Two weeks ago I got my very first sour dough starter from Stefan. That combined with my new Kitchen Aid mixer is a potent cocktail for a bread addiction...
You can make your own sourdough starter, but if you could get one with a few years on its side from a friend it's a dear present. BUT here's a site which is good for bread novices like us:
http://www.breadtopia.com/sourdough-starter-management/
And remember you sour dough has good days and bad days, just get to know you starter and it will all go like butter on warm bread.
It is always a good idea to feed your dough a day before you plan to bake.
This is the recipe I got from Stefan who also gave me my sourdough starter, I use the version with a bit of yeast so I get to use my kitchen aid (so have no clue about the one without, but D can you master it?)
• 350 g tepid water + 25 g
• 50 g white whole wheat flour (not wholemeal!)
• 450 g strong flour
• 100 g sourdough starter
• 15 g salt
1.
Mix 350g water with the sourdough starter and flour to a sticky thick dough. clean it of your fingers and let it rest for 30-40 min somewhere warm (20-30 degrees)
Add salt and the last bit of water and knead for about a minute and put the wet but firm dough in a sealed big Tupperware. Let it raise for 3-4 hours. The first two hours turn it every half an hour with wet hands.
2.
When the dough has raised 20% and has air bubbles it's ready to be shaped. Sprinkle the tabletop surface with flour and carefully put the dough on the dusted surface. Now pick the dough from etch and stretch it. Fold the stretched edge on top. Repeat this, stretching and folding the dough from all sides. In the end you'll get a few flaps gather on top of the dough. Now turn the dough over and place it flaps down in a raising basket. Alternatively dust a clean tea towel liberally with flour and place the dough in the middle gather the edges of the towel and place on top of the ball of dough to cover it completely. Transfer the parcel to a bowl large enough to support it's sides and leave to rise for a few hours or cold over night.
ALTERNATIVELY WITH A KITCHEN AID:
Mix all the ingredients including 10g fresh yeast (or 5g dried) dissolved in the water and let the machine mix on speed 4 for 15 min until you have a shiny dough. Put the dough in a sealed big Tupperware. Let it raise overnight in the fridge. Then proceed from point 2, but you only need to let it raise for 1/2-1 hour before baking.
3.
Put a big pot with lid on into the middle of the oven, now heat the oven to 250 degrees (if you have a crap oven like me, just put it on full whack, but don't use the fan...). Take out the hot pot, and carefully place the dough (folded flaps down) in the pot, score the dough with a knife, and spray a bit of water on it. Lid back on pot. Pot back in the oven. Bake for 20 min, then remove the lid and bake for another 10 min. Take your bread out and let it cool on a baking rack - Now eat it with lots of cold butter. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
