This post follows my starter recipe that I wrote about yesterday, if you missed it go check it out here. Sourdough is a lovely bread to bake and even better to eat! It has a thick crunchy crust, a firm chewy texture, and a lovely ‘one of a kind’ taste. It is especially delicious with breakfast, but is also lovely when paired with cold meat and cheese. Its distinct flavour is like no other and no other breads, in my opinion, can compare to it. This following recipe is Irish chef and baker Patrick Ryan’s recipe. There are many recipes out there, but I found this one to work the best for me. It always delivers two lovely loaves, and I love the strong sourdough flavour it delivers. This recipe is also super easy and there is no fussing about with ‘dutch ovens’, ‘turns’ or any other funny stuff. So without further ado…
Lovely crusty sourdough recipe:
You will need:
- 500g strong white bread flour
- 300g sourdough starter (from your little pet)
- 250ml water (straight from the tap)
- 10g brown sugar
- 10g salt
- extra flour for dusting
- oil for greasing
- Mix the flour, starter, and water together in a bowl. You can mix it in your mixer with the hook attachment, or you can go old school and burn off some extra calories. Add the salt and sugar, and knead the dough well.
- If you are using a mixer it should take about 5 minutes, and if you are using your bare hands it should take about 10 minutes. When done kneading your dough should be lovely soft and stretchy, and you should be able to stretch it thin enough to do the ‘windowpane check’.
- Put the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with some clingfilm. Leave the bowl in a warm place where the yeast can do it’s job. On a nice summer’s day the first prove should take about 3 hours, whereas on a cold winter’s day it can take up to 6 hours. This dough takes much longer to rise than breads made with dry active yeast, and it does not rise as much either. So grab a good book, be patient, and let your dough do its thing.
- While waiting for your dough to prove, you can prepare your proving baskets/bowls so long. You can either use proving baskets or you can just use any two large similar shaped bowls lined with heavily floured tea towels. If using the latter, before you line the bowls with the tea towels, coat the towels generously with flour and rub the flour into the towels. Once you have placed the tea towels inside the bowls sprinkle them generously with more flour. This prevents the loose sticky dough from sticking to the towels. The more flour the better.
- Turn the dough out onto a wooden board and give it a quick knead to knock it back. Then portion your dough into two equal parts and shape them into two balls. Flour each ball really well and place upside down into the bowls. Place each bowl inside a large clear plastic bag, or cover each bowl with a damp tea towel. Allow the loaves to rest for a further 3 hours. You can also let the dough prove overnight if its is cold, or you can let it prove overnight in the fridge if it is a warm night. This way you can bake your breads first thing in the morning and enjoy them for breakfast.
- Preheat your oven to 220 degrees Celsius (convection oven setting). Turn your loaves out onto a baking sheet or hot baking stones. With a sharp thin knife slice your loaves across the tops 2 or 3 times. Put a few ice cubes in a baking tray and place them at the bottom of the oven to create some steam. Put your loaves in the oven and bake for 35 – 40 minutes. When done, the breads should sound hollow when tapped at the base and the breads should have a dark, hard crust. Allow to cool for a bit before eating.
- Voila! It’s as simple as that!
I hope this inspires y’all to get your sourdough baking on. It is so simple and oh so satisfying. Your friends and family will also be super impressed by your gorgeous, delicious loaves.
Until next time, keep it real!
Comments and questions are welcome!
eat and exhale 