Bread Machine Sourdough

sourdough starter

Flour

Salt

Sugar

water

lots of waiting time

Prepare a well hydrated starter- Mix 150g flour, 150g water, and a tiny bit of starter (kept in the fridge). Mix well and let sit over night at room temperature until the mixture is bubbly and doubled in size. It may take more than one overnight for the starter to be ready.

In a large bowl, mix 3 cups bread or all purpose flour, 1 cup lukewarm water, ³⁄₄ cup fed sourdough starter, and ¹⁄₂ tablespoon sugar. Mix well and incorporate into a ball. Cover with a damp kitchen towl and let it sit for 30 to 40 min at room temperature.

Transfer the dough to the bread machine basket, add 1 ³⁄₄ teaspoon salt. Select the dough cycle (I usually stop the cycle half way through). Continue to let the dough sit for 1-2 hours, fold with dough with your hands a couple of time (sprinkle the surface with some flour if the dough is sticky). Note the dough will have expanded and will appear puffier.

Take a bread basket and spinkle some cornmeal or rice rava or rice flour and transfer the lightly shaped dough into it. Cover the dough with a plastic wrap coated with olive oil.

Place the covered dough in the refrigerator overnight (for proofing).

Next morning, preheat oven to 450˚F.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and gently rub with rice flour. Slash the bread with a sharp knife.

Transfer the dough to a lined dutch oven (I use the shallow lid of a cast iron pan combo for the bread, and the deeper container as lid).

Bake for 50-60 min. Bake for 20-30 min covered, and the next 30 mins uncovered .

Once baked, remove from oven and let it cool for a few hours before slicing. A well risen sourdough will have many big and small holes all throughout the bread structure.