Sourdough Sunday

One of two for this day

Small, like the RV gas oven it was baked in. Small, and expensive, as compared to what you can buy sourdough bread for at the market. So why bother?

I was the recipient of some sourdough starter from a Colorado woman here in the park last year. The starter is over 30 years old, so you know you're going to have to give it a go. Frig the cost, this is about the manly bit of baking bread in an RV oven.

Since the dough is to be retarded overnight in the refrigerator, you will also want to check on available space before you start. RV coolers are normally small. At least mine is.

Essentially, what we have here is two cups of white bread flour, two cups of whole wheat flour, a cup of starter, a cup and a quarter of warm water, then 2 tsp of salt. You mix it up by hand, let it rest (20 - 30 minutes), knead for ten minutes or so, then put in a bowl and wait for about two and one half hours, folding and punching down about half way through. Next, form into loaves, then send to the refrigerator overnight. Bake at 500 degrees for 20 minutes in a cast iron Dutch Oven, then another 15 minutes at 450 degrees with the top off for browning. That creates two loaves of what you see above.

How does it taste? Maybe I'll reduce the amount of whole wheat flour next time. Other than that, it tastes great, and all that baking sure helps to heat up the trailer, so choose a cool day, and that way the heat serves two purposes. Be warned - don't even think of this on a hot day.