OK, I just made this simple sourdough bread and it is not only stinkin’ easy to prepare, but absolutely delicious to boot! So being mindful of the fact that yeast is hard to come by right now, I plan to build this bread quite often during the next few weeks. At least until yeast once again appears with regularity on grocery store shelves. And even then, this bread may become the new “bread of choice” here at Chez Carr. It is truly that delicious. Plus, no fancy ingredients required, not even bread flour! And no added yeast. The sourdough starter and a bit of time supply all the leavening needed. And the only thing we spread on our toast this morning was a bit of butter. No peanut butter, jam, honey, flavored cream cheese etc. Simply not needed. That in itself will save us money and unnecessary calories.

So if you have ever had a hankering to build your own bread, now is the time. It does take a bit of time (making the sourdough starter to begin with and then two days to actually remove a loaf from the oven), but the reward is worth the wait.

The hard part, if you are not already a bread baker, might be finding a packet of active dry yeast to prepare the sourdough starter. But this is where your cell phone or computer come in handy.

Call a neighbor, friend, or relative. Explain that you are on a mission to find a packet of yeast. Explain why you need it, and then plan for 2 exchanges to take place.

First exchange: They place a packet or tablespoon of yeast in a clean plastic bag having just carefully washed their hands. They leave the bag on the steps of their home. You pick it up wearing gloves and immediately disinfect the bag. You go home, after blowing them a kiss from the street, and prepare the sourdough starter. After waiting 3 days for the starter to do its thing, you make a double batch of this bread.

Second exchange: After the bread cools, you wash your hands very carefully and place one of the boules in a clean plastic bag. You call your friends to make sure they are home (where else would they be) and tell them to look on their front porch in however long it takes for you to reach their home. They open their door, pick up the bag, blow you a kiss from their stoop, carry the bag inside, and carefully clean the outside of the bag. Both families enjoy homemade bread for dinner. A win/win situation!

So go crazy. Make bread. And watch for more bread recipes to come, or explore the bread recipes already on this site. I mean really. Anyone can build a loaf of bread! You went to college, or were/are a master plumber, or science wiz, etc. etc. You might even be one of those amazing people who can put together a piece of furniture from Ikea. If you can manage that, you can build bread!  

Please stay healthy, and as always peace and love to all.

• ½ c. active sourdough starter – see TIP below to make sure your starter is active. Also find a recipe to build your own sourdough starter at the bottom of this post.
• ¾ c. lukewarm water
• 2½ c. unbleached or regular all-purpose flour, or more if needed
• 1½ tsp. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• olive oil

Day 1:

Combine the sourdough starter, water, and 1½ cups of the flour in the bowl of your stand mixer. Stir to combine. Cover, and let rest at room temperature for 4 hours. Then place in your refrigerate until the next morning.

Day 2:

Add the remaining 1 cup flour, sugar, and salt. Knead dough until smooth. Pour a bit of olive oil into the bowl, and form the dough into a ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled. This can take anywhere from 2 to 5 hours. (Mine took 3 hours.) Sourdough bread, especially sourdough without added yeast, is not on a timetable. Check every half hour or so, and be patient. When you think it has risen enough, moisten a finger with a bit of oil, and make a small dent in the dough near the side of the pan. If the dent remains, the bread is ready to shape into a round loaf, often referred to as a “boule”.  

Place the boule on a lightly greased or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Lightly spray a piece of plastic wrap with cooking spray, and loosely cover the boule (spray side down). Let the boule rise until very puffy, about 2 to 4 hours. (Mine took 2 hours.) (Don’t worry if the boule spreads more than it rises; it will puff up during baking.)  

5 minutes before placing in a pre-heated 425 degree oven, lightly spray the boule with lukewarm water. Cut three fairly deep horizontal slashes in the loaf with a serrated bread knife.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it’s a very deep golden brown. If you have an instant-read thermometer, the internal temperature should read about 208 degrees when you stick the prong into the side of the boule.

Remove from oven; cool on a wire rack before slathering with butter or dipping in flavored olive oil. Also makes absolutely wonderful toast.

Note: You can easily double this recipe and put one of the boules in your freezer for use at a later time or give to a friend.

TIP:

To test if your sourdough starter is active, drop one teaspoonful into a cup of tepid water. The starter should bounce right up to the top of the water and retain its form.

If your starter appears to not be active, discard about half a cup and replace it with a half cup of flour and a half cup of water. Stir well. Place on a counter at room temperature, then test your starter again after a few hours.

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 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.