Sourdough starter and bread recipes.

First it was toilet paper followed by respiratory masks and sanitary disinfectants. Now, three weeks later there's a shortage of latex gloves, hair dye, home barbering kits, eggs and bread yeast.  The shortage of yeast came as a complete surprise to me but apparently people are staying home more and shopping less often. Home baking has become a very popular pastime during this Covid19 isolation crisis.

Not to be outdone, I decided it was time to fire up the outdoor oven and make bread.

Our wood-fired brick oven at Lac la Nonne

I was inspired to build a brick oven in 2002 after reading 'The Bread Builders' by Alan Scott and Dan Wing. Included in the book was a basic set of plans for a restaurant style pizza oven. The oven is designed to be wood fired for 4hrs. The remaining ashes are then raked out and the oven floor is swept clean. The oven design combines high-density fire brick and cement for heat absorption with high-tech ceramic and glass fiber insulations for heat retention. Once fired to 800 degF,  it can be used for continuous baking for 3 days and nights without reheating. Since completion of our outdoor oven in 2003, we've baked almost everything imaginable in it. On the hearth we've baked pizzas, breads and rustic crackers and in various pots, pans and cookie sheets we've baked beans, stews, pork ribs, beef roasts, chickens and even turkeys.

Here are a  few tips, observations and opinions from my bread baking experiences.

• I have a fondness for Sourdough and one way to still bake bread without commercial yeast is to first make a Sourdough Starter. Magically you can create your own starter by simply mixing flour and water. Some people add a few other "optional" ingredients like sugar or honey but all you really need is flour and water. 

• Keep in mind that keeping a starter alive and flourishing is a commitment. It takes a week to get it into a usable condition and it needs a few minutes of your attention every two or three days afterwards.

• Always refresh your started the evening before you plan to bake.

• Get a good electronic weigh scale capable of measuring in grams. Many of the variables will disappear once you start using a scale, as opposed to cups, teaspoons and tablespoons to measure your ingredients. Sifting flour to loosen it up will no longer be needed. Weight is weight regardless of how tightly packed your flour is.

• Get a good quality electronic probe thermometer.

• Salt is important. Salt plays a role in tightening the gluten structure and adds strength to your dough. Salt slows down fermentation activity and helps hold carbon dioxide (bubbles) during fermentation resulting in better volume. 

• Keep your flour supply fresh and avoid overbuying quantities that will get old. 

• I use non-chlorinated bottled drinking water for baking. Not because I have anything against chlorine. It's simply because I have a well and I find that water is too soft.

• Keep a good supply of parchment paper on hand. Parchment paper lessens the need to flour your work surface, peel or cookie sheets.

• Invest in a quality cast iron dutch oven. Buy one with a flat bottom that you can place on your oven racks. Mine is a 12 quart, which is quite large and I love it. Using a dutch oven inside of your regular oven gives you a way to add and retain extra moisture around the dough for the first 15 minutes of baking. The added moisture greatly increases the crust quality and give the loaf more "oven spring". When I bake in a dutch oven I place the shaped boule or loaf on parchment paper and then lower the boule into the preheated dutch oven. I drop 4 ice cubes between the parchment paper and the hot sides of the dutch oven and quickly place to lid on. Slide it into your 450 degF preheated oven. After 15-20 minutes, remove the lid and bake another 15 minutes.

• Use a probe thermometer to check the internal bread temperature. Remove the cooked bread from the dutch oven when you've reach an internal temperature of 200 degF.

• Place your cooked bread on an elevated cooling rack and let it cool for at least 1/2 an hour before slicing. This will give the loaf some time to stop cooking and firm up for easier slicing. 

NATURAL LEAVEN - SOURDOUGH STARTER RECIPE

(Some information was derived from “The Bread Builders” by Daniel Wing/Alan Scott)

DAY #1 (Monday)

Measure 120 grams of fresh unbleached Whole Wheat flour

Variation would be 60 grams of whole wheat and 60 grams of rye flour

Measure and add 120 grams of non chlorinated water (bottled natural spring)

Mix in a 4-6 cup measuring cup with a non metallic spoon, cover with plastic wrap

120g of flour + 120g of water yields 240 grams of inactive leaven

Let sit for 48 hrs at room temperature

DAY #3 (Wednesday)

Retain half (120 grams) and discard remainder of Day #1 mixture

Measure and add 60 grams of fresh whole wheat flour

Variation would be 30 grams of whole wheat and 30 grams of rye flour or organic white flour

Measure and add 60 grams of non chlorinated water (bottled natural spring water)

Mix in a 2 cup measuring cup with a non metallic spoon, cover with plastic wrap

120g of leaven + 60g flour + 60g water yields 240 grams of leaven

Let sit for 24 hrs at room temperature

DAY #4 (Thursday) repeat as per Day #3

Retain half (120 grams) and discard remainder of Day #3 mixture

Measure and add 60 grams of fresh whole wheat flour

Variation would be 30 grams of whole wheat and 30 grams of rye flour

Measure and add 60 grams of non chlorinated water (bottled natural spring water)

Mix in a 2 cup measuring cup with a non metallic spoon, cover with plastic wrap

120g of leaven + 60g flour + 60g water yields 240 grams of slightly active leaven

Let the starter sit for 2 days at room temperature. It should be ready to use by Saturday, 6 days after starting. 

Always retain at least 1 1/2 cups as storage leaven.  Some recipes call for 1 cup of leaven so that won't leave much to keep your starter going. Refresh by adding 1 cup flour and 3/4 cup water.

Allow newly refreshed storage leaven to ferment for 5 hrs at room temperature before refrigerating if it will be used again the following day, 3 hrs if it will be used in 3 days and 1 hr if it will be used within one week. This will prevent it from over-ripening.  Remove from refrigerator 1 hr before you plan to use it.

Discarded starter can be pan-fried like pancakes until crispy. Add chopped green onions, sesame seeds and salt to one cup of discarded starter.  Cut into bite size pieces and dip in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Robert’s SOURDOUGH

Almost all sourdough is based on the following proportions.

100% Flour

65 - 75% Water

15%  Starter (storage leaven)

1.8 – 2% Salt

FYI:  The following recipe with yield 3 kilograms (6.6 lbs) of dough. Enough for 2-3 loaves

Day #1 7PM (making the 1st leaven sponge) Tonight you'll make 500 grams of 1st sponge by expanding a small amount of your natural leaven starter.

• From your storage jar measure out 150 grams of starter into a medium size mixing bowl.
• Thoroughly mix in 150 grams water and 200 grams whole wheat flour.
• Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and let this ferment on the counter overnight (8 to 12 hours)

Day #2 8AM (making the 2nd leaven sponge) This morning you'll make the 2nd sponge by expanding the 1st sponge to 1520 grams

• Thoroughly mix in 420 grams of water and 600 grams of whole wheat flour
• Cover and let this ferment on the counter for 7-8 hours

Day #2 4PM (Mixing the finished dough) This afternoon you will make 3 kg of finished dough by doubling the amount of your 2nd leaven sponge.

• Thoroughly mix in 600 grams of 80 degF water and 850 grams of whole wheat flour. Dissolve 24 grams (4 tsp) of salt in the water before mixing in.
• Knead by stretching and folding for 10 to 15 minutes. 
• Cover and let dough rest overnight in refrigerator

Day #3 Baking Day.  
If you have access to a wood fired brick oven go to Option #1, if not, go to Option #2

Option #1, lucky you, you get to start at 6AM

• Remove dough from refrigerator
• Fold and press the dough continuously for 2 minutes, rest for 10 minutes
• Repeat 3 times, letting the dough rest for 10 minutes each time
• Divide and shape the loaves into individual balls or loaves and place on parchment paper or into bread pans for proofing.
• Proof at 75 – 80 degF for 4 – 5 hours.

• 8AM Light a fire in the outside oven approx. 5 or 6 hrs before baking time or preheat your indoor oven to 500 degF and proceed to scoring step.
• Oven brick temperature should be 550 – 570 degF (as determined by IR Thermometer on brick)
• Oven air temp ~460 degF (as determined by IR thermometer on bread pan or objects in oven)
• Test oven floor temp. Spread a sprinkling of white flour on the hearth floor. The flour should not brown for 15 – 20 seconds.
• Score the topside of the loaves with a sharp blade and position inside the oven. Minimize the time the oven door is open to retain heat.
• Bake for 35 to 55 minutes depending on the weight of the loaves.
• Inside loaf temperature should be around 200 degF when ready. (185F-210F)
• Allow bread to cool for at least one hour before slicing.

Alan Scott

1936 - 2009

Option #2, Baking in your kitchen using a gas or electric oven

• Remove dough from refrigerator
• Stretch, fold and press the dough repeatedly for 2 minutes, rest for 10 minutes. If the dough tears while stretching, try to be more gentle. You may have to let it rest longer to warm up a bit.
• Repeat 3 or 4 times, letting the dough rest for 10 minutes each time.
• Divide and shape the loaves into individual balls or loaves and place on parchment paper on cookie sheets or into bread pans for proofing at 75 – 80 degF for 4 – 5 hours.
• Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until 200 degF internal loaf temperature.

Using a Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Baking with a cast iron dutch oven can be dangerous.  Both the lid and the dutch oven are heavy and awkward to handle while wearing oven mitts. 

• If you intend on using a dutch oven, shape and proof your dough in an oiled bowl or floured banneton overnight in the refrigerator.
• Preheat the dutch oven to 450 degF with the lid off.
• The proofed dough should go directly into the dutch oven from the refrigerator. If you allow the dough to warm up, it will soften and loose its shape.
• Invert your proofing bowl or basket over a piece of parchment paper. Minimize any handling of the dough at this point.
• Score the topside of the loaf with a sharp blade. Make your cuts at least 1/2 inch deep. Carefully lift by gripping the four corners of the parchment paper and lower into the hot preheated dutch oven. 
• Drop a few ice cubes into the space between the parchment paper and the hot dutch oven sides.
• Minimize the time the dutch oven lid is off to retain heat and water vapor.
• Slide the dutch oven into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until you reach 200 degF internal loaf temperature.
• I like to use the broiler for the last couple minutes so I can brown the crust a bit.