Making Bread
There is nothing like the smell of bread baking in the oven. I know there are many out there who never make bread because it is too labor intensive or they had a horrible experience. Well, I made bread that was so hard I couldn't break it when thrown off our second story porch onto an asphalt driveway! This recipe practically makes itself and allows you to have a life while it's rising.
Kefir Sourdough Starter and Bread
Brenda's Kefir Sourdough Starter
- 1 cup Milk Kefir, at room temperature
- 1 cup Flour
- 1 tablespoon Sugar
I probably did not need to add the sugar, but did for good measure. Mix together in a glass or stainless-steel bowl. Cover with a towel and let stand in a warm place for a few days (stir once a day). When you remove any of your starter, add the same amount of warm water and flour back to the starter, and let sit. This keeps the starter active. If, at any time, you cannot keep this going, put the jar in the refrigerator. Take it out once a week, add flour and water, let it "do it's thing", then put back in the fridge.
I kept this starter going (by adding warm water and flour)every two days, until it was really sour. Then, in a separate bowl, I added:
- 1 cup Sourdough Starter
- 2 cups warm Water
- 4 cups Flour
Mix well, cover and let sit for about 12 hours. You should end up with a VERY soft dough (sponge) that has fermented to produce a lot of bubbles and smells a little more sour than the starter.
This is the final step before baking. Add to your sponge:
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 2 teaspoons Sugar
- 2-4 cups flour (approximate)
Stir in salt, sugar and enough flour to form a stiff dough. Knead until smooth. Place in either your baking vessel of choice or a basket (as described below). Cover with a towel, and let rise in a warm place for 12 to 18 hours (any longer and the crust will break at tooth).
Place a heat-resistant container on the bottom of the oven, and fill with water. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place bread in oven and bake for 10 minutes. Lower to 350 degrees F and continue to bake for 30 to 40 minutes until it's golden brown. Remove from oven and let rest until it reaches room temperature before slicing.
This is my second attempt to make sourdough bread, and this is the most active (and sour) starter I have ever seen! The bread was almost as sour as San Francisco sourdough but the texture was more dense. Our temperatures were on the cool side, so I should have let the "sponge" work a little longer. Also, when adding the last of the flour, I should have hand-kneaded it in instead of using my Kitchen Aide.
Now for the basket! Thanks to http://forums.egullet.org I found out the best way for me to rise my sourdough loaves! Take a basket (I am using two, one is a oblong sewing basket and the second is a medium-sized easter basket with the handle removed) and rinse it to remove any dirt or dust that has accumulated. Let the basket dry, then line with clean linen (or any lint-free natural fabric). Now for the hard part! :) Sew the lining to the basket. Flour the basket and let your dough rise in this during the last rising. Sourdough is VERY soft and needs some kind of form to properly rise. Otherwise, you end up with a 1-inch frisbee instead of a proper loaf of bread (Do you think I am speaking from experience? That was my first attempt at sourdough bread!).