The Baker's Dad

Ok, so I travelled to San Fran and went to a VERY famous bakery to try the famed San Francisco sourdough. Eh … Mine, made in Virginia, is better.

Ingredients:

2 cups sourdough starter

1 1/2 cups water

3 1/3 cups flour

1 tbsp salt

Prepare:

Mix starter and water to break up starter a bit

Add flour and mix lightly to a rough dough

Let rest for 20 minutes

Add 1 tbsp salt and knead dough about 20 minutes – roll your sleeves up and get to work! This is the tough part but very satisfying. Knead until smooth and you get a window pane effect when you stretch out tightly between your fingers. Do not add flour during kneading – the dough will soak it up and the result will be a heavy bread. Use a dough scraper to deal with the stickiness instead. It will get easier as you go.

Proof dough in the bowl for 3 to 4 hours.

Turn out into lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Sprinkle with flour. Shape each half into a tight ball by pulling dough from the sides and over top repeatedly and tucking and pinching underneath.

Sprinkle resulting tight ball with flour. Place in floured proofing basket upside down and proof 3 to 4 hours, or overnight in the fridge.

I use these proofing baskets:

Carefully turn out dough onto oiled baking sheet sprinkled with corn meal, or a baking stone. Let rest 20 minutes.

Sprinkle with flour. Score with sharp knife.

Preheat oven to 425 (with baking stone if you’re using one). Put a steam tray on bottom rack, fill with warm water.

Bake each loaf 30 to 35 minutes.

Here in this pic you can see the result (the bottom bread loaf after the kids already ate 3/4th of the loaf right out of the oven!)