6.

Sourdough

SOURDOUGH BREAD IS THE SOUL OF ARTISAN HEARTH BREAD, THE WELLSPRING or ancestor of all yeast bread.

Sourdough bread is bread that is made from a starter (pre-ferment), a mixture of flour, water, and yeast that flavors the bread and makes it rise. A sourdough starter often is cultured from wild yeast and the bacteria present on the flour. The starter produces a bread that is high in natural acidity, giving the bread a distinctive tang and a crumb that is moist but does not mold readily.

I wasn’t intending to include sourdough made with noncommercial yeast starter in this book. It seemed too difficult and unpredictable. I also feared making my readers become prisoners to a feeding (yeast-refreshing) schedule of flour and water needed to keep the fermenting starter alive. My editor was surprised and disappointed at my decision, but it was my father who protested with indignation, saying that the book would not be complete without it. I argued that I wanted the predictability of commercial yeast to fit in with my own often erratic schedule and the busy lifestyles of my readers as well. I even had myself convinced that I enjoyed the subtlety of the bread produced by using the commercial sourdough starters such as Lalvain dry sourdough starter every bit as much as any artisan sourdough I had ever tasted. I went so far as to insist that I felt more than satisfied with the complexity and flavors offered by pre-ferments that are far quicker than sourdough, such as biga, poolish, and the simple sponge, because sourdough bread usually tasted too sour. But now that I have succeeded in coaxing wild yeast and favorable bacteria out of what seems like thin air into my bread, and produced a stable and mature starter for the first time, I recommend that every bread baker experience the thrill of watching a mixture of flour and water ferment into an starter that can cause a loaf of bread to rise. It is the final frontier, the Zen of bread making.

Making your own successful starter is really very simple. All you need is some organic rye flour (from the health food store), bread flour, unchlorinated water (let your tap water sit for 6 hours uncovered if it smells like chlorine, or use bottled water to be on the safe side), patience, and time. It takes about a week to achieve a starter that has an adequate population of yeast together with a good balance of flavorful friendly bacteria (from the environment), and another two weeks until it is fully mature and able to be the sole leavening of your bread.

One of the great benefits of a sourdough bread, including one made with a commercial sourdough starter, is that because of the acidity of the starter, even on the fifth day after baking, the bread is moist and its flavor still potent. This is not the case with most other yeast breads. But the major benefit is that the flavor of a sourdough bread is not merely sour: it is multidimensional and complex. The word that came to me when I tasted the first bread produced from my newly created sourdough starter was beguiling. I was hooked. Sourdough bread from my own starter is now a permanent part of my bread repertoire. And it is not at all difficult to maintain the starter. Perhaps the only difficult part is throwing out the ever-present excess starter, because as the starter is fed (refreshed) with flour and water to keep it alive and active, it continues to grow and expand to a far greater quantity than is practical, especially for home baking. Every time I send excess active starter down the drain, I feel a pang of regret.

Homemade sourdough bread has a distinctly sour flavor, but it doesn’t have to be overpoweringly sour. The degree of acidity in your bread depends on how often you refresh the starter and what percentage of the starter you use in the bread dough (usually between 15 and 40 percent). I’ve come to appreciate a more sour flavor on occasion, particularly with a strong flavorful cheese, such as Gorgonzola, because the bread’s assertive flavor enables it to hold its own and not be overpowered.

Maintaining a sourdough culture takes only a few minutes once a week. Starting the culture, however, takes about a week. The growing starter needs to be fed at specific and often difficult to predict intervals. If you do not have the sort of schedule that allows you to be present during as much of this first week as would be necessary, purchase a starter (see Sources) or adopt one from a friend (there’s always more than enough to share). If you do decide to make your own, you will increase your chances of creating a successful starter by cultivating it during a cool time of year, as cool temperatures attract the most desirable type of bacteria. Once the starter is established, usually by the fifth day, it no longer needs to be kept at cooler temperatures. (The fifth day of my starter’s life, when I heard it explode out of the Ball jar because the plastic wrap was too tight, was a moment I will always treasure—because it was then that I knew for sure it was alive.)

The great fallacy of sourdough, however, is that many people feel they are bringing an organism to life, that is more “natural” than commercial yeast. All yeast is natural: it is never a synthesized product. The difference between “wild” yeast and “domesticated” (commercial) yeast is that the commercial yeast is harvested from a specific strain, derived from the brewing industry, and is therefore more hardy and consistent. Many strains of wild yeast reside on the particles of flour, particularly organic rye flour, in great abundance. In fact, a single gram (about 1/28 of an ounce) of flour contains about 13,000 wild yeast cells and about 320 lactic bacteria cells.

For me, the most fascinating aspect of sourdough culture is the symbiotic relationship between the wild yeast and the lactic bacteria, called lactobacilli. These bacteria are responsible for converting maltose, a complex sugar formed by the enzyme action on the starch in the flour, into a variety of acids, primarily lactic acid and acetic acid. Because all acids taste sour, these acids are largely responsible for the special flavor of sourdough bread. The wild yeast can coexist in perfect harmony with the lactobacilli because unlike commercial yeast, wild yeast can survive in this acid environment. Also unlike commercial yeast, wild yeast cannot metabolize maltose, so it consumes other sugars present in the flour and ignores the maltose vital to the life of the lactobacilli. It is this balance and interplay of yeast and bacteria that is responsible for the unique flavor and texture of a sourdough bread.

If you like the pronounced tangy taste and complexity of a wild yeast sourdough bread and enjoy the unpredictability in rising time, you will delight in the drama of creating and maintaining a sourdough culture. And, after all, what wild creature is totally predictable?!

The lactobacilli, beyond being fundamental to the production of a sourdough culture, are also responsible for maintaining the health of a mature sourdough culture, by producing an antibiotic that protects it from contamination by other harmful bacteria. These harmful bacteria, which can form at the earlier stages of a developing (immature) starter, produce streaks of color. If this happens, the starter should be thrown out.

When making a bread using only a wild yeast starter, the minimum amount of starter required to raise the dough is 15 percent of the entire weight of the dough. If you like a very sour flavor, you can use up to 40 percent. (Over 40 percent, and the acidity will compromise the strength of the gluten, resulting in a dense, flat loaf.) If you prefer a less sour flavor, another way to achieve this while maintaining much of the flavor complexity is to increase the amount of flour and water used to refresh and strengthen the starter prior to baking. Normally I increase (expand) the starter by eight times its original weight before using it each time.

A wild yeast starter will always raise the dough more slowly than a commercial starter, because there is a far smaller concentration of yeast in the sourdough culture. (There are about two hundred billion yeast cells in just a tablespoon of commercial dry yeast, compared to nearly a billion in a whole cup of sourdough culture.) This slow rise is part of what creates interesting and complex flavors. My basic sourdough bread making schedule is about 36 hours from start to finish, but 95 percent of this is waiting time and requires no active participation. For example, if I want to have sourdough for dinner on Wednesday night, I take my starter out of the refrigerator first thing Tuesday morning. I feed it flour and water and remove part of it to store for the next batch. I allow the starter for the bread to sit until doubled, usually about 8 hours. I feed it a second time and allow it to sit in a cool spot overnight until at least doubled. (At 75°F, it will take about 6 hours, but it can sit for 12 hours before beginning to deflate. If I don’t plan to mix the dough within 12 hours, I refrigerate it—for up to 24 hours is fine—and remove it 1 hour before mixing the dough. If I want to go to bed and it hasn’t yet doubled, I set it in a cool area, 55° to 60°F, until the next morning.) On Wednesday morning I mix the dough. The first rising takes about 6 hours (this is for the basic sourdough bread—others, such as the pumpernickel, may take longer). I then shape the bread and set it to rise a second time, about 3 hours. Baking takes 30 minutes and cooling about 1 hour. (If I want to save the baked bread until the following day, I put it in a brown paper bag after it is cooled and fold over the opening. When I am ready to eat it, I crisp the crust by setting it on the oven rack in a preheated 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, slice it, and eat it warm.)

If you find this process difficult to fit into your schedule, you can change it by either slowing it down by chilling the dough, known as retarding, or speeding it up by adding a small amount of commercial yeast. Retarding the dough also develops a more complex and sour flavor and slightly increases volume.

Retarding or chilling the dough

A shaped loaf can be refrigerated before baking, following either of two different time schedules:

1 > Allow the shaped loaf to rise at warm room temperature (75° to 80°F) for 1 hour. Then refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. Remove it to room temperature 3 hours before baking and let stand until it has almost doubled.

2 > Allow the loaf to rise at warm room temperature (75° to 80°F) for 3 to 4 hours or until it has almost doubled (when pressed gently with a fingertip, the depression will very slowly fill in). Then refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. Remove 30 minutes before baking.

Adding Commercial Instant Yeast

It is possible to speed up the rising process of a sourdough by about 25 percent without sacrificing flavor or acidity by adding no more than 0.06 percent of the total weight of the flour (this includes the flour in the starter) in commercial instant yeast. This comes to 1/16 teaspoon/0.2 gram for the average 17.5-ounce/500-gram loaf. (For professional bakers who may use cake yeast instead of the dry instant yeast, the equivalent amount of yeast to add is 0.2 percent of the total weight of the flour. It is equal to one-seventh the amount of yeast normally used in the recipe.)

For a recipe using a total of about 2 cups (10.6 ounces/300 grams) bread flour, add 1/16 teaspoon (0.2 gram) instant yeast.

You must add the yeast after the first 3 minutes of kneading the dough. If you add it too soon, the acidity in the sourdough starter might kill the commercial yeast. On the other hand, if you add too much commercial yeast, it will raise the pH level of the dough (make it more alkaline and less acid), resulting in a less sour bread.

POINTERS FOR SUCCESS FOR MAKING A SOURDOUGH STARTER

>    Use organic rye or organic whole wheat flour. (Organic white flour will also work, but the process will be much slower.)

>    Use unchlorinated water (bottled water is fine).

>    Have everything that will touch the starter spotlessly clean (including your hands) so as not to contaminate it. (Once the starter is active, it will be much more resistant to contamination.)

>    During culturing, the starter will give off many aromas, including cheese, citrus/tangerine, apple, and, when fully mature, fresh paint. If streaks of color appear, however, the starter is contaminated. Throw it out and start again.

NOTE    If you can’t be home during the first week and still want to make your own starter, a less exacting method that may also work is to feed the starter every 12 hours for about 5 days, pouring off and throwing out some of it when the jar gets too full. If it doubles in 12 hours, it is active and ready to use.)

MAKING A SOURDOUGH STARTER (LEVAIN) FROM SCRATCH

EQUIPMENT

a 4-cup glass canning jar OR 4-cup glass measuring cup;

large heavy plastic spoon OR clean wooden spoon;

plastic wrap

INGREDIENTS

organic rye flour or organic whole wheat flour; bread flour; and bottled water

Days 1 through 5

DAY 1

In an immaculately clean bowl, combine a scant cup/4.2 ounces/120 grams organic rye flour and 1/2 cup/4.2 ounces/120 grams bottled water. With a clean hand or spoon, stir until the flour is moistened and a stiff dough is formed. If there are still loose flour particles after 2 minutes, add more water by the droplet. Scrape the starter into the 4-cup container. You will have about 1 cup/8.5 ounces/240 grams. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap (it’s fine to use the ring that screws onto the canning jar to keep the plastic wrap in place) and place it in a cool area (65°F) for 48 hours. (If you don’t have a cool area, let it sit for only 24 hours [until Day 2] and feed it the same way as described for Day 3.)

DAY 2

There will be no visible change in the color or texture of the starter.

DAY 3

The consistency of the starter will now resemble a thick pancake batter and there may be a few bubbles in the surface. With a clean spoon, remove and throw out about half of the starter (about 1/2 cup/4.25 ounces/120 grams).

Stir in: a scant 1/2 cup/about 2 ounces/60 grams bread flour and 1/4 liquid cup/about 2 ounces/60 grams bottled water.

You will again have 8.5 ounces/240 grams of starter, but it will have expanded in volume from just under 8 fluid ounces to about 10 fluid ounces. Cover again tightly with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature (70° to 75°F) for 24 hours. (After 12 hours, the starter may have increased by one and a half, to 14 fluid ounces, and have lots of bubbles. Don’t be concerned if it then deflates and falls.)

DAY 4

The starter may give off a faint citrus aroma. With a clean spoon, again scoop and throw out about half of the starter (about 1/2 cup/4.25 ounces/120 grams).

Stir in: a scant 1/2 cup/about 2 ounces/60 grams bread flour and 1/4 liquid cup/about 2 ounces/60 grams bottled water.

You will again have 8.5 ounces/240 grams of starter, about 10 fluid ounces in volume. Cover it with plastic wrap, but not tightly, as gases should now be forming that need to escape. Leave it at room temperature (70° to 75°F) for 24 hours.

DAY 5

If the starter is active, it will have increased in volume to at least 3 cups, or even 4 cups. It will dome and then start to recede. (If it is not yet at this point, continue throwing out half the starter and feeding it with the scant 1/2 cup/about 2 ounces/60 grams bread flour and 1/4 liquid cup/about 2 ounces/60 grams bottled water every 24 hours until it reaches this state of activity.)

With a clean spoon, again remove and throw out about half of the starter (about 1/2 cup/4.25 ounces/120 grams).

Stir in: a scant 1/2 cup/about 2 ounces/60 grams bread flour and 1/4 liquid cup/about 2 ounces/60 grams bottled water.

You will now have about 1 cup/8.5 ounces/240 grams of active starter. (You may feel the impulse to give it a name. Give in to it: I named mine Billo.) Cover it with plastic wrap and let it sit at warm room temperature (75 to 80°F) for about 4 hours or until it has almost doubled. You can now “expand” it (feed with flour and water) for baking bread or refrigerate it overnight and start expanding it the next day. If you don’t plan to use it for several days, feed it again to double it, let it sit for 1 hour, and then refrigerate it.

This starter will mature over the next few weeks, gaining in strength and flavor. For the first 2 weeks, store at least 1 cup (8.5 ounces/240 grams) of it and feed it at least three times a week. After 2 weeks of regular feeding (equal weights flour and water or, by volume, 1 1/2 times flour to water, to at least double it; when the jar gets half-full, pour off half), at least three times a week, the culture is mature and bread made from it will be more mellow and complex. You can now switch to once-a-week feeding if you only make bread once a week.

Once your starter is mature, all you need to store is enough for 1 or 2 loaves plus enough to start the next batch (about a full 3/4 cup/7 ounces/200 grams). If you plan to bake in larger quantities, simply increase the amount you store by throwing out less of it before each feeding.

Stiff starter versus liquid starter

Once the starter is active (after Day 5), you have the choice at any point thereafter of storing it as a liquid sourdough starter or a stiff sourdough starter.

To convert this liquid starter to a stiff starter, add 3/4 cup/(4.25 ounces/120 grams) flour to 1 cup/8.5 ounces/240 grams of the liquid starter. With a wooden spoon, stir the starter until all the flour is incorporated. Empty it into a bowl and knead it for about 2 minutes. If it is sticky, knead in more flour until it is very firm. If, after 2 minutes, it is too dry and crumbly, add water by the droplet. It is best to make it very stiff, because the acidity in the starter will cause it to soften as it stands and it will stick to your fingers when you are ready to use it to make the bread. Set this stiff starter in an oiled container with a lid. Grease the top of the dough with cooking spray or oil and cover it tightly. Store at room temperature or refrigerate it.

I prefer a stiff starter, but this is strictly a matter of personal preference. According to some theories, the yeast in the sourdough starter develops faster in a liquid starter than in a stiff starter, but from my observation, it’s neck and neck: a stiff starter rises faster and deflates more slowly. I believe this is because the gluten (protein) structure of the stiff starter supports the rise caused by the carbon dioxide formed as a result of the yeast consuming the sugar in the flour.

Many bakers, including me, feel that a stiff starter produces a less sour flavor than one with a liquid consistency, but others (including my husband—empirically) disagree, arguing that a stiff culture tends to develop more acetic acid, whereas a liquid starter will have a higher production of the milder lactic acid. Some compromise by maintaining a liquid starter, converting it into a stiff starter as necessary the day before mixing dough.

Clearly the perception of sour is highly subjective. But to my mind, the most significant degree of sourness comes more from the specifics of storage, rebuilding, temperature during proofing, and the amount used than from the state of the original starter, stiff or liquid. The degree of sourness of liquid starter compared to stiff starter may also depend on the age of the starter.

A comparison of stiff starter to liquid starter

A stiff starter is one-third water and two-thirds flour by weight (50 percent hydration). This means that 100 grams of stiff starter contain 33.35 grams water and 66.65 grams flour (or 3 times flour to water by volume).

A liquid starter is half water and half flour by weight, or by volume, 1 1/2 times the water in flour (100 percent hydration). This means that 100 grams of liquid starter contain 50 grams water and 50 grams flour.

Since it is the flour component of the starter that feeds the yeast and bacteria, the goal is always to maintain the same amount of flour in the starter. Since a liquid starter has less flour per volume or weight than a stiff starter, more of the liquid starter will be needed to replace it, but the extra water will need to be removed from the rest of the recipe. So to interchange liquid for stiff, or vice versa, you need to increase or decrease the amount of starter to arrive at the same amount of flour and increase or decrease the amount of water called for in the rest of the dough. This means that a recipe using starter equal to 30 percent of the total weight of the flour and water (including what is contained in the starter) will require 5.25 ounces/150 grams of stiff starter or 7 ounces/200 grams of liquid starter.

Here’s how to convert a liquid starter to a stiff starter: By weight, if a recipe calls for, for example, 5.25 ounces/150 grams stiff starter, and you have a liquid starter, you will need to increase the amount of starter called for by one and a third times (meaning 7 ounces/200 grams liquid starter) and then remove the amount of extra water you have added (one-quarter of the weight of the liquid starter, which is 1.75 ounces/50 grams) from the rest of the dough. Or to convert it by volume, simply stir flour into the liquid starter a teaspoon at a time. When it becomes stiff enough to touch without sticking to your fingers, knead it with your hand, adding flour until it is no longer sticky.

Here’s how to convert a stiff starter to a liquid starter: If a recipe calls for, for example, 7 ounces/200 grams liquid starter, and you have a stiff starter, you will need to decrease the amount of starter by three-quarters (which equals 1.75 ounces/150 grams stiff starter) and add water equal to one-third the weight of the stiff starter (1.7 ounces/50 grams) to the rest of the dough.

Pros and Cons of a Liquid Sourdough Starter

>    When changing amount of liquid starter used, it is easy to calculate how much flour and water to add or remove from the rest of the dough since it is equal parts flour and water by weight.

>    It is easy to refresh (feed) the liquid starter by stirring the flour and water directly into the starter, rather than having to transfer it to another container and knead it in.

>    A liquid starter ferments (cultures) more quickly, but it “burps” and loses gas and is more prone to collapse.

>    A liquid starter produces bread with slightly larger holes.

Pros and Cons of a Stiff Sourdough Starter

>    It ferments more quickly, but it holds the gases better and is slower to collapse.

>    It is less messy, making it easier to measure and work with. Also, it doesn’t stick to the bowl or mixing spoon, guaranteeing that all of it is added to the mixture.

>    It produces bread with a more golden crumb.

Maintaining (Refreshing) a Sourdough Starter

To feed the yeast in a starter in order to keep it alive, you need to give the starter enough flour and water to at least double its weight or volume. Although cleanliness is always a virtue, once the starter is established, there is far less risk of contamination by other bacteria.

NOTE    1 cup of stiff or (if stirred down) liquid sourdough starter equals 8.5 ounces/240 grams, or about 1 ounce/15 grams per 1 tablespoon. (This is 1 cup in a dry measuring cup; in a glass measure, it may read as more.)

SCHEDULE FOR REFRESHING (FEEDING) A STIFF SOURDOUGH STARTER TO KEEP IT ALIVE

Allow the (refrigerated) starter to sit at room temperature (70° to 80°F) for 1 hour before feeding it. You will be increasing it by 2 1/2 times, from 50 grams to 125 grams.

Remove a scant 1/4 cup/1.75 ounces/50 grams of the starter and place it in a small bowl. Discard the rest. Add 1/3 cup/1.75 ounces/50 grams flour and 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons/1 scant ounce/25 grams water.

Mix with a wooden spoon and then your hand, or with the paddle attachment of an electric mixer on low speed (#2 if using a KitchenAid) until a smooth dough forms. It should be the consistency of biscuit dough—firm and not sticky to the touch. Adjust it if necessary with a little flour or a few droplets of water. (The starter should be very stiff because the acidity in the starter causes it to soften on standing.)

Transfer the starter to a lightly oiled container with a lid. Lightly oil the surface of the starter.

TIMETABLE

If planning to feed and store for 1 day before using, let the starter increase in volume by about 1 1/2 times, 2 hours or so, then refrigerate.

If planning to feed and store for 3 days before using, let it increase in volume by about 1 1/4 times, 1 hour or so, then refrigerate.

If planning to store for 1 week before using, let it increase in volume just slightly, about 30 minutes, then refrigerate.

SCHEDULE FOR REFRESHING (FEEDING) A LIQUID SOURDOUGH STARTER TO KEEP IT ALIVE

Because of the sticky nature of a liquid starter, the easiest way to refresh it is by pouring off about half of it and then feeding it equal weights of flour and water to at least double its weight. If you are measuring volume, you will need 1 1/2 times more flour than water (For example, for 1 liquid cup of water, you will need 1 1/2 cups of flour.)

Mix with a firm plastic or wooden spoon until smooth. After several weeks, when the top part of the container gets crusty with dried starter, pour the starter into a clean jar.

TIMETABLE

If planning to feed and store the starter for 1 day before using, let it increase by about 1 1/2 times, 5 hours or so, then refrigerate.

If planning to feed and store the starter for 3 days before using, let it increase by about 1 1/4 times, 3 hours or so, then refrigerate.

If planning to store the starter for 1 week before using, let it increase just slightly, about 1 hour, then refrigerate.

If planning to store the liquid starter for more than a week before using, you should convert it into a stiff starter. To the 1 cup/8.5 ounces/240 grams of liquid starter, add 3/4 cup/4.25 ounces/120 grams flour. You can then convert it back into a liquid starter by adding 1/2 cup/4.25 ounces/120 grams water.

OLD STARTERS

A starter is active, and ready to be used, when it will it at least double in size within 8 hours after it is fed. Different starters will reach this point in different amounts of time, but if the starter can’t double itself, it surely won’t raise your bread. However, if a starter has not been fed, it may still be possible to restore it.

To Revive a Neglected Stiff Sourdough Starter

A stiff starter will probably keep for a month, refrigerated. If longer than that, to restore it to its original potency, you will need to refresh (feed) it in the usual way, throwing out excess and doubling it every 24 hours until it can double in volume in 6 to 8 hours. Until that point, don’t feed it more than every 24 hours, because the yeast needs a chance to multiply before the next feeding.

To Revive a Neglected Liquid Sourdough Starter

The standard technique for restoring an old liquid starter is first to pour off the liquid formed on the top (which contains the alcohol “waste” produced by the yeast) and then to throw out all but 20 percent of what remains. Put the remainder in a 1-quart canning jar and feed it equal weights flour and water to double it (by volume, flour is 1 1/2 times water, so for every cup of starter, feed it 3/4 cup flour and 1/2 cup water) every 24 hours. When it comes close to the top of the jar, pour off half and continue feeding it until it will double in volume in 6 to 8 hours.

Expanding a Sourdough Starter for Baking

The stored (refrigerated) starter needs to be fed flour and water to expand (increase) it to at least triple its original size before using it, to keep it from being too acidic. I increase my starter by 8 times in two stages, throwing out some after the first feeding so that I don’t end up with a lot more than I need for the amount of the final bread dough (see the recipe).

Expanding a Stiff Starter

The day before baking, first thing in the morning, give the starter its first feeding so that it can have its second feeding by early afternoon and be ready to use to mix the dough by end of the day, or to rest overnight and be used to mix the dough the next morning. Ideally, you want to use the starter at its peak, when it is active but not deflated. (A stiff starter will stay at its peak for many hours. If the starter is overly mature, most of the sugar in the flour will have been consumed by the yeast, which will result in a paler crust (as there is less sugar to caramelize during baking) and less flavor in the baked bread. If it is not mature enough, there will not be enough yeast, so it will take longer to raise the bread.

Expanding a Liquid Starter

If using a liquid starter, it is practical to do the first feeding 8 hours before the end of the day, then give it the second feeding. It can then ferment and rise overnight at room temperature (70° to 80°F) for about 10 to 12 hours.

HOW TO USE A SOURDOUGH STARTER IN PLACE OF COMMERCIAL YEAST IN OTHER RECIPES

If you enjoy the flavor that a sourdough starter adds to bread, you may want to convert some of your favorite recipes so you can use it instead of commercial yeast.

When adding sourdough starter to a recipe, you are, of course, adding the flour and water, as well as the wild yeast and bacteria, contained in the sourdough, so you need to reduce the amount of flour and water in the rest of the recipe as appropriate and eliminate the commercial yeast (or reduce it to no more than 0.2 percent of the total weight of the flour). When worked out by weight, this is a very easy calculation. (If you have a liquid starter, convert it to a stiff starter.)

In order for the sourdough starter to be about 30 percent of the total flour and water component of the finished dough, you need to:

1 > Total the weights of the flour and water in the recipe.

2 > Multiply the flour and water total by 30 percent to get the amount of starter needed.

3 > Since the starter is one-third water and two-thirds flour (by weight), divide the total amount of starter by 3 to get the amount of water it contains and by 1 1/2 to get the flour. Subtract those amounts from the total water and total flour in the dough.

EXAMPLE (GRAMS ARE USED BECAUSE IT IS EASIEST TO ILLUSTRATE)

Flour: 100 grams

Water: 68 grams

Salt: 3.7 grams

Yeast: 0.5 gram

Total flour and water equals 168 grams. The amount of starter at 30 percent of the total flour and water (168 grams) would be 50.4 grams. Round it off to 50 grams. This is the amount of starter to use.

The 50 grams of starter contains 16.6 grams water and 33.3 grams flour (it’s one-third water and two-thirds flour, i.e., 1 part water to 2 parts flour) so those are the amounts you need to remove from the rest of the recipe.

Subtract the 33.3 grams flour from the 100 grams of flour used in the recipe, for a total of 66.7 additional grams flour to be added to the starter.

Subtract the 16.6 grams from the 68 grams of water used in the recipe, for a total of 51.4 additional grams of water to be added to the starter.

Eliminate the yeast, and the salt remains the same.

(Obviously there is no need to use a sponge starter, as the sourdough starter provides all the flavor needed.) You can also replace the biga (and yeast) in a recipe with equal volume or weight of stiff sourdough starter.

When to Add the Sourdough Starter

If mixing the dough by machine, it is best to mix the rest of the dough, (except the salt) and knead it for 3 minutes, enough to develop the gluten structure a little. Allow it to rest (autolyse) for 20 minutes, then knead in the sourdough starter. Add the salt after the sourdough starter is mixed into the dough, as direct contact with salt is harmful to the yeast. In addition, the salt should be added at the end because it draws water from the dough and causes the dough to become stiffer.

It is best to add the sourdough to the partially kneaded dough for two reasons. One is that the starter has already been kneaded during feeding, so it requires less additional kneading. The other is that the acidity of the starter softens the gluten-forming proteins of the dough, so it’s better to give them a chance to develop first.

If mixing the dough by hand, it is easiest to add the starter in the beginning to the liquid in the recipe to break it up. This ensures that it will incorporate it evenly into the dough.

THE 8 BASIC STEPS IN MAKING SOURDOUGH BREAD FROM A SOURDOUGH SEED STARTER (CULTURE)

The basic process of making sourdough bread involves feeding the yeast in a sourdough seed starter a mixture of flour and water to make it active enough to raise the bread. The feeding is referred to as refreshing when you are planning to store the sourdough seed starter for future use. It is referred to as expanding when you are preparing the seed starter to make the sourdough bread.

1

Feed (refresh) some of the sourdough seed starter for future bread.

2

Feed (expand) some of the sourdough seed starter for the bread you are making.

3

Feed (expand) the sourdough seed starter for this bread a second time.

4

Mix the dough.

5

Let the dough rise.

6

Shape the dough and let it rise.

7

Bake the bread.

8

Cool the bread.

POINTERS FOR SUCCESS IN MAKING SOURDOUGH

>    When mixing the dough with the machine method, add a stiff sourdough starter before adding the salt. Once the salt is added, the dough becomes firmer, so the starter would take longer to mix evenly into the rest of the dough.

>    Sourdough is a very sticky dough until the last few minutes of kneading. To prevent sticking, it helps to use your fingertips, not the palms of your hands. Use a bench scraper to scrape the dough and gather it together as you knead it.

>    If measuring instead of weighing a stiff sourdough starter, the dough will measure more in a solid measuring cup than it will in a liquid measuring cup.

>    Round bannetons are baskets or containers with air holes used for shaping sourdough loaves while rising, to give the soft, slack dough extra support. They can be beautiful willow baskets from France, unlined or lined with coarse woven cloth, or they can even be plastic baskets or colanders lined with clean kitchen towels. The unlined willow baskets will leave an attractive design on the crust of the bread. It is important to have a container that allows the dough to breathe. Otherwise, the moisture of the dough may cause it to stick to the cloth, and the dough will collapse and deflate when unmolded. The recipes in this chapter all use an 8-inch round banneton. Larger bannetons or colanders can be used for these amounts of dough, but when unmolding the dough before baking, you will need to support the dough with a cardboard round or plate held against its surface so that it doesn’t fall several inches, which would make it deflate.

>    Bread flour is used for making sourdough bread because it has higher gluten-forming protein content than all-purpose flour and will give more structure to the loaf. The acidity of the sourdough starter makes the dough very slack, and the extra structure provided by the bread flour helps to counteract this and support the rise.

>    Keep the shaped dough covered with oiled plastic wrap to prevent the outside from drying, which would impede rising.

>    Allow the shaped dough to proof just long enough so that it almost keeps a dent when pressed. Overproofing may cause the dough to collapse and result in a pale crust and limited shelf life. Slight underproofing is preferable. If significantly underproofed, however, the crust will burst open unevenly during baking and the loaf will have less volume.

>    Don’t use a food processor to mix the dough for a sourdough bread, as the buildup of heat will probably destroy the wild yeast sourdough culture. (Even 100°F is hot enough to kill it.)

Using a Bread Machine for Sourdough

A bread machine can work very well to mix and knead one loaf of sourdough bread, but use only a model that has a programmable dough feature that does not heat the bread during mixing.

To use a bread machine, if it’s been refrigerated, let the starter stand at room temperature for 1 hour before mixing the dough.

Place the water and the flour called for in the bread machine bowl. Program the machine to a manual cycle. After the 3-minute mix, immediately hit the pause button, so that the dough can rest 20 minutes for the autolyse. (Since “pause” is usually only 10 minutes, set a timer for 9 minutes so you can press the button a second time, before the machine starts kneading the dough.) Add the salt when the kneading cycle begins, at the end of the 20-minute pause. Scrape the corners of the bowl when flour or dough collects in them during kneading. Allow the machine to knead the dough for about 1 minute. Then add the stiff sourdough starter, torn into 4 pieces. Continue kneading for 7 minutes

UNDERSTANDING

The proportion of basic essential ingredients in sourdough breads falls into the range of 60.5 to 68 percent water, 15 to 40 percent dough starter, and 1.7 to 2.5 percent salt. These percentages (except for the starter, which is based on the entire amount of flour and water in the recipe, including the dough starter) are based on the Baker’s Percentage, in which every ingredient is based on flour, which is given the value of 100 percent.

Basic Sourdough Bread

This bread is as homespun as bread can get, using a stiff sourdough starter cultivated from wild yeast. It has a characteristic sourdough profile: tangy, complex flavor; thin, crisp crust; and springy moist crumb with uneven holes of moderate size.

I love this small loaf because of the size of the whole slices when cut. Also, for those who may have just one banneton (dough-rising basket), I wanted to provide a recipe for just one loaf. A loaf of this size is ideal for two people for three days, with a few slices to share with anyone who comes by to visit. If your family is larger, you will want to double the recipe.

Sharing the sourdough starter for bread is a time-honored tradition around the world. I got my first starter from Kurtis Baguley, a baker in San Francisco. And when my friend Angelica Pulvirenti asked me for a bread recipe to use on her boyfriend’s boat, one that was easy and had good keeping qualities (so it wouldn’t mold from the humidity), I gave her this recipe and some of my starter to make it. She was especially delighted because sharing a bread starter was a long-standing custom in a small village near Ragusa, Sicily, where she grew up. She said that her mother, at the end of baking day, always passed some of her unbaked bread dough to her friends. She loved the sense of community this imparted and is thrilled that she and I are continuing it.

TIME SCHEDULE

Stiff Sourdough Starter: minimum 13 hours, maximum 34 hours

Minimum Rising Time: about 9 hours

Oven Temperature: 475°F, then 450°F

Baking Time: 25 to 30 minutes

Makes: a 6-by-3 1/2-inch-high round loaf/about 15 ounces/430 grams

EQUIPMENT:

a heavy-duty mixer with dough hook attachment;

an 8-inch banneton OR small colander lined with a towel;

a half sheet pan lined with a nonstick liner such as Silpain or parchment;

a baking stone OR baking sheet

Stiff Sourdough Starter

INGREDIENTS

MEASURE

WEIGHT

volume

ounces

grams

sourdough starter

(for storing)

(for this bread)

1/3 c

(scant 1/4 c)

(1 tbsp plus 2 tsp)

2 3/4 oz

(1.75 oz)

(1 scant oz)

75 g

(50 g)

(25 g)

FLOUR AND WATER FOR FEEDING THE STARTER

bread flour

1 1/3 c, divided

7 oz

200 g

water, at room temperature (70 to 90°F)

1/2 c minus

1 tbsp, divided

3.5 oz

100 g

The day before baking, first thing in the morning, feed (expand) the sourdough starter. (It will be ready to use or to rest refrigerated overnight after about 14 hours.) Allow the starter to sit at room temperature (70° to 80°F) for 1 hour before feeding it.

The Storage Starter

First, feed (refresh) and store some of the sourdough seed starter for future batches of bread (you will be increasing it by 2 1/2 times, from 50 grams to 125 grams):

Begin by tearing off a scant 1/4 cup (1.75 ounces/50 grams) of the starter. It will be soft and stretchy. Place it in a small bowl.

Add 1/3 cup (1.75 ounces/50 grams) of the flour and 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons (1 scant ounce/25 grams) of the water. With a wooden spoon and then your hand, mix and knead together until all the flour is absorbed. The starter should be the consistency of a stiff biscuit dough. If after about 2 minutes of kneading there are still loose particles of flour, add water by the droplet. (Don’t worry, too much water won’t hurt it—but during fermentation and resting, the dough becomes softer, and it is easier to work with the starter when it is firm and not sticky, so you don’t lose any on your fingers or the bowl.)

Place this starter in a lightly oiled 1-cup storage container with a lid. Lightly oil the surface of the starter. Allow the starter to start to ferment at warm room temperature (75° to 80°F) before storing it in the refrigerator. If you are planning to bake more bread soon, you want the starter to ferment longer at room temperature so it will be more active sooner. If you are not planning to bake more bread for several days, you want to slow down the fermentation by refrigerating it sooner so that the yeast doesn’t consume all the added flour.

If baking bread the next day or the day after feeding the starter, refrigerate the starter after 2 hours at room temperature.

If baking bread 3 days after feeding the starter, refrigerate the starter after 1 hour at room temperature.

If baking bread 1 week after feeding the starter, refrigerate the starter after 30 minutes at room temperature.

The Starter for the Bread

1 > Give the starter the first feeding and allow it to ferment and rise (you will be increasing the starter by 4 times, from 25 grams to 100 grams). Tear off a scant 2 tablespoons (1 scant ounce/25 grams) of the sourdough starter (discard any remaining starter) and place it in a small bowl.

Add 1/3 cup (1.75 ounces/50 grams) of the flour and 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons (1 scant ounce/25 grams) of the water. With a wooden spoon and then your hand, mix and knead together until all the flour is absorbed. If after about 2 minutes of kneading there are still loose particles of flour, add water by the droplet. The starter should be a rough dough that is very stiff but holds together, with no loose flour particles. It will measure a rounded 1/3 cup and weigh 3.5 ounces/100 grams.

Transfer the starter to an oiled 1-cup glass measure. Oil the top and press it down into the cup. It should measure about 1/3 cup in the glass measure. Cover the measuring cup tightly with greased plastic wrap and let rise (ideally at 75° to 80°F) until it has doubled, to 2/3 cup, 6 to 8 hours.

2 > Give the starter the second feeding and allow the yeast to ferment and rise (you will be increasing it by 4 times, from 50 grams to 200 grams). Tear off a scant 1/4 cup (1.75 ounces/50 grams) of the starter and discard the remainder. Tear the starter into a few pieces and place in a medium bowl. Add the remaining 2/3 cup (3.5 ounces/100 grams) flour and 3 1/2 tablespoons (1.75 ounces/50 grams) water. With a wooden spoon and then your hand, mix and knead together until all the flour is absorbed. If after about 2 minutes of kneading there are still loose particles of flour, add water by the droplet. The starter should be a rough dough that is very stiff but holds together, with no loose flour particles. You will have a full 3/4 cup (7 ounces/200 grams).

Transfer the starter to an oiled 2-cup glass measure. Oil the top and press it down into the cup. It should measure about 3/4 cup in the glass measure. Cover the measuring cup tightly with greased plastic wrap and let rise (ideally at 75° to 80°F) until it has doubled, to 1 1/2 cups, about 6 hours. Refrigerate the starter if you are not ready to mix the dough—up to 20 hours.

Dough

INGREDIENTS

MEASURE

WEIGHT

volume

ounces

grams

bread flour

1 1/4 c

7 oz

200 g

water, at room temperature (70 to 90°F)

2/3 liquid c

5.5 oz

154 g

stiff sourdough starter (from above)

2/3 c

5.25 oz

150 g

salt

1 scant tsp

scant 0.25 oz

6 g

3 > Mix the dough.

Mixer Method

If you have refrigerated the starter, remove it to room temperature 1 hour before mixing the dough.

In the mixer bowl, place the flour. With the dough hook, on low speed (#2 if using a KitchenAid), gradually add the water until the flour is moistened enough to form a rough dough. Continue kneading on low speed for 3 minutes, enough to develop the gluten structure a little. Scrape down any bits of dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.

With oiled fingers, tear off 2/3 cup (5.25 ounces/150 grams) of the starter; discard the rest. Tear it into 4 pieces, roughly the same size. On low speed, knead it into the dough, about 2 minutes. Add the salt and continue kneading for 1 minute. Raise the speed to medium (#4 KitchenAid) and knead for 3 minutes. The dough will be barely tacky (sticky), smooth, and very elastic. If it is still very sticky, knead in a little flour. If it is not at all sticky, spray it with a little water and knead it. (The dough will measure about 2 cups and weigh about 17.7 ounces/502 grams.)

Hand Method

If it has been refrigerated, remove the starter to room temperature 1 hour before mixing the dough.

With oiled fingers, tear off 2/3 cup (5.25 ounces/150 grams) of the starter; discard the rest. Tear it into 4 pieces, roughly the same size, and place it in a mixing bowl.

With a wooden spoon, stir in the water, stirring for a few seconds to soften the starter, then add all but 2 tablespoons of the flour and the salt. Continuing with the wooden spoon or using your hand, mix until the flour is moistened. Knead the dough in the bowl until it comes together, then scrape it onto a lightly floured counter. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, enough to develop the gluten structure a little, adding as little of the reserved 2 tablespoons flour as possible to keep it from sticking. (To prevent sticking, it helps to use your fingertips, not the palms of your hands.) Use a bench scraper to scrape up the dough and gather it together as you knead it. At this point, it will be very sticky. Cover it with the inverted bowl and allow it to rest for 20 minutes. (This rest will make the dough less sticky and easier to work with.)

Knead the dough for another 5 to 10 minutes or until it is very smooth and elastic. It should be barely tacky (sticky) to the touch. If the dough is still very sticky, add some or all of the remaining reserved flour or a little extra. (The dough will measure about 2 cups and weigh about 17.7 ounces/502 grams.)

Both Methods

4 > Let the dough rise. Using an oiled spatula or dough scraper, scrape the dough into a 4-cup glass measuring cup or 1-quart food storage container, lightly greased with cooking spray or oil. Press down the dough so you can get an accurate measure, and lightly spray or oil the top. It will come to 2 cups. Cover the measuring cup with plastic wrap; or cover the container with a lid and, with a piece of tape, mark the side of the container at approximately where double the height of the dough would be. Allow the dough to rise (ideally at 75° to 80°F) for 1 hour. It will only have risen a little.

Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured counter. Gently push it down to deflate it, and stretch it into a rectangle (the exact size is not important). Give it 2 business letter turns. It will be soft and stretchy but a little firmer after each turn. Return the dough to the greased container and lightly spray or oil the top. Cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap and allow it to rise for another hour.

Stretch the dough again, give it 2 business letter turns, and return it to the container. Grease the top, cover, and allow it to rise until doubled, to 4 cups (1 quart), 4 to 5 hours.

5 > Shape the dough and let it rise. Without deflating it, turn the dough out onto a floured counter and round it into a ball (see Illustrations for Shaping a Round Loaf). Set it in a floured banneton or a colander lined with a floured towel, seam side up. Pinch together the seam if it starts to pull apart. In the banneton, the dough will be about 2 inches from the top.

Spray the dough with oil or sprinkle lightly with flour and cover it with a large container or plastic wrap. Let the dough rise ideally at (75° to 80°F.) until almost doubled, 3 to 4 hours. When it is pressed gently with a fingertip, the depression will very slowly fill in. In the banneton, the center of the dough will be 3/4 to 1 inch from the top.

6 > Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 475°F 1 hour before baking. Have an oven shelf at the lowest level and place an oven stone or baking sheet on it, and a cast-iron skillet or sheet pan on the floor of the oven, before preheating.

7 > Slash and bake the dough. Very gently invert the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. (If you are using a colander and the risen bread is more than 1 inch below the top, you will need to support the bread when inverting it so that it doesn’t fall and deflate. Cut a cardboard circle small enough to fit into the colander and touch the surface of the bread. Place a piece of parchment on top of the bread, place the cardboard on top, and invert it onto the cardboard. Then slide the bread, still on the parchment, onto the baking sheet.) For a more evenly rounded bread, it’s fine to leave the dough unslashed. If you like the rustic appearance of a slashed top crust, with sharp scissors, sharp knife, or a single-edged razor blade, slash a 1/4-inch-deep cross in the dough. Because the skin of the dough is very dry, it will be difficult to slash; use a gentle hand so as not to deflate the dough.

Quickly but gently set the baking sheet on the hot baking stone or hot baking sheet. Toss 1/2 cup of ice cubes into the pan beneath and immediately shut the door. Bake for 5 minutes. Lower the oven to 450°F and continue baking for 10 minutes. With a heavy pancake turner, lift the bread from the pan and set it directly on the stone, turning it around as you do so for even baking. Continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes or until the crust is deeply burnished and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will read about 212°F). For a very crisp crust, prop the open door slightly ajar for the last 5 minutes of baking.

8 > Cool the bread. Remove the bread from the oven, and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.

VARIATIONS

Quicker Sourdough Bread (with added commercial yeast)   If your schedule requires speeding up the process (by about 25 percent), or if you feel more secure with the added reliability of commercial yeast, you can add up to 0.06 percent of the total weight of the flour in this recipe (including the flour contained in the starter). The total weight is 300 grams; 0.06 percent of 300 grams is about 0.2 gram or about 1/16 teaspoon instant yeast. This should be added after the autolyse (the 20-minute rest before the final mixing). At this low a percentage, it will not affect the acidity or flavor of the sourdough, but if it were added at the beginning, the commercial yeast would likely be killed by the acidity of the sourdough starter.

Basic Sourdough Bread with Extra Flavor and Keeping Quality   If desired, you can replace 2 tablespoons (0.7 ounce/20 grams) of the bread flour with an equal measure or weight of whole wheat, kamut, or rye flour. (This is 6.5 percent of the total amount of flour in the recipe.)

French Country Boule   Reduce the bread flour in the dough to 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (4.5 ounces/130 grams) and add 1/3 cup (1.5 ounces/40 grams) medium rye flour and 3 tablespoons (1 ounce/30 grams) whole wheat flour. Also add 1 tablespoon of water.

ALTERING THE PERCENTAGE OF STARTER

In a very cold room, when yeast will take a long time to ferment, or a very warm one, when yeast will take a shorter time to ferment, you may want to adjust the amount of sourdough starter used in the dough.

To reduce the amount of stiff sourdough starter from 30 percent to 20 percent:

Reduce the starter to a rounded 1/3 cup (3.5 ounces/100 grams). To the rest of the dough, add 1 full tablespoon (about 1 ounce/16.6 grams) water and 3 1/2 tablespoons (1 full ounce/33.3 grams) flour.

To increase the amount of stiff sourdough starter from 30 percent to 40 percent:

Increase the starter to a full 3/4 cup (7 ounces/200 grams). From the rest of the dough, subtract 1 full tablespoon (about 1 ounce/16.6 grams) water and 3 1/2 tablespoons (1 full ounce/33.3 grams) flour.

POINTERS FOR SUCCESS

>    If you need more starter—to make 2 loaves at once, for example—in Step 2, rather than discarding half, use the full 100 grams and increase it to 400 grams.

THE DOUGH PERCENTAGE

Flour:

100%

Water:

68%

Dough starter:

30%

Salt:

2%

Sourdough Rye

It is amazing how the flavor of a sourdough starter intensifies and enhances the unique flavor of rye bread. Another benefit of the sourdough culture is that it keeps this bread fresh and moist for up to 5 days at room temperature. As long as I have an active sourdough starter handy, this is my first choice of rye bread to bake.

TIME SCHEDULE

Stiff Sourdough Starter: minimum 13 hours, maximum 34 hours

Minimum Rising Time: about 8 1/2 hours

Oven Temperature: 450°F, then 400°F

Baking Time: 45 minutes

Makes: an 8-by-4-inch-high round loaf/about 1 pound, 7.5 ounces/846 grams

Equipment:

a heavy-duty mixer with dough hook attachment;

a half sheet pan sprinkled with cornmeal or lined with a nonstick liner such as Silpain or parchment;

a baking stone OR baking sheet

Stiff Sourdough Starter

INGREDIENTS

MEASURE

WEIGHT

volume

ounces

grams

sourdough starter

(for storing)

(for this bread)

1/3 c

(scant 1/4 c)

(1 tbsp plus 2 tsp)

2.75 oz

(1.75 oz)

(1 scant oz)

75 g

(50 g)

(25 g)

FLOUR AND WATER FOR FEEDING THE SEED STARTER

bread flour

about 2 c

10.6 oz

300 g

water, at room temperature (70 to 90°F)

about 2/3 liquid c

5.3 oz

150 g

The day before baking, first thing in the morning, feed (expand) the sourdough starter. (It will be ready to use or to rest refrigerated overnight after about 14 hours.) Allow the starter to sit at room temperature (70° to 80°F) for 1 hour before feeding it.

The Storage Starter

First, feed (refresh) and store some of the starter for future batches of bread (you will be increasing it by 2 1/2 times, from 50 grams to 125 grams):

Begin by tearing off a scant 1/4 cup (1.75 ounces/50 grams) of the seed starter. It will be soft and stretchy. Place it in a small bowl.

Add 1/3 cup (1.75 ounces/50 grams) of the flour and 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons (1 scant ounce/25 grams) of the water. With a wooden spoon and then your hand, mix and knead together until all the flour is absorbed. The starter should be the consistency of a stiff biscuit dough. If after about 2 minutes of kneading there are still loose particles of flour, add water by the droplet. (Don’t worry, too much water won’t hurt it—but during fermentation and resting, the dough becomes softer, and it is easier to work with the starter when it is firm and not sticky, so you don’t lose any on your fingers or the bowl.)

Place this starter in a lightly oiled 1-cup storage container with a lid. Lightly oil the surface of the starter. Allow the starter to start to ferment at warm room temperature (75° to 80°F) before storing it in the refrigerator. If you are planning to bake more bread soon, you want the starter to ferment longer at room temperature so it will be more active sooner. If you are not planning to bake more bread for several days, you want to slow down the fermentation by refrigerating it sooner so that the yeast doesn’t consume all the added flour.

If baking bread the next day or the day after feeding the starter, refrigerate the starter after 2 hours at room temperature.

If baking bread 3 days after feeding the starter, refrigerate the starter after 1 hour at room temperature.

If baking bread 1 week after feeding the starter, refrigerate the starter after 30 minutes at room temperature.

The Starter for the Bread

1 > Give the starter the first feeding and allow it to ferment and rise (you will be increasing the starter by 4 times, from 25 grams to 100 grams). Tear off a scant 2 tablespoons (1 scant ounce/25 grams) of the sourdough seed starter (discard any remaining starter) and place it in a small bowl.

Add 1/3 cup (1.75 ounces/50 grams) of the flour and 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons (1 scant ounce/25 grams) of the water. With a wooden spoon and then your hand, mix and knead together until all the flour is absorbed. If after about 2 minutes of kneading there are still loose particles of flour, add water by the droplet. The starter should be a rough dough that is very stiff but holds together, with no loose flour particles. It will measure a rounded 1/3 cup and weigh 3.5 ounces/100 grams.

Transfer the starter to an oiled 1-cup glass measure. Oil the top and press it down into the cup. It should measure about 1/3 cup in the glass measure. Cover the measuring cup tightly with greased plastic wrap and let rise (ideally at 75° to 80°F) until it has doubled, to 2/3 cup, 6 to 8 hours.

2 > Give the starter the second feeding and allow the yeast to ferment and rise (you will be increasing it by 4 times, from 100 grams to 400 grams). Tear off a scant 1/2 cup (3.5 ounces/100 grams) of the starter and discard the remainder. Tear the starter into a few pieces and place in a medium bowl.

Add the remaining 1 1/4 cups plus 1/2 tablespoon (7 ounces/200 grams) flour and scant 1/2 cup (3.5 ounces/100 grams) water. With a wooden spoon and then your hand, mix and knead together until all the flour is absorbed. If after about 2 minutes of kneading there are still loose particles of flour, add water by the droplet. The starter should be a rough dough that is very stiff but holds together with no loose flour particles. You will have a full 1 1/2 cups (14 ounces/400 grams).

Transfer the starter to an oiled 4-cup glass measure. Oil the top and press it down into the cup. It should measure about 1 1/2 cups in the glass measure. Cover the measuring cup tightly with greased plastic wrap and let rise (ideally at 75° to 80°F) until it doubled, to 3 cups, about 6 hours. Refrigerate the starter if you are not ready to mix the dough—up to 18 hours.

Dough

INGREDIENTS

MEASURE

WEIGHT

volume

ounces

grams

bread flour

about 1 1/2 c

about 8 oz

230 g

medium rye flour

3/4 c

3.3 oz

95 g

water, at room temperature (70° to 90°F)

1 liquid c

about 8 oz

232 g

stiff sourdough starter (from above)

1 1/2 c

12.7 oz

360 g

caraway seeds

2 tbsp

0.5 oz

14 g

salt

1/2 tbsp

0.3 oz

10.5 g

3 > Mix the dough.

Mixer Method

If you have refrigerated the starter, remove it to room temperature 1 hour before mixing the dough.

In the mixer bowl, place the flours. With the dough hook, on low speed (#2 if using a KitchenAid), gradually add the water until the flour is moistened enough to form a rough dough. Continue kneading on low speed for 3 minutes, enough to develop the gluten structure a little. Scrape down any bits of dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.

With oiled fingers, tear off 1 1/2 cups (12.7 ounces/360 grams) of the starter; discard the rest. Tear it into 4 pieces, roughly the same size. On low speed (#2 KitchenAid), knead it into the dough, about 2 minutes. Add the caraway seeds and salt and knead for 1 minute. Raise the speed to medium (#4 KitchenAid) and knead for 3 minutes. The dough will be barely tacky (sticky), smooth, and very elastic. If it is still very sticky, knead in a little flour. If it is not at all sticky, spray it with a little water and knead it. (The dough will measure a little under 4 cups and weigh about 33 ounces/940 grams.)

Hand Method

If it has been refrigerated, remove the starter to room temperature 1 hour before mixing the dough.

With oiled fingers, tear off 1 1/2 cups (12.7 ounces/360 grams) of the starter; discard the rest. Tear it into 4 pieces, roughly the same size, and place it in a mixing bowl.

With a wooden spoon, stir in the water, stirring for a few seconds to soften the starter, then add all but 2 tablespoons of the flour, the caraway seeds, and salt. Continuing with the wooden spoon or using your hand, mix until the flour is moistened. Knead the dough in the bowl until it comes together, then scrape it onto a lightly floured counter. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, enough to develop the gluten structure a little, adding as little of the reserved 2 tablespoons flour as possible to keep it from sticking. (To prevent sticking, it helps to use your fingertips, not the palms of your hands.) Use a bench scraper to scrape up the dough and gather it together as you knead it. At this point, it will be very sticky. Cover it with the inverted bowl and allow it to rest for 20 minutes. (This rest will make the dough less sticky and easier to work with.)

Knead the dough for another 5 to 10 minutes or until it is very smooth and elastic. It should be barely tacky (sticky) to the touch. If the dough is still very sticky, add some or all of the remaining reserved flour, or a little extra. (The dough will measure a little under 4 cups and weigh about 33 ounces/940 grams.)

Both Methods

4 > Let the dough rise. Using an oiled spatula or dough scraper, scrape the dough into a 2-quart dough-rising container or bowl, lightly greased with cooking spray or oil. Press down the dough so you can get an accurate measure, and lightly spray or oil the top. It will come to a little under 1 quart. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and, with a piece of tape, mark the side of the container at approximately where double the height of the dough would be. Allow the dough to rise (ideally at 75° to 80°F) for 1 hour. It will only have risen a little.

Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Gently push it down to deflate it and stretch it into a rectangle. Give it 2 business letter turns. It will be soft and stretchy but a little firmer after each turn. Return the dough to the greased container and lightly spray or oil the top. Cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap and allow it to rise for another hour.

Stretch the dough again, give it 2 business letter turns, and return it to the container. Grease the top, cover, and allow it rise until doubled, to almost 2 quarts, 3 1/2 to 5 hours.

5 > Shape the dough and let it rise. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and press it down to flatten it slightly without deflating it. Round the dough into a ball about 6 inches by 3 inches high and set it on the prepared baking sheet. Cover it with a large container or oiled plastic wrap. Let the shaped dough rise (ideally at 75° to 80°F) until almost doubled, 3 to 4 hours. It will be about 7 1/2 inches by 3 inches high, when it is pressed gently with a fingertip, the depression will very slowly fill in.

6 > Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F 1 hour before baking. Have an oven shelf at the lowest level and place an oven stone or baking sheet on it, and a cast-iron skillet or sheet pan on the floor of the oven, before preheating.

7 > Slash and bake the dough. With a sharp knife or single-edged razor blade, slash a 1/4- to 1/2-inch-deep cross in the dough. Quickly but gently set the baking sheet on the hot baking stone or hot baking sheet. Toss 1/2 cup of ice cubes into the pan beneath and immediately shut the door. Bake for 5 minutes. Lower the oven to 400°F and continue baking for 15 minutes. With a heavy pancake turner, lift the bread from the pan and set it directly on the stone, turning it around as you do so for even baking. Continue baking for 35 minutes or until the crust is tawny brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will read about 190°F). For a very crisp crust, prop the oven door slightly ajar for the last 5 minutes of baking.

8 > Cool the bread. Remove the bread from the oven and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.

VARIATIONS

USING A LIQUID SOURDOUGH STARTER

If you have a liquid sourdough starter, it’s easy to make it into a stiff sourdough starter for this recipe; see instructions. Then allow it to sit until doubled, 6 to 8 hours, and use it in place of the stiff sourdough starter, starting at Step 2, the first feeding.

Quicker Sourdough Rye (using added commercial yeast) If your schedule requires speeding up the process (by about 25 percent), or if you feel more secure with the added reliability of commercial yeast, it you can add up to 0.06 percent of the total weight of the flour in this recipe (including the flour contained in the starter). The total weight is 565 grams; 0.06 percent of 565 grams is about 0.3 grams or about a full 1/16 teaspoon instant yeast. This should be added after the autolyse (the 20-minute rest before the final mixing). At this low a percentage, it will not affect the acidity or flavor of the sourdough, but if it were added at the beginning, the commercial yeast would likely be killed by the acidity of the sourdough.

ALTERING THE PERCENTAGE OF STARTER

The amount of sourdough starter in this recipe is 39.25 percent of the total flour and water (including what is contained in the starter). In warmer months, you may want to decrease the starter to 30 percent so that the dough rises more slowly, for maximum flavor. (I would not decrease it to less than 30 percent, as the sour flavor is so desirable in this bread.)

To reduce the amount of stiff sourdough starter to 30 percent:

Reduce the starter to a full cup (9.7 ounces/275 grams). To the rest of the dough, add 2 tablespoons (1 ounce/28 grams) water and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 ounces/56.6 grams) flour.

EXTRA RYE FLOUR BREAD

For those who prefer a more intense rye flavor and more compact texture, all you need to do is convert your sourdough starter to a rye sourdough starter and you will have a bread that is 42 percent rye. (Note that using more than 20 percent rye flour requires the use of a sourdough rye starter, because the acidity of the sourdough is necessary to keep the crumb from getting sticky due to the pentosans in the rye flour.)

To convert the sourdough starter to a sourdough rye starter, simply feed it medium rye flour instead of bread flour. You will need a few extra drops of water to achieve a smooth consistency. It will take 9 feedings until you have replaced all the white flour in the starter with rye. (You can do the feedings every 12 hours, leaving the starter at room temperature, or more gradually, refrigerating the starter as per the chart.) Then use this starter to make the Sourdough Rye. When making the bread, feed the starter only medium rye flour, but in the dough, omit the 3/4 cups of rye flour, and use a total of 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon (11.5 ounces/325 grams) of bread flour. The dough will rise much more quickly using this high a percentage of rye flour (about 2 hours after the first 2 business letter turns and about 2 1/2 hours after shaping).

UNDERSTANDING

This is the same basic recipe as the “Levy’s” Real Jewish Rye Bread, but I left out the sugar, malt, oil, and commercial yeast because the sourdough starter provides the complexity of flavor and moistness these ingredients added.

THE DOUGH PERCENTAGE

Flour:

100% (bread: 83.1%, rye: 16.9%)

Water:

62.9%

Dough starter:

39.25%

Salt:

1.9%

Sourdough Pumpernickel

Most recipes for pumpernickel bread (including the Authentic Pumpernickel Bread) use a little vinegar to replicate the underlying sour taste of the Old World pumpernickel bread made with sourdough starter, like this one. This is basically the identical recipe to the one using packaged yeast but in its place I use sourdough starter. I do omit the oil, because the sourdough starter produces enough moist elasticity in the dough. You can also omit the coffee and cocoa and still have a fabulous pumpernickel, because the sourdough gives the bread so much flavor dimension.

This heavy dough takes longer than most other sourdoughs to rise, so if your schedule does not allow for this extra time, see the added commercial yeast variation below.

This bread has fantastic keeping qualities. I discovered this when I sent my father and aunt Ruth three trial slices in a padded envelope (to test the water before committing to the expense of FedExing a whole loaf). It somehow took an entire week to get from New York City to Pompano Beach, Florida, but, according to my father, it was still perfectly moist and fresh.

TIME SCHEDULE

Stiff Sourdough Starter: minimum 13 hours, maximum 34 hours

Minimum Rising Time: about 12 hours

Oven Temperature: 400°F, then 375°F

Baking Time: 35 to 40 minutes

Makes: a 7 1/2-by-4-inch-high round loaf/about 1 pound, 13.75 ounces/846 grams

EQUIPMENT:

a heavy-duty mixer with dough hook attachment;

a half sheet pan lined with a nonstick liner such as Silpain or parchment;

a baking stone OR baking sheet

Stiff Sourdough Starter

INGREDIENTS

MEASURE

WEIGHT

volume

ounces

grams

sourdough starter

(for storing)

(for this bread)

1/3 c

(scant 1/4 c)

(1 tbsp plus 2 tsp)

2 3/4 oz

(1 3/4 oz)

(scant 1 oz)

75 g

(50 g)

(25 g)

FLOUR AND WATER FOR FEEDING THE SEED STARTER

bread flour

about 2 c

10.6 oz

300 g

water, at room temperature (70 to 90°F)

about 2/3 liquid c

5.3 oz

150 g

The day before baking, first thing in the morning, feed (expand) the sourdough starter. (It will be ready to use or to rest refrigerated overnight after about 14 hours.) Allow the starter to sit at room temperature (70° to 80°F) for 1 hour before feeding it.

The Storage Starter

First, feed (refresh) and store some of the starter for future batches of bread dough (you will be increasing it by 2 1/2 times from 50 grams to 125 grams):

Begin by tearing off a scant 1/4 cup (1.75 ounces/50 grams) of the starter. It will be soft and stretchy. Place it in a small bowl.

Add 1/3 cup (1.75 ounces/50 grams) of the flour and 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons (1 scant ounce/25 grams) of the water. With a wooden spoon and then your hand, mix and knead together until all the flour is absorbed. The dough should be the consistency of a stiff biscuit dough. If after about 2 minutes of kneading there are still loose particles of flour, add water by the droplet. (Don’t worry, too much water won’t hurt it but during fermentation and resting, the dough becomes softer and it is easier to work with the starter when it is firm and not sticky, so you don’t lose any on your fingers or the bowl.)

Place this starter in a lightly oiled 1-cup storage container with a lid. Lightly oil the surface of the starter. Allow the starter to start to ferment at warm room temperature (75° to 80°F) before storing it in the refrigerator. If you are planning to bake more bread soon, you want the starter to ferment longer at room temperature so it will be more active sooner. If you are not planning to bake more bread for several days, you want to slow down the fermentation by refrigerating it sooner so that the yeast doesn’t consume all the added flour.

If baking bread the next day or the day after feeding the starter, refrigerate the starter after 2 hours at room temperature.

If baking bread 3 days after feeding the starter, refrigerate the starter after 1 hour at room temperature.

If baking bread 1 week after feeding the starter, refrigerate the starter after 30 minutes at room temperature.

The Starter for the Bread

1 > Give the starter the first feeding and allow it to ferment and rise (you will be increasing the starter by 4 times, from 25 grams to 100 grams). Tear off a scant 2 tablespoons (1 scant ounce/25 grams) of the sourdough seed starter (discard any remaining starter) and place it in a small bowl.

Add 1/3 cup (1.75 ounces/50 grams) of the flour and 1 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons (1 scant ounce/25 grams) of the water. With a wooden spoon and then your hand, mix and knead together until all the flour is absorbed. If after about 2 minutes of kneading there are still loose particles of flour, add water by the droplet. The starter should be a rough dough that is very stiff but holds together, with no loose flour particles. It will measure a rounded 1/3 cup and weigh 3.5 ounces/100 grams.

Transfer the starter to an oiled 1-cup glass measure. Oil the top and press it down into the cup. It should measure about 1/3 cup in the glass measure. Cover the measuring cup tightly with greased plastic wrap and let rise (ideally at 75° to 80°F) or until it has doubled, to 2/3 cup, 6 to 8 hours.

2 > Give the starter the second feeding and allow the yeast to ferment and rise (you will be increasing it by 4 times, from 100 grams to 400 grams). Tear off a scant 1/2 cup (3.5 ounces/100 grams) of the starter and discard the remainder. Tear the starter into a few pieces and place in a medium bowl.

Add the remaining 1 1/4 cups plus 1/2 tablespoon (7 ounces/200 grams) flour and scant 1/2 cup (3.5 ounces/100 grams) water. With a wooden spoon and then your hand, mix and knead together until all the flour is absorbed. If after about 2 minutes of kneading there are still loose particles of flour, add water by the droplet. The starter should be a rough dough that is very stiff but holds together with no loose flour particles. You will have a full 1 1/2 cup (14 ounces/400 grams).

Transfer the starter to an oiled 4-cup glass measure. Oil the top and press it down into the cup. It should measure about 1 1/2 cups in the glass measure. Cover the measuring cup tightly with greased plastic wrap and let rise (ideally at 75° to 80°F). Or until it has doubled, to 3 cups about 6 hours. Refrigerate the starter if you are not ready to mix the dough—up to 18 hours.

The Dough

INGREDIENTS

MEASURE

WEIGHT

volume

ounces

grams

stiff sourdough starter (from above)

1 c plus

2 tbsp

9.5 oz

270 g

bread flour

3/4 c plus

2 tbsp

4.7 oz

134 g

pumpernickel flour

1 c

5 oz

142 g

malt powder or

barley malt syrup or honey or

sugar

1 tbsp

0.3 oz

0.7 oz

0.5 oz

9.3 g

21 g

12.5 g

vital wheat gluten

2 tbsp

0.6 oz

18 g

caramel powder

2 tbsp

0.6 oz

18 g

cocoa

2 tbsp

scant 0.5 oz

12 g

sugar

1 tbsp

scant 0.5 oz

12.5 g

instant espresso powder

1 tsp

--

1.5 g

caraway seeds

1/2 tbsp

--

3.5 g

molasses

1 tbsp

0.7 oz

22 g

water, at room temperature (70° to 90°F)

3/4 liquid c

about 6 oz

173 g

salt

1 3/4 tsp plus

1/8 tsp

--

12.3 g

3 > Mix the dough.

Mixer Method

If you have refrigerated the starter, remove it to room temperature 1 hour before mixing the dough.

In the mixer bowl, whisk together the bread flour, pumpernickel flour, malt (or honey or sugar), vital wheat gluten, caramel powder, cocoa, sugar, instant espresso powder, and caraway seeds. Add the molasses. With the dough hook, on low speed (#2 if using a KitchenAid), gradually add the water until the flour is moistened enough to form a rough dough. Continue kneading on low speed for 3 minutes, enough to develop the gluten structure a little. Scrape down any bits of dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.

With oiled fingers, tear off 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (9.5 ounces/270 grams) of the sourdough starter; discard the rest. Tear it into 4 pieces, roughly the same size. On low speed (#2 KitchenAid), knead it into the dough, about 2 minutes. Add the salt and continue kneading for 1 minute. Raise the speed to medium (#4 KitchenAid) and knead for 3 minutes. It will be barely tacky (sticky), smooth, and very elastic. If it is still very sticky, knead in a little flour. If it is not at all sticky, spray it with a little water and knead it. The dough should be very smooth and firm. (The dough will measure about 3 cups and weigh about 29.5 ounces/835 grams.)

Hand Method

If it has been refrigerated, remove the starter to room temperature 1 hour before mixing the dough.

In a medium bowl, whisk together all but 2 tablespoons of the bread flour, the pumpernickel flour, malt (or honey or sugar), vital wheat gluten, caramel powder, cocoa, sugar, instant espresso powder, caraway seeds, and salt. Set aside.

With oiled fingers, tear off 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (9.5 ounces/270 grams) of the sourdough starter; discard the rest. Tear it into 4 pieces, roughly the same size, and place in a large mixing bowl.

With a wooden spoon, stir in the water, stirring for a few seconds to soften the starter. Add the molasses, then gradually stir in the flour mixture, mixing until the flour is moistened. Knead the dough in the bowl until it comes together, then scrape it onto a lightly floured counter. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, enough to develop the gluten structure a little, adding as little of the reserved 2 tablespoons flour as possible to keep it from sticking. (To prevent sticking, it helps to use your fingertips, not the palms of your hands.) Use a bench scraper to scrape up the dough and gather it together as you knead it. At this point, it will be very sticky. Cover it with the inverted bowl and allow it to rest for 20 minutes. (This rest will make the dough less sticky and easier to work with.)

Knead the dough for another 5 to 10 minutes or until it is very smooth and elastic. It should be barely tacky (sticky) to the touch. If the dough is still very sticky, add some or all of the remaining reserved flour. The dough should be very smooth and firm. (The dough will measure about 3 cups and weigh about 29.5 ounces/835 grams.)

Both Methods

4 > Let the dough rise. Using an oiled spatula or dough scraper, scrape the dough into a 2-quart dough-rising container or bowl, lightly greased with cooking spray or oil. Press down the dough so you can get an accurate measure, and lightly spray or oil the top. It will come to 3 cups. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and, with a piece of tape, mark the side of the container at approximately double the height the dough would be. Allow the dough to rise (ideally at 75° to 80°F) for 1 hour. It will only have risen a little.

Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Push it down to deflate it, and roll it into a rectangle (the exact size doesn’t matter). (This is stiff, not very stretchy, dough, so rolling it with a pin is better than stretching or pressing it with your hand.) Give it 1 business letter turn; it will be a little firmer after the turn. Return the dough to the greased container and grease the top lightly with cooking spray or oil. Cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap and allow it to rise for another hour.

Rolling the dough again, give it 1 business letter turn, and return it to the container. Grease the top, cover it, and allow rise until doubled, to 6 cups, 6 to 8 hours.

5 > Shape the dough and let it rise. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and press it down to flatten it slightly. Round the dough into a ball about 6 inches by 3 inches high (see Illustrations for Shaping a Round Loaf) and set it on the prepared baking sheet. Cover it with a large container or oiled plastic wrap. Let the dough rise (ideally at 75° to 80°F) until almost doubled, 4 to 5 hours. It will be about 7 inches by 3 inches high, and when it is pressed gently with a fingertip the depression will very slowly fill in.

Optional Shiny Glaze

Makes: full 1/4 cup (enough for 2 loaves)

INGREDIENTS

MEASURE

WEIGHT

volume

ounces

grams

water

1/4 c plus

2 tbsp, separated

--

--

cornstarch

1/2 tbsp

--

--

Optional:

sesame seeds, preferably raw

1/2 tbsp

--

--

6 > Prepare the optional glaze. In a small saucepan, bring the 1/4 cup water to a boil. Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons water and the cornstarch. When the water is boiling, whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Return it to a boil, whisking constantly until it thickens and turns translucent. Remove from the heat. (The glaze can be made ahead, cooled, and covered; reheat before using).

7 > Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F 1 hour before baking. Have an oven shelf at the lowest level and place an oven stone or baking sheet on it, and a cast-iron skillet or sheet pan on the floor of the oven, before preheating.

8 > Slash and bake the dough. Brush the glaze on the bread, coating the entire surface. Cover the remaining glaze and set aside. With a sharp knife or single-edged razor blade, slash a 1/4- to 1/2-inch-deep cross in the dough.

Quickly but gently set the baking sheet on the hot baking stone or hot baking sheet. Toss 1/2 cup of ice cubes into the pan beneath and immediately shut the door. Bake for 5 minutes. Lower the oven to 375°F and continue baking for 15 minutes. With a heavy pancake turner, lift the bread from the pan and set it directly on the stone, turning it around as you do so for even baking. Continue baking for 35 minutes or until the crust is dark brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will read about 190°F). For a very crisp crust, prop the oven door slightly ajar for the last 5 minutes of baking.

9 > Cool the bread. Remove the bread from the oven and transfer it to a wire rack. Brush it with a second coat of the glaze and allow it to cool completely.

VARIATIONS

USING A LIQUID SOURDOUGH STARTER

If you have a liquid sourdough starter, it’s easy to make it into a stiff sourdough starter for this recipe; see instructions. Then allow it to sit until doubled, 6 to 8 hours, and use it in place of the stiff sourdough starter, starting at Step #2.

Quicker Sourdough Pumpernickel (using added commercial yeast) If your schedule requires speeding up the process (by about 25 percent), or if you feel more secure with the added reliability of commercial yeast, you can add up to 0.06 percent of the total weight of the flour in this recipe (including the flour contained in the starter). The total weight is 474 grams; 0.06 percent of 474 grams is almost 0.3 gram or about a full 1/16 teaspoon instant yeast. This should be added after the autolyse (the 20-minute rest before the final dough mixing). At this low a percentage, it will not affect the acidity or flavor of the sourdough, but if it were added at the beginning, the commercial yeast would likely be killed by the acidity of the sourdough starter.

Raisin Pumpernickel In a small bowl, place 1 cup (5 ounces/144 grams) of raisins and add 1/3 cup hot water. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit until softened, stirring once, for 30 minutes. (Don’t soak longer, or the raisins will lose their texture.) Drain the raisins, reserving the liquid in a 1-cup liquid measure. (You should have about 1/4 cup.) Use this water to replace 1/4 cup of the water in the recipe.

After the dough is mixed, allow it to rest, covered, for 10 minutes to relax the gluten. Then roll it into a rectangle about 10 inches by 15 inches. Sprinkle it with the raisins, and, starting from a short end, roll it up. Knead it for a few minutes to incorporate the raisins evenly. The dough will measure 3 1/2 cups instead of 3 cups.

POINTERS FOR SUCCESS

>    The amount of stiff sourdough starter in this recipe is 37.5 percent. I don’t decrease it in warmer months, because I don’t want to diminish the sour flavor in this bread. Also, the density of the dough causes it to rise more slowly than most other sourdough breads.

THE DOUGH PERCENTAGE

Flour:

100% (bread: 66.1%, coarse rye: 30.1%, vital wheat gluten: 3.8%)

Water:

60.5%

Dough starter:

37.5%

Salt:

2.6%

Sourdough Wheat Bread with Seeds

I fell head over heels in love with this rustic bread at my first dinner at The French Laundry restaurant in Yountville, California, in Napa Valley. I discovered that it was made by a bakery in nearby Petaluma called Della Fattoria. It is down-to-earth, dense, wheaty, crunchy with seeds, and wonderfully wholesome, with a distinctly sour depth of flavor, and it wholly holds its own against the imaginatively refined cuisine of Thomas Keller. I was sure I’d never succeed in getting the recipe and would have been perfectly content to buy the bread, but since distance made this impractical, I begged for the recipe. Since bread bakers are the most generous human beings on earth, particularly Della Fattoria baker Kathleen Weber, she FedExed me not only several loaves of the bread and the detailed recipe, but also the flours and some of the actual starter she had created for it. Knowing how afraid I was at the time of making bread with only a wild yeast starter and no added yeast, she wrote these loving words of encouragement: “Don’t worry, just fuss over it a little bit and tell it what a wonderful piece of magic it is, and that in fact you expect it to turn straw into gold. After all, this is alchemy. And please don’t worry. Remember, there is plenty of starter where that came from.” Kathleen feels that a bread made with no commercial yeast will taste more rich and nutty rather than sour.

The La Cloche Bread Baker (see Equipment) simulates the bakery’s enviable brick ovens built by Kathleen’s husband, Ed, and creates its most beautiful golden color. This was the first bread I made using no commercial yeast, and watching it rise to perfection was like flying to the moon and being at one with the universe.

TIME SCHEDULE

Stiff Sourdough Starter: about 36 hours

Minimum Rising Time: 5 hours

Oven Temperature: 450°F, then 400°F (if using La Cloche, 475°F, then 450°F)

Baking Time: 25 to 35 minutes

Makes: two 9-by-5 3/4-by-3-inch-high loaves, 1 3/4 pounds/795 grams each

EQUIPMENT:

2 La Cloche Bread Bakers OR 1 La Cloche Bread Baker and a baking sheet, OR 1 half sheet pan, all lined with nonstick liners such as Silpain or parchment, and/or sprinkled with flour or cornmeal;

a baking stone OR baking sheet

Whole Wheat Stiff Sourdough Starter

INGREDIENTS

MEASURE

WEIGHT

volume

ounces

grams

stiff sourdough starter

1/2 c minus

1 tbsp

3.75 oz

106 g

FLOUR AND WATER FOR FEEDING THE STARTER

bread flour

1 full c

6 oz

168 g

whole wheat flour

4 1/2 tbsp

1 1/2 oz

42 g

water, at room temperature (70° to 90°F)

about 1/2 liquid c

3 3/4 oz

102 g

Two nights before baking day, remove the starter from the refrigerator and let it sit overnight in a cool place (60° to 70°F).

The day before baking, first thing in the morning, expand (feed) the dough starter.

1 > Give the starter the first feeding (you will be increasing it by 2 times, from 106 grams to 212 grams. Place the starter in a small bowl.

Add: about 5 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons (2 ounces/56 grams) of the bread flour, 1 1/2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce/14 grams) of the whole wheat flour, and 2 1/2 tablespoons (1.25 ounce/36 grams) of the water. With a wooden spoon and then your hand, mix and knead together until all the flour is absorbed. The dough should be the consistency of a stiff biscuit dough. If after about 2 minutes of kneading there are still loose particles of flour, add water by the droplet. (Don’t worry, too much water won’t hurt it—but during fermentation and resting the dough becomes softer—it’s easier to work with the starter when it is firm and not sticky so you don’t lose any on your fingers or the work bowl.) Cover tightly and allow it to sit at room temperature 8 to 12 hours. It will have puffed slightly. Proceed to Step 2.

(Note: to store the starter for future baking at this point, rather than making the bread now: place the starter into a oiled 1-cup storage container and oil the top of the dough. Cover tightly with a lid. Allow the starter to ferment at warm room temperature [75° to 80°F] for 30 minutes if planning to store for 1 week, 1 hour if planning to store for 3 days, or 2 hours if planning to bake within 2 days. Then refrigerate until ready to proceed.)

2 > That night, give the starter the second feeding and allow it to ferment and rise (you will be increasing the starter by 2 times, from 212 grams to 424 grams). Tear off 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (7.5 ounces/212 grams) of the starter; discard the rest. Place the starter in a medium bowl.

Add the remaining scant 3/4 cup (4 ounces/112 grams) bread flour, 3 tablespoons (1 ounce/28 grams) whole wheat flour, and 1/3 liquid cup (2 1/2 ounce/72 grams) water. With a wooden spoon and then your hand, mix and knead it together until all the flour is absorbed. If after about 2 minutes of kneading there are still loose particles of flour, add water by the droplet. The starter should be a rough dough that is very stiff but holds together with no loose flour particles. It will measure about 1 3/4 cups and weigh 15 ounces/424 grams.

Save some of the starter for future baking:

Tear off 1/2 cup minus 1 tablespoon (3 3/4 ounces/106 grams) of the stiff sourdough starter. Place this starter in a lightly oiled 1-cup storage container with a lid. Lightly oil the surface of the starter. Allow the starter to start to ferment at warm room temperature (75° to 80°F) before storing it in the refrigerator. If you are planning to bake more bread soon, you want the starter to ferment longer at room temperature so it will be more active sooner. If you are not planning to bake more bread for several days, you want to slow down the fermentation by refrigerating it sooner so that the yeast doesn’t consume all the added flour.

If baking bread the next day or the day after feeding the starter, refrigerate the starter after 2 hours at room temperature.

If baking bread 3 days after feeding the starter, refrigerate the starter after 1 hour at room temperature.

If baking bread 1 week after feeding the starter, refrigerate the starter after 30 minutes at room temperature.

Store the rest of the starter overnight:

Set 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (7 ounces/200 grams) of the remaining starter in another oiled container (discard any remaining starter). Allow it to sit overnight in a cool place, 60° to 70°F. It will have puffed slightly.

Seeds and Grain

INGREDIENTS

MEASURE

WEIGHT

volume

ounces

grams

pumpkin seeds

3 tbsp

--

25.4 g

natural sesame seeds

3 tbsp

--

28.4 g

sunflower seeds

3 tbsp

--

25.4 g

polenta

3 tbsp

--

33 g

flaxseed

3 tbsp

--

33 g

3 > Toast the seeds. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Spread the pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds on a cookie sheet and toast for 7 minutes or until the sunflower seeds just begin to darken. Place them in a small bowl and allow them to cool. Add the polenta and flaxseed.

Dough

INGREDIENTS

MEASURE

WEIGHT

volume

ounces

grams

whole wheat flour (freshly ground or under 3 months old)

about 2 1/2 c

12.6 oz

357 g

bread flour

2 c plus

3 tbsp

12 oz

342 g

wheat germ

1 tbsp plus

1/2 tsp

0.3 oz

10 g

wheat bran

1 tbsp plus

2 tsp

--

5 g

water, at room temperature (70° to 90°F)

2 1/2 liquid c

20 oz

567 g

honey

4 tsp

1 oz

28 g

stiff sourdough starter (from above)

3/4 c plus

1 tbsp

7 oz

200 g

salt

1 tbsp

0.7 oz

21 g

4 > The next morning, mix the dough. In the mixer bowl, place the whole wheat flour, bread flour, wheat germ, wheat bran, water, and honey. With the dough hook, mix on low speed (#2 if using a KitchenAid) for 5 minutes to form a rough dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.

Tear the starter into 6 pieces, roughly the same size, and add to the dough. On low speed (#2 KitchenAid), knead it into the dough for 2 minutes. Add the salt and knead for 1 minute. Raise the speed to medium (#4 KitchenAid) and knead for 2 minutes. Add the seed mixture and knead on low speed (#2 KitchenAid) for 2 to 3 minutes or until incorporated. The dough will be very sticky but should pull away from the bowl. If it doesn’t, knead in a little flour 1 tablespoon at a time. (The dough will weigh about 3 2/3 pounds/1680 grams.)

5 > Let the dough rise. Place the dough in a 4-quart dough-rising container or bowl, lightly greased with cooking spray or oil. Push down the dough and lightly spray or oil the top. Cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise (ideally at 75° to 80°F) until it has puffed slightly, to just over 2 quarts, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and press it down to flatten it slightly. With a rolling pin, roll it into a long rectangle (the exact size doesn’t matter). Give it a business letter turn. Turn it 45 degrees so that the closed side is facing to your left, and repeat the rolling and folding process 4 times, for a total of 5 turns. With each turn, the dough will become more elastic. Set it back in the container. Oil the top of the dough, cover it, and allow it to rise a second time until it puffs a little more than the first rise, to 3 quarts, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

6 > Preshape the dough and let it rest. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and cut it in half. Gently pat each piece into a rectangle and shape it into a stubby log by rolling the top edge down to the middle, then pushing it back slightly with your thumbs. Repeat this rolling motion two more times, ending with the seam at the bottom edge of the dough (see Illustrations for Shaping a Rectangular Loaf). Use a bench scraper to move the logs of dough to a clean, lightly floured part of the counter, seam side down. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and allow to sit for about 30 minutes or until relaxed and extensible (when you pull the dough gently, it stretches without tearing).

7 > Shape the dough and let it rise. Press or roll each log into a rectangle and then shape into a 7 3/4-inch-long torpedo-shaped loaf (batard; see Illustrations for Shaping a Torpedo). Set them on the prepared Cloche bottom(s) and/or on the baking sheet, leaving ample space between the 2 loaves for rising. If you have only one La Cloche, set the second shaped loaf on a lined baking sheet and “retard” it by letting it rise in a cooler area (65° to 70°F). Place it in a warmer area when the first loaf goes into the oven. After removing the first loaf, replace the Cloche dome in the oven to preheat until the second loaf is ready to bake. Cover with a large container or oiled plastic wrap and let rise (ideally at 75° to 80°F) until the dough puffs a bit more than the first 2 rises, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Each loaf will be about 8 1/2 inches by 5 1/2 inches wide. The dough will feel buoyant to the touch, and when pressed gently with your fingertip, it will spring back.

8 > Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F, or 475°F if using La Cloche, 1 hour before baking. Have an oven shelf at the lowest level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on it before preheating. If not using La Cloche, place a cast-iron skillet or sheet pan on the floor of the oven to preheat. If using La Cloche, preheat the dome along with the oven.

9 > Slash and bake the bread. With a sharp knife or single-edged razor blade, make two or three 1/4- to 1/2-inch-deep diagonal slashes in the top of each loaf (see Illustrations for Making Decorative Slashes).

If using La Cloche, carefully place the hot Cloche dome onto the base and quickly but gently set it on the hot stone or hot baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the dome, lower the temperature to 450°F, and continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will read about 190°F).

Alternatively, quickly but gently set the baking sheet on the hot stone or hot baking sheet. Toss 1/2 cup of ice cubes into the pan beneath and immediately shut the door. Bake for 15 minutes. With a heavy pancake turner, lift the breads from the pan and set directly on the stone, turning them around as you do so for even baking. Lower the temperature to 450°F and continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes or until the crust is tawny brown and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will read about 190°F).

10 > Cool the bread. Remove the bread(s) from the oven and transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

VARIATION

Quicker Sourdough Seeded Wheat (using added commercial yeast) If your schedule requires speeding up the process (by about 25 percent), or if you feel more secure with the added reliability of commercial yeast, you can add up to 0.06 percent of the total weight of the flour in this recipe (including the added bran and germ and the flour contained in the starter). The total weight is 847 grams; 0.06 percent of 847 grams is 0.5 gram or 1/8 plus a scant 1/16 teaspoon/0.5 gram instant yeast. This should be added just before the seed mixture. At this low a percentage, it will not affect the acidity or flavor of the sourdough, but if it were added at the beginning, the commercial yeast would likely be killed by the acidity of the sourdough.

POINTERS FOR SUCCESS

>    It is imperative to use fresh whole wheat flour, as the bread will not rise if the flour is too old, unless commercial yeast is added.

UNDERSTANDING

The recipe Kathleen sent me called for a proportion of “reduced-bran flour,” but as that flour is usually very difficult to obtain, I have created the equivalent flour by using bread flour and adding the appropriate amount of wheat bran and germ. Be sure to store the bran and germ in the refrigerator or freezer as they, particularly the germ, are highly prone to rancidity.

Once the seed mixture is added, the dough should not be kneaded much, as the seeds will cut through the gluten. The rolling and turning is a more gentle process.

This bread uses a very low amount of stiff sourdough starter, only 17.2 percent, which results in its appealingly dense texture and mildly sour flavor. Because it is part whole wheat flour, it is somewhat more active than an all-white flour starter, so less can be used. If you would prefer a lighter texture and more sour flavor, it’s fine to increase the starter by as much as double. You will need to add 3/4 teaspoon/5 grams more salt to balance the extra flour and water.

This starter is the same as the basic stiff sourdough starter but it has part whole wheat flour. It too has the same consistency of a stiff biscuit dough, soft but not sticky. It also has double the weight of flour to water (or, by volume, 3 parts flour to 1 part water), 2 1/2 ounces/70 grams flour to 1 1/4 ounces/35 grams water.

If you have a stiff sourdough starter made with all-white wheat (bread flour), it’s fine to use it here. By the time you have fed it twice, it will have plenty of whole wheat flour.

If you have an active liquid starter, you can turn it into a stiff sourdough starter simply by stirring in about half its weight of bread flour until it is firm enough to knead for a few minutes on a counter to the consistency of stiff biscuit dough. (It is difficult to give an exact volume amount of flour to add because the liquid starter is hard to measure accurately.)

THE DOUGH PERCENTAGE

Flour:

100% (bread: 47.9%, whole wheat: 50%, added bran and germ: 2.1%)

Seeds:

17.2%

Water:

67.7%

Dough starter:

17.2%

Salt:

2.5%

Low-Risk Sourdough Bread

What a happy day it was when I discovered Lalvain in the King Arthur catalogue. This ideal starter from France, which contains a blend of yeast and bacteria, comes in powdered form and needs only to be mixed with water twelve hours before mixing a dough. When I baked my first bread using the version called Pain de Campagne, I was amazed to discover that it is a truly viable substitution for anyone who does not want to go to the effort of starting his or her own sourdough culture.

For a delicious, mild yet complex flavor, use the starter the day after mixing it and allow the shaped and risen bread to sit refrigerated overnight. For a true San Francisco–style tangy bread with large holes, use the Lalvain French Sourdough starter and let it sit for 1 week after mixing.

In order to produce a bread with the characteristic large open holes, this needs to be an exceptionally sticky dough and is therefore best made in a mixer.

TIME SCHEDULE

Liquid Sourdough Starter: minimum 12 hours, maximum 1 week

Minimum Rising Time: about 3 1/2 hours

Oven Temperature: 475°F, then 450°F

Baking Time: 25 to 30 minutes

Makes: a 7-by-3-inch-high round loaf/about 14.75 ounces/421 grams

EQUIPMENT:

a heavy-duty mixer with dough hook attachment;

a banneton OR a small colander lined with a towel;

a half sheet pan lined with a nonstick liner such as Silpain or parchment;

a baking stone OR baking sheet

Liquid Sourdough Starter

Makes: 1 scant cup/8.5 ounces/240 grams

INGREDIENTS

MEASURE

WEIGHT

volume

ounces

grams

water, at room temperature (70° to 90°F)

1/2 liquid c

(4 fl oz)

4.25 oz

120 g

Lalvain Pain de Campagne starter

1/8 tsp

--

0.4 g

bread flour

2/3 c

3.5 oz

100 g

whole wheat flour or kamut flour

2 tbsp

0.7 oz

20 g

1 > Make the starter. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients and whisk until very smooth, to incorporate air, about 2 minutes. The starter will be the consistency of a thick batter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Cover the bowl tightly with greased plastic wrap (or place the starter in a 2-cup food-storage container with a lid) and place it in a warm spot (70° to 80°F). Allow it to sit for at least 12 hours or up to 20 hours. It will be full of bubbles and will have risen by about one-third. It is ready to use, or it can be refrigerated for up to 7 days. If using the mixer method, chill for 1 hour.

Dough

INGREDIENTS

MEASURE

WEIGHT

volume

ounces

grams

liquid sourdough starter (from above)

1 scant c

scant 8.5 oz

240 g

bread flour

1 1/4 c

6.5 oz

186 g

instant yeast (see Ingredients for brands)

1/4 tsp

--

0.8 g

water, at room temperature (70° to 90°F)

6 tbsp

(3 fl oz)

about 3 oz

88 g

salt

3/4 tsp

--

5.2 g

2 > Mix the dough.

Mixer Method

With an oiled spatula or dough scraper, scrape the cold liquid sourdough starter into the mixer bowl. Add the flour and yeast. With the dough hook on low speed (#2 if using a KitchenAid), gradually add the water and mix until the flour is moistened enough to form a rough dough. Continue kneading for 3 minutes, enough to develop the gluten structure a little. Scrape down any bits of dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.

Sprinkle on the salt and knead on medium speed (#4 KitchenAid) for 3 minutes. The dough will still be sticky enough to cling to your fingers and very elastic. If it is very sticky, knead in a little flour. If it is not at all sticky, spray it with a little water and knead it. (The dough will measure about 2 cups and weigh about 17.7 ounces/502 grams.)

Hand Method

If it has been refrigerated, remove the starter to room temperature 1 hour before mixing the dough.

With an oiled spatula or dough scraper, scrape the starter into a large mixing bowl. With a wooden spoon, stir in the water, then stir in all but 2 tablespoons of the flour and the salt. Continuing with the wooden spoon or using your hand, mix until the flour is moistened. Knead the dough in the bowl until it comes together, then scrape it onto a lightly floured counter. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, enough to develop the gluten structure a little, adding as little of the reserved 2 tablespoons flour as possible to keep it from sticking. (To prevent sticking, it helps to use your fingertips, not the palms of your hands.) Use bench scraper to scrape the dough and gather it together as you knead it. At this point, it will be very sticky. Cover it with the inverted bowl and allow it to rest for 20 minutes. (This rest will make the dough less sticky and easier to work with.)

Knead the dough for another 5 to 10 minutes or until it is very smooth and elastic. It should be barely tacky (sticky) to the touch. If the dough is still very sticky, add some or all of the remaining reserved flour or a little extra. (The dough should measure about 2 cups and weigh about 17.7 ounces/502 grams.)

Both Methods

3 > Let the dough rise. Using an oiled spatula or dough scraper, scrape the dough into a 4-cup glass measuring cup or 1-quart food-storage container, lightly greased with cooking spray or oil. Press down the dough and lightly spray or oil the top. Cover the measuring cup with plastic wrap; or cover the container with a lid and, with a piece of tape, mark the side of the container at approximately where double the height of the dough would be. Allow the dough to rise (ideally at 75° to 80°F) for 1 hour. (It will not yet have doubled.)

Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured counter. Gently push it down to deflate it, and stretch it into a rectangle (the exact size isn’t important). Give it 2 business letter turns. It will be very soft and stretchy, but it will become a little firmer after each turn. Return the dough to the greased container and grease the top lightly with cooking spray or oil. Cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap and allow it to sit for another hour.

Stretch the dough again, give it 2 business letter turns, and return it to the container. Continue to let it rise until doubled.

4 > Shape the dough and let it rise. Without deflating it, turn the dough out onto a floured counter and round it into a ball (see Illustrations for Shaping a Round Loaf). Set it in a floured banneton or colander lined with a floured towel, seam side up. Pinch the seam together if it starts to open. In the banneton, the dough will be about 2 inches from the top.

Spray the dough with oil or sprinkle lightly with flour and cover it with a large container or plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until almost doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. When it is pressed gently with a fingertip, the depression will very slowly fill in. (Alternatively, you can refrigerate the risen shaped dough for up to 20 hours before baking it. This will develop more sour flavor should you desire it—and possibly fit better into your schedule. Remove it from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.)

5 > Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 475°F 1 hour before baking. Have an oven shelf at the lowest level and place an oven stone or baking sheet on it, and a cast-iron skillet or sheet pan on the floor of the oven, before preheating.

6 > Slash and bake the dough. Very gently invert the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. (If you are using a colander, and the risen bread is more than 1 inch below the top, you will need to support the bread when inverting it so that it doesn’t fall and deflate. Cut a cardboard circle small enough to fit into the colander and touch the surface of the bread. Place a piece of parchment on top of the bread, place the cardboard on top, and invert onto the cardboard. Then slide the bread, still on the parchment, onto the baking sheet.) For a more evenly rounded bread, it’s fine to leave the dough unslashed. If you like the rustic appearance of a slashed top crust, with sharp scissors, a sharp knife, or a single-edged razor blade, slash a 1/4-inch-deep cross in the dough. Because the skin of the dough is very dry, it will be difficult to slash; use a gentle touch so as not to deflate the dough. (I find that small sharp scissors work best.)

Quickly but gently set the baking sheet on the hot baking stone or hot baking sheet. Toss 1/2 cup of ice cubes into the pan beneath and immediately shut the door. Bake for 5 minutes. Lower the oven to 450°F and continue baking for 20 to 25 minutes or until deep brown and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will read about 212°F). Halfway through baking, with a heavy pancake turner, lift the bread from the pan and set it directly on the stone, turning it halfway around as you do so for even baking. For a very crisp crust, prop the oven door slightly ajar for the last 5 minutes of baking.

7 > Cool the bread. Remove the bread from the oven and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.

UNDERSTANDING

If you use the starter cold from the refrigerator, and add the remaining flour and water at room temperature, the dough will be about 75°F after mixing, which is the ideal temperature.

THE DOUGH PERCENTAGE

Flour:

100% (bread: 93.5, whole wheat: 6.5%)

Water:

68%

Yeast:

0.39%

Salt:

1.7%

French Country Sourdough Boule

This fantastic boule is the one taught at the French Culinary Institute in New York City. It boasts a deep brown, chewy crust and a nicely distributed open and springy crumb. To my taste, it is just sour enough without being overwhelmingly so, enabling it also to be nicely complex in flavor. This is a very wet and sticky dough, so it is best made in a mixer. In fact, the dough is so soft it almost puddles, and each time I make it I think it will never rise—but then it reliably balloons to 3 1/2 inches in height. I have worked out this recipe using the excellent packaged French sourdough starter called Lalvain Pain de Campagne starter to make it possible for people who don’t have their own sourdough starter to make this wonderful bread.

TIME SCHEDULE

Liquid Sourdough Starter: minimum 12 hours, maximum 6 days

Minimum Rising Time: 3 hours

Oven Temperature: 475°F, then 450°F

Baking: 25 to 30 minutes

Makes: a 6 3/4-by-3 1/2-inch-high round loaf/14.5 ounces/410 grams

EQUIPMENT:

a heavy-duty stand mixer with dough hook attachment;

a banneton OR a small colander lined with a towel;

a half sheet pan lined with a nonstick liner such as Silpain or parchment;

a baking stone OR baking sheet

Liquid Sourdough Starter

Makes: 1/3 cup/3.5 ounces/100 grams

INGREDIENTS

MEASURE

WEIGHT

volume

ounces

grams

bread flour

1/3 c

1.75 oz

50 g

Lalvain Pain de Campagne starter

1/16 tsp

--

0.2 g

water, at room temperature (70° to 90°F)

3 1/2 tbsp

1.75 oz

50 g

1 > Make the starter. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon for 3 to 5 minutes or until very smooth. It will be very liquid.

Cover the bowl tightly with greased plastic wrap (or place the starter in a 1-cup food-storage container with a lid) and place it in a warm spot (70° to 90°F). Allow it to sit for at least 12 hours, or up to 20 hours. It will be full of bubbles and will have risen by about one-third. It is ready to use to make the dough, or it can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Dough

INGREDIENTS

MEASURE

WEIGHT

volume

ounces

grams

liquid sourdough starter (from above)

full 1/4 c

3.5 oz

100 g

water

2/3 liquid c

5.3 oz

150 g

bread flour

1 c

5 oz

156 g

medium rye flour

1/3 c

1.5 oz

40 g

whole wheat flour

3 tbsp

1 oz

29 g

instant yeast (see Ingredients for brands)

1/4 tsp

--

0.8 g

salt

3/4 tsp plus 1/8 tsp

--

5.8 g

2 > Mix the dough. Place the starter in the mixer bowl and stir in the water.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the bread flour, rye, whole wheat, and yeast. Sprinkle this mixture on top of the liquid in the mixer bowl. With the dough hook, mix on low speed (#2 if using a KitchenAid) until the flour is moistened enough to form a rough dough. Scrape down any bits of dough. Cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.

Sprinkle on the salt and knead the dough on medium speed (#4 KitchenAid) for 10 minutes. It will be exceptionally sticky and very elastic. If it does not cling to your fingers, spray it with a little water and knead it in. (It should weigh about 16.25 ounces/461 grams—but only if you wet your fingers and get every last smidgen.)

3 > Let the dough rise. Using an oiled spatula or dough scraper, scrape the dough into a 2-quart dough-rising container or bowl, lightly greased with cooking spray or oil. Push down the dough and lightly spray or oil the top. Cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap. With a piece of tape, mark the side of the container at approximately where double the height of the dough would be. Allow the dough to rise (ideally at 75° to 80°F) until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Using an oiled spatula or dough scraper, scrape the dough onto a floured counter and press down on it gently to form a rectangle. Give the dough 2 business letter turns and set it back in the container. Oil the surface again, cover, and mark where double the height of the dough would now be. (It will fill the container fuller than before because it is puffier with air.) Allow to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

4 > Shape the dough and let it rise. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and press it gently to flatten it slightly. Round the dough into a ball (see Illustrations for Shaping a Round Loaf), dusting with as little flour as possible to keep it from sticking. It will still be very sticky. Set it in a banneton or a small colander lined with a floured cloth and cover it with a large container or oiled plastic wrap. Let it rise until almost doubled, about 1 hour. When the dough is pressed gently with a fingertip the depression will very slowly fill in. (In the banneton, the center of the loaf should come to the top of the banneton sides or a little above.)

5 > Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 475°F 1 hour before baking. Have an oven shelf at the lowest level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on it, and a cast-iron skillet or sheet pan on the floor of the oven, before preheating.

6 > Slash and bake the bread. Very gently invert the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. (If you are using a colander and the risen bread is more than 1 inch below the top, you will need to support the bread when inverting it so that it doesn’t fall and deflate. Cut a cardboard circle small enough to fit into the colander and touch the surface of the bread. Place a piece of parchment on top of the bread, place the cardboard on top, and invert onto the cardboard. Then slide the bread, still on the parchment, onto the baking sheet.) With small sharp scissors, a sharp knife, or a single-edged razor blade, make 1/4-inch-deep slashes in the top of the dough (see Illustrations for Making Decorative Slashes). Because the skin of the dough is very dry, it will be difficult to slash; use a gentle touch so as not to deflate the dough.

Quickly but gently set the baking sheet on the hot baking stone or hot baking sheet. Toss 1/2 cup of ice cubes into the pan beneath and immediately shut the door. Bake for 5 minutes. Lower the oven to 450°F and continue baking for 20 to 25 minutes or until the bread is deep brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will read about 212°F). Halfway through baking, with a heavy pancake turner, lift the bread from the pan and set it directly on the stone, turning it around as you do so for even baking.

7 > Cool the bread. Remove the bread from the oven and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.

ULTIMATE FULL FLAVOR VERSION

If desired, at the end of Step 3, the dough can be placed in an oiled freezer-weight plastic bag and refrigerated overnight. It will develop more flavor, but be sure to let it sit at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours before shaping.

UNDERSTANDING

When I refrigerated the finished dough for 2 days, the baked bread rose to only 2 1/2 inches, making it denser and more chewy. It tasted very tangy and delicious. (It took 3 1/2 hours to rise after shaping.)

This dough has less than half the commercial yeast normally used because of the Lalvain sourdough starter and the rye flour, which speed the rising.

If you have an active sourdough starter, you can certainly use it to replace the Lalvain and instant yeast in this recipe, and eliminate the added yeast entirely. (See the French Country Boule variation of the Basic Sourdough Recipe.) It will take much longer to rise, 6 to 7 hours for the first rise and about 3 hours for the shaped rise.

You can vary the proportion of whole wheat to all-purpose flour depending on how wheaty a taste you crave, but keep in mind that the whole wheat also adds bitterness.

THE DOUGH PERCENTAGE

Flour:

100% (bread: 75%, rye: 14.5, whole wheat: 10.5%)

Water:

72.7%

Yeast:

0.36%

Salt:

2.1%

Table of Contents

6. Sourdough