Soft Sourdough

The other day in my jewelry class, somehow we got on the subject of sourdough bread. I mentioned I have a sourdough starter in my refrigerator, and one of my instructors immediately asked if I knew how to make sourdough bread. Then a request for fresh sourdough bread came. Of course I had to oblige.

I have quite a few cookbooks for bread alone, so as you can imagine I have a lot of different recipes. I am doing my best to make as many of all my different recipes, from as many of my cookbooks as possible. The recipe I chose for this bread was for soft sourdough baguettes.

Soft Sourdough Baguettes

2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast

1 3/4 cups lukewarm water

1/4 cup sourdough starter

2 TBSP olive or canola oil + more to oil the bowl

2 TBSP sugar

2 tsp salt

4 1/2 cups flour, or more as needed

Cornstartch Wash

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

2 TBSP melted butter

Dissolve the yeast in the water then add the starter, sugar, oil, salt and 3 cups of flour. Mix together thoroughly and add more flour as needed to make a soft dough.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 30 times, or until you get a round dough ball. Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough in the bowl and cover. Let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours, or until it doubles in size.

Preheat the oven to 400*F or 205*C. Punch the dough down and cut it into 1/2. Form each 1/2 into a 12×18 rectangle and roll into a log, from the long side. Pinch each end to seal. Place seal side down onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise again for 30 minutes, or until it doubles again.

Make the cornstarch wash by mixing the water and the cornstarch together and cook until it begins to thicken.

Cut 4 slashes into the top of each loaf and brush with the cornstarch wash.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes, then brush with the cornstarch wash once again and continue to bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the bread is golden brown. Brush with the melted butter immediately after removing from the oven, then allow to cool before slicing. DELICIOUS!!!!!

I took the bread to my next class, along with some soft butter, and it received rave review and disappeared quickly. 🙂

Bread is the food of life, and I personally could easily live on bread and butter alone. 🙂 Life is short. Make the most out of everyday and live life to the fullest. Enjoy the ride, and ALL the breads you can. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.