I would like to thank everyone on this list who offered me advice a
few months ago on making sourdough bread.
Since that time I have been making rye sourdough using Carl's starter
and although I have been making bread for many years, I think I am now
eating the best bread of my life.
I am afraid I am too lazy to use a recipe, doing everything by eye,
but here are some notes on how the world's best bread is made.
1. Get Carl's sourdough starter or make your own. Not a huge
difference, I think, but I am happy with the bread I am making from
Carl's.
2. Make sponge by adding more white flour and water to starter and
leave for a few hours in 2 1/2 gallon paint bucket with lid until
foamy.
3. IMPORTANT: take out starter for next time and put in jam jar in
fridge. Do this before you add anything else.
4. Add rye flour and more white flour until ratio is about 1/3 rye to
2/3 white. Make quantity required. I usually make 2-3 loaves per week.
5. Add salt, 1/2 tablespoon per loaf or to taste.
6. Add two tablespoons per loaf olive oil or other oil.
7. Add generous handful caraway seeds. Add a spoonful of chocolate
powder if you want a darker color.
8. Knead. I use one hand in an oiled plastic disposable glove. This
way you have less clean up. Knead until stiff and smooth and stretchy.
Add more water or flour as needed to get right consistency.
9. Place in dough in oiled bread pan half full. Brush a little oil on
top and press down with back of hand or spatula until top of loaf is
flat and even.
10. Cover with plastic and leave in warm plac e until doubled in size.
11. Bake 10 mins at 425 and then 25 minutes at 375. At the start
spritz the oven with water to create steam.
12. Turn out loaves and cool, then refrigerate overnight before
slicing.
13. Change any of thes instructions as you wish, it is your bread.
I find that having got the routine down this is pretty easy and takes
up very little of my time. Using the paint bucket for all mixing and
kneading operations reduces cleanup. The bread has a wonderful
fragrance.Sometimes I even eat it dry.