Ron's Perfect Sourdough Bread Recipe
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Category: |
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Ingredients: |
Ingredients: INGREDIENTS TO MAKE BREAD
1/2 c sourdough starter
2 1/2 c white flour
2 tsp salt
1 c water
TO "FEED" AND MAINTAIN YOUR STARTER
1/2 c sourdough starter
3/4 c white flour
1/2 c water
From Ron: After you drain the starter down to ~1/2 cup (because youve used the starter to bake a loaf), store it in the fridge to extend its life. I usually go about a week before feeding it again, and have gone as long as 2 weeks (in that case, pour off the liquid on top). To feed, add Ύ cup white flour and ½ cup warm water.
A wide-mouth quart mason jar works well. I rotate between two (so the insides of the jar don't get icky over time). Cover with double layer of saran wrap with a few holes poked into it, secured on the jar with the mason jar 'rim'.
Remove starter from refrigerator
If there is any visible liquid on top ("hooch") pour it off. This is an indicator that your starter went too long without feeding and had chewed through all its food. (Generally not a problem, but if you're worried see notes below about how to recover)
Add 1/2 cup warm water and 3/4 cup white flour
Stir to combine
If not baking right away:
Return to refrigerator
If baking right away
Leave on counter until it is visibly 'active'
Retain 1/2 cup for future starter, return to fridge
Use the rest to bake bread (below)
Feed it every week or so.
If you don't bake regularly:
Your 'starter' can start to build up. Technically you should discard all but ½ cup of the starter before feeding. I dont bother unless it starts getting too much for my quart mason jar, I can get away with two feedings between baking.
The ratio of food to starter becomes diluted if you feed too many times without baking. You either need to reduce your starter or increase the food or feed more often.
I find it works fine if I bake every 2 or 3 weeks. When I have too much starter, I use whatever I have to bake a loaf. Works fine even with 1 or 1.5 cups of starter per loaf. If you have more than that bake two loaves or discard some.
If you want to bake every day you would skip the fridge and feed it daily
TO OBTAIN STARTER
Best: get it from a friend. It is easy to feed a couple of times and then have 1/2 cup to share, and for those who don't bake regularly they will be happy to get rid of some so they don't have to discard starter
You can order some online.
Starter can be spread out and allowed to dry, for longer term storage or to share with friends. It can also be frozen. Not a bad idea to do this with some of your starter when you have extra, as backup in case you accidentally neglect your starter and let it 'die' or if you want to share.
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Directions: |
Directions:TO BAKE BREAD
Times below are general, but show how you can easily make a loaf of bread before/after work over a 24 hour time-frame.
If youre starting with ½ c starter from the fridge, you need to feed it first as directed above. Let it sit out on the counter until you can see that it is active. Then proceed as below. I usually have more than ½ cup in the fridge because I dont bake every week, so I can skip that step.
10:10 PM DAY1
Using remaining starter (removing and reserving 1/2 cup for next starter)
Mix in a large mixing bowl, taller and larger than your loaf will be when risen
Add 1C water @ 87F 'warm water
Add 2C white flour
10:40 PM DAY1
Add 2t salt then 0.5 C white flour. Lately Ive been adding a bit more salt
Mix by hand
Cover, leave dough on counter overnight. (If you want to wait longer you can proof it in the refrigerator).
Cover with a wet kitchen towel draped over the bowl. Should not touch the dough.
7:30 AM DAY2
Pull and fold dough 6 times. When doing the pull and fold, take one hand and grab the dough from one side, pull it a little to stretch it, then fold it on itself. Turn the bowl a little, repeat (4-6 times). Be gentle with the loaf (this is NOT a knead).
Leave on counter in proofing bowl, covered with wet towel as before
7:30 PM DAY2
Fold again
Wait about 30-120 minutes, with dough in proofing bowl on counter with some flour around outside, still covered with wet towel.
8:00-9:30 PM DAY2
Ron Note: Ron uses a Dutch oven, using the lid upside down as the pan and covering with the pot upside down. My Dutch oven has a handle on the lid so this doesnt work. I bake the loaf on a pizza stone, covered with the upside down Dutch oven pan. A cast iron pizza pan works as well
Preheat oven at 525F with pizza stone and Dutch oven heating up inside the oven
Remove both pans from the oven
Sprinkle flour or cornmeal on the pizza stone
Gently lift the risen loaf and place it in the center of the pizza stone
Score dough with 3 parallel lines using filet knife (1/4 in deep)
Cover with Dutch oven upside down over the dough
Place in the oven
Set oven to 460F, bake for 30 minutes
Remove Dutch Oven from pizza stone
Optional: brush the loaf with olive oil and sprinkle sea salt over the loaf. Very tasty!
Continue baking on pizza stone without Dutch oven 6-10 more minutes to desired brownness
Leave on cooling rack for 30 minutes before slicing |
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Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: From Johns coworker Ron, who brought in perfect sourdough loaves as gifts. He was gracious enough to share some starter, and this is my interpretation of his cryptic directions. I coupled this with a bunch of reading about sourdough bread and 'Autolyze' (which was mentioned in his notes) so I could understand some of his methods.
Note that this is a different method than your typical yeast bread recipe. Autolyze uses a relatively wetter dough, no real 'kneading', and long slow rising at room temperature. These are important to the texture and flavor of the bread.
This is easier than I thought it would be to stay on top of the feeding and periodic baking, even managing around a busy work and activity schedule. And it has been relatively forgiving of mistakes and errors on my part. I've recovered from a sluggish starter (feed and leave on counter until it appears more 'active', a starving starter left too long in fridge while away on vacation (pour off liquid 'hooch', discard all but 1/2 cup of starter if you have more, feed and leave on counter until 'active', discard all but 1/2 cup of starter feed and leave on counter, repeat until it is acting more normal.
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