How To Make Sour Dough Bread

This Sour Dough Bread is one of my favourites! It has a chewy crust and a dense tangy middle.  If you find the bread to be too dense  just add a pinch of yeast and a pinch of sugar to the mixture.

Ingredients

Starter:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup water
• ¼  tsp yeast

Mix ingredients in a container, cover and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours. Refrigerate for 3 days.

Add to starter after day 3:

• ¾  cup milk or water
• 1 ¼  cups white flour

Combine with starter and refrigerate for another 3 days.

To make bread:

• ½  of the starter
• ¾  cup water or milk
• 1 ½  cup white flour

Add water or milk and flour to the starter.  Place in an oiled bowl, cover and put in a warm place and let rise for 24 hours.

Feed the starter:

• ¾ cup water or milk
• 1 ½ cup white flour

Add liquid and flour to starter, mix and place container in the fridge until next time you make bread, ideally on a weekly basis. Each time you use the starter you will feed it and return to the refrigerator.

Back to bread after 24 hours:

• ¼  cup water
• 1 ¾  cup flour (white, whole wheat or rye)
• 2 tsp salt

Add water, flour and salt to starter mixture and knead by hand or in a mixer with a dough hook until dough is smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl and let rise in a warm place for 2 hours.

Baking:

• 1 tbsp cornmeal
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp water

Sprinkle a cornmeal on a parchment lined baking sheet. Punch down dough and knead for a few minutes. Shape into a loaf and let rise 2 hours more. Preheat oven to 425 F. Score top of loaf with a sharp knife and brush with egg wash. Bake 35 to 40 minutes.  (Adapted from Canadian Living Magazine.)