A while back I wrote a post after we picked up some starter, on my first loaf of sourdough bread. It was easy and quick but used instant yeast to help it rise and still wasn't all that tall. Ever since I've been making a different kind of loaf, one that only uses our active sourdough culture and still has a super clean ingredient list. It's much better. We no longer buy bread for our son's school lunches or want to eat much else if we can help it. We buy a lot more flour though, mostly 5 pound bags from Costco.
I've got this down pat by now and don't even need to pull up the original recipe. But, to give credit where due, this came from King Arthur Flour, their Extra Tangy Sourdough recipe. It's 'extra tangy' because the sourdough has a lot of time to work its magic and lend the distinct sourdough flavor. This does take planning ahead and about 24 hours in total, though obviously not all working time. I find the time to make it just about every weekend so it's ready for the following week. Or it freezes well in a gallon bag with the air sucked out if, as I call it, I bake ahead.
Ingredients:
600g (~5 cups) King Arthur all-purpose flour
340g (~1.5 cups) water
227g (~1 cup) active sourdough starter
2.5 tsp salt
Quick(ish) version:
The night before, mix 360g flour with the water and starter, use a stand mixer with the paddle and combine well, it'll be liquid-y
Cover and leave out for 4 hours, then put in the fridge overnight
In the morning, add the remaining flour (240g) and the salt, then knead with the stand mixer and a dough hook until it smoothes and clings well
Cover and leave out something like 4-6 hours, until air bubbles are obvious and the dough has considerably increased in size
During this long rise, at least once, stretch and fold the dough into the center from all sides, then flip it smooth side up back into the container, this strengthens it, and cover
After this long rise, divide the dough in half (it'll deflate) and 'pre-shape' it by stretching the folding into the center, then cover on a greased oven sheet for 10-15 minutes
After this short time, form the dough balls into desired loaf shape ('batards'), by stretching and folding and pressing and rolling -> see note below
Cover the batards for another 3-4 hours until nice and puffy, then preheat the oven to 425 degrees
Right before inserting into the oven, spray the puffy loaves with water and make a couple fairly deep slices into them with a sharp knife (my bread knife works)
Bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown, then remove to a cooling rack
Super short version, with timeline:
~7pm night before, mix 360g flour with water/starter, leave out and cover
~11pm night before, put into fridge
~7am, add 240g flour and salt, knead until clings, cover
Between 7am-12pm, stretch and fold dough at least once
~12pm, divide in half and pre-shape into balls, cover
~1215pm, form into batards, cover
~4pm, preheat, spray and cut loaves, bake for 25 minutes
Cool on rack
Notes:
First and foremost, measure everything with a kitchen scale, the weights are much better than the approximate dry measurements.
Next, since we're using active sourdough starter, it needs to be 'fed' after using it so it can be replenished. We keep the active starter in a quart-sized mason jar, often in the fridge during the week, which slows the process. I'll take it out earlier in the day, the day before baking, so it's nice and ready, then use most of what we have. Feeding it requires equal parts flour and water, stirred up. The appropriate amount for us is usually 125g of both.
I have several times now, intentionally or unintentionally, forgotten to put the dough in the fridge overnight. It's basically hyper active in the morning but otherwise the rest of the steps can be completed as usual. The end result may even be an improvement tbh.
The steps during the following day are mostly long and flexible, which is quite nice. It's not hard at all to do kid's pickup/drop-off and errands during the day as long as I get the second mixing step done before we leave in the morning. Then I can bake before dinnertime.
For all the stretching the folding, it works well to have a lightly floured surface and some flour on your fingers as well. I will keep the flour container out during the day.
The hardest part of all this is the formation of the batards. I've gotten better as I do it more, so that the end shape is longer and not too wide and the slices will fit into our kid's lunchbox. Adapting the description in the King Arthur recipe, here's how I do it:
Take the pre-shaped dough ball and stretch it into an oval something like 10 inches long
Fold the top third down (like you're folding a letter) and press the edges together
Pull from the top corners and fold/press again into the middle
Fold down onto the bottom third and press again, then from the corners again
With two hands push and flatten the loaf a little
Fold down from the top to the bottom one more time and press the edges
Then roll your loaf with two hands so it's longer and thinner through the middle, as uniform as possible
The water spraying does seem silly but apparently gives it a nicer crust. I've done it every time and have no reason to alter that step. You don't soak it but evenly get it wet. The slices across the top help it bake through I believe, though they also provide a nice aesthetic too.
Alright, that's the bread I've been making consistently going on six months. We've played around with a variety of other sourdoughs as well but this has been made far more than anything else. For good reason.
Commenti