Sourdough Bread

Originally published on August 17, 2010

I got this recipe from Cooking Bread, and while it was titled “Buttermilk Bread”, and I thought I was just going to make a rich and delicious white bread, it turned out to be sourdough bread. Whether that’s because it’s actually a sourdough recipe, or because the substitutions I made turned it into sourdough, I don’t know. I didn’t have buttermilk (as usual), and so I did what I always do – add a teaspoon of lemon juice to 2% milk. It looked like it had the same effect, and did look a bit curdled, so I wasn’t worried. I also had just ran out of sugar and so, only used about a tablespoon or so of it.

But whatever I did, and whatever kind of recipe this sourdough bread was originally intended to be, it is delicious, and we ate an entire loaf of it in just one dinner! I imagine it would freeze well too but both loaves are gone so now we won’t know until next time, I suppose.

Ingredients:

5 – 6 cups bread flour  
3 tablespoons sugar  
2 teaspoons salt  
1/4 teaspoon baking soda  
1 package dry yeast  
1 cup water  
1 1/3 cup buttermilk 
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 egg 

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) Add buttermilk and water to a saucepan. Over medium heat, warm liquid until it is lukewarm; it may start to look as though it has curdled. Make sure not to make the mixture too hot or else it will kill the yeast.

3.) In a large bowl mix two cups of flour; sugar; salt; baking soda; and yeast. Add the lukewarm buttermilk to the dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon or your hands and mix for two minutes. Then add another cup of flour and mix just until it’s combined.

4.) Pour out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 – 10 minutes, add more flour 1/2 cup at a time as necessary, until dough is silky and smooth. Do not feel as though you have to use all the flour, just enough to get you to this point.

5.) Place the teaspoon of olive oil into the bottom of a bowl and then place the dough on top. Turn the dough to make sure that it’s completely covered in olive oil. Then, wrap bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot; allow dough to rise until nearly double in volume.

6.) Once the dough has nearly doubled, punch it down lightly. Divide the dough into two equal sections and place in two greased loaf pans. Cover and let it rise again for another 45 minutes.

7.) When dough is ready, mix the egg with a little bit of water, then brush this mixture over both of the loaves. Place in the oven for 45 minutes or until top is lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to completely cool before removing from loaf pans.

8.) Serve and enjoy!