Sourdough

Sourdough is growing in popularity, and for good reason. Fermented foods to feed your gut are having their moment, and while the beneficial bacteria in sourdough are destroyed in the baking process, the partial digestion of the gluten in the dough before baking leads to improved digestibility of the bread. Also, it’s delicious!

When I first started making sourdough four years ago, I used to add a teaspoon of yeast as an “insurance policy.” I’m not sure where along the line I started to trust my starter and myself enough to drop the yeast, confident that I knew what I was doing and my bread would rise.

These days I loosely measure, never weigh ingredients, and go by feel more than anything. My bread may not come out exactly the same each time, but I don’t mind. I prefer the flexibility and ease over a uniform result. And it serves as a reminder to myself that baking, like medicine, is as much an art as it is a science.

My recipe:

3/4 c active, bubbly starter*

1 cup room temperature water

2 Tbsp olive oil

4 cups bread flour

pinch of salt

In a large bowl stir together starter, water, and olive oil. Add flour and salt and work together until forms a smooth ball. May need to add more flour if dough is too sticky or more water if too dry. Cover with saran wrap and towel and let rise overnight in a warm spot (may need longer if house is chilly). Divide the dough, fold and shape, place into parchment-lined loaf pans and proof 1-3 hours on the counter (again depending on room temperature). Score and bake, covered, 10-15 min at 450F then uncover, decrease oven temp to 400F and bake another 10-15. Could also make one large loaf baking 20 min at each temp. Let cool completely before slicing.

*I typically store my starter in the refrigerator and pull it out to feed it a few days before I plan to make bread. This way I don’t have to feed and discard every day.