Description
Sourdough bread is made from flour, salt, and water with no added yeast. You can prepare Sourdough bread at home and relish its delicious flavors.
You can choose to bake it in smaller quantities sufficient for one family meal or prepare it in a larger batch and store the excess for future use.
Ingredients
Scale
- 500 grams flour of your choice
- 200 grams of active sourdough starter
- 240 ml water, lukewarm
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl and make a well-like dip in the center.
- Combine sourdough starter and lukewarm water separately in another smaller bowl. Pour this mixture on to the well you made in the flour and mix well.
- Stir the mixture slowly to work the flour to form a soft dough. You may add extra water if the dough feels crumbly and dry or some extra flour if the dough feels sticky.
- Sprinkle some flour on the work surface and place the dough on it. Knead it well for 10 to 15 minutes or until it becomes elastic and pliable.
- Place the dough back into the large glass bowl. Cover it with a muslin cloth or a tea towel.
- Allow it to rest at room temperature for about 3 to 8 hours until the dough rises to double its original size.
- Dust the work surface lightly with flour and place the risen dough on it. Press and knock the dough with your knuckles to bring it to its original size.
- Then, cup your hands gently around the ball of dough and slowly, bring them closer underneath the dough. Shape it using gentle pressure to form a tight ball.
- Cover it with a tea towel and leave it to rise for another 2 to 6 hours or until doubled in size.
- Put a cast-iron pot with a lid in the oven, about 30 minutes before the rise is over. Preheat the oven to 400°F keeping the fan on.
- Once the final rise is over, remove the cast-iron pot from the oven. Transfer the dough from the bowl to the pot gently while supporting it with your hands.
- Cut 2 to 4 shallow slashes on the dough using a sharp knife to allow the bread to rise during baking. Place the lid on the pot and keep it back in the oven. Bake for about 30 minutes on 200°C keeping the fan on.
- Remove the lid and continue baking for another 15 minutes or until the crust appears golden brown.
- Once done, leave the bread on a wire rack and allow to cool for about 30 minutes.
- Serve it once it cools to a temperature suitable for consumption or store it for future use. You can store the bread for up to 5 days.
