Sourdough Bread

This is my second attempt. The first ended up rather flat, and while it had the sourdough taste, it definitely wasn't good for much else! So, hopefully the end result you see here is better. I have been reading a lot online about sourdough. Lots of opinions out there! There is a bit of a learning curve ... mostly because I'm not a 'natural' bread baker. But, my waffles and pancakes have turned out wonderful and I felt it was time to branch out.

I was up early again today - 5:30a - so an early start for bread-making (which is a good thing). By 6a, the dough was mixed and ready to sit for its first 90 minute rise. I have such a hard time throwing out ANY starter, so this is a double batch. I split my starter yesterday with the intent of making bread this morning, so that meant I had two cups of starter ... thus the double batch. If all goes well, I'll have two loaves and sourdough buns for supper ~ and snacking.





Mixing the ingredients and forming a nice dough ball were the first steps this morning. As you can see below, the dough rose well during the first 'sitting'.



Next, I divided the huge dough ball into four portions. I formed two loaves and cut the remaining quarters into appropriate portions for buns - I was able to get about 2 dozen buns. (My picture shows 8 portions, but I had to make them a bit smaller for sandwiches. Eight portions would be great for hamburgers, though.)



Next, my formed loaves and buns are shown.





The formed loaves and buns sit for another 60 minutes to double in size, once again.



The tops are slashed on the loaves and they are ready to bake. Only time will tell ...



Buns into the oven, too. I'll try baking for 15 minutes and then check for doneness on the buns. (15 minutes is the perfect amount of time)



The loaves are done and nicely browned. They will need to cool just a bit and then I'll test a slice with rhubarb jam (courtesy of Grandma Golden Acres).



Sweet Success! The bread is delicious!! The buns turned out nice, too. I brushed the tops of the loaves and buns with butter after they came out of the oven. The best bun-maker in my hometown used to do that; I'm not sure why, but it tastes good.



Rustic Sourdough Bread
Source: King Arthur Flour
Yield: 2 loaves

Ingredients:
1 cup (8.5 oz.) "fed" sourdough starter
1 1/2 cups (12 oz.) luke-warm water
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbls. sugar
2 tsp. instant yeast
5 cups (21.25 oz.) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients, kneading to form a smooth, soft dough, adding a bit of additional flour if needed. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 90 minutes.

Divide the dough in half and shape into two oval loaves. Place on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise till very puffy, about 60 minutes. Slash the tops, and bake in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven, and cool on a rack.