Deluxe Sourdough Bread Food

DELUXE SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• *To make proofed starter, take 2 Tablespoons of your starter and stir it into 1 cup of water; then stir in 1 cup of flour. Cover and let sit (proof) overnight, or 8 to 14 hours. Measure out the 1 1/4 cups needed for the recipe and return the rest to your starter pot.
• Combine the first 5 ingredients. Mix in the flour just until the mixture is a shaggy mass.
• Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Add sugar, butter, and salt and mix until all is incorporated.
• Knead dough until it is smooth and satiny.
• You can mix this dough in a bread machine if you wish, but take the dough out of the machine 10 minutes before the final kneading cycle is done to avoid over-processing the dough, which will cause it to become slack and wet.
• Cover and let dough rest for 45 minutes.
• Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Pat each dough portion out into a large, flat circle. Gently stretch and fold the left side over the middle, then the right side over the middle (like folding a letter). Pat down with the palms of hands and repeat the folding with the remaining two unfolded ends. Shape loaves, always keeping the folded side as the bottom. I do free-form oval loaves and place them on parchment paper.
• Spray the loaves with Pam and cover with plastic. Place in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, take loaves out and let them finish rising at room temperature. They should be very light. Do not rush it or your bread will be dense.
• If you prefer, you can refrigerate your dough immediately after you finish kneading it and do the folding, shaping and rising after you take it out of the fridge the next day.
• Preheat oven and stone to 400°F for about 30 minutes prior to putting bread in oven. I also place a shallow pan of hot water on the bottom rack for steam.
• When bread is fully risen, slash top and slide onto hot stone. If you don't have a stone, just bake on a baking sheet. After 10 minutes, turn the oven heat down to 375°F.
• When loaves start to show color, water pan can be removed. Bake until loaves are a nice golden brown. Time will vary according to the shape and size of loaf.
• Cool on a wire rack. You can brush crust with butter while still hot if you like a soft crust.
• The small addtion of white whole wheat flour that I use in this bread gives it an interesting depth of flavor that I like. It does not change the color of the bread. I don't know if white whole wheat flour is easily available just anywhere. I am fortunate to live in an area where wheat is grown and milled so I have easy access to various flours.

SOURDOUGH RAISIN BREAD

Steps:

• Combine starter and raisins let expand 8 to 12 hours. (Use a larger container as the raisins may cause it to expand more than usual.) Stir occasionally. Combine milk and 1/4 cup butter in a small saucepan heat just to melt butter. Dissolve yeast in warm water let set until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Add 1/3 cup sugar and salt to milk mixture and stir to cool slightly add eggs and beat well. Add 2 cups flour, yeast and starter beat well. Add remaining flour to make a stiff dough. On a lightly-floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl turn dough to coat surface. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled, about 1 hour. Shape into two loaves and place in greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 -inch loaf pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled. Slash tops with a sharp knife, if desired. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with a mixture of 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon. Bake in a preheated 350° F oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown and bread sounds hollow when tapped.

SOURDOUGH DINNER ROLLS

Steps:

• Lightly oil a 9 x 13 inch pan or line with parchment paper.
• In a large mixing bowl combine starter, water, yeast (if using), salt, sugar and oil.
• Stir in flour, adding flour 1/2 cup at a time until dough is manageable. This can also be done using a stand mixer and break hook.
• Turn out onto a floured surface and knead well.
• Place dough in a bowl and cover, set in a warm place to double in size or cover bowl and leave out for 8 hours to proof.
• When double or fully proofed, punch dough down and with lightly floured hands, form into rolls.
• Place on prepared pan and let rise until doubled then bake approximately 20 minutes in a 375 degree oven.
• Last 5 minutes of baking, brush with melted butter and return to oven.

BASIC BUT BEAUTIFUL SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• Pour the sponge in a bowl and add the sugar, salt and oil or margarine.
• Mix well and then knead in the flour a half-cup at a time.
• Knead in enough flour to make a good, flexible bread dough- you may use slightly more or less than the three cups indicated, depending on how runny your starter is.
• Just keep adding until it looks like any other bread dough.
• You can add the flour by hand, with an electric mixer, a bread machine on dough cycle or a food processor.
• Find a warm place and let the dough rise, covered loosely by a towel (I use my airing cupboard but a slightly warm oven works well too-- don't keep it on, just turn it on for a moment to warm it up before turning it off and putting the dough in).
• If you're using a bread machine's dough cycle, let it rise in the machine.
• Note that sourdough rises more slowly than yeast bread.
• Just let it keep going until it's doubled in bulk.
• Punch the dough down and knead it a little more.
• Make a loaf and place it on a lightly greased baking sheet.
• Slit the top if you like, and cover the loaf with a paper towel and place it in a warm place to rise again, until doubled in bulk.
• Place the pan with the loaf in your oven, and then turn your oven to 350 F or 190 C and bake the bread for 30-45 minutes.
• Do not preheat the oven.
• The loaf is done when the crust is brown and the bottom sounds hollow when thumped with a wooden spoon.
• Turn the loaf out onto a cooling rack or a towel and let it cool for an hour before slicing.

SOURDOUGH GOLDEN HONEY BREAD

Steps:

• Heat milk and butter or margarine in a small saucepan, until just melted stir in honey and cool to lukewarm. Dissolve yeast in warm water let set until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine milk mixture, yeast mixture, starter, whole wheat flour and wheat germ stir to blend well. In a small bowl, blend sugar, salt and baking soda until no lumps reman sprinkle over dough and stir in gently. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until light and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Stir dough and add all-purpose flour to form a stiff dough. On a well-floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl turn dough to coat surface. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until almost doubled, about 1 hour. Divide, shape into loaves and place into two well-greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 -inch loaf pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled, about 45 to 60 minutes. Bake in a preheated 400° F oven for 20 minutes reduce temperature to 325° F and continue to bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until loaves are golden and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.

SOURDOUGH POTATO-CHEESE BREAD

Steps:

• In a large mixer bowl, combine yeast, 2 1/2 cups flour, sugar and salt. To potatoes, add milk and butter, margarine or vegetable oil heat until warm (120° to 130° F). Add potato mixture, eggs and sourdough starter to dry ingredients beat 2 minutes at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in cheese. Add 1/2 cup flour and beat 2 minutes longer. Add remaining flour to make a stiff dough, about 1 1/2 cups. Place on a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl turn dough to coat surface. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free drafts, until doubled, 60 to 90 minutes. Punch down dough and divide into two portions. Form into balls and place in two well-greased 8-inch round pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until almost doubled, 45 to 60 minutes. Slash tops of loaves with a sharp knife. Brush with egg white which has been beaten with water sprinkle with poppy or sesame seed. Bake in a preheated 350° F oven for 35 minutes or until well browned.