Dad’s super sourdough
Dad made three loaves once a week for many, many years before dementia took him away from us. Its easy to make, and doesn’t require the tending of an artisanal loaf. I make it in a loaf pan or in the round; both work just fine. The recipe makes one loaf of white sourdough bread; simply double to make two loaves.
Sourdough recipes are often given by weight, but few boaters have a scale on their boat, so the volumes I give are safe and easy to use. Just don’t pack the flour in when you measure it out.
Options are to substitute some whole wheat or rye flour for some of the white. You can add pumpkin or sunflower seeds or any combination of bran, ground flax, chia seeds, oatmeal etc — just don’t reduce the flour if you add any of these. I generally make up a bulk mixture of many of the above and add about 1/3 cup when I am adding the flour in the final step.
I’m assuming you have a sourdough starter already on hand. If you don’t, you can make your own, buy it online, or get it from a friend. There is lots of information about starter online. This is a good link.
The evening before the day you plan to make the bread, mix the following in a large bowl, loosely cover and leave in a warm place for a minimum of 12 hours, overnight is good.
- 1/3 cup starter
- 2/3 cup warm water
- 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp white flour
Next day, remove 1/3 cup of the bubbling mixture and return it to your starter container and pop that in the fridge. THIS AN IMPORTANT STEP as this will be your starter for next time you make the bread. (If you don’t make bread again within the next week, the starter will need to be fed to prevent it from dying.) Again, see the link above.
Combine the following in a small bowl and stir to dissolve.
- ½ cup warmish water or milk, not too hot
- 2 tsp sugar
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp oil or melted butter
Add this liquid to the mixture in the large bowl and stir to combine. (This is when I add my optional seeds or nuts.)
Then, gradually add two cups of flour, ½ cup at a time. I find I can only add about 1 3/4 c. then I form a dough ball and knead into it the last ¼ cup, plus a tiny bit more as needed to keep it from sticking. I knead it in the bowl to save having to clean the counter. The dough dries like plaster!
Knead for 7-10 minutes, until a small chunk torn off stretches with some elasticity rather then tearing apart.
Pat dough into a small rectangle, then roll up like a jelly roll lengthwise, pinch ends and seams closed, place in a greased/floured or parchment lined loaf pan, seam side down. Or shape into round and place it on a baking sheet.
Brush with oil, cover with a damp towel and let it rise till doubled – takes anywhere from 2-4 hours depending on temperature/humidity. If it’s sunny I put it in our cockpit enclosure where it’s nice and warm and it rises in about two hours.
Preheat oven on to 375 F degrees.
Just before putting it in the oven, slash about one inch deep with a straight razor or very, very sharp knife, lengthwise, to allow the loaf to rise. Put in the oven and turn the temperature down to 350 F degrees. Bake 40 to 45 minutes. With hot spots in my Force 10 oven, I rotate the loaf halfway through the bake time.
Enjoy.
