YOU CAN DOUGH IT!: How to Make Sourdough From Scratch
With its tangy flavor and chewy texture perfect for pairing with your choice of spread, no wonder sourdough is bubbling up just about anywhere.
A perfect mixture of flour, water, and a little bit of science, you, too, can enjoy sourdough right in the comforts of your home.
Create a sourdough starter.
A naturally fermenting mixture of flour and water, a sourdough starter also needs another ingredient: patience. Lots of it. The process of making the perfect starter can take days to a week.
To make your sourdough starter, mix flour and water, set aside. Add another fresh heaping of flour and water and wait again. Repeat this process every day for about 5 days. Over time, your mixture will start to form bubbles and the mixture will rise.
Feed your sourdough starter.
To feed your starter, add flour and water to your mixture. Repeat daily for about 5 days. Your starter should double in volume every day and you should see your starter forming bubbles. Before using your starter, check the texture and its smell. When your starter begins to smell sour and vinegary, it should be ready for use.
Mix the dough.
Mix the sourdough starter and water into a large mixing bowl and stir to distribute the starter evenly. With a spatula, add flour and salt to the mixture until moist. Cover the bowl and let it rest for an hour.
Stretch and ferment the dough.
With wet hands, scoop up the dough from the bowl and gently stretch the dough to fold it over itself. Repeat the process until the dough forms into a tight bowl. Let the dough rest for about 30 mins then repeat the process.
After the second set of stretch and fold, cover the bowl, and let the dough rest for 7-10 hours. The dough is ready when it doubles in size.
Shape and proof the dough.
Scoop out the dough and gently set it on a lightly floured surface. Gently pull the slides of the dough into the middle until it forms into a ball.
While any flat, smooth surface should work just fine, to add a rustic, artisan finish to your bread, you may also proof the dough in a proofing basket. The Superbaking Bread Basket kit is the perfect baking buddy in a box. Each kit comes with food-safe, quality materials, to help you get started on your baking project:
- 1 Banneton Basket
- Basic baking tools(metal dough scraper, plastic scraper, scoring lame, dough whisk, blade and lame case, liner cloth, plastic brush)
- Guide book
The proofing basket cannot be used for baking. After proofing, move the dough to the baking pan before baking.
Score and Bake
Pre-heat the oven and prepare your dough for scoring. Scoring the dough allows you to control where the bursts occur without destroying your bread. Start with a clean single slash then work your way into creating patterns on your dough.
Pop your dough into the oven for about 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Let it cool and enjoy!
Become a Superbaker with Superbaking Bread Basket and you’ll never go back to buying bread ever again. You can dough it! For more detailed baking recipes, check out here.
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