How to bake sourdough bread

After the 5 days of carefully tending to my sourdough starter, I couldn’t wait to bake sourdough bread, smell the wonderful aroma pervading the house  as it cooked and taste the delicious warm bread, dripping with fresh butter!

The lively spongey part

Please see my last blog post for How to make sourdough starter. Then take 150g of the ready made sourdough starter. Plus 200g brown rice flour. I Buy Whole Foods Online Organic Gluten Free Brown Rice Flour Stoneground 1 kg Then take 50g buckwheat flour.I Buy Whole Foods Online Organic Gluten Free Buckwheat Flour 1 kg Plus you will need 320ml just tepid water.

The sourdough part

You will need 50g sweet rice flour I buy Organic White Rice Flour 1kg (or you could use maize or millet flour if you want to get a more cake like type of texture) You’ll also need 100g potato starch I use Bob’s Red Mill, Potato Starch Unmodified, Gluten Free, 24 oz (1 lb 8 oz) 680 g (or you could use tapioca starch if you want stickier bread) Take 2 teaspoons psyllium husk.I use Sevenhills Wholefoods Organic Raw Psyllium Husk Powder 500g Plus 50 – 75g mixed sunflower and pumpkin seeds (keep a third to sprinkle on top)  Tree of Life Organic Pumpkin Seeds 1 Kg are good and I Buy Whole Foods Organic Sunflower Seeds 1 Kg too. Take one large organic or free range egg. and a sprinkle of Himalayan pink salt. I use Lucy Bee Himalayan Fine Salt 1 kg You’ll also need some Coconut oil for greasing the tin e.g. Organic Raw Virgin Coconut Oil 500ml

Method

Grease a 2lb loaf tin with coconut oil. Mix the spongey part ingredients in a big bowl, cover with a clean tea towel. Place in a warm spot for up to 6 hours – until it has risen.

When the sponge part is fermented and risen add all the sourdough ingredients except the coconut oil. Mix together until smooth. 

Add some seeds to the greased tin (they should stick to the coconut oil on the sides of the tin if you have been generous enough, if they don’t , just let them lie in the base. Add the sourdough to the tin. Use a knife or spoon to smooth the top then sprinkle with more seeds.

The dough will take 3-5 hours to rise somewhere warm. So about 3 hours into this proving process, preheat the oven to 210c (fan) or 230c (normal) or Gas Mark 8 and put a roasting pan in the bottom of the oven half filled with boiling water to make steam.  Once it’s increased by about 33% it is ready to cook. Place the loaf in the steamy oven for 20 minutes , then remove the tray of boiling water and lower the temperature to 180c (Fan) or 200c (normal) or Gas 6.Carry on baking for 45/55 minutes.

When the loaf is cooked it should come easily out of the tin and should feel firm, not wobbly. If under done then put it back in the oven without the tin at 140c (Fan)160c (Normal) Gas 3. for 15 minutes more. When cooked place on a cooling rack. Slice when cold. If you cant get the rest eaten within 24 hours in your house then slice it and freeze in slices in plastic bags. When you need it, just allow it to warm up, or toast it from frozen.