Sourdough Hot Brown Food

SOURDOUGH BROWN BREAD

Steps:

• If using an ABM, place ingredients in bread machine pan in order according to the manufacturer's specifications.
• Select dough cycle and press start.
• If using KitchenAid mixer, or doing by hand, combine all ingredients and knead.
• Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and shape into desired loaf.
• Place in greased loaf pan and let rise, covered, until dough has doubled.
• Uncover and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until bread sounds hollow when tapped.
• Immediately remove from pan and let cool on wire rack.
• For a soft crust, brush top with melted butter.

SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• For the levain: Combine the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, water and starter in a medium bowl and mix to combine. Cover and let sit at room temperature until bubbly and increased in volume by about 20 percent, about 8 hours.
• For the dough: Add the all-purpose flour, water and whole-wheat flour to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Weigh out 7 ounces of the levain (about 1 cup) and add to the mixer (discard any remaining levain). Mix on low until a shaggy dough forms. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Add the salt to the dough and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes; the dough should feel a bit sticky and wet but look smooth and very stretchy. Scrape the dough into a plastic or glass container about twice its size. Cover and let sit at room temperature until puffed, about 45 minutes.
• Put the dough on a floured work surface, flatten it gently, then fold in thirds like a business letter. Transfer it back to the container. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes.
• Repeat the folding process one more time, transfer back to the container, cover and let sit at room temperature for another 45 minutes. After the third 45-minute rest, the dough should feel soft and pillowy; when pressed with a finger, it should leave an indentation that begins to spring back.
• Gently scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide in half using a bench scraper. Shape each piece loosely into a round by gently tucking the edges under. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Drape 2 kitchen towels into 2 medium (8-inch) bowls and dust very generously with flour. Dust the top of the dough rounds very lightly with flour and flip over using a bench scraper. Flatten one piece of dough into a circle, then fold the left and right sides of the dough over the center. Keeping tension in the dough, begin folding down from the top edge in 3 segments, sealing the bottom edge with the last fold. Loosely cup the dough and, using your hands and the tension between the board and the dough, pull the bread very slowly towards yourself while creating a taut ball. Gently flip the dough ball over and into one of the prepared bowls. Cover loosely with another kitchen towel. Repeat the process with the second piece of dough. Place both in a warm place to rise until about 1 1/2 times their size, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• About 20 minutes before baking, position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven, put a 4-quart Dutch oven and lid on the rack and preheat to 500 degrees F. When preheated, carefully transfer the hot Dutch oven to a heatsafe surface with oven mitts (leave the lid in the oven). Flip one round of dough over into the Dutch oven. Using a sharp knife, scissors or bread lame, score the top of the bread in a cross or desired pattern. Return to the oven, immediately cover with the lid and bake for 20 minutes. Lower the temperature to 425 degrees F, uncover and bake until dark brown, about 10 minutes more. Transfer the bread to a cooling rack to cool completely. Return the empty Dutch oven to the oven, raise the temperature to 500 degrees F and let heat for 10 minutes before repeating the baking process with the second dough round.

WILD SOURDOUGH STARTER

Steps:

• To begin: Mix together 125 grams flour and 125 grams water with a clean hand in a medium glass bowl. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let sit undisturbed at room temperature until the mixture is full of bubbles and has nearly doubled in size, usually 2 to 3 days. During this time, yeasts and bacteria from the air and from the flour and probably from you will set up housekeeping in the bowl (see Cook's Note).
• For daily feeding: Peel back any crust that may have formed and transfer 20% of the culture (50 grams) to a clean, wide-mouthed jar. Stir in 100 grams flour and 100 grams water, loosely screw on the lid and stash at room temperature for 24 hours. (The culture will have a stinky-sour smell at this point.) Discard the rest of the original mixture.
• Repeat step 2 every 24 hours for 5 days. By then the culture should smell yeasty-sweet-sour, which means you're ready to put the starter to work.

HOT BROWN

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Pour out all but about 1 tablespoon fat from the skillet.
• Make the sauce: Add the onion to the skillet and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, 1 more minute. Increase the heat to medium high, add the milk and chicken broth and bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
• Arrange the bread on a baking sheet. Spread each slice with mustard, then drizzle with some of the sauce and top with the tomato. Add the turkey to the skillet with the remaining sauce and toss to coat. Divide the turkey among the bread, then sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Broil until golden, about 2 minutes.
• Crumble the bacon over the sandwiches. Sprinkle with the parsley.

SOURDOUGH HOT CROSS BUNS

Steps:

• Before you start, ensure the sourdough starter is very bubbly (if it's not, feed it and wait until 1 tsp of the starter floats in warm water). Tip 200g of the starter into a large bowl with all but 2 tbsp of the egg, the milk, flour, sugar, cinnamon, mixed spice, orange zest and raisins. Mix with your hands until you have a shaggy dough (all the flour should be mixed in). Or, do this in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Cover with a clean, damp tea towel and leave to prove for 30 mins. Cover the rest of the sourdough starter and keep chilled.
• Work the butter and 1 tsp salt into the dough by squashing it in using your hands. Once fully combined, tip the dough onto a surface and knead gently for 5 mins until smooth and springy (again, this can be done in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook). Form the dough into a ball, then return it to the bowl. Cover and leave somewhere slightly warm for 3-4 hrs to prove until the dough has almost doubled in size.
• Tip the dough onto a floured work surface and knead briefly, then divide into 12 pieces, about 100g each. Roll the pieces into balls and arrange on a baking tray lined with baking parchment, leaving some room between each. Cover with a clean, damp tea towel, then leave to prove again for 2-3 hrs at room temperature until doubled in size, or chill overnight (this will result in better flavour and a neater shape).
• If the buns have been chilled, remove from the fridge 1 hr before baking. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Brush the buns with the reserved egg. Tip the remaining starter into a piping bag fitted with a small nozzle, and pipe crosses onto the buns. Bake for 20-25 mins until light brown. Leave to cool slightly and serve warm, or cool completely. Best eaten on the day, but will keep for two days in an airtight container.