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San Francisco-Style Sourdough Bread

Source of Recipe

From "Williams-Sonoma: Cooking at Home"


Recipe Introduction

"The dough for these loaves must rise slowly to develop the characteristic porous crumb, crisp crust, and tangy taste. In San Francisco, famous for its sourdough, the bread can be found next to steaming bowls of cioppino or platters of cracked Dungeness crab."

List of Ingredients

◦  1 package (2¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
◦  1 cup lukewarm water (110° F)
◦  2 cups Sourdough Starter (recipe follows), at room temperature
◦  2 tsp salt
◦  4 to 4½ cups unbleached bread flour
◦  Canola oil for bowl
◦  Cornmeal for pan


Recipe

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water and let stand until bubbles start to rise, about 5 minutes. Stir in the Sourdough Starter, salt, and 2½ cups of the flour. Gradually stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough that holds its shape.

Knead by hand or with a stand mixer, adding flour as necessary: Knead by hand until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes; knead by stand mixer with the dough hook on low speed until the dough is no longer sticky and pulls cleanly from the bowl sides, 5 to 6 minutes.

Form the dough into a compact ball and place in a clean, oiled bowl, turning the ball to coat all sides. Cover the bowl with oiled plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until tripled in volume, 2 to 3 hours.

Sprinkle a rimmed baking sheet with cornmeal. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and press flat. Knead twice and cut in half. Form each half into a ball, stretching the sides down and under. Flatten each ball into a round loaf 8 inches in diameter. Place on the prepared baking sheet, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 450° F.

Bring a kettle filled with water to a boil, and pour into a shallow pan. Carefully place the pan on the floor of the preheated oven. Holding a sharp knife at a 45-degree angle to the loaf, slash a shallow, diagonal grid pattern on top of each loaf.

Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350° F. Continue to bake until the loaves are well browned and sound hollow when tapped on the bottoms, 20 to 25 minutes longer. Transfer the loaves to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.


Makes two 1-pound loaves


Sourdough Starter:

"A reliable method for initiating the fermentation process for a good starter is to mix commercial yeast with flour and water. Properly prepared, the mixture should bubble up and develop a good sour aroma. If it takes on a foul odor or turns pinkish, discard it."

◦  1 package (2¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
◦  2½ cups lukewarm water (110° F), plus lukewarm water as needed for feeding starter
◦  2½ cups unbleached bread flour, plus flour as needed for feeding starter

In a glass or earthenware bowl, combine the yeast and ½ cup of the lukewarm water and let stand until bubbles start to rise, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the 2½ cups flour and the remaining 2 cups lukewarm water and mix well. Pour into a 4-quart or larger ceramic or glass crock and cover with cheesecloth. Let stand for 4 days in a warm place (70° to 75° F). The mixture will bubble and ferment, increasing 4 to 6 times in volume and then sinking to its original size.

Transfer the starter to a tightly covered glass container and store in the refrigerator.

Feed the starter every 10 days by stirring in ½ cup flour and ½ cup lukewarm water. Each time the starter is used, reserve at least 1 cup of the original mixture and replace the amount taken with equal amounts of flour and lukewarm water. Bring the starter to room temperature and stir gently before using.


Makes about 4 cups


◦  About Starters:

Bread starters are typically kept for long periods of time and can even be passed from one generation to the next. Atmospheric conditions contribute to the starter's flavor, which is why sourdough loaves made from starters originating in a particular region (notably San Francisco) have a distinctive flavor.