SOURDOUGH BREAD

Adapted from the beginner's loaf on The Perfect Loaf

Feed the sourdough starter the night before starting the below recipe.

9:00 am        LEVAIN

                    19 g mature starter           50%

                    19 g whole wheat flour    50%

                    19 g bread flour               50%

                    38 g water                       100%

13:00 pm    AUTOLYSE

                    386 g King Arthur bread flour

                    57 g whole wheat flour

                    26 g rye flour

                    325 g water

14:00 pm     MIX

                    Add 9 g salt and levain to autolyse bowl and pinch together for a minute.  

                    Rest for 30 minutes.

14:30 pm,    BULK FERMENTATION

15:00 pm,    Perform 4 sets of stretch and folds, each separated by 30 minutes.

15:30 pm, 

16:00 pm

16:30 pm    SHAPING AND COLD FERMENTATION

                   Make an envelope fold with the dough, then fold widthwise and pinch closed. 

                   Turn the ball so the seam is on the bottom and make the surface taut.

                   Place seam up in a cloth lined bowl, and cover.  Refrigerate until morning.

                   THE NEXT DAY

8:30 am      Preheat oven to 450°F with lidded dutch oven inside.

9:30 am      Flip dough upright onto parchment paper, score surface of dough with lame.

                   Place ceramic baking weights into preheated pot, add dough using parchment.

                   Spray liberally with water, close lid, and bake for 25 minutes.

                   Remove lid, lower heat to 400°F, bake 25 more minutes.

                   Rest until cool, then cut and enjoy or slice completely and freeze for toast.

                   

                    

SOURDOUGH FOCACCIA

Adapted from Alexandra Cooks, with topping from Dee's Little Kitchen

Ingredients:

50-100 g mature sourdough starter

430 g lukewarm water

510 g bread flour

10 g kosher salt

3 T olive oil, divided

Brine topping:

3 T warm water

1/2 t kosher salt

1 T olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1 t dried oregano

1 t herbes de Provence

Parmigiano reggiano, grated

Method:

Mix the starter, water, flour and salt with chopsticks in a large bowl, until the dough comes together.  Cover and rest for half an hour. Using wet hands, fold and turn the dough until it gains shape (8-10 times).  Repeat every half hour 2 more times.

Cover and allow to double in size, or just rise for 4 more hours. 

Place 2 T oil in a 9" x 13" pan.  Knock the air out of the dough and fold it one more time, forming it into a rectangle.  Place in the oiled pan, fold side up, then flip over and gently encourage it toward the corners.  Top with another 1 T oil.   Cover and allow to rise 2 -3 hours, or until doubled again.  

Preheat the oven to 425°F.  Dimple the dough with your fingers.  Combine topping ingredients, aside from cheese, in a medium bowl.  Sprinkle dough with topping, adding cheese last, to taste.  Bake for 25 minutes, remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes before eating.

BASIC SOURDOUGH LOAF

 Adapted from The Perfect Loaf

9:00 LEVAIN:
19g mature starter
19g whole wheat flour (or spelt)
19g bread flour (or rye)
38g water

13:00 AUTOLYSE:
386g bread flour
57g whole wheat flour
26g rye flour (or spelt)
326g water


14:00 MIX:
9g sea salt

levain

autolyse

14:10-18:10+ BULK FERMENTATION

rice flour

cloth lined bowl or brotform

Perform 4 sets of stretch and folds, or other folds, each separated by 30 minutes.  Shape, cover, and allow to ferment in a rice flour dusted, cloth lined bowl or brotform until the dough jiggles.  Place in the fridge to continue fermenting overnight.

 

The next morning:

large dutch oven

cornmeal

parchment paper

lame or razor blade

spray bottle

baking sheet

Arrange your oven racks so that they are on the two lowest settings.  Preheat the oven with the dutch oven inside, to 425°F for at least an hour.  

Remove the dough from the fridge, turn it out onto a parchment lined plate, and score it.

Remove the dutch oven from the oven - carefully! - and remove the lid.  Sprinkle a layer of cornmeal on the bottom, place the parchment with the dough on top, spray around the edge with water, and close the lid.  Replace in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.

Remove the dutch oven lid - carefully, avoiding hot steam! - and place a baking sheet on the lower rack.  Turn the oven down to 400°F, and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until the bread is well browned.

Allow the bread to cool completely (this takes a number of hours!) before cutting into it, otherwise the steam will escape, causing the bread to dry out and become gummy. 

Slice and freeze, then toast and enjoy!

SOURDOUGH DISCARD MULTIGRAIN CRACKERS

Recipe modified from these Ritz-esque crackers

Ingredients:

60 g AP flour

80 g whole wheat flour (could be blend of spelt + whole wheat)

1 T baking powder

1 T sugar

1 1/4 t salt, divided

8 T cold butter, divided

2 T oil

240 g starter

Assorted seeds:

1 T ground, 1 T whole flax seeds

1 - 2 T millet

1 - 2 T toasted sesame seeds

Methodology:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Combine dry ingredients and 3/4 t salt in food processor.

Add 6 T butter and oil and pulse until the texture looks like cornmeal.

Add starter to the food processor.  Dough should form a ball and pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Divide dough in half and roll out on parchment paper to 1/8", or until the paper is covered.  Cut into crackers with a knife or pizza wheel and dock with a fork.

Bake 10-15 minutes, or just until the crackers at the edge begin to brown.

Meanwhile, melt remaining 2 T butter and brush crackers with butter upon removal from oven.  Sprinkle immediately with remaining 1/2 t salt.

Consider adding sun-dried tomatoes with the butter and oil