| German Sourdough Bread |
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| In case you do not have a Sourdough Starter, please learn first how to grow your own. |
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| I had never baked sourdough bread until I moved to New Mexico and tried this recipe of a monk that I picked up. 1 cup sourdough starter 1 tablespoon active dry yeast 2 cups warm water 2 teaspoons Molasses (or replace it with honey or sugar) 2 teaspoons salt 5 to 6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 cup bread flour (if you like it chewier replace one cup with course grounded whole wheat flour (leave then the 6th cup away) Cornmeal 1 teaspoon cornstarch, blended with 1/3 cup water, for a wash Let the starter come to room temperature. Combine the yeast and � cup of the water in a large bowl. Add the molasses and stir until dissolved. Set aside for 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 � cups water, salt, and the starter. Add 4 cups of the all-purpose flour, 1 cup at a time. Beat vigorously for 5 minutes, gradually adding the bread flour. Beat for another 5 minutes, continuing to add flour until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out on a lightly floured surface. Knead for 20 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic, adding flour as necessary to prevent stickiness. Dust a large bowl with flour. Place dough in bowl and turn to coat on all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk � about 1 hour. Grease a baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal or line one with kitchen parchment. Punch down the dough gently. Cover with a moist tea towel and let rest for 10 minutes. Divide in half, or leave as one big loaf. Shape into tight balls, and place on the baking sheet. Cover with a tea towel and let rise until doubled in bulk / 45 minutes to 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. To make the wash, bring the cornstarch and water to a boil in a small pan over low heat. Stir until it becomes thick and clear. Brush each loaf with it. Slit the tops of the loaves in the traditional tic-tac-toe sign. Bake about 35 minutes, until golden brown. Flip loaf over to check the bottom. If it looks still white, put it back in the oven belly-up and add 5-10 minutes baking time. The bread is done, if the bottom sounds hollow when you knock on it. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Sprinkle a little flour over it and brush the access flour off to give it a rustic look. |
| Serve with butter, hearty cheese (Camembert, Appenzeller), smoked ham (preferable smoked Blackforest ham) or as a butter-bread with soup. Enjoy! |
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