Sourdough Hearth Bread

   Few things in life are better than a fresh loaf of baked bread. In particular I am partial to breads made from a sourdough starter. One hundred years ago almost all cooks in America made fresh bread a couple of times at home from a starter that was kept in a crock on the kitchen counter. These rich tangy starters were the basis of the type of bread known as sourdough.

   Today however, most Americans equate sourdough bread as something they purchase at a specialty bakery that has the title 'San Francisco' in it. While many of these commercial products are of decent quality, they tend to be chock full of preservatives and just lack a depth of character and taste that can be accomplished by the home baker.

   The following is one of my favorite sourdough recipes and is a staple in my home. This full bodied bread with it's robust and tangy flavor is a favorite of everyone in my household, and I am sure it will be a hit in your home as well.

Sourdough Hearth Bread

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour

1 ½ cups starter, fed

 ¾ cup lukewarm water

1 tablespoon honey

1 ½ teaspoons salt

• Combine starter, water, and honey in the bowl of your stand mixer stirring with a spoon or wire whip to combine thoroughly.
• Add 2 1/2 cups of the flour and the salt to the mixing bowl and place on the stand mixer and mix on low (stir setting on Kitchen Aid mixer) for 1 to 2 minutes with the dough hook until thoroughly combined. Then increase the speed to the second setting and mix for 6 to 8 minutes. Add additional flour as needed if the dough is too wet. When the mixing cycle is complete, the dough should have a soft smooth slightly sticky texture.
  • The time of year, humidity and your geographic location can all affect the hydration of your dough, that is why I recommend reserving part of the flour the first few times you make this bread just in case you do not need all 3 cups.
• Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and shape into a ball, then place the dough ball in a bowl sprayed with non-stick canola or vegetable spray, then lightly spray the top of the dough ball and cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place until it is doubled in size.
  • Depending on the strength of your starter, the initial proofing time of your dough may take anywhere from 2 to 4 hours. If your prefer to make a dough with a shorter proof time, you can add 1 teaspoon active dry yeast to the water and allow it to sit for about 10 minutes before adding it to the mixing bowl. This will knock your proof time down to about an hour without significantly changing the flavor or texture of your bread.
    

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  Dough after first proofing.

  After 3 to 4 hours your proofed dough should look like this before being punched down.
  Once your dough is sufficiently proofed, sprinkle cornmeal on a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper. Gently push your fist into the dough to deflate it and once again shape it into a round ball. Place the dough on the cookie sheet and cover it with a piece of oiled plastic wrap and let it rise once again until it is doubled in size.
• Once the dough has finished it's second rise, place your baking stone on the lowest rack of the oven and place an empty cake pan on the top rack and heat the oven to 475 degrees. Cut an X-shaped or slash (or pattern of your choosing) in the top of the dough, spray with cool water and place the cookie sheet on the baking stone; add one cup of water to the cake pan.
• Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 425 degrees and bake for another 20 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and a skewer inserted in the top comes out clean. Cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing.

Note: As mentioned, this bread takes 3 to 4 hours for the initial rise or proof using just the sourdough starter as the primary leavening agent at a room temp of 75 to 80 degrees. You can place the dough in the oven and turn on the light which in my oven increases the temperature to about 90 degrees to decrease the proofing time.