Sourdough Bread

Based on

ilovecooking.ie: Sourdough Masterclass with Patrick Ryan

Ingredients

Method

Day 0: The evening before - Waking up the sourdough

If needed, take the sourdough out of the fridge and feed it. Leave at room temperature overnight.

Day 1: 8am/9am - Feeding

1. Feed with 100g flour and 100ml water and leave somewhere warm (like the hot water cupboard)

Day 1: Noon - Mixing and Kneading

1. Check the starter is active enough by doing the float test before beginning.
2. Add the flour to a clean mixing bowl. Mix the salt through the flour. Add the water and sourdough starter to the flour. Combine all the ingredients together to form a rough dough.
3. Turn the dough out on to a clean surface and knead for approximately 10 minutes or until the windowpane effect has been achieved. The dough should be smooth, soft and elastic.
4. When kneading, do not worry if the dough is slightly wet or sticky. Resist the temptation to add any extra flour.
5. Return the dough to the mixing bowl, cover with cling film and allow the dough to prove for 4 hours in the hot water cupboard

Day1: 5pm/6pm - Knocking and Proving overnight

1. Turn the dough onto a clean work surface and knock the dough back. Knocking back the dough simple involves knocking the air from the dough which helps to equalise the temperature within the dough.
2. Form the dough into a tight round ball.
3. Prepare a proving basket by lightly dusting with flour. Place the dough, seamed side facing up, into the proving basket. Loosely cover the proving basket with a clean tea towel.
4. To prove overnight for baking first thing in the morning, place into a fridge and leave overnight.

Using a fridge reduces the temperature of the dough allowing it to prove slower and longer which allows for a greater development of flavour within the dough but also increasing its digestibility. As dough ferments or proves the gluten within the dough breaks down. The longer a dough is allowed to prove the more flavour it will contain and the easier it is for your body to digest.

Day 2: 8am - Baking

1. Preheat the oven to 230ºC. Warm (but not too hot to handle) the oven dish inside the oven a little as well.
2. Carefully turn the dough out of the proving basket onto a clean counter so that it is facing seam down.
3. Using a sharp knife cut the surface of the dough, this is what is known as the baker’s signature. The dough can be cut up to ½ cm deep. (This isn’t just for aesthetics, scoring the bread also helps control where and how it rises while baking).
4. Flour the inside of the crock pot and place the dough inside it. Cover with the lid and put in the oven.
5. Bake for 25 minutes then remove the lid from the Pyrex dish and continue to bake, uncovered, for a further 25 minutes at 200°C until a good crust has formed and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the base.
6. Once baked remove the bread from the dish and allow to cool.