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Sour Dough Bread

Bread

Sour Dough Bread

Prep
2 h
Cook
50 min
Stand
20 h
Total
22 h 50 min
Serves
6

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 CupsAll Purpose or Bread Flour
  • 1/2 CupActive Starter
  • 1 1/3 Cups Still Water ( Room Temperature)
  • 1 teaspoonSalt

Method

  1. 1

    Combine flour, water & starter, to a bowl (I prefer glass) give it a gentle mix

  2. 2

    Add teaspoon of salt and continue a gentle mix with hands or wooden spoon till just combined. Resist the urge to add more water or too over mix.

  3. 3

    Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 30 min allowing the flour to hydrate.

  4. 4

    Stretch: Pull the edge of the dough upward, give it a little bounce if it resists and it will. Fold: Lay the stretched dough back into the center of the dough. Rotate: Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat 4 times this is ONE ROUND. Do 3 rounds

  5. 5

    Rest for another 30 minutes and repeat step 4

  6. 6

    Rest for the last 30 minutes and repeat step 4 again.

  7. 7

    Cover your dough with plastic wrap and allow to stand, I place it in my oven for a consistent temperature for 5-12 hours. Just until it doubles in size.

  8. 8

    Dust a work surface with flour and turn your bowl upside down and let it gently stretch out of the bowl on its own, resist the need to dig it out. (this is a stretch you don't need to work for)

  9. 9

    Fold the dough on to itself. Then gently spin it towards you to this will give it a relatively round form.

  10. 10

    With a gently stretch fold two sides to the centre and pinch it closed and repeat on the other two sides. This will help to give it a better rise in the oven.

  11. 11

    Place a tea towel/dish cloth into a bowl (I use the same bowl I mixed the dough in) sprinkle with flour and place your dough smooth side down inside, cover with cling wrap and place in the fridge for 12-15 hours.

  12. 12

    You can skip the refrigeration and just leave it at room temperature for 3 hours and proceed to baking.

  13. 13

    Place Dutch oven with its lid, inside a heating oven allowing to heat up to 260°C (500°F) if you have enough power or gas let it heat for 45min.

  14. 14

    Remove dough from the refrigerator, place on wax paper, score with a knife or blade and gentle place inside the dutch oven replace lid and place pot back into the oven cook for 20 minutes

  15. 15

    Remove the lid and turn oven down 15° and bake for a further 20-25 minutes till golden brown.

  16. 16

    NB: Remove bread from the pot and place on a rack! DO NOT cut it until it is completely cooled down this is a really important step.

Galley notes

Boat challenges

  • 1. No Dutch Oven - any oven proof dish that you can cover will do.
  • 2. Not enough refrigeration space - Let is stand on the counter for about 3 hours - See step 12 and proceed to baking.
  • 3. Oven temperature - My boat oven does not reach 260°C so I bake at 250°C for an extra 5 min. I then turn it down 15° and bake it for a further 25 minutes with lid off.
  • 4. Galley Temperature - Because we move around so much galley temperatures are very inconsistent, this is why I place my dough in the oven or a cupboard.

Basic rules

  • 1. Ensure your starter is at its peak. Drop a teaspoon full in water and if it floats you are good to go
  • 2.The most important stretch is explained in step 4 above.
  • 3. DO NOT CUT THE BREAD WHEN IT COMES OUT OF THE OVEN - LET IT REST FOR AT LEAST 3 HOURS. It is worth it - Trust me.

How ingredients behave

  • Galley Temperature - will most certainly affect how your dough reacts, rise time and moisture, so you will need to play with it till you understand how the dough functions, you will eventually understand how it feels in your hands and know when it is just right. You may realise that humidity makes the dough too soft, you can solve this by always working with flour on your hands, rather than adding more flour.

Galley tips

  • Feed your starter very early in the morning, you will then have bread ready to eat the next day. As your counter rise will be during the day and your fridge rise will be through the night.
  • If you make this recipe in a land kitchen or tied up in a very calm marina, I would highly recommend the following measurements on a scale.
  • 475 grams all-purpose flour (or bread flour) 100 grams starter active 325 grams water 5 grams salt
  • If at all possible use bottled water.