"Give us this day our daily bread"

 

Hiya!

I recently started making sourdough bread on a daily, or as required, basis. I've tried this a few times but with no great success. Anyway, whilst perusing Youtube I came across a video by Bake with Jack and thought Id give making a starter one more try. My lifestyle forces me to be frugal and most sourdough starters have a lot of waste but his was a no-waste method.

So without further ado here's my tried and tested no-waste daily sourdough recipe.

Day 1 Get a clean jam jar and add 30g flour (the best you can afford, ideally strong bread flour). To this add 30g of warm water (not hot). Stir and mix well, then put the lid on loosely and leave it in a warm position in the kitchen.

Day 2 Add another 30g flour and 30g warm water stir and lid and leave as previously.

Day 3 Some signs of bubbles should be starting but may take longer if the kitchen is cold at night. Don't worry add another 30g flour and 30g warm water stir and lid and leave as previously.

Day 4 Add another 30g flour and 30g warm water stir and lid and leave as previously.

Day 5 First loaf time, I suggest evening for a morning bake. The starter should have become bubbly and risen in the jar. To a large mixing bowl add the following:

100g Starter (do not throw away scrapings or wash jar, more on this at the end)

250g Water

450g Flour (of your choice)

1tsp salt 

1tbsp Oil (of your choice)

Mix then knead for 10mins, which I do in my standing mixer with the dough hook as my Carpal Tunnel plagues me so don't want to aggravate it.

Remove the hook and cover it with a tea towel and leave it out for 3 hours.

Take the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface with floured hands. Then working from twelve o'clock pinch the edge and press into the centre, carry on doing this round the clock till you've folded in at least twelve times. Turn over and you should have a nice smooth round ball. Now take a bowl and lay a tea towel over and dust with flour heavily in the centre. Place the dough smooth side down in the centre of the teatowel and cover it with the sides of the towel. Pop it in the fridge and leave it for at least six hours or till morning. Preheat oven to max (conventional oven, no idea about fan assist), I have a slab of granite in my oven that I use for pizza and bread so preheat is about an hour. Flour a plain baking sheet and turn the loaf out on top. Slash from end to end with a sharp blade then slide onto stone or leave on baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes, remove and allow to cool.

Now take the jar with scrapings or remains of the starter and add 50g flour and 50g water. Mix, lid and leave out if you intend a daily loaf if not pop it in the fridge till the next loaf. 

The starter is alive and you only have to do the first 4 day steps once, as what's left in the jar is enough to start the next loaf once fed again.