Country sourdough

Name: Country sourdough
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: Makes 2 × 500 g (1 lb) loaves
Ingredients: 125 g (4 oz) white bread flour; 1 teaspoon fresh yeast or ½ teaspoon dried yeast; beaten egg, to glaze; beaten egg, to glaze; 650 g (1 lb 5 oz) white bread flour; 60 g (2 oz) butter, softened; 2 teaspoons sugar; 1 teaspoon salt; 2 teaspoons fresh yeast or 1 teaspoon dried yeast; 2 teaspoons fresh yeast or 1 teaspoon dried yeast; 250 ml (8 fl oz) buttermilk or beer; 250 ml (8 fl oz) buttermilk or beer; 1 teaspoon fresh yeast or ½ teaspoon dried yeast

Preparation info

Makes
2 × 500 g
loaves

Difficulty
Complex
Ready in
1 hr 25

Appears in

Bread

By Le Cordon Bleu

Published 2000

About

Prolonged yeast fermentation gives the characteristic flavour to this sourdough loaf The starter needs to begin fermenting about two days before the loaf is made.

Ingredients

Starter

125 g (4 oz) white bread flour
1 teaspoon fresh yeast

Vegetarian
Bread

Method

To make the starter, begin two days before you want to make the bread. Sieve the flour into a large bowl and crumble the yeast over the surface. Heat the buttermilk or beer until lukewarm and mix into the flour using a wooden spoon until a smooth batter is formed. Cover and leave for about 8-12 hours at room temperature, or until the starter begins minutely bubbling.