Basic Sourdough Bread

Total Time: 3 hrs 50 mins Preparation Time: 3 hrs Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• 2 cups proofed sourdough starter
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 cups bread flour

Recipe

• 1 before measuring out your 2 cups of starter culture, it must be proofed: to proof, i usually start with 1 cup of starter and stir into it equal parts of flour and warm water (for this recipe, 1 1/2 cups of each would be more than enough).
• 2 let mixture sit, covered loosely, for 8 to 12 hours-- the longer it sits, the sourer the flavor will be.
• 3 at this point, measure out the 2 cups required for recipe, and return leftover starter to refrigerator for next time.
• 4 pour starter into mixing bowl.
• 5 melt butter (microwave works well).
• 6 add milk to butter and warm briefly (85 degrees f).
• 7 add the salt and sugar, stir until dissolved.
• 8 add this mixture to the culture and mix well.
• 9 add the flour, 1 cup at a time, stirring until the dough is too stiff to mix by hand.
• 10 turn onto floured board and knead in the remaining flour until the dough is smooth and satiny.
• 11 pat dough into a 1-inch thick oval and form loaf by rolling oval up from the long side, pinching the seam together as you roll the dough, tucking ends to form the loaf.
• 12 place in lightly greased loaf pan (i spray with cooking spray), and let rise, covered, at 85 degrees f for 1 1/2 to 3 hours.
• 13 when the dough rises 1 to 2 inches above the edges of pan, it is ready to bake.
• 14 preheat oven to 375 degrees f.
• 15 bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees f and bake an additional 30 to 40 minutes (baking time varies according to your oven and your personal taste--some like a darker crustier bread than others).
• 16 remove loaf from oven and brush the top lightly with melted butter; turn loaf out of the pan and cool on wire rack.
• 17 if you prefer, you can shape this into a round or oval loaf and bake on a baking sheet.