Sourdough Loaves

[Original Recipe From Radical Health and King Arthur Flour]

Serving: 2 loaves || Rating 10/10

1. Plain Sourdough Bread (for 2 loaves)

Ingredients

• 454g active sourdough starter (recently fed so it is bubbly)
• 602g All-Purpose Flour
• 85g Whole Wheat Flour
• 397g room-temperature water
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt

Instructions

1. Mix all the ingredients and form soft dough.
   • Leave it a little on the wet side, you can add more water, which makes bread with more holes. If dough is sticky keep your hands wet.
2. First Rise:
   • Leave it in the bowl in a warmish room-temperature place to rise for 1 hour.
3. Knead:
   • After the first rise, gently knead dough (punch it down) for a couple of minutes, until it's smooth and supple, though still somewhat soft and tacky. When fully kneaded, place the dough back in the bowl, cover, and let it rise for 1 hour.
4. Fold: Give the dough a fold:
   • Turn it out onto a floured surface and, using a bowl scraper or bench knife, fold it like a business letter. Turn the dough 90 degrees. Gently flatten it a bit, and repeat the letter fold. Return the dough to the bowl, cover, and let it rise for another hour.
5. Pre-Shape:
   • At the end of the rise, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it in half. Gently shape into two rounds, cover, and let rest for 20 minutes.
6. Shape:
   • Form into a loaf shape of your choosing. Leave to rise in a dutch oven for 3 hours (or overnight) until risen (cover the second loaf with a towel, and leave on the counter).
7. Preheat the oven to 400F.
   • score the loaf (for example, one line in the middle of your loaf) about an inch deep.
   • Put the lid of your dutch oven on (make sure it is put on correctly so the steam does its work).
   • Bake for 25 minutes, and remove the lid.
   • Bake for an additional 20-30 minutes, until crust is a deep golden brown.
   • Leave to cool completely before slicing.

2. Beer Sourdough Bread (for 2 small loaves)

Ingredients

• 12 oz. room temperature beer (The type of beer will affect the flavour of the bread.)
• 1 cup active sourdough starter (recently fed so it is bubbly)
• 4 Tablespoon of sugar (honey, cane sugar, or etc.)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 cups white bread flour or all- purpose flour

Instructions

1. Mix beer and sourdough starter in a large bowl.
2. Add remaining ingredients and mix to form soft dough.
   • Leave it a little on the wet side, you can add more water, which makes bread with more holes. If dough is sticky keep your hands wet.
3. First Rise:
   • Leave it in the bowl in a warmish room-temperature place to rise for 1 hour.
4. Knead:
   • After the first rise, gently knead dough (punch it down) for a couple of minutes, until it's smooth and supple, though still somewhat soft and tacky. When fully kneaded, place the dough back in the bowl, cover, and let it rise for 1 hour.
5. Fold: Give the dough a fold:
   • Turn it out onto a floured surface and, using a bowl scraper or bench knife, fold it like a business letter. Turn the dough 90 degrees. Gently flatten it a bit, and repeat the letter fold. Return the dough to the bowl, cover, and let it rise for another hour.
6. Pre-Shape:
   • At the end of the rise, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it in half. Gently shape into two rounds, cover, and let rest for 20 minutes.
7. Shape:
   • Form into a loaf shape of your choosing. Leave to rise in a dutch oven for 3 hours (or overnight) until risen (cover the second loaf with a towel, and leave on the counter).
8. Preheat the oven to 400F.
   • score the loaf (for example, one line in the middle of your loaf) about an inch deep.
   • Put the lid of your dutch oven on (make sure it is put on correctly so the steam does its work).
   • Bake for 25 minutes, and remove the lid.
   • Bake for an additional 20-30 minutes, until crust is a deep golden brown.
   • Leave to cool completely before slicing.

3. Honey Oatmeal Sourdough Bread (for 2 loaves)

Ingredients

• 2 cups active sourdough starter (recently fed so it is bubbly)
• 1 cup of milk or milk alternative
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup oil or melted butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 cup of quick oats
• 2 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 3 cups white flour
• 3 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Mix all the ingredients EXCEPT SALT for 2-3 minutes. Allow the dough to rest for about 20 minutes.
2. Add salt and knead dough for about 5 minutes.
   • If dough is too sticky, add more flour but dough should be soft and not dry and stiff.
3. First Rise:
   • Leave it in the oiled bowl in a warmish room-temperature place to rise for 1 hour.
4. Knead:
   • After the first rise, gently knead dough (punch it down) for a couple of minutes, until it's smooth and supple, though still somewhat soft and tacky. When fully kneaded, place the dough back in the bowl, cover, and let it rise for 1 hour.
5. Fold: Give the dough a fold:
   • Turn it out onto a floured surface and, using a bowl scraper or bench knife, fold it like a business letter. Turn the dough 90 degrees. Gently flatten it a bit, and repeat the letter fold. Return the dough to the bowl, cover, and let it rise for another hour.
6. Pre-Shape:
   • At the end of the rise, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it in half. Gently shape into two rounds, cover, and let rest for 20 minutes.
7. Shape:
   • Form into a loaf shape of your choosing. Leave to rise in a dutch oven for 3 hours (or overnight) until risen (cover the second loaf with a towel, and leave on the counter).
8. Preheat the oven to 400F.
   • score the loaf (for example, one line in the middle of your loaf) about an inch deep.
   • Put the lid of your dutch oven on (make sure it is put on correctly so the steam does its work).
   • Bake for 25 minutes, and remove the lid.
   • Bake for an additional 20-30 minutes, until crust is a deep golden brown.
   • Leave to cool completely before slicing.

4. Whole-wheat Sourdough Bread (for 2 loaves)

Ingredients

• 2 cups active sourdough starter (recently fed so it is bubbly)
• 1 cup of milk or milk alternative
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup oil or melted butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 5 cup whole wheat flour
• 3 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Mix all the ingredients EXCEPT SALT for 2-3 minutes. Allow the dough to rest for about 20 minutes.
2. Add salt and knead dough for about 5 minutes.
   • If dough is too sticky, add more flour but dough should be soft and not dry and stiff.
3. First Rise:
   • Leave it in the oiled bowl in a warmish room-temperature place to rise for 1 hour.
4. Knead:
   • After the first rise, gently knead dough (punch it down) for a couple of minutes, until it's smooth and supple, though still somewhat soft and tacky. When fully kneaded, place the dough back in the bowl, cover, and let it rise for 1 hour.
5. Fold: Give the dough a fold:
   • Turn it out onto a floured surface and, using a bowl scraper or bench knife, fold it like a business letter. Turn the dough 90 degrees. Gently flatten it a bit, and repeat the letter fold. Return the dough to the bowl, cover, and let it rise for another hour.
6. Pre-Shape:
   • At the end of the rise, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it in half. Gently shape into two rounds, cover, and let rest for 20 minutes.
7. Shape:
   • Form into a loaf shape of your choosing. Leave to rise in a dutch oven for 3 hours (or overnight) until risen (cover the second loaf with a towel, and leave on the counter).
8. Preheat the oven to 400F.
   • score the loaf (for example, one line in the middle of your loaf) about an inch deep.
   • Put the lid of your dutch oven on (make sure it is put on correctly so the steam does its work).
   • Bake for 25 minutes, and remove the lid.
   • Bake for an additional 20-30 minutes, until crust is a deep golden brown.
   • Leave to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

• Pre-shaping dough creates the basic shape the loaf will eventually be, without refining that shape. Why pre-shape? Any time you handle dough its gluten tightens up, making it more resistant to further shaping. Pre-shaping dough then letting it rest before its final shaping relaxes its gluten, making it much easier to shape into its final form.
• Loaf should feel light for its size, and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
• To freeze: Slice your loaf and put it in a brown bag and put the brown bag in a plastic freezer Ziploc bag.