How to Make Sourdough Bread
Makes : 2 loaves
Preparation time: over 2 hours
Cooking time: 40 mins
Ingredients needed to make Sourdough Bread:
- 10 ½ oz sourdough starter (buy online)
- 1 lb 2 oz white bread flour, plus more for dusting
- ¼ oz brown sugar
- 9 fl oz water
- ¼ oz salt
- Flavorless oil, for greasing
Cooking instructions for Sourdough Bread:
- Pour the sourdough starter into the flour, followed by the water and stir them well together to mix thoroughly.
- Sprinkle salt and sugar into it and continue mix into a soft dough.
- Place the dough into a working counter, dusted lightly with flour, and knead it for about 10-12 minutes or until the dough is stretched so thin that it appears nearly transparent (windowpane effect).
- Place it into a lightly-oiled bowl, and roll it across the sides to grease slightly.
- Wrap it up in a moist kitchen towel and set aside for about 3 hours or until it rises and doubles in size.
- Return the risen dough to the working surface and punch it several times with your knuckles.
- Split it into two equal halves and roll it into two round loaves and set aside.
- Line two bowls with a heavily-floured kitchen towel and set aside.
- Dust each loaf generously with flour and place them, one in each bowl.
- Set aside for another 2 ½ hours to rise again.
- Meanwhile, drop several ice cubes into a baking tin and place it at the bottom rack of the oven.
- Warm up your oven to 450 degrees F while the ice melts to form steam.
- Transfer the dough onto a baking dish and cut out 2-3 slashes across its surface.
- Place it in the preheated oven and bake at the preheated temperature for about 35-40 minutes or until the surface of the loaves turn golden brown and sounds hollow when patted at their bottom.
- Remove from oven and let them rest on the wire rack, until cool enough to handle.
- Slice it into semi-thick slices and serve.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons
