Recipe Thread!

[Tom]

After some busy and stressful days I finally found some time to come back and deliver another recipe
This time it's sourdough bread. Does take quite some preparation, but once you have set it all up it's very easy going!

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Sourdough Bread

https://freeimage.host/a/sourdough-bread.Jk5JV

Ingredients:

• 500g flour
• ~ 100g Sourdough Starter
• 3dl Water (lukewarm)
• 10g Salt

Cooking:

1. Put flour and sourdough starter in a big bowl.
2. Dissolve salt in the water and add to the bowl.
3. Mix well and knead for at least 15 minutes.
4. Put a damp cloth over the bowl and let it rise to at least the double volume.
5. Cut the surface however you want the bread to look like.
6. Put into the oven at 200°C for 50 minutes (don't preheat the oven, that way it can rise some more in the oven).
7. Remove from the oven and let it cool down on a cake grid, or similar.
8. Cut a slice and enjoy!

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Sourdough Starter

Ingredients:

• A big jar, or similar, with a lid
• Flour
• Water
• Time
• Some space in your fridge

Preparation:

1. Clean the jar very well!
2. Start with 50g of flour and warm water (around 30°C).
3. Mix well and let it rest at around 25°C to 30°C for 24h, covered with the lid (but not tightened).
4. Add another 50g of flour and water each and repeat step above.
5. Take ~ 100g of the starter and again repeat with 50g of each.
6. Repeat the last step for a few days, until the starter smells and tastes quite sour and is very bubbly.
   
   If it smells rank, changes color, or even shows some mold, then throw it away and start from scratch!
   If that's not the case, it's still good.
   The acid should keep away bad bacteria and such. Though you need to care for it and keep it alive over time.
7. Put it into the fridge.
8. Optional: Give it a name. Mine's called "Clint Yeastwood" ^^

Usage, keeping it alive:

1. Remove a portion for a new dough, or just throw away about half of it.
2. Refill the lost mass with flour and water.
3. Mix and let rest for a few hours until it's getting quite bubbly again.
4. Put it back into the fridge.
5. Repeat this about once a week, or when there's a small layer of liquid on top of it.

Notes:

• If the starter is still rising, it's too early to feed it with more flour. Wait until it decreases its volume again.
• If there's a little water or liquid on top that's fine, it hasn't gone bad. It just needs some fresh flour and water.
• You might need a little additional yeast for the first few breads. Just make a small test run first to see how strong the starter is.
• I always used wheat flour for the started and the dough, but you can use any kind of flour you like. The amount of liquid needed might differ a little though.

Sources: Thre are many sourdough recipes on the web, most of them are really detailed. I then decided to make my own version that is as simple as possible.