Country Style Sourdough Bread is rich with sourdough flavor. This is a basic white sourdough bread, nothing fancy, but a great way to familiarize yourself with incorporating sourdough into your kitchen routine.
Worth your Time
Don’t be intimidated by the process of making sourdough. The routine is easy enough and definitely worth your time. You will need Sourdough Starter to make Country Style Sourdough Bread and you can find the recipe here. For both the starter and the bread recipe, make sure you have plenty of time on your hands!
In this age of fast food and instant meals, is it weird to take almost a full week to produce a single loaf of bread? Maybe. But once you have a batch of ready to use Sourdough Starter available, making the bread is like making any other type of homemade bread.
Remember that sourdough is a fermented bread dough. If you are watching your sugar intake, sourdough bread is easier on your blood sugar levels than conventional breads. Most fermented foods have a lower impact on blood sugar levels.
Improve your Crust
You can greatly improve the crustiness of your Country Style Sourdough Bread by adding some steam to your baking oven. I use the bottom of a broiler tray. Simply place the tray in your oven and heat while the oven is preheating. Make sure the racks in your oven are at the right height to accommodate both the baking bread and the steam pan before the oven is heated. Open ovens lose heat and defeat the purpose of preheating. Once the broiler pan and oven are preheated, place your prepared bread dough in the oven and add ice cubes to the pan underneath. Close oven and do not open again until the bread is baked. The steam will make the crust extra crusty and flaky.
But the real reason you will make Country Style Sourdough Bread again is the amazing flavor. Grilled sandwiches, French toast or garlic bread are all improved with the great flavor of sourdough.
Country Style Sourdough Bread has amazing flavor
- Prep Time: 2.5 hours
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 24 servings 1x
Ingredients
1 cup warm water (240ml)
1 pk active dry yeast (7g)
3 cups sourdough starter (720ml)
½ cup whole wheat flour (64g)
2 ½ to 3 cups bread flour (312g-375g)
1 tbsp. salt (12g)
Flour for kneading surface
Olive oil for greasing bowl
Cornmeal for sprinkling on baking parchment paper
8–10 ice cubes
Instructions
In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and stir until dissolved. Add the sourdough starter, whole wheat flour, 2 ½ cups bread flour (312g) and salt. Mix with a wooden spoon until the dough is stiff and elastic, about 2 minutes.
Flour your kneading surface. Turn the dough out onto the surface and knead for 8-10 minutes until the dough no longer sticks to your hands. Add spoonfuls of flour while kneading if dough seems too sticky.
Grease a large bowl with olive oil and add the kneaded dough. Turn once or twice to coat the dough with olive oil. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise for 30 minutes.
Punch down the dough and reshape into a smooth ball. Return to the greased bowl and cover with the towel. Allow to rise for 30-45 minutes.
For the last time, punch down the dough and reshape into a smooth ball. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle lightly with cornmeal. Place the dough on the parchment paper and cover with the kitchen towel. Allow to rise for 45-60 minutes until doubled in size.
During the last 15 minutes of rise time, adjust the wire racks in your oven to accommodate the bread and a steam pan underneath. Heat your oven to 475°F (246°C) degrees.
Using a pastry brush, brush the prepared bread with water and dust with a sprinkling of flour. Using a very sharp knife or a razor blade, make two vertical slashes on the top of the dough and two horizontal slashes to form a square pattern on top of the bread. Place the empty broiler pan on the bottom rack of the oven for 5 minutes to heat.
Place the ice cubes in a measuring cup. You will need a sturdy pan such as the bottom tray of an enameled broiler rack for making steam.
Place the prepared bread on the middle rack in your oven. Carefully pull out the broiler pan and add the ice cubes. Step back slightly to protect yourself from the cloud of hot steam. Push the pan of ice into the oven under the prepared bread and gently close the oven door. Do not open the oven for at least 10 minutes. Bake for 30-45 minutes. The bread will be ready when the crust is firm and sounds hollow when tapped with your fingernail.
Notes
If using a mixer with dough hooks for kneading, knead for 3 minutes until the dough is springy but does not stick to the bowl. Add spoonfuls of flour while kneading if dough seems too sticky.
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