OK - So you've made your Seed Starter and your Barm. It's been sitting in your refrigerator for days. You have been caring for it, feeding it, and thinking about it while at work. Your friends have come over, you proudly show it to them, and they are worried about you. So just what are you going to do with this smelly, bubbling bowl of attitude?
You are going to use it to bake an incredible loaf of Sourdough Bread, of course!
Here is a recipe for a very basic Sourdough Bread that exclusively uses your Barm for leavening. The results are delicious, but this is not the big, tart, San Francisco Sourdough that you may be expecting. The flavor of this bread is not sour at all. It takes years for a Barm or Starter to develop the flavor that we usually associate with a loaf of Sourdough. Sadly, today most "Sourdoughs" are soured by adding citric or ascorbic acid. Read the labels.
This bread is rich and earthy, with an incredibly "creamy" texture. The crust is crispy and chewy. It will become your new favorite against which all other "white" breads are judged.
Patience is the key when working with this kind of a Starter. It does not work as fast as commercial yeast, and if you try to rush it, your results will be disappointing.
This recipe is adapted from The Bread Baker's Apprentice.
To make two 1 1/2 pound loaves
Starter:
2/3 cup Barm
1 cup unbleached high-gluten or bread flour
1/8 to 1/4 cup pure water
Dough:
4 1/2 cups unbleached high-gluten or bread flour
2 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups lukewarm, pure water
Semolina or cornmeal for dusting
Combine the ingredients for the starter, adding only enough of the water to form a dough that can be kneaded into a smooth ball. Lightly oil a small bowl or a bag, place ball of dough within, cover, and let rest at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours. After this time, the dough should have doubled in size.
Place the starter into the bowl of a standing mixer, add 1 1/2 cups of water and the salt. Mix with the paddle attachment until well combined and smooth. Switch to the dough hook and add the flour. Mix on low speed with the dough hook until the dough begins to come together. If the dough appears dry, add the remaining water. If still dry, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time until dough comes together and is smooth and no longer sticking to the bowl. Increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high and knead the dough for about 10 minutes. You should hear a "slapping" sound as the dough is kneading.
Remove dough from mixer and ferment in the mixer bowl, covered, or in an oiled bag for 3 to 4 hours. Dough may also be fermented in the refrigerator overnight.
After this fermentation, remove dough from its container and gently knead on a lightly floured counter. Dough may now be formed into rounds, batards, or whatever shape you would like. Once dough is formed, allow it to ferment again in a floured banneton, or on a semolina or cornmeal dusted baker's peel, or a flat sheet pan. Be sure to cover dough with a clean cloth, and if fermenting on a peel or sheet pan, lightly oil the surface before covering. The dough should proof for 2 to 3 more hours. If dough was fermented in the refrigerator, this could take 4 to 6 hours.
While the dough is undergoing its final fermentation, prepare the oven. Place racks at highest and lowest levels. On lower rack place a baking stone. On the higher rack place a heavy, metal pan that can be used to create steam. Heat oven to 500 degrees.
After fermentation is complete and the oven is ready, slash the top of a round loaf in a tic-tac-toe pattern. Slash batards three times diagonally. Slide loaves onto hot stone, add 2 cups water to steam pan, and close the oven door. After 30 seconds, spray sides of oven with water from a mist sprayer. Close the door. Repeat 2 more times at 30 second intervals. After final spray, lower oven temperature to 450 degrees. Bake for 10 minutes. Rotate loaves 180 degrees, and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until done. The loaves should be a rich, golden brown, and should sound hollow when thumped on the bottom.
Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 1 hour before serving.
If you cut into it too soon, the bread will be ruined.
You are going to use it to bake an incredible loaf of Sourdough Bread, of course!
Here is a recipe for a very basic Sourdough Bread that exclusively uses your Barm for leavening. The results are delicious, but this is not the big, tart, San Francisco Sourdough that you may be expecting. The flavor of this bread is not sour at all. It takes years for a Barm or Starter to develop the flavor that we usually associate with a loaf of Sourdough. Sadly, today most "Sourdoughs" are soured by adding citric or ascorbic acid. Read the labels.
This bread is rich and earthy, with an incredibly "creamy" texture. The crust is crispy and chewy. It will become your new favorite against which all other "white" breads are judged.
Patience is the key when working with this kind of a Starter. It does not work as fast as commercial yeast, and if you try to rush it, your results will be disappointing.
This recipe is adapted from The Bread Baker's Apprentice.
To make two 1 1/2 pound loaves
Starter:
2/3 cup Barm
1 cup unbleached high-gluten or bread flour
1/8 to 1/4 cup pure water
Dough:
4 1/2 cups unbleached high-gluten or bread flour
2 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups lukewarm, pure water
Semolina or cornmeal for dusting
Combine the ingredients for the starter, adding only enough of the water to form a dough that can be kneaded into a smooth ball. Lightly oil a small bowl or a bag, place ball of dough within, cover, and let rest at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours. After this time, the dough should have doubled in size.
Place the starter into the bowl of a standing mixer, add 1 1/2 cups of water and the salt. Mix with the paddle attachment until well combined and smooth. Switch to the dough hook and add the flour. Mix on low speed with the dough hook until the dough begins to come together. If the dough appears dry, add the remaining water. If still dry, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time until dough comes together and is smooth and no longer sticking to the bowl. Increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high and knead the dough for about 10 minutes. You should hear a "slapping" sound as the dough is kneading.
Remove dough from mixer and ferment in the mixer bowl, covered, or in an oiled bag for 3 to 4 hours. Dough may also be fermented in the refrigerator overnight.
After this fermentation, remove dough from its container and gently knead on a lightly floured counter. Dough may now be formed into rounds, batards, or whatever shape you would like. Once dough is formed, allow it to ferment again in a floured banneton, or on a semolina or cornmeal dusted baker's peel, or a flat sheet pan. Be sure to cover dough with a clean cloth, and if fermenting on a peel or sheet pan, lightly oil the surface before covering. The dough should proof for 2 to 3 more hours. If dough was fermented in the refrigerator, this could take 4 to 6 hours.
While the dough is undergoing its final fermentation, prepare the oven. Place racks at highest and lowest levels. On lower rack place a baking stone. On the higher rack place a heavy, metal pan that can be used to create steam. Heat oven to 500 degrees.
After fermentation is complete and the oven is ready, slash the top of a round loaf in a tic-tac-toe pattern. Slash batards three times diagonally. Slide loaves onto hot stone, add 2 cups water to steam pan, and close the oven door. After 30 seconds, spray sides of oven with water from a mist sprayer. Close the door. Repeat 2 more times at 30 second intervals. After final spray, lower oven temperature to 450 degrees. Bake for 10 minutes. Rotate loaves 180 degrees, and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until done. The loaves should be a rich, golden brown, and should sound hollow when thumped on the bottom.
Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 1 hour before serving.
If you cut into it too soon, the bread will be ruined.
1 comment:
This bread looks so good. I heard it was delicious too. A student at the Art Institute last year presented an art/food project where she collected starter from around the globe and also ancient starter- one from the time of Napoleon!!! I am not kidding. You can buy these over the web. I am not sure, however, how you check the veracity of someone's "starter" claims, but I tend to be a true believer when it comes to these things.
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