Easy Homemade Sourdough Bread Recipe From 1869 Food

EASY SOURDOUGH BREAD RECIPE

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients in the bowl and stir until it is a chunky, loosely combined dough.
• Dump the dough onto a work surface and knead the dough with your hands until the dough is smooth. (Essentially, you are massaging the dough by stretching and pushing. This will help develop the gluten.) At this stage, it will be wet and sticky. Don't add more flour or your finished bread will be dense and heavy. The dough will stick to your hands and feel messy but if you get your hands wet it won't stick as easily.
• Place the dough into an oiled bowl. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a towel and let it sit at room temperature for 3 to 6 hours (see notes) or in the refrigerator overnight. (A longer proof time in the fridge will give the bread a more tangy, sourdough flavor.)
• Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knock the air out of it then form it into a round ball. (See notes)
• Place the ball of dough into a proofing basket or any container that is the shape that you want your bread to be shaped. (See notes)
• Let the dough rise again a second time for 3 to 6 hours** at room temperature until doubled in size. (Or you could let it rise in the fridge overnight for 12 to 15 hours-see notes).
• Pre-heat the oven to 450°F. When the oven is hot, tip the loaf of bread into a dutch oven or onto a baking sheet. Make a slash in the loaf with a sharp knife. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

EASY HOMEMADE SOURDOUGH BREAD RECIPE FROM 1869

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and salt, stirring until combined.
• Add sourdough starter, molasses (or sugar), and water, stirring until combined. Unlike other bread recipes, the dough for this bread will feel wet and sticky rather than dry.
• (Optional: If you do not want any sour flavor or tang in your finished loaf, add the 1/2 tsp. of baking soda and mix until well combined. Be aware, though, that the bread will not be true sourdough bread with the addition of the baking soda.)
• Knead the wet dough for a minute or two. This part will be messy. I usually just keep the dough in the bowl to knead it to avoid extra mess on the counter. This type of bread doesn't need to be kneaded as thoroughly as other bread recipes.
• Place dough into a greased 9x5 inch bread pan. Cover with a damp dish cloth or tea towel, with another dry towel over it and let rise for about 8-14 hours, or until fully risen. You want the dish towel touching the bread to stay damp because that will help to prevent the top of the dough from drying out and forming a crust, which could prevent the dough from rising as much. (I find it convenient to prepare my bread dough in the evening and then bake it the next morning.)
• Once it has risen, the dough should be light and fluffy and form an indentation when you press your finger into it. (If you have a glass bread pan, you can see little bubbles in the dough through the sides and bottom of the pan.)
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 45-50 minutes or until bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when you tap on it.

EASY SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• To make your starter, place all the ingredients in a bowl and add 250ml cold water. Mix together thoroughly with a spoon until you have a spongy mixture, then cover with cling film and leave at room temperature at least overnight, but up to 24 hrs if you have time.
• To make the bread dough, tip the ingredients into a clean bowl and add 1 tbsp fine salt, 200ml cold water and your starter. Bring all the ingredients together to a dough, adding a splash more water if too stiff, then tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for at least 10 mins until smooth, elastic and springy (this will take 5-7 mins in a mixer with a dough hook). Place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave until doubled in size - about 1 hr at room temperature, 3 hrs in the fridge (see tips, below).
• Tip the dough onto a floured surface and gently shape into a round - you don't want to knock too much air out of the dough. Dust a piece of baking parchment heavily with flour and sit the dough on top. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for 1 hr until doubled in size.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Place a sturdy flat baking tray on the middle shelf of the oven and a smaller tray with sides underneath. Dust the dough with flour and slash with a utility knife. Slide the bread onto the hot tray on top and throw a few ice cubes (or pour some cold water) onto the tray below - this creates a burst of steam, which helps the bread form a nice crust. Bake for 25-30 mins until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Leave the bread to cool completely.

HOMEMADE SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• Bring sourdough starter to room temperature.
• In a large mixing bowl combine 2-1/2 cups of the flour and the yeast; set aside.
• In a saucepan heat and stir water, sugar, butter, and salt just until warm (120-130 deg.) and butter almost melts.
• Add to flour mixture.
• Add sourdough starter.
• Beat with until mixed and smooth, scraping bowl.
• Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
• On a lightly floured surface knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic.
• Shape into a ball.
• Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface.
• Cover and let rise until doubled.
• Punch dough down.
• Turn out on a lightly floured surface.
• Divide in half.
• Cover and let rise for 10 minutes.
• Lightly grease a large baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal.
• Shape each half of the dough into a ball, place on baking sheet, flatten to about a 6-inch circle.
• With a sharp knife make crisscross slashes, 1/4 inch deep, on the top of the loaves.
• Cover and let rise 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375-deg.
• After heated place bread in oven and steam.
• Bake in oven for 30-35 minutes, or till bread tests done.
• Cool on a wire rack.