Written By Michelle Nicholson
Once you have an active starter it is time to begin using it, and where better to use it first than in a loaf of bread? There are about a million ways to make sourdough bread today I am going to share with you the most simple version that yields great and consistent results.
So 1) active starter, 2) a dutch oven. This is really important to me, you can try to simulate the same effects of the steam by adding water to a pan in your oven while the bread is baking but at home, a dutch oven is really what you are looking for. The reason is simple, the crust. To achieve that crispy golden crust you want all that steam that comes out of the bread when it hits the hot oven to shoot up at the top of the dutch oven, hit the surface, and come right back down. It also helps your bread cook more evenly since you are essentially baking it in an oven, within an oven.
Now that we have all the tools, lets make bread. This recipe will walk you through a single large loaf of sourdough that will fit in just about any dutch oven.
Your bread should be very bubbly and much larger when you are ready to shape it. Dump the whole bucket onto a floured surface and gently pinch it into a ball shape, similar to the way you would make a dumpling, pulling the edges of the bread to the center until there is a crease on one side and a smooth surface on the top. Now you will want to take a banneton basket sprinkle it with flour and gently place the dough, smooth side down into the basket. Allow that to rise for about 45 minutes, at which time you can preheat your oven and the dutch oven to 425 degrees. The bread should be puffing out a bit of the basket and you are ready to score and bake.
SO one more time…
150g starter
350g room temp water
500g flour
12g salt
That’s it! A super simple sourdough that contains approximately 100 less ingredients than anything you can get in the store!
Happy Baking!
Michelle Nicholson
