Sourdough bread is delicious, with a soft inside and chewy, slightly tangy crusts. Now you can make it yourself with this recipe. First you'll need to make your sourdough starter which takes around 7 days to develop.
Sourdough is a type of bread made using fermented flour and wild yeast. Because of this, it contains lots of good bacteria and results in a tangy flavour and nice, chewy texture.
What can I eat sourdough bread with?
Sourdough bread is tasty and versatile. It's great toasted with butter, or used in a sandwich or a toastie. Due to the chewy texture of sourdough, it's also delicious when dipped into hummus, soup or used to make bruschetta.
Is sourdough bread good for you?
Sourdough is made using natural ingredients that ferment over time. Due to this, sourdough has been said to:
Support gut health.
Manage blood sugar.
Aid digestion.
Contain more nutrients than normal bread.
Reduce the risk of heart disease.
What makes sourdough different to other breads?
Rather than using commercial yeast, sourdough is leavened so the bread naturally rises due to the gas produced during fermentation. This results in bread that is more digestible and nutritious than regular or whole-wheat bread.
5 ingredients9 steps
Vegetarian
Method
Step 1
In a large bowl or the bowl of a freestanding mixer, with the dough hook attached, mix together the flour, starter and water, then add the salt and sugar.
Step 2
Knead the dough on a lightly oiled surface for about 10 minutes or until you can stretch it out thinly until it becomes transparent.
Step 3
Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave in a warm place to prove for about 2 ½ - 3 hours or until it has doubled in size (you may need to leave longer than the advised time)
Step 4
Turn the dough out onto the clean surface to knock it back. You can do this by kneading the dough by rolling your fist and fingers to knock out the air then fold the dough back on itself several times.
Step 5
Split the dough into 2 pieces and shape into 2 round loaves. Place these upside down into a heavily floured bowl or a bowl lined with a floured tea towel. Leave to prove for another 2 ½ - 3 hours or until it has doubled in size. Alternatively you could prove in the fridge overnight.
Step 6
Preheat the oven to 230°C (210°C fan, gas mark 8) and place a baking tray in the base of the oven with about 1 litre of cold water in to create some steam.
Step 7
Turn the loaves onto a baking tray, heavily dusted with flour, or a hot baking stone. Slash the top with a sharp knife.
Step 8
Place the loaves into the oven and bake for 30 minutes then lower the temperature to 200°C (180°C fan, gas mark 6) for a further 15-20 minutes until the loaf is golden brown and the base sounds hollow when it’s tapped.
Step 9
If you don't want to eat both loaves, you can freeze one. Allow to cool completely then double wrap in cling film to protect when frozen. When you are ready to eat, remove from the freeze and bring to room temperature. Wrap in tin foil and warm in the oven for 10-15 minutes to refresh.
Ingredients
MetricImperial
500gAllinson's Strong White Bread Flour
300gSourdough starter
250mlWarm water
10gBillington's Unrefined Golden Caster Sugar
10gSea salt
Utensils
Mixing bowl
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I made a sourdough bread with Alinson Country grain flour and was very pleased with the result. Do you have a specific recipe for using this flour?
Baking Mad
So pleased to hear that you had a great result with this flour. You might like to also try our Farmhouse Country Grain Loaf recipe.
