Sourdough Season

Now that it is officially winter, it's time for me to get back in to the sourdough game. I've been dabbling in sourdough baking off-and-on for a while, but have been working with my current starter for about four years. Nothing particularly adventurous - pancakes, pizza dough, bread. But, it is bread that provides the most blank canvas for sourdough creativity. Not unlike tying flies, or photography itself, sourdough is more magic and moment than pattern or formula. It is a product of your immediate environment, drawing on ambient warmth, humidity, and responsive to your patience and touch.

Happy Starter

At best, it is a twenty-four hour process. This cannot be rushed. Patience aside, it requires a certain level of attentiveness. Each step is manifested by a different flavor or texture. How active is the starter today? How did it respond to feeding? How much time can you give the "sponge" in the fridge? Is the first rise warm or cool? How humid is the baking environment? Periods of attention are interspersed with intervals of downtime. These provide the baker with a perfect excuse to retire to the fly-tying vise, and use those rise times to crank out a few dozen flies. An ideal wintertime harmony.

Every batch is different, and each loaf a unique experience. When the magic is really working, the results can be amazing. This most recent batch benefitted from a very active starter, a woodstove-warmed house in which we and the dough were stranded by a blizzard, and a little extra time afforded to the second rise. I hope it is a trend for the remaining cold months.

Recipe (guidelines, actually - find what works for you)

A. Prepare the "sponge"
Combine in a non-reactive bowl 1 cup fed starter, 3 cups good unbleached white flour, and 1.5 cups lukewarm water. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until smooth. Let sit out at room temperature for 4-5 hours. Transfer to refrigerator overnight, or 9-12 hours.

B. Prepare the dough
Remove "sponge" from fridge, and allow to return to room temperature. Add 1 tbsp sugar, 2.5 tsp kosher salt, and approximately two cups flour. Mix together with wooden spoon until somewhat stiff dough forms. Transfer dough to floured countertop, and knead by hand until very smooth. Transfer dough ball to well-oiled, covered bowl. Let sit at room temperature 4-6 hours, or until at least doubled. It may be very puffy, or it may just kind of spread out, depending on the vigor of your starter.

C. Prepare for baking
Once at least doubled, gently transfer the dough to floured countertop. Divide in half with serrated knife. Gently form in to two oblong loaves, and place on a well-seasoned or greased baking stone, or a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with non-stick wrap, and let sit for 1-3 hours. They may spread more than rise. Don't worry about this. Toward the end of this second rise, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Before placing loaves in oven, fill a baking tray with hot water, and place in bottom of oven.

D. Bake
Remove non-stick wrap, and make two fairly deep slashes in each loaf with a serrated knife. Spray loaves with water. Place on middle rack of oven, and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until deep golden brown.