Recipe: Sourdough White Bread

Sourdough White Bread

3 cups all purpose white flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon instant active dry yeast
6 teaspoons (2 tablespoons) Lora Brody's Sourdough Bread Enhancer
8-12 ounces warm water

Bread Machine method: Place all the ingredients in the machine. If you wish to bake the bread in the machine, add 8 ounces of water at first and program for WHITE or BASIC BREAD and press START. Check dough after the first few minutes of the kneading cycle, adding additional water or flour as necessary to form a smooth, supple ball of dough. To hand-form the dough, program for DOUGH or MANUAL, adding additional water to make a slack, slightly sticky ball of dough after the first few minutes of kneading. Sourdough bread baked in the machine will not rise as high as either regular white bread or this recipe when baked out of the machine.

Food Processor or Stand Mixer method: Dissolve the yeast in 10 ounces of water. Place the remaining ingredients in the work bowl of the food processor fitted with the plastic blade or the stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Process or mix on low speed while adding the liquid. Add enough liquid to make a slack, slightly sticky ball of dough. Once the ball has formed: in the processor, process for 40 seconds, allow to rest 5 minutes, then process another 40 seconds; in the mixer, knead for 5-8 minutes or until the dough is elastic. Place the dough either in a lightly oiled bowl covered with plastic wrap or in a sealed gallon size freezer strength plastic zip-lock bag. Allow it to rise, in a warm place until double in bulk.

To complete: Punch down the dough (deflate it gently with your fist) and place in a well greased loaf pan. Cover and allow to rise until almost double in bulk and then bake in a preheated 450 degrees oven for 15 minutes, after which you reduce the temperature to 375 degrees and bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped, or the loaf has an internal temperature of 190 degrees.

Options:

1. A long, slow cool second rise before shaping will dramatically improve the depth of the flavor and texture of the finished loaf. After the dough has risen the first time at room temperature, punch it down and place it in the covered bowl or sealed bag and refrigerate for 6-24 hours. Shape, allow to rise and then bake as above.

2. Sourdough baguettes: Divide the dough into 3 pieces. Shape each into a 14" x 2" rope. Place either in a baguette pan that has been lightly oiled and dusted with corn meal, or 3" apart on a heavy baking sheet that has been prepared in the same fashion. Allow to rise in a warm place until almost double in bulk. With a sharp knife make 1/4" deep diagonal slashes at 2" intervals on top of each loaf, then brush with a wash made by mixing 1 egg white with 1 tablespoon water. Bake in a preheated 450 degrees oven for 12-15 minutes, sliding the baguettes out of the pan (baking sheet) to finish baking directly on the oven rack for an additional 5 minutes.