Sourdough Bread Recipe Mary Berry Food

SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• For the sourdough starter: In a 2-quart/litre jar, combine 2 cups flour (whole wheat or all-purpose) and 2 cups water. Stir to mix thoroughly. Cover the mouth of the jar with breathable fabric and secure with a rubber band. Set in a warm place to ferment. Feed the starter once a day until it begins bubbling (usually about 7-10 days). Each day add 1/4 cup flour and 2 tbsp water and stir well. Once the starter begins bubbling, it is ready to be primed for use in baking. To prime, add 1/4 cup flour and 2 tbsp water once every 8 hours for 24 hours, mixing well after each addition. For the sourdough loaf: In a large mixing bowl combine water and sourdough starter. Add flour, mix until the water is fully absorbed and a shaggy dough forms. Cover with a towel and leave to rest for 20 minutes. Sprinkle salt evenly on surface and knead dough for 5 -10 minutes or until a completely consistent dough is achieved. Cover with a damp dishtowel and let sit for 1 1/2 hours. Every 30 minutes, fold the dough into itself from all four corners. Keep the dough covered between foldings. Cover dough with a damp towel and let sit undisturbed for 6 to 8 hours or until it has doubled in size. Fold and shape dough into a ball, cover and then let rest for 20 minutes. (At this point, if using seeds or spices, spread them on a clean surface and roll dough over them to coat.) Shape again, tightly this time, and transfer, upside down, to a bowl coated with olive oil. Cover and allow to rest for 1 1/2 to 2 hours at room temperature. Preheat oven to 245°C/ 475°F. Transfer dough directly onto hot baking surface, score the top with a bread knife and bake for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to 204°C/400°F and bake for another 25 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a cutting board or cooling rack. Allow to rest for 15 to 30 minutes before slicing.

SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• In a 4-qt. non-metallic bowl, dissolve yeast in 2 cups warm water; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in 2 cups flour until smooth. Cover loosely with a clean towel. Let stand in a warm place (80°to 90°) to ferment for 48 hours; do not stir. (The mixture will become bubbly and rise, have a "yeasty" sour aroma and change color from transparent yellow to gray over the course of 48 hours.) , Stir in milk powder, butter, sugar, salt, remaining water and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. (Do not knead.) Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours. , Heavily grease baking sheets and sprinkle with cornmeal. Gently punch dough down. Turn onto a well-floured surface; divide in half. (If baking loaves one at a time, cover and refrigerate half of dough. Proceed with shaping and second rise when oven is ready so shaped loaf can be baked immediately after the second rise.) , With floured hands, gently move the dough in a circular motion. Use friction from the counter to stretch the surface and create a smooth top and round loaf. Quickly and gently transfer to prepared pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°., With a sharp knife, make three diagonal slashes across tops of loaves. Immediately bake 10 minutes. Gently brush or spray loaves with cold water; bake 25-35 minutes longer or until golden brown.

SOURDOUGH

Steps:

• First make your starter. In a large jar (a 1litre kilner jar is good) or plastic container, mix 100g of the flour with 125ml slightly warm water. Whisk the batter until smooth and lump free, whisking will help incorporate some airborne yeast particles to get your starter going. Leave the jar or container lid ajar for an hour or so in a warm place (around 25C is ideal), then seal and set aside for 24 hrs.
• For the next 6 days you will need to 'feed' the starter each day. To do this, tip away half the original starter and add an extra 100g of flour and 125ml slightly warm water, whisking well each time, try to do this at roughly the same time everyday. After 3-4 days you should start to see bubbles appearing on the surface, and it will smell yeasty and a little acidic. This is a good indication that the starter is working. The time it takes for fermentation to begin can vary between 1 to 5 days depending on temperature and environment, persevere for up to 6 days, if you still don't see any signs of life, or the starter smells unpleasant, throw it away and start again. On the 8th day the starter should be quite bubbly and smell much sweeter. It is now ready to bake with.
• Now you can make your first loaf. Tip the flour, 225ml warm water, salt, honey and sourdough starter into a large bowl, or a table top mixer fitted with a dough hook. Stir with a wooden spoon, or on a slow setting in a machine, until combined, adding a little extra flour if it's too sticky or a little extra warm water if it's too dry. Tip onto a work surface and knead for about 10 mins until soft and elastic, if using a mixer, turn the speed up a little and mix for 5 mins. The dough is ready when it bounces back when gently pressed with a finger.
• Place the dough in a large, well oiled bowl and cover with an oiled sheet of cling film. Leave in a warm place to rise for 3 hrs. You may not see much movement after this time, but don't be disheartened, sourdough takes much longer to rise than a conventional yeasted bread.
• Line a medium-sized bowl with a clean tea towel and flour it well, if you have a proving basket you can use this. Tip the dough back onto your work surface and knead briefly to knock out any air bubbles. Shape the dough into a smooth ball and dust it with flour. Place the dough, seam side up, in the bowl or proving basket, cover with a sheet of oiled cling film and leave for 6-8 hrs, until roughly doubled in size.
• Place a large baking tray in the oven, set to 230C/210C fan/gas 8, to heat up. Fill a small roasting tin with a little water and place this in the bottom of the oven to create some steam. Remove the large tray from the oven, sprinkle with flour then carefully tip the risen dough onto the tray.You can slash the top a few times with a sharp knife if you like. Bake for 35-40 mins until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped. Leave to cool on a wire rack for 20 mins before serving.