Drop and Go Sourdough Bread (measured in volume)

This is a no-fuss, no-scale-needed recipe for fully fermented Sourdough bread. I prefer to use a blend of mostly hard red wheat with about 25%-50% soft white wheat when baking bread. The hard red wheat makes for a hearty, full flavored bread that slices well without falling apart unlike soft white wheat which is prone to being more crumbly or flaky (great for biscuits!). having the touch of soft white gives it the lift and lightness it needs. Take in mind though, a sourdough loaf made from freshly milled wheat will not turn out as light and airy as a loaf made from refined wheat. Do not waste your time comparing real bread made from whole ingredients to the fake stuff we are all used to. if you do, you will be disappointed. The fluffy white flour from the store is made by stripping the wheat of its endosperm and bran and it does not produce the same product that freshly milled wheat does. It may take a little getting used to at first, but then there’s no going back!

To spare you some scrolling, I’m going to start out with the recipe. However, you may want to go read the Tips and Tricks I listed below the recipe before you get started. Have fun!

This recipe makes 1 regular 9x5 loaf

Ingredients:

4.5-5 c freshly milled wheat flour (preferably 100% hard red wheat, or a 50/50 blend of hard red and soft white wheat)

2 tsp salt

3/4 c sourdough starter

1/3 c EV olive oil (or softened beef tallow)

1/3 c organic sorghum syrup (or raw honey)

1-1 ½ c warm filtered water (if the room temperature is 75F or above, room temp or cold water is fine)

Instructions:

1.     In a large mixing bowl, add 4 ½ cups of flour and salt. Then add the rest of the ingredients, except water. Add ¾ cup of water and mix together. Continue adding water until you get a dough ball that is easily foldable but not too wet and sticky.  Or add more flour if it’s too wet. (Knowing when your dough is right takes some time, the more you do it the more familiar you’ll be with the right consistency. A wetter dough is fine for loaves but a dryer, but a shapeable dough is what you’d want for rolls)

2.     Grease your loaf pan. Put your dough into the pan and make sure the top of the dough is laying level.

3.     Cover your pan with a clean cloth and let set out to ferment and rise for 8-12 hours for fully fermented dough. If you’re not interested in the full 12 hours, the dough will be risen sometime between in 3-12 hours (depending on the room temperature) and you can go ahead and bake it then if you like. (I usually make my dough just before bedtime and let it set out overnight, then pop it in the oven first thing in the morning.)

4.     Once your dough is ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F. Uncover, and place your loaf pan in the oven to bake for 35-45 minutes. The top should be browned and the center of the loaf should spring back when lightly pressed. If your loaves seem to be getting too brown but not finishing in the center, cover with tin foil.

5.     Once finished, remove your loaves from the oven and let sit to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove the bread from the pans so they don’t get too soggy.

The dough is made and in the pan.

Covered and ready to sit on the counter overnight.

The next morning. The dough is risen and ready to be baked!

Tips and tricks:

·      Measurements don’t have to be exact. When I make bread, I don’t use a measuring utensil for my starter, sweetener, or oils. I just “eye-ball” it. Play around with the wetness of dough that you prefer. Sometimes I make my dough too wet to mold and just plop in a bread pan for a lighter, fluffier loaf. Other times I make the dough a bit dryer, to mold into rolls and bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes. Don’t stress, just play around. “Failure” is really just learning.

·      Your home temperature matters. Rising happens faster in warmer temperatures and slower in colder ones. Be observant and learn how dough acts in your home and how it changes through the seasons; in hot or cold or humid or dry.

·      Volume can vary based on how the bread rises. A wetter dough may have a larger rise and so a larger loaf. If you need to take a portion of your dough and place in a smaller oven-safe dish you can. Just make sure to take it out of the oven sooner becuase it will bake faster.

·      You can also divide the dough into smaller pieces and drop it into mini loaf pans (350F for 25-35 minutes) or even muffin tins for little rolls (400F for 15-20 minutes).

·      For making rolls or shapeable loaves, after mixing all of the ingredients together, let the dough sit for 30-40 minutes, then come back to knead it and shape it. If you wait to shape it until after it has set out to ferment, it will probably be okay, it just may lose some rising to it.

·      If you find your bread dries out too quickly while baking, try setting a small oven-safe dish of water in the oven to bake along with your loaf.

I want to emphasize again that making bread is an art, and it is flexible. You just have to be observant and take the time to figure out what works for you. Those measurements don’t have to be exact for the at-home bread maker like they would need to be in a commercial setting. Honestly, I don’t always follow the same recipe. Especially considering the fact that I don’t measure out a good bit of the ingredients.

 Also, I choose to make bread according to my own routine, rather than according to when my starter or my dough is fully risen. I simply don’t have the ability to shift my schedule to fit how my starter or dough is acting for the day. So, I simply keep the routine of preparing my dough and feeding my starter every night, letting my dough ferment through the night, and baking it in the morning. I say all of this as a reminder not to stress, the bread is meant to serve you and your family, rather than you being a servant to the bread! You will likely find that the recipe that best suits your home is a bit different than what suits mine, but I hope this gave you a foundation and the courage to begin!