Sourdough Bread
Materials
- 1 cup sponge
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 cups flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add the ingredients in the order that they are listed.
- When it has risen near the top of the mixing pan, I put my cast iron bread pan in the oven and set it for 350 degrees. When the oven is preheated, I take the bread pan out of the oven, spray it with a vegetable spray, and transfer the dough to the pan.
- With wet hands, I smooth out the top. I have learned that if I put the bread in the oven at this point, it will split and not in the way I would like it to. To control the split, I take a sharp knife and make a split lengthwise in the top of the dough and insert thin pats of butter into the groove.
- I then put it in the oven and bake it for 40 minutes. When it is done, I take it out and turn the bread out onto a bread board. I will usually take a test slice off the end, but then I will cover it with a dish towel and let it cool.
- This is a loaf of Type II Sourdough Bread. When it is cool, I will slice it and put it in the freezer. I will take it out and toast it or warm it in the microwave. It will keep for at least a week and it will taste as fresh as the day I baked it.
Notes
*This recipe can be assembled in a bread machine using the dough setting. I like to use the bread machine because the setting and proofing are so consistent from batch to batch.
*Remember, it is important never to stir your sponge with a metal spoon. Always use a wooden or non-metal spoon, metal will kill the starter.