I Bake this Country Sourdough Loaf Every Week: Here’s Why.

Country sourdough loaf anyone can bake! Achieve a crisp, golden crust and an airy crumb right from your own kitchen. This is my every day, tried and true sourdough loaf recipe that I have been perfecting for years. In the name of breaking bread, I criticize the crust, scrutinize the crumb, experiment with proofing, shaping, oven temperatures– but wait.

Clear your mind a moment. Remove all thoughts of the jargon that constitutes sourdough bread baking.

Repeat after me: Flour. Water. Starter. Salt.

That is sourdough bread, simply put. I say that with reverence. In Egyptian Arabic, the word bread is anish, which literally means life. “I Am the Bead of Life” (John 6:35) was one of seven metaphors Jesus said to his followers to understand his saving power. Including bread in metaphor would most definitely resonate with a group of people so very dependent on it.

Here we are thousands of years later, still talking about bread. Sometimes, however, in the negative. Bread, like fat, dairy, carbs, have all been villainized. Perhaps, for good reason. Much of the bread consumed today is far from the bread of our ancestors. Let’s go back to the basics. Flour. Water. Starter. Salt. Those are the only ingredients in my country sourdough. This bread is perfect for avocado toast, grilled cheese sandwiches or simply toasted and slathered with butter.

Anyone can bake sourdough.

Let me begin by saying, there is more than one way to bake bread. I am a home baker fanatically seeking the perfect crumb, but I am not a professional. I bake in an oven circa 1999 and use a Dutch oven or a braiser that has a patina coinciding with years of abuse. But I make good bread. Really good bread. So can you. I will dream of a steam injection oven, I’ll continue to read and tweak and study, but this is an awesome loaf of bread. It will impress your friends and family and more importantly, feed them.

Is keeping a sourdough starter worth it?

Sourdough bread begins with sour dough starter. If you have considered giving up on your sourdough starter, consider these facts.

Starter is alive! If you were to view your starter under a microscope, you would see bubbles of wild yeast and bacteria bouncing around. Sourdough bread is good for gut health and easier to digest. Many store bought sourdough breads do not use a starter, but instead, instant yeast.

Starter becomes uniquely yours based on surrounding environment and the flour you feed it. I find this fascinating. I love the smell of my starter. She (She is a she because I said so and I have named her Levee) smells of wine and fresh fields. Every time I smell Levee, I am reminded that this my homeland in a jar. I feel the same way about local honey.

Starter has the ability to outlive you. If passed down, it can become a family heirloom. Just imagine your great, great grandchild baking a loaf of bread with starter YOU started.

Tips in keeping a healthy sourdough starter.

Here are a few tips I have picked up along the way:

• Float test. Test to see if starter is active by dropping a dollop into a glass of water. If it floats, it’s ready.
• Never use all of your starter. I keep at least 3/4 cup. This is called “mother starter.” To feed it, I combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup filtered water to 3/4 cup starter once or twice a week. Sometimes it needs to be fed twice before baking.
• If you haven’t used your starter in awhile, black liquid may cover the surface. This is NOT mold. It’s called hooch. It just means your starter really needs to be fed. I dump the hooch (although, not necessary) and feed my starter a few times.
• The longer you use your starter, typically, the better your results will be. If you just started your starter and your loaves of bread are less than impressive, do not give up!
• Sourdough starter should smell good. Good smells: buttermilk, yogurt, wine, grapes, ripe fruit, earthy, outdoors. Bad smells: rancid, moldy, foul, anything that wrinkles your nose and makes you recoil.
• Starter can be fed a variety of flour. A mix is fine. Typically, I use organic bread flour.

There is a lot to say about sourdough starter. These are just a few key tips.

Flour breakdown.

For my country sourdough loaf, I use three types of flour. Here’s why:

Bread flour. Bread flour has a higher gluten percentage than all purpose. I use a 12% gluten bread flour. More gluten means more protein. You may have noticed on bread flour packaging “high protein flour.” This will help the bread keep it’s structure.

Rye. Rye gives the loaf a stronger, earthy, malty flavor.

Semolina. Semolina is most commonly used for making pasta. I add a small amount because I love the crisp crunch it gives to the crust. Semolina is also a high protein flour, contributing to a beautiful rise.

Making sourdough bread- simple instructions.

Sourdough baking takes planning but I promise, none of the steps are difficult. The steps are spread out between 3 days.

DAY 1.

8-15 hours before (night before works best for me) feed starter.

I combine: 3/4 cup starter, 1 cup bread flour and 1 cup warm, filtered water.

Does water matter in sourdough bread?

Yes! Water does matter when making sourdough bread. It is important not to use chlorinated water (tap water) because chlorine will inhibit bacteria and yeast growth. I have used well water successfully (we have a water softener) but prefer filtered water. Spring water is often recommended. I have heard hard water will result in hard bread.

DAY 2.

Use the float test to determine if starter is active enough for bread making. If the dough doesn’t float, (sorry!) but feed the starter again.

If the starter passed the float test, in a large bowl, combine starter, all flours and warm water. (All exact measurements are below). I start by mixing with a wooden spoon, then, switch to my hands. Work dough lightly, just until it comes together. It will appear shaggy. Cover with a tea towel to avoid the dough from drying out.

In a separate bowl, combine warm water and salt. I use Redmond’s Real Ancient Sea Salt. Let both bowls rest for an hour.

Pour the salted water over the dough. Squeeze the dough to combine. Don’t overthink. Just work the dough by squeezing until the water is absorbed. Cover with a tea towel for 45 minutes.

Stretch & fold tips.

Stretching and folding literally means, stretch the dough and fold it over itself. Wrap up each side like a present. No worries if you are bad at wrapping presents–I am terrible, but I can manage this. Stretching and folding strengthens the gluten in a gentle way and allows the gluten to capture the carbon dioxide gases yeast emits–and that is very important in achieving an open crumb.

45 minutes after the salt was added, perform first stretch and fold. Dampen your hands with water. If the dough is not flexible or is ripping, wait longer in between stretch and folds. The dough will be stretched and folded and total of 5 times, 45 minutes or so in between each time. Try to stick to 45-50 minutes in between stretch and folds, however, don’t fret if your timing is a little off. Sourdough is more forgiving than you think.

It is very easy to lose track of time of how many stretch and folds have been completed. My advice is to use a timer. Also, every time you stretch and fold, make a tally on a scrap piece of paper.

When the dough is not being worked keep it covered with a tea towel in a warm place. My home is kept at 70 degrees. I place my dough on the stove with the overhead light on. This is just what I do, I have heard bakers say they prefer a cooler temperature for bulk fermentation. No one is wrong.

After the stretch and folds are completed, let the dough rest for an hour at room temperature. After the hour is up, the dough should have doubled in size.

Shaping dough.

Lightly flour your work surface and scrape out dough. Split into two equal parts. A scale comes in handy, but I usually eyeball if I’m just baking for my family. Pre-shape the dough. Think of this as the rough draft of shaping. Just a simple turn of the bench scraper to turn the dough into a round shape. Let dough rest for 20 minutes with a floured tea towel over top.

Final shaping.

You’ve reached the home stretch! The goal of shaping the dough is to create a tight, smooth outer layer. Rather than water, I flour my hands for final shaping.

When shaping a round loaf, turn the loaf while simultaneously pulling under to create tension. If the dough begins ripping, you overdid it. Nothing really to do, you will just have to go with it. Then, it is flipped seam side up in a round (boule), floured proofing basket to proof at room temperature. Cover with a tea towel to avoid the dough from drying out.

When shaping an oval loaf, I imagine I am wrapping up a hoagie. It then is flipped seam side up in an oval, (batard) floured proofing basket. Pinch the seam closed and cover with a tea towel to proof at room temperature. Rice flour is recommended if you do not line your proofing baskets.

Fool proof tip for perfectly proofed sourdough.

The best tip I’ve ever come across to test if the dough is properly proofed is to lightly press your finger into the dough. If the dough bounces back quick, (less than 30 seconds) it’s proofed. If it doesn’t, it needs more time. Typically, 1-1.5 hours is sufficient.

Day 2 work is done! The dough retires to the refrigerator overnight.

sourdough baking tips.

Place a wire rack in the middle of the oven. If you have had issues in the past with a hard, burned bottom, move the rack up higher. It is important for not only the oven to be preheated but the cooking vessel as well. Preheat the oven too 500F with the Dutch oven inside. Be sure the Dutch oven you are using is oven safe for high temperatures. Some people get creative and use a pizza stone along with a cast iron skillet full of wet lava rocks to emit steam during the bake. Like I said, there is more than one way to bake bread.

I prefer to keep the dough in the proofing backet until the very last second. Same goes for scoring. The gluten bonds will begin to break the moment the dough is scored. If your dough collapses after scoring, unfortunately, it was most likely over proofed. The gluten structure basically gave up. Nothing to do but bake it and see what happens. It won’t be the best loaf but it will still taste good most likely.

Place parchment paper on your work surface and flip the dough out onto it. Score the dough.

Scoring allows gas to escape from the loaf in a controlled way. If the dough isn’t scored, it will break at the weakest point. If you are just starting out, I recommend a simple slash with a razor blade or a cross pattern. Both are relatively easy with beautiful results. Flouring the top of the dough helps the blade to not stick. Be sure the slash goes deep enough. 1/4 inch is recommended. If you choose to include decorative designs, lightly score. Give yourself grace. My first scoring ended up looking more like dimples in the bread. Practice makes for improvement. After scoring, immediately transfer to the preheated Dutch oven.

Knowing your oven is something that will come with time. I’ve experimented with different temperatures and times. I’ve decided I get the best outcome when I bake 20 minutes covered at 475F followed by 20 minutes uncovered at 475F.

Once I remove the loaf from the oven, I return the Dutch oven and turn the temperature back to 500F in preparation for the second loaf. I usually wait 15 minutes or so. Be sure to turn the temperature back down to 475F when placing the dough in the oven.

Serving and storing sourdough bread.

Resist the temptation and do not cut into your bread until cooled! If cut prematurely, the texture will be gummy. I let the bread cool on a wire rack 2-4 hours.

Refrigerating the bread will make it go stale quicker. Keep in a bread box at room temperature or freeze. I cut the bread into slices then freeze in resealable bags. This makes meals quick and easy.