Sourdough bread is made by the fermentation of dough using naturally occurring bacteria called lactobacilli and yeast. The preparation of sourdough begins with a starter, a fermented mixture of flour and water that produces leavening and develops the mildly sour flavor of the bread. French bakers brought sourdough to northern California in 1849 during the California Gold Rush. It was then taken to Alaska during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898 before spreading across the rest of the country.
Recipe Servings: 20
Prep Time
+ 50 minutes resting
+ 50 minutes resting
Cook Time
30 minutes
Total Time
1 hour 20 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
Sourdough Starter:
Sourdough Bread:
Directions
- Combine the flour and yeast in a glass or ceramic bowl using a wooden spoon. Don’t use any metal spoons or bowls while making sourdough.
- Pour the warm water over the flour mixture and mix well.
- Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap or wax paper.
- Place the bowl in a warm place and let it rest for 48 hours, stirring a few times throughout the two days. After 48 hours the dough can be used or stored in a closed glass or ceramic container in the refrigerator. After the starter is refrigerated and you’d like to use it, remove it from the refrigerator 24 hours before baking so it can activate again.
- Replenish the sourdough starter after you’ve used some by adding 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of warm water to at least ½ cup of the starter.
- Pour the warm milk into a large glass or ceramic bowl and sprinkle the yeast over the milk.
- Add the sourdough starter, oil, sugar, baking soda, and flour and stir together. Knead the dough for 5 minutes. It should be slightly tacky. If it is too wet, add additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time, being careful not to add too much.
- Transfer the dough to a large greased bowl, cover the bowl, and place it in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes or until it has doubled in size.
- Divide the dough into two loaves and place them in greased loaf pans. Cover the pans and let the dough rise for another 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Brush the tops of the dough lightly with oil.
- Bake the loaves for 25–30 minutes. The tops should be golden brown, and the loaves should sound hollow when tapped.
- Remove the loaves from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes in the pans before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For Sourdough Starter:
For Sourdough Bread:
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