machine or a warm area where you can leave your dough to prove without being disturbed
  • salt
  • Kitchen towel
  • rice flour for dusting
  • A thin and sharp blade for scoring.
  • an oven
  • A baking tray for adding steam in the oven when baking.

Procedure:

  • Make a sourdough starter – recipe here
  • Mix 400 g bread flour, 175 g of the starter, 230 g of tepid water and 8 g salt in a large bowl
  • Mix together and knead till the dough forms a smooth ball and springs back on poking – took me about 15 minutes or so
  • Prove in a warm spot for 3-4 hours (natural yeast takes much longer than instant yeasts to prove)
  • After the first prove the dough should have doubled in size, punch down the air and knead it back in a ball by folding and tucking the dough
  • Line a bowl with a kitchen towel and dust with generous amounts of rice flour.
  • Place the ball of dough in the bowl and put for a second prove – 12-15 hours in the refrigerator
  • Heat the oven to 550 F and keep a tray of boiling water at the bottom of the oven to add steam during baking. Skip this step if you have a steam oven.
  • Invert the bowl and place the proved loaf onto a baking sheet. Score with a sharp blade and bake in the preheated steaming oven for 25 minutes.
  • Decrease the temperature to 450 F and cook for another 10-15 minutes
  • Remove on a wire rack and let cool for an hour

You know the loaf is ready when the crust is a deep golden-brown and sounds hollow when you tap on the bottom

This bread goes lovely with Turkish eggs, avocado toast any open sandwiches