Making a Sourdough Bread Loaf from Scratch
✦ Learn the ancient and ancestral practice of bread making - from scratch. ✦
Nothing feels more empowering than growing and making your own food by hand. It's what our ancestors have done for generations and many of us have been called back to this rite of passage to once again be self and community reliant by living off the land.
Buying store boughten bread (typically laden with extra sugar and preservatives!) is now a thing of the past. Once you learn how easy it can be to make your own bread, you will never go back. Especially when you learn the numerous health benefits to Sourdough, especially to those who are typically gluten sensitive.
✦ The recipe ✦
*You'll need a large glass or ceramic mixing bowl, a wooden or silicone spoon, a kitchen scale, a Dutch oven or corningware with a lid, parchment paper, freshly fed sourdough starter, salt, water, & flour (all purpose, bread, or whole wheat flour are my most used!)*
✦ Begin by weighing out 270 grams of Flour (I like to use 100 grams of whole wheat, 100 grams of all purpose, and 70 grams of bread flour for a nice, spongey texture but feel free to play with what tastes best to you!)
✦ Weigh out 200 grams of room temperature or slightly warm water and add it to your flour, mixing well using either your spoon or hands (I find hands works best to evenly distribute everything, I find this to be easiest if I wet my hands before working with the dough, and regularly while folding if it sticks)
✦ Add 5 grams of fine sea salt and mix
✦ Let sit for 20 minutes to allow the water to be absorbed into the flour (this isn't necessary, but does help)
✦ Weigh out your 50 grams of freshly fed Sourdough Starter and mix it thoroughly into your flour and water, using the spoon or your hands (freshly fed starter is referring to starter that was fed 12 or more hours previous, has been sitting at room temperature and is currently bubbly and active)
✦ Now that your dough is thoroughly mixed together, let it sit in the bowl for 20 mins and then do one round of stretch and folds, cover with a damp tea towel or cling wrap and let sit for 1 hour
✦ Continue this process of stretching and folding every hour for up to 4-6 hours (or even up to 8+ in winter) until the dough is nice and risen with air bubbles
✦ Gently remove your dough onto a lightly floured surface (your counter or parchment paper) top side up, flouring the top while tucking the sides of the loaf underneath itself to create a nice round roll shape
✦ After shaping your loaf, place face down in a lightly flour banotan basket or a bowl with a tea towel and cover with a plastic bag or something that will prevent the loaf from crusting over, or being touched by the covering and leave in your fridge overnight or for 12-16 hours
✦ When you're ready to bake, preheat your oven at 420° F with your Dutch oven or corningware inside to get it nice and hot - while this is happening, I remove my loaf from the fridge and basket, get some parchment paper prepped with a bit of flour and gently place my loaf with the seam side down (the top side should be nice and round) over the floured parchment paper and lightly flour the top
✦ Using a sharp knife or razor, score, or cut lines into the top of your loaf to allow the air to get into the center of the loaf while baking
✦ Place your loaf into the now hot Dutch oven with the lid on and bake for 15 minutes
✦ Remove the lid and continue baking for an additional 30 minutes or until golden brown and crispy on the outside, while still feeling spongey if you press on it
✦ Remove from the oven and Dutch oven and allow it to cool before cutting yourself a slice of your first loaf - and enjoy the fruits of your labor! Tastes extra delicious with local butter and honey ♡
✦ Have Sourdough questions or recipe requests? Leave them in the comments! Sourdough starter care coming soon!
*original recipes are inspired a mix by Mary Grace & Farmhouse on Boone, I used a bit of inspiration from them on my bread journey and have to give credit where credit is due!*