We all have our favorite recipes that we use time and time again. Check out this recipe that board member, Melissa Davis loves to use!
With so much going on in the world today, sometimes it's nice to do something that just makes you feel good! Like baking! Melissa has been gracious enough to not only share the recipe she follows with us, but she also took pictures along the way. Enjoy!
Step One
First, feed the starter with 1 cup unbleached flour and 3/4 cup very warm water. The starter likes to be very thick.
Step Two
Then park the crock of starter somewhere warm for a few hours until the starter doubles and is bubbly. When my house is chilly, I heat a quart jar of water in my microwave and leave my stove top light on (micro is over stove).
Step Three
Combine 1 heaping cup of bubbly starter, 3 cups unbleached flour, and 1 and 1/2 cups very warm water and mix well. I use my Kitchen Aid mixer with dough hook and the large glass mixing bowl that fits it. It's a sticky dough. Set in warm place again to rise for several hours.
Step Four
The risen dough gets covered with plastic wrap and put in the fridge overnight.
Step Five
Take the dough out of the fridge. Mix in 1.5 to 2 cups flour with 2.5 teaspoons salt mixed in. This mixing can be a bit of time -- the cold dough is stiff and will take some working to mix in the flour. I add a bit of the flour salt mixture at a time and pull the dough off the dough hook frequently. When the flour is well incorporated, it will be a dense, slightly sticky dough. Let it rise most of the day in a warm place. If dough is very active and fills the bowl, you can poke it down a bit. It's not volume you need, it's time -- about 7 or 8 hours rising.
Step Six
The dough gets divided in half and placed into loaf pans to rise in a warm location. Some make sourdough bread in cradles or flat pans. I bake mine in bread-loaf-sized pans.
Step Seven
The loaves go into the oven at 350F for 30 minutes, then enjoy!
