Sourdough Bread

Day 1

Ingredients

• Makes 4 loaves of Bread
• 1 cup of starter from the refrigerator
• 2 cups warm water
• 2 cups organic, unbleached white or all-purpose flour
  

Preparation

1. Mix starter, flour and water.
2. Cover mixture loosely
3. Set aside in a warm spot for 18-24 hours or until quite bubbly

Day 2

Ingredients

1. 2-1/2 cups organic, unbleached white or all-purpose flour
2. 1-1/2 teaspoon salt
3. 3/4 cup starter from previous step
4. 3/4 cup cool water
5. cooking oil (to grease the bowl)
   

Preparation

1. Mix flour and salt in bowl #1
2. Mix starter and water in bowl #2
3. Pour starter into flour while you are mixing with the bread hook
4. Basically - mix until it forms a ball, approx 5 min.
5. Remove mixture from bowl and place on a well-floured work table and round it into a ball
6. Let the dough rise in a well-oiled bowl, covered, in the refrigerator for 12-15 hours.

Day 3

Preparation

1. Remove from the refrigerator and allow it to warm up at room temperature for 2 hour
2. Divide the dough into 2 pieces and stretch them into tight baguette shapes.  Place each one on a baguette tray or a parchment-lined baking tray.
3. Cover the baguettes and let them rise for 6-7 hours, until they have doubled in size.
4. preheat the oven to 425 degrees F
5. Using a sharp razor blade, slash the tops of the loaves diagonally 3 or 4 times (this will allow them to expand more easily while baking) and spray them with a fine mist of water from a spray bottle.
6. Place the loaves in the oven and immediately spray them, along with the walls and floor of the oven, with water. Repeat this step after about 5 minutes of baking.
7. Bake the loaves 25–30 minutes, until they are entirely golden and the crust is crisp and blistered.