Finally made some *real* sourdough bread
The starter was just flour and water that I've been feeding for a
while. Sometimes I use rye flour, but usually I use all purpose.
I put a pound of bread flour, and scant tsp of salt dissolved in a cup
of water in the bread machine. Added about a cup and a half of
starter, and ran the "dough" cycle. Two hours later, had a nice very
wet lump of dough that hadn't risen at all yet like it would've had I
used bakers yeast.
I turned it out into a greased Corningware casserole dish, then
flipped it over in the dish (so the top would be greased a little) and
put the lid on. Checked it an hour or two later and maybe it had
risen a little if I used my imagination...
So I let it sit out all night, and by this morning it has risen
nicely. I didn't dare punch it down. I put the lid on the casserole
dish and put it in a cold oven and turned the heat to 375. Checked at
about 35 minutes and it kind of looked done but not browned at all and
maybe a little moist in the center. I took the lid off and baked
another 10 minutes. It was nicely browned and sounded right when I
thumped it. I let it cool a little in the dish, then turned it out
and put it on a rack to finish cooling. I squeezed it a little and
the top crust was thin and had a nice crack to it. Hopefully there's
still some left when I get home :-)
Do you see any room for improvement in my "recipe"? Do the
proportions look about right? It doesn't need any fat or milk or
sugar, right?
-Bob
|