Sourdough Bread – Bourdon recipe
Prep Time6 d
Cook Time45 mins
Servings: 2 loaves
Cost: $6
Equipment
- Bowl
- Scale
- Thermometer
- Oven
- Loaf Pan
Ingredients
Step 1: Make the starter
- 500 g Organic Fresh wheat flour
- 500 g Organic White flour bread flour if you have it
- 850 g Water filtered is best
Step 2: Refresh the starter
- 100 g white flour e.g., white bread flour
- 100 g fresh wheat or other whole wheat flour
- 20 g starter see previous episode
- 170 g water
Step 3: Make the dough
- Sourdough
- 500 g Fresh wheat flour
- 500 g white flour bread flour preferable
- 200 g refreshed starter see previous episode
- 850 g water
- – 750g water for initial mix
- – 100g water reserved to add later
- 15 g salt
Instructions
Step 1: Make the starter
- Mix the ingredients. Allow to sit at room temperature in a bowl for 4-6 days. May need more time if you have a cold house or if you’re using commercial whole wheat instead of fresh wheat flour. Stir once a day or so. This will be your sour dough starter.
Step 2: Refresh the starter
- Mix the starter into the water.
- Mix the liquid (starter and water) into the flour.
- Kneed lightly for 30 seconds or so.
- Place in a bowl or jar. Mark the height of the refresh so that you can judge the volume improvement.
- Let sit for 12 hours (or so) at room temperature
Step 3: Make the dough
- Combine flours. Dissolve the refreshed starter in 750g of water. Mix dry and liquid until incorporated. Then allow to rest for 30 minutes.
- Kneed the dough for 10-15 seconds every 5 minutes for an hour. Use the reserved 100g of water to wet your hands before handling the dough.
- Add the remaining water and the salt. Incorporate by folding the dough gently. Fold the dough once every 30 minutes for the next 2-3 hours until dough becomes “marshmallow-y” in texture, nice and light and puffy.
- Separate dough into quantities you want to use (e.g., 3 balls to make sandwich loaves, 2 balls to make round bread loaves, 4-6 balls to make pizza). Allow to rest for 15 minutes.
- Shape dough into final shape. Set to proof. This will take between 1 and 4 hours depending on the temperature of your house/ kitchen. You are waiting until the dough doubles in size.
- Pre-heat oven to 500°F. You can place a cast iron pot at the bottom of the oven and allow that to pre-head with the oven. Boil water on the stovetop.
- When the bead is ready place in heated oven. Carefully use a long cup or pitcher to add the boiling water to the cast iron pot in the oven. Be careful that the steam doesn’t rise up to burn your hand. Quickly close the oven door.
- Allow bread to bake at 500°F for 10-15 minutes. Add boiling water every 5 minutes. Bring temperature down to 400°F and continue to bake for 30-35 minutes. Bread should have an internal temperature higher than 180°F when it is done cooking. Remove from the oven and cool.
Excited to try making the bread tomorrow! I had a question on how to keep the remaining starter going. Do I just add back 85% hydrated flour ever couple days?