TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
START A SOURDOUGH STARTER FROM SCRATCH
EASIEST, FOOLPROOF BREAD RECIPE
countertop. Roll and shape the dough into a tight, round ball. Flip it upside down into your banneton (or just a clean, floured bowl) and cover it. Put your banneton in the fridge to begin cold retardation. I usually leave mine in the fridge overnight, but you can do any length of time, up to 24 hours. The longer you leave your dough in the fridge, the more “sour” it will taste! When you are ready to bake your bread, preheat your oven—with your Dutch oven inside—to 475°F. Pull your bread out, place it on parchment paper, and “score” a design (or just a simple line) to allow for expansion. Carefully pull your Dutch oven out and place the loaf inside. Bake, covered, for 22 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking for an additional 20 minutes. You have crafted a masterpiece, but the ultimate test is waiting an hour for it to cool before slicing. Make sure to get that Insta-worthy picture first. FINISHING TOUCH—While your bread bakes, whip up fresh butter to slather on your warm slices. Pour heavy cream into a stand mixer and whisk for 15–20 minutes until it separates into butter and buttermilk. Squeeze out the liquid and season with a pinch of salt.
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80 grams active sourdough starter
300 grams filtered water 500 grams all-purpose flour
Combine equal parts flour and filtered water in a large jar. Cover the jar, but do not seal it. Every 24 hours, you will “discard” from this and add more flour and water. (“Discard” is the starter that you will throw away—you can save this and make several recipes using it.) Save a small amount of the starter and discard the rest. I find a ratio of 10 grams starter to 10 grams water to 10 grams flour works great. This mixture will grow every day. Ensure whatever jar you’re using is large enough for this amount to double in size. It may take a few days for your starter to take off and start rising, so be patient and stay consistent. After about two to three weeks, it should consistently double, and you will have your very own sourdough starter. You will want to feed your starter at a larger ratio for baking. A 100 grams starter to 100 grams water to 100g flour feed should provide enough, when doubled, to handle most recipes. When the starter has doubled in your jar, this is called “active starter.” Don’t forget to give it a fun name—my daughter named mine “Doughlene,” a nod to her Dolly Parton obsession.
11 grams salt
In a large bowl, combine the starter, 290 grams of water, and 500 grams of flour. With your hands, work it into a shaggy dough and cover it with a damp towel or plastic wrap. Allow it to rest at room temperature for two hours. Add the remaining 10 grams of water and your salt. Now here is the fun part—work and knead the dough with your hands for six to eight minutes until you have a nice, smooth ball. Place the dough back in your bowl and cover it. Let it sit at room temperature for one hour. Stretch and fold the dough every 30 minutes, four times. To do this, pull one side of the dough up and fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl and repeat on all four sides. After your final stretch and fold, allow the dough to rest, covered, at room temperature for three to six hours (this may vary based on the temperature of your kitchen) to finish bulk fermentation. When your dough is doubled in size and no longer sticky to the touch, dump it out onto your clean
Once your starter is “active,” you are ready to make your own beautiful boule.
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TXK 411
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