My friend, Linda, gave me her sourdough bread recipe. It was designed to be French bread but I found it spread and made too short a loaf. I originally thought it was too slack a dough or the fact I used some whole wheat flour. However, Linda told me her loaves weren’t very tall either.
I was on the horns of a dilemma. I liked the taste and texture but I wanted a taller loaf. So I decided to try the recipe as a regular sandwich loaf. I also continued to substitute some whole wheat.
Here is my final version.
Ingredients
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoon) active yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 cups whole wheat flour
3 to 3 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sourdough starter
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons sugar
I softened the yeast in the warm water for 10 minutes. I added one cup of whole wheat flour, one cup of flour, 1 cup sourdough starter, 2 tablespoons melted butter, 2 teaspoons salt. Stir until mixed.
I added the baking soda to one cup of whole wheat flour and mixed them. I added this to the dough and stirred until mixed.
I put the bowl on my KitchenAid Mixer with the dough hook and added one cup of flour. I kneaded the dough with the dough hook mixing in more flour until it made a moderately stiff dough. It took about 7 minutes of kneading with the mixer to get a nice dough with a smooth surface. In all, I added 2 more cups of flour. When the dough is smooth and elastic, turn it onto a floured surface and knead by hand into a ball.
If you do not have a machine to do the mixing for you, add flour until it is a soft dough. Turn it onto a floured surface and knead for 8 or 9 minutes, working in more flour until it is elastic and smooth.
Put the dough in a greased bowl and turn it over to coat the surface of the dough. Cover and put in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size. You can tell it has doubled if two fingers pressed into the dough leaves dents that don’t fill. I use my oven with the light on to provide a warm place.
When the dough has doubled, punch it down and turn it onto a floured surface. Knead it once or twice and cut it into two. Cover it and let it rest for 10 minutes. Press each half into a rectangle. Roll it into a cylinder. Tuck the ends under and put the seam side down in a greased bread pan. Cover the loaves and put them in a warm place to rise for about an hour, until just about doubled in volume.
While the bread was rising, it was lunch time. A nice bratwurst and cheese sandwich on a home made hoagie bun. My strength was restored.
When the loaves have doubled, cut a lengthwise slash on the top of the loaf with a very sharp knife. This allows for more rise while it is cooking. Bake the loaves for 30 minutes at 375 F.
This worked very well. It has the nice texture of Linda’s original recipe. The flavour has a touch of the sourdough taste but isn’t the full on sour of my other sourdough recipe which is a slow rise method that gives that strong sourdough taste and chewy texture.. So now I have a great light and full sourdough bread recipe. Cool! The size of the loaf is perfect for sandwiches. This will be made often.
Thanks for the recipe Linda. Forgive me for messing with it.
Disco
I was on the horns of a dilemma. I liked the taste and texture but I wanted a taller loaf. So I decided to try the recipe as a regular sandwich loaf. I also continued to substitute some whole wheat.
Here is my final version.
Ingredients
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoon) active yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 cups whole wheat flour
3 to 3 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sourdough starter
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons sugar
I softened the yeast in the warm water for 10 minutes. I added one cup of whole wheat flour, one cup of flour, 1 cup sourdough starter, 2 tablespoons melted butter, 2 teaspoons salt. Stir until mixed.
I added the baking soda to one cup of whole wheat flour and mixed them. I added this to the dough and stirred until mixed.
I put the bowl on my KitchenAid Mixer with the dough hook and added one cup of flour. I kneaded the dough with the dough hook mixing in more flour until it made a moderately stiff dough. It took about 7 minutes of kneading with the mixer to get a nice dough with a smooth surface. In all, I added 2 more cups of flour. When the dough is smooth and elastic, turn it onto a floured surface and knead by hand into a ball.
If you do not have a machine to do the mixing for you, add flour until it is a soft dough. Turn it onto a floured surface and knead for 8 or 9 minutes, working in more flour until it is elastic and smooth.
Put the dough in a greased bowl and turn it over to coat the surface of the dough. Cover and put in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size. You can tell it has doubled if two fingers pressed into the dough leaves dents that don’t fill. I use my oven with the light on to provide a warm place.
When the dough has doubled, punch it down and turn it onto a floured surface. Knead it once or twice and cut it into two. Cover it and let it rest for 10 minutes. Press each half into a rectangle. Roll it into a cylinder. Tuck the ends under and put the seam side down in a greased bread pan. Cover the loaves and put them in a warm place to rise for about an hour, until just about doubled in volume.
While the bread was rising, it was lunch time. A nice bratwurst and cheese sandwich on a home made hoagie bun. My strength was restored.
When the loaves have doubled, cut a lengthwise slash on the top of the loaf with a very sharp knife. This allows for more rise while it is cooking. Bake the loaves for 30 minutes at 375 F.
This worked very well. It has the nice texture of Linda’s original recipe. The flavour has a touch of the sourdough taste but isn’t the full on sour of my other sourdough recipe which is a slow rise method that gives that strong sourdough taste and chewy texture.. So now I have a great light and full sourdough bread recipe. Cool! The size of the loaf is perfect for sandwiches. This will be made often.
Thanks for the recipe Linda. Forgive me for messing with it.
Disco
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