Sourdough Bread Recipe
Sourdough bread recipe is tasteful and versatile. You might like to buy it from the bakery, but baking it at home is also a great experience. We have a simple and easy recipe allowing you to bake sourdough bread recipe like a pro!
What is sourdough?
Sourdough is a type of bread made from a natural fermentation process, using a mixture of flour and water left to ferment over several days. This process creates a unique flavour, texture, and aroma that sets sourdough apart from other bread.
Can I make gluten-free sourdough bread recipe?
Absolutely! You can use gluten-free bread flour instead of the traditional one. Besides you can also use brown rice flour to make gluten-free sourdough. You will also have to use a gluten-free starter.
How can I make simple sourdough bread tastier?
Although sourdough has a unique, slightly sour flavour that makes it tasteful, there is always room to improve it. If you are wondering how to add more flavours to this simple sourdough bread recipe, here are a few things to try:
- Seeds: adding sesame seeds or sunflower seeds to your sourdough bread can add a crunchy texture to the bread. It also adds flavour to the bread.
- Herbs: Herbs are not just flavorful but are also aromatic. Adding either fresh or dried herbs to bread takes the flavours up a notch. The smell of freshly baked bread and herbs is heavenly.
- Cheese: Add shredded cheddar cheese or grated parmesan cheese to your sourdough, giving it a cheesy flavour and texture.
How can I store sourdough bread recipe?
Storing sourdough bread recipe is easy; however, you must keep a few things in mind.
- Storing the bread is effortless as you don’t have to refrigerate it. Once it cools down, simply place it in a kitchen towel or bread bag in a cool, dry place. It will last for up to 3 days.
- I would recommend you don’t refrigerate sourdough bread. That’s because refrigerating it will only make it dry.
- Moreover, you can also freeze sourdough bread. Once it cools down, wrap the loaf in cling film and freeze. It will stay good for up to 3 months. Thaw it until it reaches room temperature, and enjoy.
Sourdough Bread – The Recipe
Preparation time: 9 hours
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 9 hours 40 minutes
Yield: 1 loaf
Ingredients
4 cups bread flour plus more for dusting
1⅓ cups warm filtered water (90 degrees F)
½ cup active starter
2 tsp. salt
Preparation
- Pour water into a large glass bowl, add a starter, and mix until it completely dissolves. add salt and flour and mix with your hands until the flour almost mixes in and becomes shaggy. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and leave it for 1 hour.
- After an hour, gently and thoroughly fold the dough 4 times using hands dipped in cold water. Recover the bowl using a kitchen towel and leave it to rest for 20 minutes. You can repeat the folding process 2 to 3 more times during this time.
- After a final stretch, shape the dough into a ball, cover it with a kitchen towel, and leave it to rise for 8 to 12 hours until the dough becomes spring-like and your inserted finger bounces back.
- Once the dough is ready, remove it from the bowl and place it on the counter. Put a little flour on top of the dough and turn it over. Pinch the edges and bring them to the centre like a tied-up sack.
- Turn the dough upside down on the counter, so the seams face down. Use your hands to gently pull the dough towards you and shape it into a ball by rotating it. Make sure to tighten the edges all around. Sprinkle a little flour on it.
- Put a kitchen towel in a bowl or colander and sprinkle flour. Use a dough scraper to pick up the dough and turn it over onto the towel. Cover it and let it rise at room temperature for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, place the dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Place a large oven-proof heavy-duty pot in the oven, along with its lid. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F for 60 minutes. Also, remove the dough from the refrigerator after 1 hour while the oven heats up.
- Uncover the dough and sprinkle some flour on top; place parchment paper and a baking sheet. Flip the dough over so that it falls onto the parchment paper.
- Make shallow decorative cuts down the dough using a razor blade or a sharp knife. Take out the pot from the oven carefully. Use the parchment paper as handles to put the loaf inside the pot and cover it with the lid.
- Return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 405 degrees F and continue to bake for another 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 195 to 205 degrees F.
- Once sourdough is ready, take it out of the oven and remove it from the pot using parchment paper and a spatula; place it on the cooling rack, then slice and serve.
