Baking With Your Sourdough Starter

Okay, your starter is sitting in your fridge and is real lonely, so you need to take him out and make some bread. There are several ways to do this, but I will tell you about the one that I use, since I know it works (which can be somewhat helpful). Here's what you need to do...

The night before you want to make your bread, take the starter out of the refrigerator and add:

1 cup of flour

1 cup of warm water

stir well and place in a warm location. Again, I usually keep it in the oven with the light on.


The next morning, your starter should have a yeasty smell and should have increased in size. Now, for the bread recipe:

What you need



• 2 cups of your proofed starter (now called the sponge)


• 3 cups flour


• 2 tablespoons olive oil


• 4 teaspoons sugar


• 1 ½ teaspoons salt

What to do


1. In a bowl, add your 2 cups of proofed starter


2. With your leftover sponge, add 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of warm water
   
3. Mix well and place back in the refrigerator


4. Add sugar, salt, and oil


5. Mix well


6. While mixing, gradually add the flour ½ cup at a time
   
   
   
   • Now, even though the recipe calls for 3 cups of flour, you may not need that much or you may need more. It all depends on the moisture content of your sponge and the humidity in your area
   
   
   • I only use the machine until the dough is completely mixed and then I let the machine go for maybe another 30-45 seconds. The dough is supposed to be slightly sticky, so you will have to go more by feel, than by a strict recipe
   
   
   • If it is too moist, add more flour
   
   
   • If it is too dry, add more oil
   
   
   
   
7. Once done, spray a glass bowl with Pam (I use the same one I mixed it in) and roll the dough in the bowl to coat with oil then form the dough into a ball by tucking the dough under itself


8. Place the dough in a warm place, cover with a towel (I usually spray some water on the towel) and allow to rise until double its size (this may take several hours)


9. Once doubled, punch down and knead again


10. Place the dough in the bread pan of your choice and return to its warm resting place


11. Once doubled, place in a cold oven


12. Set oven to 350°


13. Bake for 30-35 minutes


14. Check to see if its done (take your finger and thump the top of the bread, if it sounds like you are thumping a cardboard box, the bread is done


15. Turn-out onto cooling rack and give the thump test on the bottom, just to be sure


16. If your bread is not done, place back in oven and check every few minutes


17. Now the hard part...waiting


18. Wait until the bread comes to room temperature before cutting

Enjoy!

Troubleshooting... The Dough Also Rises

First in series... How to Make Sourdough Starter