Rustic Sourdough Bread

MG_9624
Guys. If you have not made your own bread before you REALLY have to. Not only is it super easy and fun to watch the dough rise, but it makes your home smell like the most amazing place. It makes you feel like you are in a bakery surrounded by freshly-baked goodness. And once you get to try the said baked concotion, there may be a few moments of amazement as you really take in that you MADE this.

I decided I wanted to try to make sourdough bread about a week ago. Now if you have made it before you know that this requires a starter which takes a few days of planning. Basically you leave some yeast, flour, sugar and water sitting out for a few days and in that process it ferments and creates that wonderful sour flavor that makes this kind of bread so amazing.

I loved watching my little starter bubble and develop over the few days. It reminded of me of when I was in high schoool and one of my girlfriends started passing around bags of “Amish Friendship Bread” starter. Did anyone else do this? It was kind of like a chain letter : “Make this recipe from this starter, create more starter and pass it on.” And I remember the result was an amazing Cinnamony bread that was unlike anything my 16-yr old self had tasted. Actually…..would it be possible to start a blogger friendship bread chain letter? Anyone want in ? :)

MG_9623

Anyway- I was very pleased with this bread. I have a lot to learn about breadmaking obviously, but it just tasted so much better than anything store bought. It was crispy and crusty on the outside with a soft dough center. Perfection. Stay tuned for more bready goodness soon!

Note: I have not included the recipe for the Starter at this time though I may add it later. Check out the recipe I used here, or browse the page for ways to buy a ready made one!

Rustic Sourdough Bread1 cup “fed” sourdough starter
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or Bread Flour

Directions

1) Combine all of the ingredients, kneading to form a smooth dough.
2) Allow the dough to rise, in a covered bowl, until it’s doubled in size, about 90 minutes.
3) Gently divide the dough in half; it’ll deflate somewhat.
4) Gently shape the dough into two oval loaves; or, for longer loaves, two 10″ to 11″ logs. Place the loaves on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise until very puffy, about 1 hour. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F.
5) Spray the loaves with lukewarm water.
6) Make two fairly deep diagonal slashes in each; a serrated bread knife, wielded firmly, works well here.
7) Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes, until it’s a very deep golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and cool on a rack.
MG_9637

Source: King Arthur’s Flour

14 Comments

  1. Fresh bread, yum!! This looks perfect! I really want to visit NYC, always have. But my husband doesn’t want to go. Someday I might run away and find your apartment – I could eat for days!

  2. good work, it looks perfect! i totally agree about homemade bread – it’s so easy and nothing beats a hot loaf out of the oven. we’ve been making lots of ryes and wholemeals… should try your sourdough recipe!

  3. I love making bread, but have never made sourdough before. Your loaf looks perfect! There’s something super-special about homemade bread :) Thanks for sharing your recipe!

  4. This recipe looks great. I’ve been feeling the call to bake some bread, so maybe this will be the one!

  5. Nothing better than fresh baked bread!!!! It is hard for me to stay away, and I am making it everyday:))) You did incredible job!!!

  6. I love sourdough! And I love making my own bread. The dough hook on my stand mixer makes life so much easier too :-)

  7. Hi bread lovers,

    I’ve recently started working with Sourdoughs International and I’m learning the difference between using authentic wild yeast and commercial yeast (bakers yeast) the taste and appearance is so different it is absolutely amazing! I totally recommend that you check it out at http://www.sourdo.com, EnJoY!!

  8. Such a helpful blog!
    I am new to baking so I’m clueless!!! My friends have all recommended Sourdough’s International’s sourdough starter to me, so I’m going to give it a go!!!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *