NW Ferments

EXTRA-TANGY SOURDOUGH BREAD (FROM KING ARTHUR FLOUR)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup “fed” sourdough starter (active and bubbly, any variety is fine)
  • 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
  • 5 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons salt

Instructions

  1. Combine the starter, water, and 3 cups of the flour. Beat vigorously for 1 minute.
  2. Cover, and let rest at room temperature for 4 hours. Refrigerate overnight, for about 12 hours.
  3. Add the remaining ingredients: 2 cups of flour and salt. Knead to form a smooth dough.
  4. Allow the dough to rise in a covered bowl until it’s relaxed, smoothed out, and risen. Depending on the vigor of your starter, it may become REALLY puffy; or it may just rise a bit. This can take anywhere from 2 to 5 hours. Understand this: sourdough bread (especially sourdough without added yeast) is as much art as science; everyone’s timetable will be different. So please allow yourself to go with the flow, and not treat this as an exact, to-the-minute process.
  5. Gently divide the dough in half.
  6. Gently shape the dough into two oval loaves, and place them on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and let rise until very puffy, about 2 to 4 hours. Don’t worry if the loaves spread more than they rise; they’ll pick up once they hit the oven’s heat. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F.
  7. Spray the loaves with lukewarm water.
  8. Make two fairly deep diagonal slashes in each; a serrated bread knife, wielded firmly, works well here.
  9. Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes, until it’s a very deep golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and cool on a rack.

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