Sourdough bread baking recipe
Our super easy Sourdough bread recipe straight out of the SauerCrowd fermentation kitchen. Only 4 Ingredients are needed to create this nutritious Sourdough bread which is full of lactobacilli and yeasts.
In order to make your own Sourdough you need to get a Sourdough starter before. Make one yourself with the Sourdough starter recipe by SauerCrowd.
The lactic acid bacteria found in Sourdough bread lower the bread's pH, which helps degrade phytates. Sourdough is also considered to be the oldest form of grain fermentation in the world.
That being said, lets jump right into it.
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INGREDIENTS:
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Tools:
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Why is Sourdough different from bakers yeast?
Most leavened breads use commercial baker's yeast to help the dough rise. However, traditional sourdough fermentation relies on "wild yeast" and lactic acid bacteria that are naturally present in the flour to leaven the bread.
Wild yeast is better to withstand acidic conditions than baker's yeast. This allows it to work together with lactic acid-producing bacteria to help the dough rise.
Is Sourdough more healthy than conventional bread?
The naturally occurring acids and long fermentation help to break down the proteins and gluten. This is making the Sourdough bread more digestible and easier for the body to absorb compared to conventional bakers yeast based bread.
How to do it:
1. Whisk your starter, water, and olive oil in a large bowl. Add the flour and salt while whisking with a wooden spoon. Then Squish everything together with your hands until all the flour is absorbed. Rest (autolyse) for 40 minutes.
2. After the dough has rested, grease your large mixing bowl with a little bit of olive oil and work the dough in the bowl into a rough ball, for about 30 seconds.
3. Second Fermentation
Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel. Leave it in a warm, sunny spot to rise. Your dough is ready when it no longer looks dense, and has increased in volume about 1½- 2x from its initial size. This can take 3-12 hours depending on the temperature of your ingredients, the potency of your starter and surrounding environment.
Give your dough enough time to rise, fermentation is a game of patience. Observe your dough, see how bacteria from the environment can create such alchemy in your mixing bowl without and artificial ingredients.
4. Stretch & fold (not mandatory)
During second fermentation, you have the option to perform a series of ‘stretch & folds’ to strengthen the dough. Simply gather a portion of the dough, stretch it upwards and then fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl ¼ turn and repeat this process two times. You can do this 2 times with at least 1 hour apart during the second fermentation.
Although this step is not mandatory, it will increase the total volume of your bread.
5. Shaping creating air
Remove the dough from the bowl, and place onto a floured large space in your kitchen so that it does not stick. You do not need to ‘punch down’ the dough; it will gently deflate as you fold and shape it.
Add a bit flour on top and start mixing the dough fast with your hands while adding flour as you go to keep the dough not to sticky on the surface.
Perform this process for around 3-5 minutes to kneed air into the dough.
6. Rest (one last rest)
Grease the Dutch oven with olive oil and sprinkle some corn flour or wholegrain flour into it (alternatively oats or seeds). Alternatively, use parchment paper to prevent sticking
Place the dough inside for a second shorter rise, about 1 hour. It is ready when the dough is slightly puffy.
7. Baking (oven pre heated at 200 degrees)
Before the dough goes into the oven make a shallow slash about 2 inches (ca. 5 cm) long on top of the dough. Get creative with slashing shapes (hearts, lines, squares).
Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid, and continue to bake (uncovered) for an additional 10-15 minutes or until deep, golden brown.
8. Cooling
Remove the bread from the oven right after baking, and cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing. Don’t cut too soon or else the inside will have a gummy texture!
Tips:
*During the last 10 minutes of baking, crack open the oven door. This allows the moisture to escape, leaving your bread with a crisp crust
How to eat SauerCrowd on top of your Sourdough - Recipe inspiration here:
Sources & Inspiration
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