Dropping Out (a little): Making your own Sourdough Bread

Probably one of the easiest ways to make a small change in how your family eats, if you like to bake, is to make your own bread. Whether you make all of your bread, or just an occasional loaf with soup, it makes a difference in your food bill and your foot print. My family loves sourdough bread. For sourdough you will need a

Sourdough starter:

1 (.25 ounce) package or 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
2 cups warm water
2 cups all-purpose flour

Place ingredients in non-metallic bowl (I use an old glass applesauce jar -- seems to be the perfect size and I can put the lid on for shaking/storage when needed). Cover loosely (in the beginning, I use a piece of saran wrap or a towel, with a rubber band around the top). Make sure you put the whole container inside something (like a 9 x 9 pan or baking sheet). Sourdough starter is a freaky science experiment and will often overflow the first or second day. That's okay, just clean it up some and go on with your business. Leave in warm place to ferment for 4-8 days. It will get very bubbly. It will likely separate and leave a watery alcohol layer on top. All of this is to be expected and totally normal. When it has a pleasant sour smell you can use it to bake with. If it turns a funky color (i.e. anything other than beige) -- dump it and start again. Keep it in the refrigerator if not using it. When you use it, make sure to put back in equal parts flour and water and a pinch of sugar. For example, if you use 1 1/2 cups of starter in a recipe, add back in 1 1/2 cups of water and 1 1/2 cups of flour and a pinch of sugar. I always then let it sit out on the counter for a day before refrigerating it, to let it get a good start again. The older the starter gets, the better your bread will be. I promise.

Mmmmm, fermented goodness!

Then, once your starter is all ripe and stinky (yum!), you can make sourdough.

Sourdough Bread:

4 3/4 cups bread flour
3 tablespoons white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 (.25 ounce) package or 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 cup warm milk (can sub soy milk -- we do)
2 tablespoons margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups sourdough starter
wash for just before baking
1 large egg
1 tablespoon water

I use the "lazy mama with too many kids" method of bread making. This is achieved by dumping all ingredients into the stand mixer together and then using the dough hook to beat the crud out of it for about 10 minutes. Thus far, it has worked like a charm in my bread making endeavors.

Then you oil the bowl with a bit of olive oil, and let it rise in a warm spot under a towel for about an hour (or you remember to check on it).

Then you want to roll the dough into two fat footballs, and make a few shallow cuts across the top to let the air out when baking. I use a slightly damp bread knife to do this easily.

Cover them again and let them rise for another hour or so.

Paint them with the egg wash from above. Beat the egg, add some water, and then lightly brush the wash over the bread with a pastry brush.

Bake in a pre-heated oven on a lightly greased baking sheet for 30 minutes at 375 degrees. Cool on wire racks, but not too much. It is best enjoyed warm, slathered in butter or margarine. Mmmmmm.