Delicious hearth sourdough loaf with crusty top and chewy interior.Made with just flour, water and salt and starter. Goes well with a bowl of soup.
I was away from baking for some time. Yes last month it was flu stopping me from doing anything special at kitchen. Last week my princess got sick again, and on last Tuesday I got a call from her school that she has 102⁰F fever and throwing up in the class, so take her early. I went immediately to pick her, on the way back she started jerking as I was driving I was scared to death, so took her immediately to her doctor; turns out the she has some type of stomach flu. Doctor told me to watch her for fever, and to control fever with medications. She had fever for at least 4 days. Finally she was fever free on Saturday. Then I thought I should bake my stress buster, bread. Yes I baked this Hearth Sourdough loaf on Sunday.
When it comes to cook book I buy bread books more than anything else. This Hearth Sourdough loaf is from Josey Baker’s bread book. It was referred to me by one of my Facebook friend, she is bread baking enthusiastic. So I decided to buy the book, and also decided to try this bread from the book. I really like the book it has both cup and metric measures. But when it comes to bread, I prefer to go with grams. According to the recipe, you can bake the bread in a single day. As it is weekend, I couldn’t wake up early as a result, I end up giving over night fermentation after shaping them. Also I did increased little hydration rest is same.
Instead of whole wheat flour, I used atta for leaven. While baking I was watching it like my daughter who waits while making the cookies through the oven door. Bread got amazing oven spring. Mainly leaven has atta while main dough has bread flour. After the photography session, when I had the first bite of bread, I knew that it is masterpiece. Yes if you like crusty artisan bread with chewy interior then it is for you. Slather with little peanut butter, or jam and enjoy as such.
Make leaven with starter
Flour and water
After 12 hours at room temperature leaven ready for added to dough
Next day mix in water, leaven, flour
After 30 minutes add salt
and fold the dough for 10 times, and leave it aside for another 30 minutes at room temperature. Repeat the process of folding for another two 30 minutes intervals.
Then leave the dough for about 3-4 hours until it doubles in volume.
see the sourdough activity
Prepare the proofing basket with rice flour and all purpose flour. Transfer the dough to slightly floured surface and shape it into round ball, and transfer to proofing basket.
If you are baking the bread on the same day, leave it for another 3-4 hours. Or transfer the dough to the refrigerator and do a overnight cold fermentation.
When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven 475F, you can preheat the oven with Dutch oven or pizza stone. If you are done overnight cold fermentation, then transfer the dough to parchment paper dusted with cornmeal.
Carefully remove the lid of Dutch oven and transfer the dough, if you want you can score them.
And close Dutch oven with lid and bake it for about 20 minutes. Then remove the lid and parchment paper and bake it for another 15 minutes and if the bread is not dark brown give another 5 -10 minutes.
Let cool the bread for 45 minutes and then slice and enjoy
Hearth Sourdough Loaf
Ingredients
- Leaven
- 15 g Sourdough starter
- 120 g cool water
- 105 g Whole wheat flour/Atta
- Dough
- 240 g lukewarm water
- 375 g bread flour
- 12 g sea salt fine grind
Instructions
- On the day before baking mix all the ingredients in the leaven and
- set is aside for 12 hours at room temperature.
- Next morning in big bowl, mix the all the ingredients for the dough except salt and leaven and mix everything well and leave it for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes mix in the salt
- and fold the dough for 10 times, and leave it aside for another 30 minutes at room temperature. Repeat the process of folding for another two 30 minutes intervals.
- Then leave the dough for about 3-4 hours until it doubles in volume.
- see the sourdough activity
- Prepare the proofing basket with rice flour and all purpose flour. Transfer the dough to slightly floured surface and shape it into round ball, and transfer to proofing basket.
- If you are baking the bread on the same day, leave it for another 3-4 hours. Or transfer the dough to the refrigerator and do a overnight cold fermentation.
- When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven 475F, you can preheat the oven with Dutch oven or pizza stone. If you are done overnight cold fermentation, then transfer the dough to parchment paper dusted with cornmeal.
- Carefully remove the lid of Dutch oven and transfer the dough, if you want you can score them.
- And close Dutch oven with lid and bake it for about 20 minutes. Then remove the lid and parchment paper and bake it for another 15 minutes and if the bread is not dark brown give another 5 -10 minutes.
- Let cool the bread for 45 minutes and then slice and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
5
This is Swathi ( Dr. Ambujom Saraswathy Ph.D) from Zesty South Indian Kitchen who loves to explore cuisines from all over the world. Whenever possible I try to to give an Indian touch to several of the world cuisine, and has weakness for freshly baked bread. All the recipes you see here are created by me and approved after taste-test by my family.
April J Harris says
What a gorgeous loaf of bread, Swathi! The step by step instructions are wonderful!
Maha says
Swathi .honestly saying m jelaous ya..aftr watching Ur wonderful success in bread baking.need sum patience n care to bake breads nah...Beautiful result u gt dear ..
Hadia Lebanese Cuisine says
What a lovely loaf, Swathi!! It looks so good, and I guess it tastes just as it looks. Thank you for sharing!
Sadhna Grover says
So spongy and soft bread. I liked the shape as well.
Jean | DelightfulRepast.com says
Swathi, lovely loaf! It's funny about sourdough bread -- it must be foolproof. Everyone has a different method (mine is completely different from yours), but they all produce a beautiful loaf!
shobha says
Your breads are simply awesome Swathi !
Katerina says
Perfectly made bread!
marudhuskitchen says
perfectly baked sour dough...swathi
Gourmet Getaways says
This looks great and shaped perfectly Swathi! With your daughter, she will be as good or even better than you in no time! 🙂
Julie & Alesah
Gourmet Getaways xx
Amila says
wow!this is a wonderful job.I am not very good at baking.But I love to read when I see these type of recipes.For me,these are adventures... 🙂
Gloria says
Looks professionally made..absolutely loved it.. Hope your daughter is fine now.. Tc dear..
sona says
Beautifully baked loaf... I love sourdough breads..
Choc Chip Uru says
What an incredible sourdough my friend, it looks exactly like the ones I find in the major bakeries 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
ramya says
wow so professional swathi.perfect and i saw only in tv shows.you are really a perfect artisan baker dear.keep going:)
Sindhiya says
Sourdough loaf looks perfect with wonderful crust...Very well explained recipe.
veena says
wow so spongy and tasty bread.. I am still scared to bake bread anything with yeast
Ritu Ahuja says
Aww..Hope your daughter is feeling better dear.
Perfectly baked bread swathi. It looks too good. It looks better than store bought. 🙂
Swathi says
Yes Winnie, she is fine now gone to school, glad you liked the bread, you are so nice.
Winnie says
I'm glad you daughter feels better!
I'm speechless, this loaf is absolutely spectacular
You are the master of bread!!