This sourdough bread is simple to make and is a great way to use that extra sourdough starter! I love adding sourdough starter to a variety of recipes because I love the flavor it adds. This bread also uses items that every well stocked pantry will have. This wonderfully easy sourdough bread only requires a few simple ingredients — flour, salt, water, yeast, sugar and sourdough starter (check out how to make sourdough starter which we made LIVE this past week on our Facebook page or check out our step-by-step directions here: https://www.ourcityhomestead.com/making-sourdough-starter/ ). It really is quite easy to have a delicious loaf of sourdough bread on the table for meal time!
This bread is light and fluffy but still has that sourdough chew we all know and love plus a crispy crust. It’s delicious with butter, especially warm from the oven! It is also great the next day toasted with homemade jam or even turned into french toast!
What I love most about simple old fashioned recipes is that they are exactly just that – simple. The pioneers used ingredients they had on hand and ones they could either grow themselves or easily purchase from the general store or grist mill if needed. We too can cook delicious food, using the simplest of ingredients like this 6-ingredient bread!
Lets get started!!
First, we need to proof the yeast. I place the yeast in my bowl with sugar first and then pour the warm water over top. Wait 5 to 10 minutes — the yeast will look pillowy, soft and fluffy!
Add sourdough starter and salt. Stir.
Add flour. We have used whole grain as well as 1/2 whole grain & 1/2 organic white flour. It’s totally up to you the type of flour used.
Mix well until dough forms, adding more flour if needed.
Toss dough onto floured surface. Knead for a few minutes, until dough is no longer sticky. Depending upon the type flour you use will determine the length of time you knead the dough for. Since I am using a whole grain flour that has a lower wheat protein content (gluten), I knead it just until it is no longer sticky. Place in an oiled owl (I place it back into my mixing bowl), and oil the top of the dough too.
Cover the dough. I use parchment and a tea towel. Let the dough rise 1 hour.
The dough should have at least doubled in size after one hour.
For smaller loaves, divide dough in half. Shape into a loaf or into a round. This is what I had done in our live video on Facebook. Let rise 30 minutes.
Using a sharp knife, slice cut marks into round. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until done. If you’d like a crispier crust, spritz with water. Spritz every 5 minutes for the first 10 minutes. Once browned and sounds hollow when tapped, remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool on cooling rack. Store in an airtight container or plastic bag.
I decided to show how my bread turned out from our live video. Oops…dividing the dough resulted in much smaller loaves than I had anticipated!! In smaller pans, these loaves would have risen so much better than my placing in the dough in larger pans! Though my bread looks rather flat, it is wonderfully soft and delicious! Next time though, for the round loaf, I’d cook in my round stone or cast iron pan rather than a large baking sheet — we were up for a new adventure resulting in a bread that spread out instead of up!! Adding more flour next time may result in a higher rise or a pan with less surface area!! My sourdough rounds often look a little more flat! It still tastes great and reminds me more of a chewy focaccia bread and would be fantastic brushed with olive oil, parmesan cheese and chopped fresh herbs! It would also taste great with a delicious butter made with sundried tomatoes, fresh basil and oregano, parmesan cheese and fresh cracker pepper. Yum! You can easily turn this round into bread pudding which would be amazingly tasty as well!
The regular loaf though is amazing! I would definitely place the dough in 1 loaf pan or cast iron pan to make 1 large loaf!! I love sharing the different things you can do with this dough, like how you can make 2 smaller loaves, one larger loaf (pictured in update below) or turn it into a loaf and a focaccia-style bread (which I would top with olive oil and dried herbs prior to baking) as well — the options really are endless.
Watch Part 1 of our video where we made the dough LIVE on our Facebook Page here: https://fb.watch/4pc8tNk0dC/
Watch Part 2 of our video where we shaped the bread LIVE on our Facebook Page here: https://fb.watch/4pc5KbiREP/
Easy Sourdough Bread
2 tbsp traditional yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tsp sugar
1-1/2 cups sourdough starter (learn how to make it here: https://www.ourcityhomestead.com/making-sourdough-starter/ )
1 tsp salt
3 to 4 cups flour of choice – we use whole grain or even half organic white and half whole grain
Combine yeast, sugar and warm water together. Let sit 5 to 10 minutes or until yeast looks puffy, light and bubbly. Add sourdough starter and salt. Stir. Add flour, 1 cup at a time. Stir in enough flour to form a dough. Turn onto floured surface and knead. Place in an oiled bowl and oil the top of dough as well. Cover with parchment/tea towel. Let rise 45 minutes to 60 minutes – dough should have doubled in size. Form into loaves. I suggest to make 1 larger loaf. If making into a round, I suggest placing into a round baking pan (so it rises higher rather than more outwards). Bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until edges are golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool 10 minutes before removing from pan. Store in airtight container or plastic bag.
UPDATE:
I have made another loaf (well actually 2 because I had a lot of starter to use!!) and I added some white organic flour as well as whole wheat and decided to make 1 loaf rather than 2 which was so much more successful!! Look how delicious!!
Let us know how this recipe turns out for you either here on our blog, by email or on social media! We love hearing from you!
enjoy from Our City Homestead to yours