Simple sourdough bread
I’m sure you’ve already read a lot of sourdough recipes and how to make sourdough. Did you find those complicated? - If yes, then this article is for you!
The simplest thing on Earth: Sourdough!
I’m not joking, it’s really simple. To make sourdough you only need 2 ingredients: flour and water. Mix them together in a ~720 ml glass jar (the ratio is almost 1:1, use a little bit less water if it’s too runny) and wait until it starts to bubble. This usually takes about a week. If it’s colder, it may take more time, if it’s hotter, it will take less. You don’t have to worry about the temperature, within the 15˚C - 30˚C range it’ll work, though it may work outside this range as well. Start with mixing 100g flour and 100g water, and feed it every day an extra spoon flour and water. Always use whole grain flour, which provides the necessary minerals for the bacteria.
If you see bubbles, it’s ready. You can then put it in the fridge and take it out when needed.
Making the bread
You need to start the preparation 36 hours before you plan to bake the bread, the steps are the following:
- Calculate how much sourdough you’ll need for the bread (for me, it’s always 300g).
- Take your jar out of the fridge and add half of the new sourdough (in my example, it’s 80g flour and 70g water), then leave it at room temperature.
- After 12 hours, add the second half.
- After another 12 hours, mix the dough.
- After the final 12 hours, bake the bread.
This two-phase feeding technique ensures that your sourdough will be full of bacteria. Look for tiny bubbles - if the mixture is full of them, the sourdough is perfect.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 600g flour (preferable whole grain)
- 12g salt
- 300g sour dough
- 350g water
Instructions
- Mix everything together
- Leave it to rest for 12 hours
- Bake for 30 minutes on 220˚C
- Lower the temperature to 190˚C and continue baking for another 30 minutes
- Water the top