Easy 3 Ingredient Basic Sourdough Bread

Basic Sourdough Loaf

I've toyed with sourdough over the years. Admittedly, I've killed a few starters. Fortunately, it's easy to make a new sourdough starter if you find you've neglected one too long or contaminated it. You can find simple instructions HERE.  Or better yet, find a friend who will share her starter.

My current starter is six years old and going strong. I don't feed it daily. I don't measure or weigh the flour and water accurately when I do feed it. It has been ignored for weeks at a time, and it is still a healthy starter. I just don't stress over it, and it rewards me every time I use it.

So, with that pep talk out of the way, here is a recipe for a basic sourdough loaf. I'll share ways to embellish it with sweets or savories later.

Basic Sourdough Bread

1/4 C Active Sourdough Starter (the gurus say to feed your starter 24-48 hours prior to using, but I kind of fly by the seat of my pants. I usually feed mine 2-3 hours before using and guess what? It works just fine.)

1 1/2 C warm water (95 - 100 degrees. It doesn't need to be filtered, and you don't need a thermometer. Just don't get your water so hot that you kill the starter.)

4 1/4 C flour (I don't have the room or the patience to store all-purpose flour AND bread flour, so I just use all-purpose flour.)

1 1/2 tsp salt

Four simple ingredients. That's it!

I always begin with my starter at room temperature. If it has recently been fed, I use it as soon as it warms up. If not, I feed it with equal parts flour and warm water. As soon as it's nice and bubbly and has increased in volume, it's ready to use. This usually takes a couple hours or so depending on the temperature of your kitchen, weather, etc.

Stir down your bubbly starter before beginning the dough.

In a large plastic, glass, or ceramic bowl, dissolve the 1/4 C starter in 1 1/2 C warm water.

Guess what? You can use more starter if you desire, or if like me, you've fed it too generously and it's growing out of its container!

When the starter is dissolved, stir in the salt and then add the flour. I add about half and combine with a rubber or wooden spoon. Then continue to add the remaining flour. You'll want to finish combining the dough with your hands to get it all incorporated. Dampen your hands slightly to avoid sticking.

Work the dough just until it begins to appear smooth. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth (don't let the cloth rest on your dough) and place in a warm location. When it's wintery weather, I use my oven. Warm it slightly and turn it off before placing the dough inside. Let it sit (proof) for 30 minutes - or an hour, or until you remember you are making bread!

Remove the dough and work it a bit more. This is where a rubber spoon or scraper comes in handy to remove ALL the dough from the bowl. If you are adding savory ingredients, you can do it now. I like to add the sweet things right before the last proofing. On a floured surface, stretch the dough a few inches and fold the stretched piece over itself, working in the savory goodies. Do this about 4-5 times. 

Shape the dough into a round loaf and return it to the bowl, covering with a damp cloth. Allow to proof for several hours. Overnight is easiest. You can mix your dough a couple hours before bedtime and do the last shaping in the morning. If you plan ahead, you can complete a loaf in one day, but you'll want to get it mixed up early in the day by feeding the starter or setting it out the night before so it's ready to go.

After your loaf has proofed for several (6 -10) hours remove it gently from the bowl and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes. If you are adding sweet ingredients like cinnamon, sugar, or dried fruit, do it now. Using the stretching and folding technique, work the dough one last time, folding in added ingredients. 

Shape the dough into a nice round loaf. Coat a cloth large enough to cover the inside of the bowl with a light layer of flour - a woven dish towel works well. Line the bowl with floured side up. Place the loaf back into the bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and allow it to proof 1 hour.

After one hour, heat your oven to 435 degrees. 

Remove the damp cloth and use parchment paper to cover your dough bowl. Gently invert the bowl so the loaf drops onto the parchment paper. This might take some practice. Don't panic!

Using a serrated knife (unless you are fancy and have all the latest sourdough gadgets) score your dough

Score and place in dutch oven

as desired. The easiest and probably my favorite is a crisscross cut about 1/2 inch deep in the top. Make the cuts about 5-6 inches long.

Lift the loaf using the parchment as a liner and place in a cast iron or ceramic Dutch oven. I prefer ceramic. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 400 degrees, remove lid and bake for approximately 30 minutes more. Temperatures and times will vary depending on elevation, dough density, and humidity. Keep an eye on it and allow yourself a learning curve. After all, you're only out some flour and salt! 

This is the hardest part - when the dough is finished, allow it to cool completely before slicing. I know! It's a challenge, but slicing it while warm, though tempting, can make that fluffy loaf fall. 

If you are a better planner than I am, and pull it from the oven just before dinner, go ahead and eat it warm!

Now that you have perfected your basic sourdough loaf, you can begin to create sweet and savory loaves like Cheesy Garlic Bread and Cinnamon Craisin Bread. I'll share tips for these in a future post.

Good luck in your quest and please, come back and let me know how your bread skills are coming along.

Find more of my favorite recipes HERE.

Question: Do you have a recipe to share?  Comment below.

Running Granny Green encourages women, especially grandmothers, to gain greater fitness by providing tips and inspiration to insure long years of joyful grand-parenting. The cookie recipes are a bonus!

Happy Running!

- Carol aka Running Granny Green

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