Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
I heard from several readers last week regarding a recipe for using the sourdough starter recipe that was published. The starter can be used in any recipe that calls for sourdough starter.
Here are two basic recipes.
The first calls for mixing the dough in a stand mixer. The second can be mixed by hand or in a mixer.
Sourdough Bread
2 cups bread flour, plus more as needed
1 1/2 cups sourdough starter
3/4 teaspoon salt
Cornmeal, optional
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, starter and salt; knead until it no longer sticks to the sides or bottom of the mixing bowl.
Lightly coat a large mixing bowl with oil. Place dough in bowl, turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle lightly with flour and knead gently, removing any large air bubbles. Press or knead dough into a small circle, then shape into a tight ball, pinching the seams together underneath. Place on a well-floured board or baking peel, seam-side down. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest until doubled, about 1 hour.
Heat oven to 400 degrees with a baking stone (if you have one) on the bottom rack. With a serrated knife, cut a large "x" or cross-hatch pattern into the top of the dough.
Mist the dough lightly with water and carefully place it on the heated stone, or on a heavy baking sheet, dusted lightly with cornmeal. Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour or until loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom.
Remove the loaf from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Makes 1 loaf.
Basic Sourdough Bread
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups sourdough starter
1/2 cup lukewarm water
Combine all the ingredients and mix and knead -- by hand, mixer, or bread machine -- to make a soft, smooth dough; about 15 to 20 minutes by hand, 7 to 10 minutes in a mixer or 20 to 30 minutes in a bread machine.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and let it rise for 45 to 60 minutes, until puffy but not necessarily doubled in bulk.
Lightly grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
On a lightly greased work surface, gently deflate the dough, and form it into a 9-inch log. Place the log in the prepared pan, cover, and let it rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until it crests about 1 inch over the rim of the pan.
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Bake the bread for 40 to 50 minutes, until it is light golden brown and a digital thermometer inserted into the center reads 190 degrees.
Remove the bread from the oven. Cool in pan for several minutes, then turn loaf out onto rack to cool completely. Store, well-wrapped, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.
Makes 1 (9-inch) loaf.
Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour
Send recipe contributions, requests and culinary questions to Kelly Brant, Idea Alley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; email:
kbrant@arkansasonline.com
Please include a daytime phone number.
Food on 01/27/2016