McCall's Sweet Sourdough Bread

Sweet White Chocolate Sourdough Bread

250 grams active STARTER

125 grams SUGAR (or 60 grams HONEY )

50 grams BUTTER (or LARD or OIL)

500 grams MILK

10 grams SALT

650 grams ALL PURPOSE or BREAD FLOUR

* WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIPS to taste approx 1 1/2 C (optional)

Mix starter and sugar in bowl.  Warm butter in a pan, add milk and salt when butter is melted. (about body temperature)  Mix starter/sugar mixture and milk/butter mixture together.  Add flour and stir until roughly combined.  Let sit for 20-30 minutes then knead until smooth.  Add extra flour if needed.  It should be a little sticky, but not gloppy.  Let rise until doubled.  (House temperatures vary, starters vary in activity - this could be between 6-12 hours. ) Add white chocolate chips and shape into 2 loaves.  Let rise until doubled again, about 2-3 hours.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place in Dutch oven and bake with lid on for 30 minutes (rotate loaves halfway through), remove lid and reduce heat to 375 degrees.  Bake an additional 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and remove from Dutch oven to cool.

(McCall has also been experimenting breadmaking.  She has all the latest tools... and a delicious grandchild legacy of Jesse's sourdough starter!  Her version has become a requested favorite!)

 

 

Sourdough Rye Bread (don't let that deter you - It's a delicious loaf of Whole Wheat-ish bread)

360 grams BREAD FLOUR (2 3/4 C)

170 grams  RYE FLOUR (1 1/4 C)

395 grams MILK - warm (1 2/3 C)

100 grams SOURDOUGH STARTER (1/3 C)

21 grams HONEY (1 Tbsp)

15 grams SALT (2 tsp)

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, form into a sticky ball.  Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.  Do the first "stretch & fold", cover and let rest.  (Google "stretch & fold" if you don't know what that is.)  Repeat this 3 more times with 30 minutes resting/rising in-between each.  Shape into a round each time.  After the final stretch, fold and shape place in a (cast iron loaf Dutch oven is my choice) loaf pan.  Grease it well or use parchment paper and sprinkle a little cornmeal on the bottom to keep the loaf from sticking to the pan or paper.  Cover and place in a warmish place to let rise for approximately 1 1/2 - 2 hours.  Preheat oven to 500 degrees.  With a razor blade or sharp knife cut an expansion slit along the length of the loaf.   Place COVERED Dutch oven (or equivalent) into the oven.  IMMEDIATELY reduce heat to 450 degrees.  Bake covered for 30 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees, remove cover and bake an additional 8-12 minutes.  Remove baked bread from Dutch oven and let cool for at least 20 minutes - 2 hours, before slicing for best results.

 (I joined the sourdough bandwagon!  I got my starter from JESSE!  I've shared it with McCALL!  She's shared it with others...  I've had a hate/hate relationship with bread and rolls.  I love homemade bread, I am a good cook.  I CANNOT make a loaf of bread or delicious fluffy rolls.  I try.  I've tried... I keep trying.  This is the 4th loaf of sourdough I've made over the past few months.  They have all been my best attempts at breadmaking, but there was room for improvement.  This loaf, was delicious!  The shape, the texture, the taste.  Absolutely could be sliced for sandwiches.  Maybe, just maybe I can bake bread.  Will I???  But I can.  Now to learn rolls!) 

ps. I included grams and cup measurements.  For some reason, bread is made by weight and I did use the weight measurements. (grams) However, if I am away from my kitchen scale, I also wanted the option to still make bread.