I will go through the steps one by one to make Basic White Sourdough bread.This recipe will make 6 lbs of dough and be at 64% hydration.64% hydration dough is a slightly sticky dough, it will help you to obtain the airy, holey crumb that is so sought after in artisan & sourdough style breads.


I start making sourdough bread around 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. in the afternoon. It is important that you time the bread right and not have it bulk fermenting, or refrigerated too long. My sourdough starter is at 166% hydration (which is equal volume of flour/water or more accurately, 8.3 oz of water and 5 oz of flour).


The starter is vigorous and has been fed the night before. I like to weigh all of the ingredients as I go along. If you make bread by volume only (cup measurements) don't expect to have consistant results.


Measure out your ingredients, adding them to your mixer one at a time.You can also follow these same steps using a large mixing bowl and your hands.

Using my mixer, I start by adding the sourdough starter, then the water and next the oil:

For a three loaf batch add:

  • Sourdough starter 166% hydration- 27 oz (3 cups) 765g
  • Water- 20 oz (2.5 cups) 567g
  • Oil- 1 oz (2 Tablespoon) 28g

For a one loaf batch add:

  • Sourdough starter 166% hydration- 9 oz (one cup) 255g
  • Water-6.7 oz ( 3/4 cup, plus 1 Tbsp, plus 1 teasp) 189g
  • Oil- .3 oz (2 teaspoons) 9g

I then weigh out my flour (for 64% hydration, you would have 47.3 oz of flour or 10.5 cups)I sometimes will use part Bread flour and part All Purpose flour with the A.P. flour comprising about 1 lb of the flour total for this recipe(or about one third of the total flour amount).

For the three loaf batch add:

  • A mixture of All purpose flour and Bread flour-47.3 oz (10.5 cups) 1341g

For a one loaf batch add:

  • A mixture of All purpose flour and Bread flour- 15.7 oz (3.5 cups) 446g

Add the flour to the other ingredients in the mixer and then:

I then turn on my machine on speed setting # 2, and mix for about 2 - 3 minutes. Do not mix longer, you do not need to mix for 8 - 10 minutes like regular dough. If you are mixing by hand, just get your hands in there and mix all the ingredients until incorporated. It doesn't take long. There is no real kneading.


It will ruin the gluten to mix long at this point because the gluten in sourdoughs keeps developing during period of long bulk fermentation.You wouldn't want the gluten to be completely developed at the end of mixing, because then it would be overdeveloped after the bulk ferment.


The dough will look and feel tacky and sticky at this point and will not have much gluten development. To check for right consistancy, press the dough with your finger,it is slightly sticky and the dough just barely clings to your finger,if it feels very sticky and wet, add more flour until if feels right(This takes practice to know when to stop adding flour because the water is still going to be absorbed during autolysis).


Just as soon as the dough is mixed, Turn off the mixer and let the dough Autolyse (rest and absorb water) for 20 minutes.


After autolysis, you will notice a change in the dough, it will be stretchy and shiny.You can actually see the gluten development.


Now its time to add the salt:
On top of the dough,sprinkle the salt( I use Kosher or Sea salt and they need to be weighed as measuring them with a spoon will not be accurate).

For a three loaf batch add:

  • Salt- 1.1 oz (4.5 teaspoons)31g

For a one loaf batch add:

  • Salt -.4 oz (1 3/4 teaspoons) 10g

 

Now I mix the dough for about 1 more minute on the lowest speed to incorporate the salt(# 1 on the Blendtec). Altogether I do not mix the dough more than 5 minutes total.


In the autolyse method, developed by Professor Cavel, the salt is not added until after the autolyse period to allow the enzyme action to continue uninhibited by salt.However, since it is easier to incorporate the salt at the beginning when you add the water, you can add it then- if you wish. Try both ways and see which outcome you prefer.


Leave the dough in the bread machine and put the cover on.The dough is bulk fermented (or raises) for about 4-6 hours until it reaches the top of the bowl. During this time, I turn on the mixer two or three times and turn the dough down as it is raising. If you are mixing by hand, fold the dough three or four times during the fermentation time.

This is equivalent to folding dough and helps line up and strengthen the gluten strands. Turn the mixer on the lowest setting, and only allow the hook to turn two to three times. The dough will look like it is trying to crawl up the hook. Do this about every two hours or so. To obtain a sour flavor in the final bread, bulk ferment should be at a temperature between 75 - 80 degrees.


After the dough has doubled, which usually takes 4 - 6 hours (usually 6), pour out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Using a dough scraper, scoop up the sides of the dough and fold to the center, making a ball. Knead once or twice and turn the dough over.


You should have a nice dough ball.The dough is sticky, so handle it quickly and keep the surface lightly floured. You don't want to get too much flour into the dough or you will have uneven streaks throughout your dough from the raw flour which hasn't been fermented like the rest of the dough.


Using the dough scraper, divide the dough roughly into three pieces. You can see that the dough is still sticky inside. Just dust any sticky surface you need to touch with a small amount of flour. Now weigh the pieces. These loaves should all weigh about 2 lbs each.

 

 

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