Classic Sourdoughs (16 page)

DOUGH PROOF
In a large mixing bowl, combine the culture, milk, molasses, and vegetable oil and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the salt, coriander, sugar, and flours and mix well. Add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients and mix just until a very dry, firm, shaggy dough comes together, adding up to ½ cup (120 ml) more water as needed.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and proof for 8 to 12 hours at about 70°F (21°C). (Above 75°F/24°C, the lactobacilli are more active and the dough may become too acidic, inhibiting the wild yeast so it does not leaven as well.) After the 8- to 12-hour fermentation, the dough becomes quite sticky. With a plastic spatula, ease it away from the sides of the bowl onto a lightly floured board. Sprinkle the surface of the dough with additional flour and let it rest for 15 to 30 minutes to relax the gluten. The dough will be a very thick sticky mass; if it flattens significantly while it’s resting, knead in a bit more all-purpose flour before proceeding.

LOAF PROOF
With minimal handling and some additional flour (not more than ¼ cup/30 g), form a loaf and place it in a baking pan. Alternatively, form a French loaf and proof it on a baking sheet. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and proof at room temperature (70°F/21°C) for 3 to 4 hours, until doubled in bulk.

BAKING
Place the loaf in a cool oven, then turn the temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake for 70 minutes. When the loaf is baked, remove it from the pan and let cool on a wire rack for at least 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.

Spelt is far better known in Europe than in the United States; in Germany, it is called “dinkel.” Paired with a sourdough culture, it makes a supple dough and a marvelous, flavorful loaf. In this recipe, it is combined with rye for a real taste adventure
.
MAKES ONE 1½-POUND (680 G) LOAF

DOUGH PROOF
In a large mixing bowl, combine the culture, butter, and beer and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the salt, sugar, and flours and mix well. Add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients and mix just until a very dry, firm, shaggy dough comes together, adding up to ½ cup (120 ml) more water as needed.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and proof for 8 to 12 hours at about 70°F (21°C). (Above 75°F/24°C, the lactobacilli are more active and the dough may become too acidic, inhibiting the wild yeast so it does not leaven as well.) After the 8- to 12-hour fermentation, the dough becomes quite sticky. With a plastic spatula, ease it away from the sides of the bowl onto a lightly floured board. Sprinkle the surface of the dough with additional flour and let it rest for 15 to 30 minutes to relax the gluten. The dough will be a very thick sticky mass; if it flattens significantly while it’s resting, knead in a bit more white spelt flour before proceeding.

LOAF PROOF
With minimal handling and some additional flour (not more than ¼ cup/30 g), form a loaf and place it in a baking pan. Alternatively, form a French loaf and proof it on a baking sheet. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and proof at room temperature (70°F/21°C) for 3 to 4 hours, until doubled in bulk.

BAKING
Place the loaf in a cool oven, then turn the temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake for 70 minutes. To increase the oven’s humidity and help the loaf form a firm, chewy crust, place a pan of boiling water in the oven 10 minutes after it is turned on and spritz the oven with water several times after the first 10 minutes. When the loaf is baked, remove it from the pan and let cool on a wire rack for at least 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.

Kamut may not have originated in ancient Egypt as its modern proponents originally thought, but it is a venerable wheat. Agronomists are inclined to classify it as a subtype of durum. Regardless of its origins, it imparts a distinctly nutty flavor to a sourdough loaf
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MAKES ONE 1½-POUND (680 G) LOAF

DOUGH PROOF
In a large mixing bowl, combine the culture, oil, and water and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the salt, sugar, caraway seed, and flours and mix well. Add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients and mix just until a very dry, firm, shaggy dough comes together, adding up to ½ cup (120 ml) more water as needed.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and proof for 8 to 12 hours at about 70°F (21°C). (Above 75°F/24°C, the lactobacilli are more active and the dough may become too acidic, inhibiting the wild yeast so it does not leaven as well.) After the 8- to 12-hour fermentation, the dough becomes quite sticky. With a plastic spatula, ease it away from the sides of the bowl onto a lightly floured board. Sprinkle the surface of the dough with additional flour and let it rest for 15 to 30 minutes to relax the gluten. The dough will be a very thick sticky mass; if it flattens significantly while it’s resting, knead in a bit more all-purpose flour before proceeding.

LOAF PROOF
With minimal handling and some additional flour (not more than ¼ cup/30 g), form a loaf and place it in a baking pan. Alternatively, form a French loaf and proof it on a baking sheet. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and proof at room temperature (70°F/21°C) for 3 to 4 hours, until doubled in bulk.

BAKING
Place the loaf in a cool oven, then turn the temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake for 70 minutes. To increase the oven’s humidity and help the loaf form a firm, chewy crust, place a pan of boiling water in the oven 10 minutes after it is turned on and spritz the oven with water several times after the first 10 minutes. When the loaf is baked, remove it from the pan and let cool on a wire rack for at least 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.

Kamut is related to durum; this perhaps is an explanation for its relatively poor gluten content. One cup (130 g) of it can substitute in any recipe for 1 cup of rye flour (115 g) or whole wheat flour (140 g)
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MAKES ONE 1½-POUND (680 G) LOAF

DOUGH PROOF
Pour the culture into a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, stir the salt, sugar, oil, and caraway seed into the warm water and then add to the culture. Add the rye and Kamut flours and mix well. Add the all-purpose flour a cup (140 g) at a time until the dough is too stiff to mix by hand. Turn out onto a floured board and knead in the remaining flour until the dough is smooth and satiny.

Or mix and knead all of the ingredients for a maximum of 25 minutes in a bread machine or other mixer (see
this page
).

Proof the dough overnight (8 to 12 hours) at room temperature, about 70°F (21°C), in a large bowl covered with plastic wrap (or leave in the machine pan, removed from the machine, securing the plastic wrap with a rubber band). During this time, the dough should double in size in the covered bowl, or rise to the top of the machine pan. After the proof, use a spatula to gently ease the dough out onto a floured board. Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes. If marked flattening occurs during this time, knead in additional flour before shaping.

LOAF PROOF
To shape the rested dough, flatten it slightly, then lift a portion from the periphery and pull it toward the center. Continue this around the dough mass to form a rough ball (see
this page
), then pat and pull into the loaf shape you desire. Place the shaped loaf in a bread pan or on a baking sheet and proof for 2 to 4 hours, until it reaches nearly to the top of the pan or doubles in bulk. Proof for the first hour at room temperature and then at 85° to 90°F (29° to 32°C) in a proofing box.

BAKING
Place the pan with its shaped, proofed loaf in a cool oven, then turn the temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake for 70 minutes. When the loaf is baked, remove it from the pan and let cool on a wire rack for at least 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.

This recipe comes out of Manitoba flax country. When you want to increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids and can’t afford to eat salmon four times a week, this bread will serve you well
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MAKES TWO 1½-POUND (680 G) LOAVES