Sourdough: a timeless, proven winner!
This recipe for sourdough bread can web many ways. It makes a perfect sandwich loaf, yet lends depth and flavor to Paninis, grown-up grilled cheese sandwiches (with Smoked Gouda!) and pizza crusts perfect for overflowing mountains of veggie toppings. For example, I have a recipe on the blog for Deep Dish Sourdough Crust pizza that my husband and I enjoy. Umm, LOVE! Especially with Feta!
Basic Sourdough Recipe
Ingredients
- One tablespoon honey
- Three tablespoons melted oil (butter or olive)
- Three quarters of a teaspoon sea salt
- A generous one third cup sourdough starter (a little extra won’t hurt)
- One cup water
- Two cups freshly milled flour, plus more for kneading
The first step
In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Stir until dough is well incorporated. (I like to use a dough whisk for this task; it blends ingredients quickly without over working the dough).
Using a Dough Whisk – Well Made Wellness
Once thoroughly mixed, the dough will appear very wet and sticky…like this.
An Example of a Wet Sourdough – Well Made Wellness
The second step
After you’ve mixed the dough, it’s time to prep it for rising. It’s easy. Plop dough into an oiled bowl, cover with a dish towel or clean shower cap. Place on kitchen counter to ferment overnight.
The third step
Liberally flour your countertop and release dough from bowl onto your kneading surface. Being the ten minute kneading process, adding more flour as necessary to create an elastic, smooth dough. You’ll knead for at least ten minutes, possibly fifteen and will add approximately one to one half cups more flour to the dough during the knead. Don’t be chicken! You will need to add a hefty amount of flour to this super wet dough during the kneading process!
Beginning the Sourdough Knead – Well Made Wellness
Once dough bounces back when poked with your thumb, the gluten is activated and dough ready for its final rise.
The fourth step
Shape into your desired outcome (loaf pan, free form, dinner rolls) and allow to rise again until doubled (four to twelve hours). In the photo below, I quadrupled the recipe to make two loaves and one large pizza crust. You can see that it doesn’t have to be fancy or perfect to be a success!
Shaping the Sourdough – Well Made Wellness
The fifth and final step!
Home stretch! Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush tops of dough with an egg wash, slash lengthwise down the center and bake until internal temperature reached 190 degrees, which will take twenty to thirty minutes. Watch it like a hawk!
PS: This recipe is from Cultures for Health, give or take a couple personal changes. I’m notorious to tweaking recipes!
Enjoy the delicious, nutritious fruit of your time, labor and patience!
With love and butter,
Jessica
“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:5-8 KJV
I definitely will try this! Question: where do you get sour dough starter?
Hi, Becky,
You can find sourdough starter at Breadtopia or Cultures For Health; both are online retailers. You’ll buy dehydrated crumbs which you will rehydrate to form an active culture (alternatively called sourdough starter). Hope that helps!