My mission when I first started working on simple bread recipes to share with you during this coronavirus crisis, was to use less yeast and concentrate on sourdough, baking soda, and baking powder as the primary leavening agents. Then I read this recipe from the lanascooking.com site.

And although this recipe does use sourdough starter, it also requires a packet of yeast. At about the same time I became interested in this recipe, it dawned on me that not everyone wants to wait 2-3 days for a loaf of sourdough bread. That there are bakers out there with sourdough starter happily fermenting away in their refrigerator that want to start a loaf in the morning, and serve lovely homemade bread for dinner that evening. While at the same time not wanting to spend all day at the task. 

Well folks, sourdough bread doesn’t get much easier than this. Nor does it get any tastier. This is a winner. An absolute winner!

So if you too are starting to bake bread again after an absence of say – 30 years, this is the perfect bread to get you hooked again on the joy of baking your own loaf. And if you are just beginning your relationship with yeast, I assure you that there is nothing scary about preparing this bread. So do not be intimidated. Remember, you are in charge. If you can read and follow instructions, you’ve got it made! (So to speak.) So give this recipe a try. It truly is scrumptious!

And stay healthy everyone. Eat well, laugh lots, and tell everyone you know how much you care about them. We are all in this crazy new situation together. I’m just enough of a Polly Anna to be hopeful that when we have conquered the coronavirus that most people will have learned to be more empathetic and willing to accept each other’s differences. I mean really! What reasonable person could still care or feel threatened by another persons’ ethnicity, religious preference, sexual orientation etc. when having just been confronted with his or her own mortality? Regardless if they believe in an after-life or not. If a pandemic isn’t a universal playing field, I sure as heck don’t know what is! And color, political affiliation, religion, wealth etc. matters not. Not when it comes to viruses. Nor should it matter a whit in any other regard!

As always – peace and love to all. And happy bread baking.

1 c. room temperature sourdough starter (see recipe for starter below)

1½ c. lukewarm water

1 pkg. or 1 scant T. dry active yeast   

1 T. granulated sugar

2½ tsp. kosher salt

2 c. unbleached bread flour

1¾ c. whole wheat flour, plus more as needed

olive oil

Combine the room temperature sourdough starter, water, yeast, sugar, salt, bread flour, and about 1½ cups of the whole wheat flour in the bowl of your electric stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.

Knead on slow speed until a smooth dough forms, about 4-6 minutes. Add additional bread flour if required. (If you are used to bread dough that forms a nice clean ball around the dough hook, pull back a little on the amount of flour you usually use. This dough is a bit different. It is perfect when you touch it with your finger and it’s not sticky, but some of the dough is still clinging to the bottom of the mixing bowl.)

Pour a bit of olive oil over the dough and using your hands, form a ball completely coated in the oil. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap, and place in a draft free location until doubled in size, about 90 minutes.

Divide the dough in half. Shape into two oval loaves and place on a parchment paper lined or lightly oiled baking sheet. Cover with a clean tea towel and let rise again for about an hour. Near the end of the rising time, preheat oven to 425 degrees.

About 5 minutes before you place the loaves in the oven, cut 2 or 3 deep, diagonal slashes in each loaf. Bake for 25 to 28 minutes or until the internal temperature of the bread when taken with an instant read thermometer stuck in the side of each loaf reaches about 195 degrees. The bread should be a nice golden brown.

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

SOURDOUGH STARTER

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

2 T. sugar

1 T. or 1 pkg. active dry yeast

2 c. barely warm water

Combine all ingredients in a large glass or plastic juice pitcher using a wooden or plastic spoon. (Don’t worry about lumps because the little yeasty beasties will make short work of dissolving the lumps!) Cover with lid, turning strainer in lid to pouring lip. (This allows air to reach the starter.) Let ferment 3 days at room temperature, stirring several times daily. After the third day, transfer starter to a covered glass container and refrigerate. It is now ready to use.

To use, remove desired amount for recipe and replenish starter by stirring in equal amounts of flour and water or follow the instructions for the particular bread you are making. Let stand at room temperature overnight. Return to refrigerator.

If a clear liquid forms on top, stir back into starter. Every time you use, replenish with equal amounts of flour and water. Even if you don’t use every week, replenish every 7 – 10 days with equal amounts flour and water. (First remove about ½ cup of the existing starter. This allows room in your container for the new flour (yeast food) and water.)

Use in any of your favorite bread, muffin, or pancake recipes.