Baking with your sourdough starter

PREPARING THE SPONGE ON YOUR BREAD MAKING DAY

All kinds of wonderful things can be made using a sourdough starter. There are endless varieties of breads that you can try. First however, you need to awaken your starter to prepare it for your recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 1⁄4 cup sourdough starter (see recipe below)

  • 3⁄4 cup of unbleached flour

  • 3⁄4 cup of water

Method:

  1. Mix starter, flour and water in a large bowl and mix well, until all of the flour is moistened and the dough has formed a cohesive mass.

  2. Add extra water or flour if needed to form a soft, sticky dough.

  3. Cover the dough and let it rest in room temperature for 12 hours.

Wondering if your starter is ready to use? Do the float test: Drop a teaspoon of bubbly starter in a jar of water; if it floats to the top you can use it.

RECIPE: SOURDOUGH DINNER ROLLS

Ingredients:

  • 1 prepared starter

  • 6 cups of unbleached flour (preferably bread flour/high gluten)

  • 2 cups of water

  • 0.7 oz of salt

  • 2 tbsp oil (for the pan)

sourdough.png

Method:

  1. Mix the dough, flour and water in a large bowl or mixer.

  2. Knead the dough for 5 minutes in the mixer or approx. 10 minutes by hand.

  3. Add the salt and knead the dough until it's smooth and supple, though still somewhat soft and tacky.

  4. Pour the oil into a large baking pan with high edges. Put the dough in the pan and fold it a few times in the oil.

  5. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and leave until the dough has risen double in size (3-8 hours).

  6. Heat the oven to 475°F (250°C).

  7. Tilt the dough onto a floured baking table without kneading it. The less you knead, the more air will be kept in the bread.

  8. Powder with flour and cut out 20 equal sized pieces.

  9. Put the rolls on a baking stone or baking sheet and bake for 8-12 minutes until the rolls are a light golden-brown.

  10. Remove from the oven and continue cooling on a rack.

Danielle DB Wells