Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread (No-Knead)

 

Makes 2 smaller loaves or one large if you have a large loaf pan

Ingredients

• ½ cup sourdough starter, bubbly and active (fed within 12-24 hours)
• 2 cups warm water, filtered (95º to 100º F)
• ⅜ cup (56 grams) granulated sugar
• 5 ¼ -6 (600 grams) cups bread flour 
• 2  tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 teaspoons salt

Instructions

1.           Add the starter to a large bowl. Mix in warm water and sugar, stirring until dissolved. Add bread flour, oil, and salt. Stir, dough will be shaggy. 

2.           Finish mixing dough by hand.  Cover with a warm, damp kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 30- 45 minutes.

3.          Then do a stretch and fold the dough by stretching 4 inches then pushing it down the middle and turning 1/4 until you make a circle. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a damp towel, repeat once per hour for 4 fours then let rise at room temperature overnight (at least 8-10 hours) until double in size. Do not refrigerate dough.

4.           In the morning, gently stretching it into a rectangle. Roll up dough into a log shape. Cover and let the dough rest 10 minutes. 

5.           Spray bread pan with cooking spray. Tighten the dough log by gently pulling it towards you along the counter top for 5-8". Place it in TWO loaf pan, seam side down. Cover and let rise for 1-2 hours, until dough has doubled in size. Press the corner edge of the dough in 1/2" and if the indentation remains, it's ready to bake.

6.           Preheat your oven to 375º. Bake in the center of the oven for 40 minutes. The top of the loaf should be golden in color. After 10 minutes, tilt the pan to remove the bread to cool on a cooling rack. Wait at least 1 hour before cutting (to prevent the loaf from deflating).

Notes

 

Storing

Let bread cool for at least one hour before cutting.

Store bread in a bag at room temperature for up to 5 days. 

To make chocolate dough add

• Use ¼ cup (50 grams) packed brown sugar instead of white sugar
• ½ cup  Dutch process cocoa powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt
• ½ cup  chocolate chips
• Proceed with directions above

No Knead Whole Wheat Bread

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp salt
• ¾ tsp active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoon honey
• 2 cups water room temperature

INSTRUCTIONS

• Mix Ingredients and Rest: In a big bowl combine whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour, salt, honey, and yeast. Pour the water into the bowl and using a spatula or a wooden spoon, mix until it's incorporated. It will be sticky, so just mix until most of the flour is incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit on your counter for 12 to 18 hours.
  
  
• Preheat Oven and Pot: Preheat oven to 475°F. Add your Dutch Oven to the oven and heat it as well while you're prepping the dough.
  
  
• Shape Dough: Flour your hands really well and sprinkle plenty of flour over the dough in the bowl. With your floured hands gently remove the dough from the bowl, scraping at the sides first, adding more flour as needed (see video) and roughly shape it into a ball. Take the ball of dough and drop it directly into the pot or place it on a piece of parchment paper and grab the parchment paper with the dough and place it in the pot. Be careful not to burn yourself, the pot will be quite hot, so use oven mitts to handle it. Cover the pot with the lid and place it back in the oven.
  
  
• Bake: Bake the bread for 30 minutes covered with the lid on, after which remove the lid and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown. and crusty.
  
  
• Cool: Remove from the oven, transfer to a cooling rack and let cool before slicing and serving.
  
  

RECIPE NOTES

• I have made this bread with 4 cups of whole wheat flour as well. If using all whole wheat flour, you may need a bit more water, especially if you live in a dry environment.
• Do not refrigerate the dough as it rises, yes it will be safe on your counter for 18 hours.
• If you want to add other ingredients such as seeds, herbs, or cheese, add them in the beginning when combining all the ingredients.
• The slow rise at room temperature is what gives no-knead bread its power. I’ve been asked many times if it needs to sit around for that long and the answer is simply, yes! The yeast needs time to perform its magic.
• To prevent your bread from sticking to the pot, make sure your pot is hot enough before adding the dough, or use parchment as mentioned in instructions. If the pot is very hot at the bottom, your bread will instantly begin to cook, letting it rise smoothly. Another option is to sprinkle some cornmeal on the bottom of the pot.
• To check if the bread is cooked through, tap the bottom! Take the bread out of the Dutch oven, turn it upside down and give the bottom a firm thump with your thumb, or a knock -if it sounds hollow, it’s done. You can also use a thermometer to check the internal temperature of the bread, when it reaches between 190°F and 200°F, your bread is done.
• This bread can dry out a little easily so it is best to store it tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container to preserve it longer. You can store it like this for about 3 to 4 days right on the counter.
• If you want to save your bread for longer or make this loaf in advance: bake as instructed, let cool, wrap tightly, or transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.

No Knead Bread/ Regular and Sourdough

• 3 cups unbleached bread flour  (I use 2 cups Whole Wheat 1 cup bread flour)
• 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast 
• 1 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 Tablespoons honey (This will NOT make the bread sweet at all, but it will taste terrific!)
• 6-8 quart dutch oven. Does not need to be the enamel-coated kind. A regular, camping style dutch oven works great as well

Directions

1. Stir together ingredients until flour is moistened and shaggy looking.  Cover with plastic wrap and rise at room temperature for 14-20 hours 
2. Lightly flour a work surface and with floured hands, fold the dough over itself twice.  Cover loosely with plastic & rest for 20 minutes. Then shape the risen dough into a tight ball and place it on the center of a large piece of parchment strip, cover loosely with a tea towel and rest for 2 hours. 
3. A half-hour before baking, preheat the oven and a 6 to 8-quart Dutch oven to 450F. 
4. When ready remove the lid from the dutch oven (careful, it will be very hot) and carefully lower the bread dough with the parchment paper into the dutch oven and return the cover.  
5. Cover and bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake another 5-10 minutes until well browned.
6. Cool before slicing with a serrated knife.

***
SOURDough No knead 

•3 ½ cups/425 grams bread flour

•1.5 teaspoons salt

•¾ cup/180 grams sourdough starter 

•2 tablespoons sesame seeds (It's okay to kipped this or add different nuts!)

PREPARATION

1.In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt.

2.In a small mixing bowl, stir together 1 1/4 cups lukewarm tap water with the sourdough starter, then pour the mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a tea towel and leave it to rise overnight about 10 to 24 hours.

3. The next day, dust a clean kitchen surface with flour. Scoop out the dough and place it on the surface, then dust with more flour. Gently fold the edges of the dough from the outside in, to form a round loaf. Place on a sheet of parchment paper the seam side down, then cover and allow to double in size, about 2 hours.

4. Meanwhile, heat the oven to between 450 degrees. Place a covered enamel Dutch oven or heavy pot with a lid into the oven and allow it to heat for 30 minutes or so. Remove the pot from the oven, take off its top, and carefully invert the risen dough with the parchment paper into it. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds, then put the top back on the pot and return it to the oven.

5. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, then take the top off the pot and allow it to continue to cook until it is brown and crusty all over, an additional 5-10 minutes or so. Put the loaf on a rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

No Knead bread

3.5 cups flour. (I use 2.5 of white wheat and 1.5 bread flour. You can use all bread flour too).
add
2.5 teaspoons instant yeast
2.5 teaspoons salt
2ish cup hot H20 (150-120*)
2 tablespoons honey

Stir with wooden spoon till mixed. Place in bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a towel for 12-24 hours.

When ready to cook dump out onto floured counter and from into a nice smooth ball. Place in parchment paper and cover while pan is heating up.

Place dutch oven with lid in a 450* oven for 30 minutes. After it is heated, remove the lid and carefully (Dutch oven will be VERY hot!), add the bread along parchment paper. Cover with lid. Cook for 30 minutes.

Possible add ins:
1/2 cup nuts. I like pumpkin seed, chia seed, and sesame seed (totaling 1/2 cup)
OR
1 tablespoon cinnamon and 1/4 cups nuts (almond, walnuts etc.,) When bread has cooled slightly add a powdered sugar glaze to the top
OR
White chocolate chunks and raspberries
or
?? Be creative!