Once you have a healthy, thriving sourdough starter you are ready to bake bread. Before you start, however, you should make sure you have the right tools. There are many ways to bake your first loaf of sourdough bread. I have found that I get the most beautiful loaves when I allow the bread to rise slowly in a proofing basket (I purchased mine through King Arthur flour), and then cook it on a baking stone set low in my oven.
Here is the recipe I use to make my sourdough bread, adapted from the recipe for "Country White" sourdough bread in Nancy Silverton's book, Breads from the La Brea Bakery. I have a special fondness for this book because I feel it is the one that truly taught me how to make excellent sourdough bread. Although I have read tons of books on this topic, it was Silverton's attention to methodology and details that helped me produce truly excellent (not just "good") sourdough bread. Her method isn't for everyone, however, since she pays more attention to her sourdough than some parents do to their young children (well, not really, but it does seem so sometimes). I have simplified her recipe here a bit, however, to make it easier for beginners.
What You Will Need for Your First Loaf
It is best if you weigh your materials if at all possible, but I'm including cup measurements as well for those that do not have a scale. This recipe makes two round loaves of bread.
Ingredients:
- 12 ounces (or 1 1/3 cups) of Sourdough Starter made from white flour (does not matter whether it is all purpose or bread flour)
- 2 lbs 2 ounces (about 7 cups) of unbleached white bread flour (King Arthur or Gold Medal, preferably)
- 1 lb 2 ounces (about 2 1/4 cups) of water (either cool or at room temperature)
- 1/2 cup wheat germ
- 4 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt
- Instant read cooking thermometer
- Large mixing bowl (at least five quarts)
- plastic wrap
- two proofing baskets
- spray bottle
- large baking stone or baking tiles set on the floor or a low rack in your oven
- baker's peel
- Put the flour into the large mixing bowl, and form a well in the middle. Put the sourdough starter in the well, along with the water and the wheat germ (do not add the salt yet). Mix it either by hand or with a wooden spoon, adding flour or water as needed. You want a slightly sticky, pliable dough. If there is any doubt, try to err on the side of being too wet.
- Knead the dough on a floured surface for about ten minutes, and then let it rest covered with a cloth for about twenty minutes. (This is called the "autolyse" and this rest helps improve the texture of the final loaf). Then sprinkle the salt on top of the dough (do not forget the salt!) and knead the bread for another 10 minutes or so, or until the dough looks satiny, and has a smooth and elastic texture.
- First Rise: Place the dough into a clean ceramic or glass bowl that has been lightly coated with vegetable oil (you can use the same bowl you used for mixing, if you like). Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let it ferment at room temperature (70-75 degrees F) away from any drafts until it doubles in volume (about 3 1/2 to 4 hours).
- Remove the dough from the bowl onto a floured surface. Cut into two pieces, and deflate each piece by pressing or slapping it against your work surface. Tuck the edges under each piece to form roughly into a ball shape. Let rest for about 15 minutes, and then wrap your hands around it and slowly shape into a nice ball shape using your hands. Do not overshape or worry about getting the ball super-compact. Once it is shaped in a ball, place each shaped "boule" smooth side down into a floured proofing basked. Pinch the seam closed with your fingers. Cover each basket with a piece of plastic wrap.
- Second Rise. Let the dough rise for about an hour at room temperature. You should then "retard" the dough in the refrigerator overnight for the best taste (although if you are in a hurry, you can skip this step, although the bread is much better if you retard it overnight). Place the baskets into the refrigerator for anywhere from eight to 24 hours. Then remove them from the refrigerator, remove the plastic wrap and cover with a cloth instead and let proof again at room temperature until the dough is double the size it was when you first put it in the basket. It should probably take about 3 more hours (this is true if you skip the retardation step as well - although it should take less than three hours for it to rise to double the size). Preheat your oven towards the end of the rising period to 500 degrees.
- Slash and Bake. When the boules are ready, lightly dust them with flour, carefully place your hand around the loaf and invert it onto a flour dusted baker's peel. With a knife or a single-edged razor blade, slash the top of the dough. You want to create a thin flap about 1/2 inch deep. Do this with the other loaf as well. Immediately before placing in oven, spray the inside of the oven with water using the spray bottle. This is to generate steam in the oven, which helps make the best loaf possible. Then quickly slide the loaves onto your baking stone or tiles and shut the door. Immediately turn the oven down to 450 degrees, and during the next five minutes, spritz the inside of the oven again with water two more times.
- After the bread has baked for about 25 minutes, check and see if the loaves need to be rotated at all. Continue baking for another twenty minutes (45 minutes total). When the breads have finished baking, then should have a golden brown crust, and have an internal temperature of about 210 degrees (you can use the instant read thermometer to check this).
- Remove, let cool, and then eat the most wonderful loaf of sourdough bread ever!
