Sourdough Favorites
My niece gave me this recipe for Same-Day Sourdough Sandwich Bread and I now make it about once a week. It is SO EASY and SO YUMMY! If you’ve been wanting to enter the Sourdough world, this could be your sign! Give it a try! (this recipe was adapted from The Real Sourdough Mom’s recipe)
Ingredients
125 g active, bubbly sourdough starter
325 g warm filtered water
12 g extra virgin olive oil
12 g honey or sugar (I actually do both!)
500 g unbleached all-purpose or bread flour
12 g salt
Directions
Mix the Dough: In a large bowl, combine the active starter and warm water. Mix until the starter mostly dissolves. Add the oil and honey (and/or sugar), then mix in the flour and salt until a shaggy dough forms. Knead by hand for about 3 minutes until it comes together.
Rest & Fold: Cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. Perform a set of “stretch and folds” (stretch a corner of the dough upwards and fold it into the center, repeating on all four sides). Cover and rest for 30 minutes. Repeat this stretch-and-fold process 3 more times (for a total of 4 sets).
At this point, I split the dough in half. I put one half in a bowl to double and to the other half I added blueberries. I rolled out the dough slightly and layered with 1/3 cup of berries. I folded one half in on top and then the other to meet it. Then I rolled the entire thing. I did this 2 more times and then set it to rise with the other half.
Bulk Fermentation: Leave the dough covered at room temperature for about 3 to 4 hours until it has almost doubled in size.
Shape: Gently turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press out large air bubbles. Shape into a large rectangle, fold the sides toward the center, and roll it tightly into a loaf shape, pinching the seam.
Final Proof: Place the dough seam-side down into a greased loaf pan. Cover and let it proof for roughly 2 hours, or until the dough has nearly doubled and fills the pan (peaking just over the rim).
Bake: During the last 30 minutes of proofing, preheat your oven to 375F. Bake the loaf for 35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Brush the top with melted butter while still hot for a shiny, soft crust. (The blueberry loaf was not quite done after 35 minutes, so I put in for another 7-9 minutes)
ENJOY!
Sourdough Starter
If you don’t have a starter, here’s how to make a sourdough starter
Pro tip: Water is denser than flour, so 113 grams of water is about ½ cup, while 113 grams of flour takes up more space—closer to 1 cup. That’s why the cup measurements below differ, and why using a kitchen scale is the most accurate way to measure ingredients for bread baking.
Ingredients (Day 1)
1 cup (113 grams) whole wheat or rye flour
1/2 cup (113 grams) room temperature water (some suggest filtered)
Take note: Whole wheat or rye flour is often used at the start because it contains more natural yeast and nutrients, helping your starter become active more quickly. You can also use all-purpose if that’s all you have on hand. Once your starter is established, you can switch to all-purpose flour for regular feedings.
Ingredients (After Day 1)
1 cup (113 grams) all-purpose flour
½ cup (113 grams) water
For storing your starter: Use a non-reactive container (glass, stainless steel, or ceramic) that holds at least 1 quart to allow for growth. If your container doesn’t have a lid designed for air circulation, cover it with cheesecloth and secure it with a rubber band.
Day-to-Day Instructions
Day 1
Combine 1 cup (113 grams) of whole wheat or rye flour with ½ cup (113 grams) of water in the container you will be storing your starter in, and thoroughly mix. Leave the container out at room temperature (at least 70 degrees) for 24 hours.
Days 2 and 3
Discard half the starter (about 113 grams or ½ cup of the mixture). To the remaining starter, add 1 cup (113 grams) all-purpose flour and ½ cup (113 grams) water. Combine and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
Day 4
You should notice some bubbles and will want to start feeding your starter every 12 hours now. Continue feeding by weighing out 113 grams of starter, discarding the remainder, and feeding with 113 grams of all-purpose flour and 113 grams of water. Mix, cover, and let rest for 12 hours, then repeat.
Day 5
Repeat the same 1:1:1 ratio of starter, flour, and water feeding every 12 hours. By the end of Day 5, you may have an active sourdough starter.
~Brooke