Sourdough Saga Chapter 2 …..
Chapter 2.
Baking bread takes some skill, some time and some practice. So why bother? Well as it turns out Julia Child had a point. Most store bought bread is sorely lacking in flavour. Sourdough has an unmistakeable flavour to it. It seems born to accompany a hearty bowl of soup or a slice of cheese with a glass of wine……… It has been discovered as far back as ancient Egypt. Probably one of those ‘happy accidents’. Someone left the batter out and in attracted the favourable yeast and well……just a thought 😉 However it happened; sourdough is the oldest known leavened bread. We could just buy it. However, as I think I mentioned in Chapter 1, most store bakeries cheat. Shocking I know 😉
The ‘cheat’ comes in the form of additional yeast and or whey. Time is the enemy for most stores. True sourdough demands time. Time to develop the starter. Starter needs to be fed the day before it is required for baking. Time to create the dough. Start to finish it can take the better part of a day to develop your dough. And finally, time to ferment the dough. This can take 24, 48 or 72 hours depending on your preference. I generally do the 72 hours.
The longer it is fermented the more neutralized the phytic acid. Why is that noteworthy? Phytic acid has been referred to as the “anti-nutrient”. It inhibits the absorption of iron, zinc and calcium. The three most common ways of reducing the amount of Phytic acid are soaking, sprouting and fermentation.
Further, the longer ferment results in the more broken down of the bran of the wheat which in turn will make it easier to digest (less bloating). And, just to be clear, the long ferment does not remove all the gluten but it does reduce it. Gluten free bread requires gluten free flour…..but that’s another post 😉
Let’s get this party started. When you think you have a day with the amount of time needed coming up; feed your starter the day before or very early in the morning (I’m talking like 5 a.m.). I’ve fed at 5 and had usable starter by noon.
Ingredients
- 3 – 3 1/4 c flour unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 c water (filtered)
- 3/4 c active sourdough starter
- 1 T honey
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
Start by dissolving honey and salt in 1/4 cup hot water and then add the full cup of room temperature.
Add sourdough starter and 2 cups of flour. Now I do this in my KitchenAide mixer with a dough hook. But it can also be done with any spatula/wooden spoon and a little elbow grease. Or a Danish dough whisk comes in handy for this bit. Mix really well and let stand for 20 minutes so that the flour can soak up as much of the moisture as possible.
Danish dough whisk 
‘shaggy’ dough 😉
After 20 minutes start adding additional flour until your dough forms a ball and is pulling away from the sides. Flour your counter and turn your dough out onto it. Kneed the dough for a minute or to, adding just enough flour to make it manageable. Sculpt it into a ball and pace it into a lightly greased bowl and place a tea towel covering. Set the timer for 15 minutes.
When the timer goes off, return to the dough with wet fingertips and gently pull one side up and into the center, turning the bowl 1/4 turns and repeating all the way around the dough ball. Repeat every 15 mins for 2-6 hours. For me, this is determined by the amount of available time. Minimum of 2 hours.
Once you’ve completed this stage; cover your bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge. It’s now time to wait. 48 hrs for the long ferment is (in my opinion) the minimum; 72 hrs is usually how long I ferment my dough.
The day you plan to bake; take your dough out of the fridge in the morning. Let it warm for a few hours. Lightly flour your counter and turn your dough onto it. Flip dough over and gently tuck it around and under as you rotate it, to create a nice firm surface and some tension as your form your loaf. Try to get the top of the dough really tight. This will help your dough rise up in the oven more effectively. Place your loaf onto a large piece of parchment paper and place it into a clean/dry bowl and place a tea towel overtop.
When the dough has doubled in size, preheat your oven to 500 degrees, with the dutch oven inside for 45-60 mins. If your dutch oven can’t withstand that heat, preheat to 450.
Dust your loaf with a small amount of flour. If you are going to score your bread do it now. This needs to be done with a very sharp knife or razor blade. Use confident strokes about 1/4″ deep.
Grab hold of the parchment paper and place the dough and all into the Dutch oven. With the lid on, reduce the heat to 430 degrees, and bake for 20 mins. Remove the lid and bake another 15-20 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.
Now here’s the tough part. Be sure to allow your loaf to cool completely before cutting into it. The bread continues to develop as it cools. Cutting while hot will cause the bread to appear as if it’s doughy/undercooked.
This bread does not keep well and should be eaten within a few days. Shouldn’t be a problem 😉 To store your bread wrap in a tea towel (never plastic) and leave on the counter or in cabinet.
