Mom's Sourdough Bread Recipe
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 This recipe for Mom's Sourdough Bread, by Emily Van Wagenen, is from ,
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Contributor: |
Contributor: Emily Van Wagenen
Added: Saturday, April 18, 2009
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Category: |
Category: |
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Ingredients: |
Ingredients: For feeding your starter:
1 c. sugar
2 1/2 c. UNBLEACHED flour
1/2 c. instant potato flakes
2 cups warm water
1 c. starter
For bread:
Starter (remove one cup for next time)
3 c. warm water
3/4 c. oil
3 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sugar, optional (I leave it out)
UNBLEACHED flour or use half whole-wheat flour (will increase rise time)
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Directions: |
Directions:To feed starter: in a large plastic bowl, stir dry ingredients together. Add warm water and stir. Add starter and stir. Cover and leave out at least 6 hours or overnight. When ready, the starter will be thick and bubbly. Remove 1 cup and put in a plastic container. Place plastic wrap over the top of the starter and cover container with plastic lid. Store in refrigerator. Feed once a week or so.
For bread, add to the starter that's left in your large, plastic bowl: warm water, oil, salt, sugar, if using, and enough flour to make a thick batter. Stir vigorously. Add more flour, a cup at a time, until too thick to stir. Then get in there with your hands and mix, continuing to add flour a little at a time until all flour is incorporated and you have a stiff dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled (This takes a few hours. Run your errands). Punch dough down and divide into 4 portions (for medium-sized loaf pans). Form into loaves and place in greased pans. Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise again until the loaves are full-sized (This takes a few hours. Take a nap.) Bake at 350º for 30-35 minutes. Bread will be browned on top. Remove from pans immediately and cool on clean dish towel. |
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Number Of
Servings: |
Number Of
Servings:4 loaves |
Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: Mom, I hope this still approximates the way you do it! Here are some tips that come from Mom:
--If you don't have a starter, get one from Mom or from Emily. It is over 100 years old and is a good food storage component since you can make bread without yeast.
--If you forget to feed the starter for a couple of weeks, don't worry. It's probably fine. If your starter seems weak (the bread's just taking forever to rise), sprinkle a little yeast on it to punch it up. The starter will stay strong if it is used regularly.
--Always use glass or plastic (not metal) utensils and bowls with sourdough. If you want to know why, ask Mom.
--In a hurry to get the bread done? Sprinkle some yeast into the warm water when mixing the dough. You can also make the dough rise faster by heating your oven to its warmest temperature, turning it off, and setting the dough inside. You can also do this after you've formed your loaves. Just make sure to remove the loaves before heating the oven for baking!
--Sometimes I feed the starter in the morning and make the dough last thing before bed. By the time I get up, it's pretty sticky but it still makes good bread, or you can use it immediately for scones: roll out, cut and fry. We love it.
--The dough also makes good pizza crust. Omit the sugar. After the dough has risen, divide and roll it according to size and thickness desired. Top and bake immediately at 400', or, to save the crusts for later use, place in pizza pans, prick to avoid air bubbles, and bake at 400' for just 5 minutes. Remove from pans, cool, and wrap in plastic or foil and freeze until ready to use.
--You can also use your starter to make sourdough pancakes (see recipe)
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