Bakery Style Sourdough Bread Recipes

BAKERY STYLE SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• Equipment: You will need a 1-quart bowl, a 2-quart or large bowl, a baking stone, a baking peel or rimless cookie sheet, spray bottle for water, and a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. First make the sponge:. Combine the proofed starter with a 1/2 cup bottled water. Stir in 1 cup flour until combined, mixture should resemble thick pancake batter. Cover container with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 2 to 3 hours. Make the Dough:. Use a mixer with dough hook (I used my bread machine on dough cycle). Pour 1 1/2 cups water in large bowl. Add 'sponge' to water. With mixer running on low, add flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Once all flour (4- 4 3/4 cups) has been added, continue kneading until forms a ball, about 1 minute longer. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rest 20 minutes. Using fingers, create a pocket in rested dough; add salt to pocket. Knead dough until forms a firm ball. about 6 minutes. (If using mixer, knead at low speed, until dough is soft, smooth and moist, should not be sticky, about 5 minutes. Transfer dough to clean work surface and knead by hand until dough forms firm ball, about 1 additional minute). Lightly spray bowl with non-stick cooking spray; place dough in container and lightly spray surface of dough. Set in draft-free area (room temperature) and let stand until doubles in bulk 3 to 5 hours. Once doubled in bulk, remove the dough to clean work surface. Stretch the dough (to redistribute and refresh yeast) as far as possible without tearing, then fold into thirds like a letter. Divide the dough in half using chef's knife. Form each half into rough ball, cover loosley with plasic wrap or damp kitchen towel, and let rise for 15 minutes. Using your hands to push the dough against the unfloured work surface, form a taught ball without ripping the surface. Pinch bottom seam and set each round, seam side down, on separate sheets of parchment paper on dinner plates. Spray rounds lightly with non-stick cooking oil and cover loosley, but completely, with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 8- 12 hours. Remove the rounds from refrigerator and gently slide (with parchment paper) on to room-temperature surface where they can rise undisturbed for several hours. Loosen plastic wrap to allow rounds to rise; let rise until double in bulk and dough barely springs back when poked with your knuckle, 3-4 hours. Place baking stone on lower-middle position. Preheat oven to 500°F. Carefully slide rounds on parchment to baking peel or rimless cookie sheet. Using sharp knife slash rounds diagonally. Spray loaves with water and slide carefully on to baking stone. Immediately reduce the temperature to 450°. During the first 5 minutes spray the loaves 2 additional times. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer loaves to wire rack and cool ttemperatureo room

BAKERY STYLE SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• You will need a 1-quart bowl, a 2-quart or large bowl, a baking stone, a baking peel or rimless cookie sheet, spray bottle for water, and a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
• First make the sponge:.
• Combine starter, 1/2 cup bottled water.
• Stir in 1 cup flour until combined, mixture should resemble thick pancake batter.
• Cover container with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 2 to 3 hours.
• Make the Dough:.
• Use a mixer with dough hook (I used my bread machine on dough cycle).
• Pour 1 1/2 cups water in large bowl.
• Add 'sponge' to water.
• With mixer running on low, add flour, 1/2 cup at a time.
• Once all flour (4- 4 3/4 cups) has been added, continue kneading until forms a ball, about 1 minute longer. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rest 20 minutes.
• Using fingers, create a pocket in rested dough; add salt to pocket. Knead dough until forms a firm ball. about 6 minutes. (If using mixer, knead at low speed, until dough is soft, smooth and moist, should not be sticky, about 5 minutes. Transfer dough to clean work surface and knead by hand until dough forms firm ball, about 1 additional minute).
• Lightly spray bowl with non-stick cooking spray; place dough in container and lightly spray surface of dough. Set in draft-free area (room temperature) and let stand until doubles in bulk 3 to 5 hours.
• Once doubled in bulk, remove the dough to clean work surface.
• Stretch the dough (to redistribute and refresh yeast) as far as possible without tearing, then fold into thirds like a letter.
• Divide the dough in half using chef's knife.
• Form each half into rough ball, cover loosley with plasic wrap or damp kitchen towel, and let rise for 15 minutes.
• Using your hands to push the dough against the unfloured work surface, form a taught ball without ripping the surface.
• Pinch bottom seam and set each round, seam side down, on separate sheets of parchment paper on dinner plates.
• Spray rounds lightly with non-stick cooking oil and cover loosley, but completely, with plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate for 8- 12 hours.
• Remove the rounds from refrigerator and gently slide (with parchment paper) on to room-temperature surface where they can rise undisturbed for several hours.
• Loosen plastic wrap to allow rounds to rise; let rise until double in bulk and dough barely springs back when poked with your knuckle, 3-4 hours.
• Place baking stone on lower-middle position.
• Preheat oven to 500°F.
• Carefully slide rounds on parchment to baking peel or rimless cookie sheet.
• Using sharp knife slash rounds diagonally.
• Spray loaves with water and slide carefully on to baking stone.
• Immediately reduce the temperature to 450°.
• During the first 5 minutes spray the loaves 2 additional times.
• Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Transfer loaves to wire rack and cool to room temperature.

SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• For the levain: Combine the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, water and starter in a medium bowl and mix to combine. Cover and let sit at room temperature until bubbly and increased in volume by about 20 percent, about 8 hours.
• For the dough: Add the all-purpose flour, water and whole-wheat flour to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Weigh out 7 ounces of the levain (about 1 cup) and add to the mixer (discard any remaining levain). Mix on low until a shaggy dough forms. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Add the salt to the dough and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes; the dough should feel a bit sticky and wet but look smooth and very stretchy. Scrape the dough into a plastic or glass container about twice its size. Cover and let sit at room temperature until puffed, about 45 minutes.
• Put the dough on a floured work surface, flatten it gently, then fold in thirds like a business letter. Transfer it back to the container. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes.
• Repeat the folding process one more time, transfer back to the container, cover and let sit at room temperature for another 45 minutes. After the third 45-minute rest, the dough should feel soft and pillowy; when pressed with a finger, it should leave an indentation that begins to spring back.
• Gently scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide in half using a bench scraper. Shape each piece loosely into a round by gently tucking the edges under. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Drape 2 kitchen towels into 2 medium (8-inch) bowls and dust very generously with flour. Dust the top of the dough rounds very lightly with flour and flip over using a bench scraper. Flatten one piece of dough into a circle, then fold the left and right sides of the dough over the center. Keeping tension in the dough, begin folding down from the top edge in 3 segments, sealing the bottom edge with the last fold. Loosely cup the dough and, using your hands and the tension between the board and the dough, pull the bread very slowly towards yourself while creating a taut ball. Gently flip the dough ball over and into one of the prepared bowls. Cover loosely with another kitchen towel. Repeat the process with the second piece of dough. Place both in a warm place to rise until about 1 1/2 times their size, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• About 20 minutes before baking, position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven, put a 4-quart Dutch oven and lid on the rack and preheat to 500 degrees F. When preheated, carefully transfer the hot Dutch oven to a heatsafe surface with oven mitts (leave the lid in the oven). Flip one round of dough over into the Dutch oven. Using a sharp knife, scissors or bread lame, score the top of the bread in a cross or desired pattern. Return to the oven, immediately cover with the lid and bake for 20 minutes. Lower the temperature to 425 degrees F, uncover and bake until dark brown, about 10 minutes more. Transfer the bread to a cooling rack to cool completely. Return the empty Dutch oven to the oven, raise the temperature to 500 degrees F and let heat for 10 minutes before repeating the baking process with the second dough round.

NANCY SILVERMAN'S RUSTIC SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• Place 2 1/3 cups water, 2 cups + 2 TBS sourdough starter, yeast and bread flour in the bowl of a mixer and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, just to moisten. Fit the mixer with a dough hook and mix the dough on medium speed for 6 minutes. Turn the mixer off and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.
• Add salt and mix on medium speed for 2 more minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary.
• Place milk, olive oil and remaining 1/3 cup water in a small bowl and stir together. With the mixer on low speed, very gradually add the liquids to the dough. Don't add the liquids too rapidly or they will slosh out of the bowl. Continue mixing on low until the ingredients are completely incorporated and then beat on high speed for 4 minutes.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to ferment at room temperature for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until it reaches the top of the bowl and doubles in volume. Sprinkle the work surface heavily with flour and pour the dough out to form a rough oval. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour, cover it with a cloth and allow it to rest for 20 minutes.
• Cut 2 pieces of parchment paper approximately 12 x 16-inches and place them side-by-side on the work surface. Sprinkle the papers heavily with the semolina, then with bread flour. Uncover the dough and sprinkle the top with more bread flour.
• In a single continuous motion, cut the dough with a dough cutter into 2 equal pieces, carefully pulling the dough apart with your free hand as you go. Without pausing, carefully scoop up 1 piece of the dough, using the dough cutter and your free hand to hold each end, and lay the dough on a pieces of parchment paper, allowing the dough to stretch as it falls to form an oblong shape approximately 8 x 10 inches in area and 1 1/2 inches thick. It's more important to get the proper thickness than the right width or length. Repeat the procedure with the second piece of dough.
• Using your index fingers, dimple each piece of dough at random 2-inch intervals, being sure to press through all the way through to the parchment paper.
• Lightly sprinkle the dough tops with bread flour and semolina. Cover each with a cloth and allow them to proof at room temperature for 2 hours. Test for readiness by lightly pressing two fingers into the dough. The dough should feel soft and alive, not longer sticky.
• Open the oven door and heavily spritz the oven with water from a spray bottle and quickly close the door. Keeping the parchment paper under the dough, slide the baker's peel (a large baking spatula) under 1 piece of dough.
• Open the oven door, slide the dough and the parchment paper onto a pizza stone and quickly close the door. Spritz and load the second piece of dough in the same manner as the first. Turn the temperature down to 450°F Spritz the oven with water 2 more times during the next 5 minutes. Refrain from opening the oven door for 15 minutes.
• After 15 minutes, slide the peel between the bread and the parchment paper and remove the paper. Return the bread to the baking tiles and rotate if necessary to ensure even baking. Continue baking another 5 minutes. With the peel, flip the bread upside down to allow even browning. Bake another 5 to 8 minutes for a total of 30 to 33 minutes. Remove the loaves from the oven and place them on a cooling rack. When the bread is cooled, dust off excess flour.

BETTER-THAN-BAKERY NO-KNEAD SOURDOUGH

Steps:

• Mix water and salt together in a very large bowl. Add sourdough starter and whisk vigorously to mix and aerate; stir in 3 cups bread flour until smooth. Stir in remaining 3 cups bread flour until dough is completely mixed.
• Cover bowl and set aside until dough is bubbly and increased in volume, 12 to 15 hours.
• Turn dough on to a well floured work surface using floured hands. Turn dough several times to cover with flour. Return dough to an oiled bowl and let rest until dough is doubled in size but not risen enough to collapse, 2 to 3 hours.
• Preheat an oven-safe, lidded Dutch oven (at least 8 quarts) in a 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) oven for 30 minutes.
• Carefully remove Dutch oven using oven mitts and sprinkle cornmeal into the bottom to prevent dough from sticking.
• Gently roll dough out of oiled bowl and into the Dutch oven; replace lid.
• Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue baking until crust is lightly browned, about 15 minutes more. Carefully tip loaf out onto a cooking rack to cool completely.

SOURDOUGH BREAD: POILâNE-STYLE MICHE

Steps:

• The day before making the bread, make the firm starter. In a 4-quart mixing bowl, use a large metal spoon to mix together the barm, flour, and enough water to form a firm ball. Sprinkle flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Knead for about 3 minutes, or until all the flour is hydrated and the ingredients are evenly distributed. Lightly oil a bowl, place the ball of dough in the bowl, and roll it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
• Ferment at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours, or until the dough doubles in size. Refrigerate overnight.
• Remove the starter from the refrigerator 1 hour before making the dough. Cut the starter into about 12 small pieces with a serrated knife or pastry scraper. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let sit for 1 hour to take off the chill.
• This dough is too large for home mixers (except for the Magic Mill), so knead it by hand. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the sifted whole-wheat flour, salt, and starter pieces. Stirring with a large metal spoon, add at least 2 1/4 cups of the water, or enough to bring together all of the ingredients into a soft ball. Adjust the flour and water as you mix as needed.
• Sprinkle flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Knead the dough for 12 to 15 minutes, continuing to adjust the flour and water to form a supple, tacky but not sticky dough. All of the ingredients should be evenly distributed. The dough should pass the windowpane test (page 58) and register 77° to 81°F. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
• Ferment at room temperature for approximately 4 hours, or until the dough nearly doubles in size.
• Transfer the dough to the counter and gently form it into a large boule, as shown on page 72. Proof the dough in a banneton or prepare a proofing bowl large enough to hold the dough when it rises to nearly double in size. Place the dough, seam side up, in the banneton or bowl and mist the exposed part of the dough with spray oil. Cover with a cloth or plastic wrap.
• Proof at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, or until the dough grows 1 1/2 times in size, or retard overnight in the refrigerator. If you are retarding the dough, remove the dough from the refrigerator 4 hours before you plan to bake it.
• Prepare the oven for hearth baking as described on pages 91-94, making sure to have an empty steam pan in place. Preheat the oven to 500°F. Carefully remove the top layer of cloth or plastic wrap from the dough 10 minutes before baking.
• Generously dust a peel or the back of a sheet pan with semolina flour or cornmeal. Gently turn out the dough onto the peel or pan, carefully removing the cloth liner off the dough, if using. Score the dough with a large pound sign, as shown below. Slide the dough onto the baking stone (or bake directly on the sheet pan). Pour 2 cups hot water into the steam pan and close the door. Immediately lower the oven setting to 450°F. After 25 minutes, rotate the loaf 180 degrees and lower the oven setting to 425°F. Continue to bake for another 30 to 40 minutes, until the dough registers 200°F in the center. The bread should be deeply browned. If the bottom seems to be getting too dark before the loaf reaches the desired temperature, place an inverted sheet pan under the bread to protect the bottom. Likewise, if the top gets too dark, tent a piece of aluminum foil over the loaf to shield it from the heat.
• Transfer the bread to a rack and let cool for at least 2 hours before slicing or serving. Store the bread in a brown paper bag. It should be good for 5 to 7 days.
• Lean, standard dough; indirect method; wild yeast
• Day 1: 4 to 6 hours firm starter Day 2: 1 hour to de-chill starter; 15 minutes mixing; 6 to 7 hours fermentation, shaping, and proofing; 55 to 65 minutes baking
• You can sift medium-grain whole-wheat flour to approximate the high-extraction whole-wheat flour of the Poilâne miche. Choose a flour, preferably hard spring or winter wheat, or one with a bread flour gluten specification of 11.5 to 13 percent. Pass it through a sieve or sifter. It is better not to use regular or fine-grind whole-wheat flour, as most of the bran passes right through the sieve. With the medium-grind, the smaller particles of bran and germ will sift through, but the largest pieces will remain in the sieve. These bran particles can be used for multigrain breads or as add-ins to country breads made from white flour. Another option is to blend half whole-wheat flour and half bread flour wherever the instructions call for sifted whole-wheat flour.
• Poilâne insists on using gray Normandy sea salt in his bread-he feels it makes a crucial difference. If you can get a hold of such salt, try it, but if not, proceed with any salt. Remember, the coarser the salt, the less it will weigh per teaspoon, so 1 teaspoon of table salt is equal to almost 2 teaspoons of coarse sea salt or kosher salt.
• Many of the people who tested this formula commented that the full-size miche was too heavy to handle easily. Feel free to divide this dough into 2 or even 3 smaller loaves-perhaps we should call them petits pains Poilâne-and reduce the baking time but not the temperature.
• According to M. Poilâne, this bread tastes best on the second or third day after it's baked. I prefer it about 3 hours after it comes out of the oven. Such is taste...
• Poilâne-Style Miche %
• (FIRM STARTER)
• Barm: 77.8%
• Whole-wheat flour: 100%
• Water (approx.): 44.4%
• Total: 222.2%
• (FINAL DOUGH)
• Firm starter: 62.5%
• Whole-wheat flour: 100%
• Salt: 2.5%
• Water (approx.): 62.5%
• Total: 227.5%