MB Sourdough Bread (1 cup starter)
This recipe for sourdough is denser than the traditional sourdough with many ‘holes’ in the bread. I wanted to experiment with various additions to get a loaf with less holes that still retained a nice sourdough flavour.
Day 1 Evening:
Make a poolish the night before planning to bake bread:
230 g (about 1 cup) of fed sourdough starter
200 g bread flour or All-Purpose (AP) or mix of both
200 g warm water
Mix together well, cover and place in a warm place for 10 to 14 hours.
Day 2 the Bake:
Method:
Heat to scald but not boil:
250 g milk
40 g sugar (about 2 tbsp)
Remove and add:
250 g Cold water to cool the mixture
Pour the milk mixture into mixer bowl and add flour:
780 g flour – can use bread flour or AP or a mixture of both
15 – 20 g salt
Add the poolish mixture.
Mix with bread hook on low about 5 minutes then increase to medium-low speed for another 5 minutes.
Dough will still be sticky, do not keep adding flour.
Turn out onto a well-floured surface and fold the dough over itself to work in the flour on the surface.
More flour is needed at this point – maybe another 1/3 cup but do not add too much. The dough is soft and very flexible but should not stick to your fingers.
Place into a clean bowl, cover with a towel and put in warm place to rise for 2- 3 hours.
The dough should double in volume in 2 – 3 hours.
Once doubled, turn out onto floured surface and degas by folding over upon itself. It is not necessary to ‘punch down forcefully!’
Return dough to the bowl to rise a second time approximately 1-2 hours.
Degas the dough on a floured surface by folding over and into itself and cut into two portions (or three smaller ones). Let rest 5 – 10 minutes then form into loaves by folding and place into bannetons upside down seam side up. The loaves will be turned into the hot pans thus the bottom of the loaf becomes the top of the loaf.
Cover and let rise in a warm place approximately 45 minutes to one hour or enough for the loaves to almost double in size.
About 15 minutes before the dough is ready preheat the oven and heat the pans.
The best pan in my experience is a Dutch oven but I have been experimenting with various pans and pots.
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F to heat the pots.
Reduce to 450 degrees F and place the loaves into the hot pans. Be very careful!
This is where the bannetons are very handy as it is simply a flip over from the banneton into the pan or pot.
Slash surface with a lame or sharp knife.
Place the cover on the pot and bake for 25 minutes at 450F.
After 25 minutes reduce the temperature to 425 F and remove the lids and further bake for approximately 20-25 minutes.
Dutch Oven Loaf (above)
Using the Dutch oven results in a nice caramelized crust and the alternate pan also produced a nice loaf.
Below is a cut of the alternate loaf.
Bon Appetit!!