Hipsters stole my hobby

I hate being part of trends. I want to be original. So this past year, when the whole world was in lockdown and bread making became a thing everyone was doing, I was pissed. I make bread! That’s my thing! It sounds impressive and people like it and now everyone was doing it.

I have been making sourdough for three years. I am not great at it. Some loafs turn out and some don’t and I swear I am doing the same thing each time. I have no idea why my sourdough started sometimes grows and sometimes gets a weird liquid on top. Not a clue. But what I do know is that when the bread does come out and I do get to share it with the people I love, it is such a wonderful feeling knowing that I created that bread literally from scratch.

So, becuase I would like you to too be able to break bread with your friends and family, I am sharing my recipe with you!

Emma’s Decent Sourdough

Leaven

1 tablespoon sourdough starter

1/2 c flour

1/3 c water

Mix and let sit over night, it should be bubbly and float in water

Dough

Leaven

1 tablespoon salt

2.5 c water

5.5 c flour

1. Dissolve salt in 1/2 c water

2. Mix leaven and 2 c water

3. Add flour

4. Let sit for 30 minutes to 4 hours

5. Mix in salt water

6. Fold clockwise four times every 30 minutes, 6 times total

7. Rise dough 30-60 min

8. Take dough out of bowl and divide in half

9. Shape dough into rounds, same as folding but scrape dough up and over the top

10. Rest 20-30 minutes

11. Prep proofing baskets. You can also use a bowl and wrap the loaf loosely in a towel covered in flour

12. Shape loaves, same as before. Taunt

13. Put in proofing spot and let sit for 3-4 hours on counter or overnight in fridge. 4 hours usually works best for me

Bake

Preheat oven to 475 with dutch oven inside then bake as described below:

475 degrees with lid for 20 minutes

415 with lid for 10 minutes

25-35 minutes, watch loafs. You want it to almost look burned (but not too burned- one of my first loaves was so over baked it broke a knife)

Let cool and enjoy!