Sourdough Bread

Herbert is finally mature! I made my first completely wild yeast risen sour dough bread!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup "fed" sourdough starter
• 4 ounces lukewarm water
• 8.5 ounces All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1. Make a sponge - combine the starter, water, and 4 ounces of the flour. 
2. Beat vigorously for 1 minute.
3. Cover, and let rest at room temperature for 4 hours. 
4. Refrigerate sponge overnight, for about 12 hours.
5. Scrape sponge into stand mixer bowl.
6. Mix in the remaining ingredients: 4.5 cups of flour, sugar, and salt. Knead to form a smooth dough.
7. Allow the dough to rise in a covered bowl until it's relaxed, smoothed out, and risen. This can take anywhere from 2 to 5 hours.
8. Gently shape the dough into oval loaf, and place it in a enameled cast iron port line with parchment. 
9. Cover and let rise until very puffy, about 2 to 4 hours.
   (The loaf will spread more than it rises.)
10. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F.
    (This will probably take 15 minutes)
11. Spray the loaf with lukewarm water.
12. Make two fairly deep diagonal slashes in loaf using sharp knife.
13. Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes- check color. You may want to brush with butter or olive oil.
14. Bake another 5 minutes to 10 minutes until its a deep golden brown.
    (Should be about 190 degrees or hotter.)
15. Remove loaf from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Carole's Notes:

 Woo hoo! I like baking the bread in the Dutch oven.

This keeps pretty well place on the counter, cut side down, in a paper bag.

The recipe is lightly adapted from http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/extra-tangy-sourdough-bread-recipe