SOURDOUGH BREAD

Sourdough Bread is an artisanal bread that is made without commercial yeast. It is leavened with a sourdough starter which is just a mixture of water and flour. The mixture 'catches' wild yeast from the environment and ferments.

📝 Ingredients

• 30 g water
• 30 g starter
• 30 g flour
• 312 g plain flour (all purpose flour)
• 52 g wholewheat flour (atta)
• 240 g fresh warm drinking water
• 22-26 g gluten if you are not using bread flour
• 42 g active sourdough starter (100%hydration)
• 8 g salt (can use any of your choice)
• 3 g sugar

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- FEED THE SOURDOUGH STARTER ---
2. 2Mix all the three very well till it becomes like a thick paste. Leave it outside at room temperature for 1-2 hours or till it is double the size. Put it in the fridge till required.
3. 3You will have some leftover after adding the required amount to the dough. Use that to make the next batch of starter.
4. 4--- PREPARE THE DOUGH ---
5. 5Sift the flours, gluten, salt and sugar together in a bowl.
6. 6Add water and knead it into a shaggy dough.
7. 7Cover the dough with a lid or cling film and leave it in the fridge for 2-3 hours.
8. 8Before going to bed, remove the dough and starter from the fridge. Let both reach room temperature overnight.
9. 9Next day, flatten the dough using your fingers.
10. 10Smear the starter all over it. Using your finger tips, work the starter into the dough by creating dimples or holes.
11. 11Place the dough in a kneading machine and on minimum speed let it run for 5-10 minutes. The dough should become smooth and stretchy. Or you can fold and knead the dough by hand.
12. 12Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a clean bowl.
13. 13Cover it and place it in a warm place.
14. 14After 1 hour, with wet hand, take a bit of the dough, pull and stretch it gently, and fold over. Repeat for 4-5 folds.Each fold will become tighter.
15. 15Cover the dough and let it rest in a warm place.
16. 16Repeat the folding like in step 10 after an hour. This step has to be done 6 times... after each hour fold.
17. 17After the 6th time, let the dough rest for 10 -15 minutes, then take it out on a lightly dusted worktop and shape it into a ball. Be gentle as by now air bubbles will have formed.
18. 18Use a 7-8 inch wide bowl, cover it with a clean kitchen towel or thin cotton cloth.
19. 19Dust the cloth generously with flour so that the dough comes out easily.
20. 20Place the shaped dough in the cloth covered bowl.
21. 21Cover the top and let it rise for 2 - 4 hours in a warm place. It is ready when the dough becomes double the size.
22. 22--- BAKE THE SOURDOUGH BREAD ---
23. 23Preheat the oven to 220ºC along with a baking tray and a big steel or heatproof bowl. Both should be really hot.
24. 24Take the tray and bowl out of the oven.
25. 25Place hot water in a heatproof container at the bottom shelf.
26. 26Dust the tray lightly with some coarse maize meal flour or semolina.
27. 27Gently turn the bowl with the dough in it, over completely onto the hot tray.
28. 28Remove the bowl and gently peel off the cloth.
29. 29Using a sharp knife or blade make 2-3 slashes on top of the dough.
30. 30Cover the dough with the hot bowl.
31. 31Bake the bread for 20-25 minutes.
32. 32Remove the bowl and lower the temperature to 180ºC.
33. 33Bake the bread for another 30-35 minutes or till the loaf is dark golden brown. If you knock the bottom of the bread it should sound hollow.
34. 34Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack.
35. 35Slice it when it is cold and hear the musical crunch crunch.
36. 36Serve it with your favorite soup, stew or enjoy it with some jam, make a sandwich or just toast it and enjoy it with some butter.