{"id":904,"date":"2020-05-12T13:31:04","date_gmt":"2020-05-12T13:31:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/melbyspost.co.za\/?p=904"},"modified":"2020-05-12T13:31:04","modified_gmt":"2020-05-12T13:31:04","slug":"sourdough-bread","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/melbyspost.co.za\/index.php\/2020\/05\/12\/sourdough-bread\/","title":{"rendered":"Sourdough Bread"},"content":{"rendered":"
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If you really want to make a friend, go round someone’s house with a freshly baked loaf of sourdough bread!<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n


\n~ Chris Geiger ~<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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I can vouch for that quote! Sourdough is the best offering to any friend (or enemy). I have yet to be turned down when messaging a friend with “are you home for a bread delivery”. We all know that there is nothing like the smell and taste of freshly baked bread. This is even more so with sourdough. It is wholesome and has a depth of taste that store-bought bread just doesn’t have. And as I mentioned in my post about making your own Sourdough Starter<\/a>, Sourdough Bread doesn’t necessarily have to taste sour. It’s about the wild yeast that is in the starter and the fact that the only ingredients in a loaf of home-made sourdough are flour, water and salt. The other secret of sourdough bread is in the fermentation of the flour – anywhere from 12 to 24 hours. Sound like lots of work? It isn’t! The dough does 95% of the work by itself – you just have to help it along here and there.<\/p>\n

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The Steps<\/h4>\n

As you can imagine there are quite a few steps in a 24-hour process. Starting with mixing and then on to autolyse, stretch & fold, bulk ferment, preshaping & shaping, retarded final proof, scoring and baking. The steps are not nearly as complicated as they might sound. Each step only needs a few minutes of human labour and the rest is left to the natural process of sourdough fermentation.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Mixing<\/h5>\n

Mixing is luckily an easy one to start off with. I disperse my leaven in most of the water and then add flour and mix until all the flour has been incorporated. At this point I do not add salt – some bakers even leave out the leaven and only mix the water and flour. This is in order for some magic to happen in the next step.<\/p>\n

Autolyse<\/h5>\n

Autolyse (pronounced AUTO-leese) is basically a resting period. Once the dough is mixed, it takes some time for the flour to absorb the water. Absorbing water is what initiates the formation of gluten – the protein in wheat that gives structure to the bread. Your dough would need about 40 to 60 minutes after mixing for this to happen. After the autolyse period, you will already be able to see a difference in the smoothness of the dough. Now you can add the salt and the last bit of water and work the salt into the dough by pinching it with your fingers until all the salt and water has been absorbed and the dough has come together again.<\/p>\n

Stretch & Fold<\/h5>\n

This is a technique that replaces kneading. In my Stretch & Fold <\/a>post there is a video that demonstrates this method. For sourdough, we do four sets of Stretch & Fold in two hours. That means a Stretch & Fold once every half-an-hour. This will create enough gluten structure for a good loaf. You will be able to see how much more silky and smooth the dough is after each set.<\/p>\n

Bulk Fermentation<\/h5>\n

The Bulk Fermentation is the first rise of the dough. We want the yeast and bacteria in the leaven to ferment the flour and create lots of carbon dioxide. This will cause the dough to double in volume. Depending on the temperature in your kitchen this could take two to four hours. But don’t worry that this step takes long. The bulk fermentation boosts the taste and flavour of the bread.<\/p>\n

Preshaping & Shaping<\/h5>\n

Now we can really get started working with the dough. Once the dough has just about doubled in volume, you turn it out on a surface and do a preshape<\/a>. Building some structure in the loaf, but not shaping it yet. Then the dough needs to rest for 30 minutes (called a bench rest) before the final shaping<\/a> of the loaf.<\/p>\n

Final retarded proof<\/h5>\n

We now have a loaf nestled in a floured banneton or loaf tin. The final proof can take 3 to 4 hours before the loaf is ready to bake. The taste of your Sourdough bread will improve with a longer proofing period at a cooler temperature though. So we pop the covered loaf into the fridge for around 12 hours (overnight). This slows down the proofing and allows for lots of fermentation.<\/p>\n

Scoring<\/h5>\n

Seach sourdough on Instagram or Google and you will be amazed by the many scoring designs out there. Scoring (cutting the unbaked loaf with a blade) was historically done to mark bread that was baked in a communal town oven. The carbon dioxide and ethanol that is the result of all that fermentation causes what we call an oven spring when the loaf is placed in a hot oven. This quick, substantial rise due to the ethanol evaporating can often lead to the loaf tearing. Scoring provides a release for the loaf to rise without tearing. This is what creates the beautiful “ear” on a loaf of sourdough.<\/p>\n

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\"Sourdough<\/p>\n

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Baking<\/h5>\n

Ahhh, the final and most talked-about step – we call it baking<\/em> bread after all! The most important points when baking bread is a very hot oven and steam at the start of the baking process to allow for the oven spring. The best way to get steam into a household oven is to put a cup full of just-boiled water into a hot oven pan in the bottom of the oven as you put the loaf in. Another way is to bake your bread in a Dutch Oven or cast iron pot with the lid on. The moisture coming off the loaf is trapped by the lid and keeps the dough soft during the oven spring. Then we remove the lid after 20 minutes (or open the oven door to let the steam out) and finish the baking process which will give the loaf a golden brown colour.<\/p>\n

Just a last bit of patience needed<\/h5>\n

Ready to cut into your warm loaf? Not yet! Let the bread rest for at least 30 minutes after it comes out of the oven. There is still some cooking happening inside your bread, so give it some time. The bread stays warm for quite a while, so you will still get your slice of warm bread.<\/p>\n

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The Reward<\/h4>\n

\"Sourdough<\/p>\n

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<\/div>
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\"Sourdough<\/div>\n\t
<\/div>\n\t<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Print Recipe<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n<\/div>\n

White Sourdough Bread<\/h2>\n
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Recipe for an easy sourdough loaf<\/span><\/div>\n
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Prep Time<\/span>9 hours<\/span><\/span> hrs<\/span><\/span><\/div>
Cook Time<\/span>40 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n
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Course: <\/span>Bread<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n
Servings: <\/span>1<\/span> 850g loaf<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n
Author: <\/span>Melby<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n

Ingredients<\/h3>