🍞 Basic and Soft Sourdough Bread Recipe
🧾 Ingredients:
- 3 cups (360g) bread flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 1 cup (240ml) water (lukewarm)
- 1/2 cup (120g) active sourdough starter
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar (optional, for a softer texture)
- 1 tbsp olive oil (optional, makes bread softer)
👩🍳 Instructions:
1. Mix the Dough
- In a bowl, combine water and sourdough starter.
- Add flour, salt, sugar, and oil.
- Mix until a rough dough forms.
2. Rest (Autolyse)
- Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.
3. Knead
- Knead the dough for about 8–10 minutes until smooth.
(Or use stretch-and-fold method 3–4 times every 15 minutes)
4. First Rise (Bulk Fermentation)
- Cover and let it rise for 4–6 hours at room temperature
(until it becomes puffy and slightly doubled).
5. Shape
- Shape the dough into a round or oval loaf.
6. Second Rise
- Let it rise again for 1–2 hours
(or overnight in the fridge for better flavor)
7. Bake
- Preheat oven to 220°C (430°F).
- Place dough in a baking tray or Dutch oven.
- Score the top with a sharp knife.
- Bake:
- 20 minutes covered
- then 15–20 minutes uncovered until golden brown
✨ Tips:
- Active starter is key (it should be bubbly and doubled).
- Adding a little oil makes the bread softer (less crusty).
- For extra softness, don’t overbake.
