Sourdough recipe that requires very little effort but yields great results! Great for newbies to the world of Sourdough (myself included).
During lockdown I decided to overcome my fears and enter the world of bread making! I started with organic Rye flour (as this is what I had in my cupboards) and it is safe to say although it tasted delicious, the loaf was dense enough to commit a crime! So on I went with my search for a simple sourdough recipe... turns out true Sourdough takes ALOT of time and dedication. This of course is what makes it so delicious but I wanted to find a recipe that could fit in to day to day life when we return back to normality.
EMILIE’S EVERYDAY SOURDOUGH
"New to homemade sourdough bread or simply improving your craft? Emilie’s Everyday Sourdough from her book Artisan Sourdough Made Simple is a fabulous starting point for new sourdough bakers or simply to hone your sourdough skills."
I stumbled across a blog Vanilla And Bean who had found just this recipe and I can confirm it does not disappoint!
RECIPE
50g Active starter
350g Warm water
500g Strong Bread Flour
9g Sea Salt
EQUIPMENT
Dutch Oven - cast iron pot with lid that can go in the oven on a high heat
Proofing basket - a bowl with a clean tea-towel works as a substitute
Bread Lame - this is used to score the bread (not essential but yields the best results, can also use sharp knife or Stanley knife)
METHOD
Mix your starter into the warm water
Then combine flour and salt - this does not need to be perfect but ensure all the flour is incorporated
Cover and leave to rest for 30 mins - I use clingfilm but you could also use a tea-towel
Stretch and fold the dough in the bowel, do this for about 15 seconds until you feel the dough tightening up. To do this, take an edge of the dough, fold it over and press it into the centre with your finger tips - repeat rotating the bowl.
Leave the dough to bulk rise, covered overnight until it has doubled in size. Mine tends to take between 10-12 hours depending on the temperature of the room. The warmer the room the faster the bulk rise.
Tip the dough onto a floured work surface and shape with your hands into a ball. To shape it into a ball, start at one edge and fold the dough over towards the centre. Turn the dough and repeat until you have come your starting point. Now gently flip the dough over and let rest for 10 minutes, or until it is flattening at the edges.
Pre-heat the oven with the pot inside as high as it will go, this will be reduced to 230C when the bread is placed in the oven.
Take your proofing basket (or bowl with tea-towel), dust generously with flour. Scoop your ball of dough up with the edges of your hands and place into the basket seam side up.
Cover the bowl and let rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour, this is the second rise. The dough is ready when it looks puffy and has risen slightly but has not yet doubled in size. I recommend doing the finger poke test at 30 mins - if you poke the dough and it slowly springs back but leaves a slight indentation your dough is ready. If it springs back straight away leave it to proof longer.
Place a piece of parchment paper onto a chopping board, then put this ontop of your proofing basket and flip the whole thing over. Using a sharp knife or a razor blade, score the surface of your dough. Holding the edges of the parchment paper, transfer into the preheated pot and put back into the oven.
Bake at 230C for 20 minutes with the lid on. Remove the lid and bake for another 30 minutes.
If you would like a darker crisper crust, remove the loaf from the pot and bake for another 10 minutes.
Now for the hard part - your MUST let the bread cool for a minimum of 1 hour before slicing! For best results allow to cool completely.