Sourdough Bread Recipe Mary Berry

SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• For the sourdough starter: In a 2-quart/litre jar, combine 2 cups flour (whole wheat or all-purpose) and 2 cups water. Stir to mix thoroughly. Cover the mouth of the jar with breathable fabric and secure with a rubber band. Set in a warm place to ferment. Feed the starter once a day until it begins bubbling (usually about 7-10 days). Each day add 1/4 cup flour and 2 tbsp water and stir well. Once the starter begins bubbling, it is ready to be primed for use in baking. To prime, add 1/4 cup flour and 2 tbsp water once every 8 hours for 24 hours, mixing well after each addition. For the sourdough loaf: In a large mixing bowl combine water and sourdough starter. Add flour, mix until the water is fully absorbed and a shaggy dough forms. Cover with a towel and leave to rest for 20 minutes. Sprinkle salt evenly on surface and knead dough for 5 -10 minutes or until a completely consistent dough is achieved. Cover with a damp dishtowel and let sit for 1 1/2 hours. Every 30 minutes, fold the dough into itself from all four corners. Keep the dough covered between foldings. Cover dough with a damp towel and let sit undisturbed for 6 to 8 hours or until it has doubled in size. Fold and shape dough into a ball, cover and then let rest for 20 minutes. (At this point, if using seeds or spices, spread them on a clean surface and roll dough over them to coat.) Shape again, tightly this time, and transfer, upside down, to a bowl coated with olive oil. Cover and allow to rest for 1 1/2 to 2 hours at room temperature. Preheat oven to 245°C/ 475°F. Transfer dough directly onto hot baking surface, score the top with a bread knife and bake for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to 204°C/400°F and bake for another 25 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a cutting board or cooling rack. Allow to rest for 15 to 30 minutes before slicing.

SOURDOUGH

Steps:

• First make your starter. In a large jar (a 1litre kilner jar is good) or plastic container, mix 100g of the flour with 125ml slightly warm water. Whisk the batter until smooth and lump free, whisking will help incorporate some airborne yeast particles to get your starter going. Leave the jar or container lid ajar for an hour or so in a warm place (around 25C is ideal), then seal and set aside for 24 hrs.
• For the next 6 days you will need to 'feed' the starter each day. To do this, tip away half the original starter and add an extra 100g of flour and 125ml slightly warm water, whisking well each time, try to do this at roughly the same time everyday. After 3-4 days you should start to see bubbles appearing on the surface, and it will smell yeasty and a little acidic. This is a good indication that the starter is working. The time it takes for fermentation to begin can vary between 1 to 5 days depending on temperature and environment, persevere for up to 6 days, if you still don't see any signs of life, or the starter smells unpleasant, throw it away and start again. On the 8th day the starter should be quite bubbly and smell much sweeter. It is now ready to bake with.
• Now you can make your first loaf. Tip the flour, 225ml warm water, salt, honey and sourdough starter into a large bowl, or a table top mixer fitted with a dough hook. Stir with a wooden spoon, or on a slow setting in a machine, until combined, adding a little extra flour if it's too sticky or a little extra warm water if it's too dry. Tip onto a work surface and knead for about 10 mins until soft and elastic, if using a mixer, turn the speed up a little and mix for 5 mins. The dough is ready when it bounces back when gently pressed with a finger.
• Place the dough in a large, well oiled bowl and cover with an oiled sheet of cling film. Leave in a warm place to rise for 3 hrs. You may not see much movement after this time, but don't be disheartened, sourdough takes much longer to rise than a conventional yeasted bread.
• Line a medium-sized bowl with a clean tea towel and flour it well, if you have a proving basket you can use this. Tip the dough back onto your work surface and knead briefly to knock out any air bubbles. Shape the dough into a smooth ball and dust it with flour. Place the dough, seam side up, in the bowl or proving basket, cover with a sheet of oiled cling film and leave for 6-8 hrs, until roughly doubled in size.
• Place a large baking tray in the oven, set to 230C/210C fan/gas 8, to heat up. Fill a small roasting tin with a little water and place this in the bottom of the oven to create some steam. Remove the large tray from the oven, sprinkle with flour then carefully tip the risen dough onto the tray.You can slash the top a few times with a sharp knife if you like. Bake for 35-40 mins until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped. Leave to cool on a wire rack for 20 mins before serving.

HOW TO MAKE SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• First, make your starter. In a large bowl, mix together 100g of the flour with 125ml slightly warm water. Whisk together until smooth and lump-free.
• Transfer the starter to a large jar (a 1-litre Kilner jar is good) or a plastic container. Leave the jar or container lid ajar for 1 hr or so in a warm place (around 25C is ideal), then seal and set aside for 24 hrs.
• For the next 6 days, you will need to 'feed' the starter. Each day, tip away half of the original starter, add an extra 100g of flour and 125ml slightly warm water, and stir well. Try to do this at the same time every day.
• After 3-4 days you should start to see bubbles appearing on the surface, and it will smell yeasty and a little acidic. This is a good indicator that the starter is working.
• On day 7, the starter should be quite bubbly and smell much sweeter. It is now ready to be used in baking.
• Tip the flour, 225ml warm water, the salt, honey and the starter into a bowl, or a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Stir with a wooden spoon, or on a slow setting in the machine, until combined - add extra flour if it's too sticky or a little extra warm water if it's too dry.
• Tip onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 mins until soft and elastic - you should be able to stretch it without it tearing. If you're using a mixer, turn up the speed a little and mix for 5 mins.
• Place the dough in a large, well-oiled bowl and cover. Leave in a warm place to rise for 3 hrs. You may not see much movement, but don't be disheartened, as sourdough takes much longer to rise than a conventional yeasted bread.
• Line a medium-sized bowl with a clean tea towel and flour it really well or, if you have a proving basket, you can use this (see tips below). Tip the dough back onto your work surface and knead briefly to knock out any air bubbles. Shape the dough into a smooth ball and dust it with flour.
• Place the dough, seam-side up, in the bowl or proving basket, cover loosely and leave at room temperature until roughly doubled in size. The time it takes for your bread to rise will vary depending on the strength of your starter and the temperature in the room, anywhere from 4-8 hrs. The best indicators are your eyes, so don't worry too much about timings here. You can also prove your bread overnight in the fridge. Remove it in the morning and let it continue rising for another hour or 2 at room temperature. The slower the rise, the deeper the flavour you will achieve.
• Place a large baking tray in the oven, and heat to 230C/210C fan/gas 8. Fill a small roasting tin with a little water and place this in the bottom of the oven to create steam. Remove the baking tray from the oven, sprinkle with flour, then carefully tip the risen dough onto the tray.
• Slash the top a few times with a sharp knife, if you like, then bake for 35-40 mins until golden brown. It will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Leave to cool on a wire rack for 20 mins before serving.

BLUEBERRY BREAD

Steps:

• Mix boiling water and butter for bread in a small bowl; set aside until butter has melted and mixture has cooled, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease two 8 1/2x4 1/2-inch loaf pans.
• Combine blueberries and 2 tablespoons flour in a bowl; toss to coat. Sift remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a separate bowl.
• Add sugar, orange juice, cooled butter mixture, lemon juice, and eggs to the flour mixture; mix until well combined. Fold in flour-dusted blueberries. Divide batter and pour into the prepared loaf pans.
• Combine sugar, flour, softened butter, and cinnamon for topping in a small bowl. Mix with a fork until combined and crumbly. Sprinkle on top of the 2 loaves.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes.