Sourdough Uprising

Day 216: No, it's not the Gold Rush, but there's a sourdough uprising! It's been a while since I made bread the old-fashioned way, kneading it by hand. The convenience of a bread machine has spoiled me, but recently, I got a hankering for genuine sourdough, the kind where the recipe says, "Do not use metal utensils or bowls." I was hampered by not having a sourdough start, so obtained one from a friend's daughter and promptly killed it, having forgotten all about the "no metal" rule. Resolving to do better next time, I set out on a starter hunt. Through the medium of the Eatonville Community Co-op, I got in touch with a confessed "sourdough enabler" who provided me with a start which had come to her through a man who had originally obtained it in...sit down...South Africa! Irene the Enabler had been using hers for about 15 years. That said, the sample she gave me was small, not enough for even a single loaf by my recipe. Over three or four days, I doubled it twice until I had the requisite cup and a half (with leftovers for replenishing). Today, I turned out the loaf, and oh, it smells divine! Plus, I'd forgotten how rewarding it is to feel the dough develop and mature under your hands in the kneading process. Sourdough is back!

A quick-and-cheaty sourdough bread can be made using commercial yeast, but the Real Thing uses only a starter for leavening. Fyrst, obtaine ye an starte, for no oother meanes will provyde a guid loaf ("fyrst catch ye an hare" to make "jugged hare").

To make the "sponge":
1 cup of starter, stirred (from refrigerated storage)
2/12 cups white flour
2 cups 85-90° water

Put the starter in a large bowl (4 quart), add the water and stir until smooth. Gradually add the flour and stir until all lumps disappear (about 5 minutes). Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and set in a warm place for 12-24 hours. Stir down any crust or liquid which has separated during this process. Return at least 1 cup of the "sponge" to the starter crock, and put it back in the refrigerator. You should have 3 cups of "sponge" left. Now you're ready to make bread!

To make sourdough white bread:
3 cups of "sponge"
6 1/2 cups of white flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 cup milk, warmed to 85-90°
2 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. salt

Warm the milk, add salt and butter, and stir until butter is melted. Put 3 cups of "sponge" in a large bowl and stir in 1 cup of flour. Add sugar, stir; then add the milk. Stir thoroughly, and then begin mixing in flour 1/2 cup at a time. When the dough becomes too stiff to stir with a spoon, turn it out on a lightly floured board and begin kneading. You should knead for at least 10 minutes, adding more flour as required to keep the dough from sticking to the board. Be careful not to add too much flour! You want the dough to be smooth and elastic.

Place the dough in a greased bowl (4 quart) and turn the dough once so that it is lightly greased on all sides. This will prevent it forming a dry crust. Cover the bowl with a cloth and set it in a warm location. Allow it to rise for two hours. Punch it down (a five-second knead), and then allow it to raise for another half hour.

Next, punch it down again and form it into 2 oblong loaves or divide the dough and place it in two standard loaf pans. Cover the loaves with a cloth and allow them to raise for an additional 1 1/2 hours.

Bake at 375° for 40-45 minutes, or until the loaves make a "hollow" sound when tapped with a fingernail. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Brush the tops with butter to make a softer crust.

NB: Your starter will keep for years if you replenish it every couple of weeks. If you're not planning to bake bread for a while, just add a little sugar and stir it in. Starter should be replenished with new "sponge" at least once a month.