![]() ![]() In 2013, my resolution was to bake more bread. Make the dough in the morning or at night- it will come together in under 10 minutes. The sourdough will tell you it's done with its first ferment when it begins to fall slightly from the height of its rise. Think you can’t bake artisan sourdough bread at home Think again Sourdough Bread: a Beginner’s guide is your go-to recipe resource for simple, easy sourdough bread without kneading. I then cover my dough with a towel and let him sit overnight, usually between 14-18 hours. The dough is so wet that I only need to stir to combine - no kneading the night before! The evening before I plan to make bread, I mix up the batch: one cup of Merv, three cups room-temperature water, one teaspoon of salt, and six cups of flour (I use half bread flour and half whole-wheat flour). You can also make your own sourdough starter or purchase one. If you want to try your hand at sourdough, I'm happy to share a bit of Merv with you. Merv is made of wild yeast found in the environment the exact type of yeast varies from place to place, which is why New York sourdough tastes a little different than San Franciscan sourdough. Merv the Sourdough Starter is the leavening agent for the bread and he has living yeast in him - thus the need for regular feeding and also the reason you can see him grow before and after eating. I put him on a scale and feed him equal parts (by weight) flour and water, stir him up, and let him rest at room temperature a few hours. Two days before I'm ready to bake my bread, I start the process by feeding Merv, my beautiful sourdough starter. However, once you try it a couple times you'll realize just how easy it is. Making homemade bread seems like a scary thing if you've never done it before. The longer the ferment, the longer the lactobacilli have to create acid and flavor the bread! To make a more sour loaf, add an extra teaspoon of salt to slow down the fermentation and allow the lactobacilli more time to produce this acid. Lactobacillus produces an acid that makes fermented foods such as yogurt, sauerkraut, kombucha, and sourdough bread taste sour. This is one of the famous probiotics that is healthy for your gut (check out my previous post about probiotics). Yeast is responsible for leavening, but the unique flavor of sourdough is thanks to a bacteria found in Merv, called lactobacillus. I like to break it off and dip it in olive oil before eating the soft middle. You know, the golden brown, chewy goodness on every piece. ![]() ![]() But it didn't have that traditional sourdough crust. (Before Amanda) I was essentially making sandwich bread without using commercial yeast. She is the inspiration for this update to my original No-Knead Sourdough Bread post. She has a degree in bakery science and an absolute passion for health, nutrition, and quality food. Have I ever told you about my friend Amanda the Baker? She's incredible. If you think I'm a big fan of food, you should see us when we're together. Last year two of my favorite people came to Colorado to visit me. The joy of food is exponentially greater the more foodies you have in the same room. You know what's even better than being a foodie? Having friends who are foodies. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |