The Gourmet Mama

I’d never tried sourdough before I made this bread and expected it to be hard and heavy. This fluffy white loaf totally surprised me, but its tang and light texture convinced me that this is a bread recipe I’ll be using for a long time to come!

If you don’t have access to sourdough starter, I’d suggest you take a look at this site which has everything you could ever want to know about making your own. Or you can just buy your own sourdough starter.

Sourdough Bread

Makes 2 loaves

1.5 c. starter
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
1.5 c. warm water
1 tsp. salt
4-6 c. flour

Keep in mind that all starters are different. Yours may be thicker than mine was, so use your best judgement when mixing.

Stir the starter, oil, water, sugar and salt together until well mixed. Add flour until you can knead the bread into a ball that holds its shape . . . it shouldn’t spread and flatten once you lift your hands away.

Put the ball into a greased bowl and cover. Let rise in a warm place for 8-12 hours. Rising overnight is perfect.

Knead the bread for 10 minutes to make sure the gluten is broken down. Use a timer since 3 minutes of kneading can feel like ten!

Split the dough in half and form each half into a loaf. You can put them on a cookie sheet or in loaf pans. Slash the tops with a sharp knife and let rise for another 2-4 hours in a warm place.

Bake at 350° for 45-60 min. or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

TIP: If your house is chilly, try preheating the oven slightly and putting the dough in there to rise. Make sure it’s warm, but not hot though or you will kill the yeast in the bread.

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