Roger
can you share the recipe with us as well as baking time and temperature
Steve,
The best web site on sourdough is Northwest Sourdough.
http://www.northwestsourdough.com/techniques/first-loaf
I use only Pendleton's Power or Big Spring flour. You can buy a 25lb bag at cash and Carry stores.
a necessary item for great sourdough is the starter,only use King Arthur's, you can order some on the web for about 6 dollars.
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/classic-fresh-sourdough-starter-1-oz
You will need a brotform and a bread scoring lame
http://www.brotform.com/zencart/ind...oducts_id=37&gclid=CJ_KrOOj1KkCFQdvbAodjRpGMQ
A Lodge cast iron multi pan is essiantial for great artisan bread baking.
http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-LCC3-Logic-Pre-Seasoned-Cooker/dp/B0009JKG9M
use the basic recipe on Theresa's web site.
I use about 1040 gr of flour sifted once
14 oz water
4 oz half and half
2 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups starter
I combine the starter,water,half & half in the mixing bowl,stirring. Sift the flour and add all but about 1 1/2 cups. mix by hand with a stiff plastic spoon. then with your mixer on low with the mixing paddle attached mix for about 2 minutes. Let stand for about 20 minutes. This is the Auto-lyse which builds the glutens. Then take the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour and stir in the 2 tsp of salt. Add to the rest of the dough and mix for about 1 minute,also adding in olive oil. Then remove the mixing paddle and replace with a dough hook. Mix for about 1 minute more. Do not mix for more than 5 minutes total.
the dough should be a little sticky,but not enough to not come out of the bowl with a scraper or rubber paddle. If consistency is too sticky add a little flour maybe a tbsp. If too dry add water very sparingly about a ounce at a time. I usually have the dough where there is a little dry flour at the bottom of the bowl and add a small amount of water so most of the flour is combined with the dough on the hook,then the hydration is about perfect.
With the dough on the board or stone counter with your dough scraper form into a large somewhat ball. If the dough sticks sprinkle just a little flour on the board. Need for abut a minute and the place it in a large plastic container and cover.
You will stretch and fold the dough three times in about the first 3 1/2 hours. S&F the dough like a letter fitting into a envelope. Depending on the tempeture the bulk fermintation will take about 6 hours at room temp. I usually start about 1'oclock in the afternoon.
When the bulk fermentation is done, dust the counter and scrape out the dough from the container, with your scraper form into a large ball and then "punch" down the dough with your hand pressing it down. then divide the dough into 2 equal parts,use a weight scale.
Then take one dough mass and fold into a tight ball ,with the smooth side of the dough up continue moving your hands underneath and form a tight bolle. Let stand for 5 minutes and then re-tighten the bolle again. Dust your brotform with flour and also sprinkle a little corn meal around the bottom of the brotform. Scoop up the bolle with your dough scraper and flip it into the form with the smooth side on the bottom of the form basket. Let bench rest for 20 minutes. then cover with glad wrap and place in refrigerator overnite. I use a bar refrigerater set a 42 degrees.
in the morning 6:30 place the 2 doughs on the counter at room tempature to finish proofing. The dough will be ready when with your finger makes a indentation and springs back , about 2 hours.
At 7:30 preheat your ovens to 475 deg. with the lodge pan in the oven. You will need a thick leather BBQ glove to handle the pans.
At about 8:30 take the top of the the pan and place on a silicone matt. Then dust the hot pan with corn meal and flip the dough into the pan. then score the dough in a criss cross pattern. With a spray bottle filled with spring water spray the dough. Then with your leather mitt place the pan in the oven and cover with the deep part of the pan. Cook for 15 minutes and then remove the pan cover and spray with water again. Reduce oven temp to 450 deg.
Cook for 10 more minutes and then turn the the bread around in the oven and bake for 10 more minutes. With leather glove remove pan(s) from oven and place loaves on a cooling rack.
The website has really good videos explaining this process. It sounds involved but the 1st time the bread came out about perfect.
Bon Appetit
Just had a piece......glorious!!
Here's a video from the Northwest site. It's very helpful as are all Theresa's videos
