Sourdough Bread

Each time I would eat regular yeast bread I would feel - bloated, uncomfortable, UNcheerful and just plain TERRIBLE!! I was so fed up with feeling like this that I ended up eliminating bread from my diet. It did work, but since our household is made up of Arabs and Yugoslavs (who you could say are almost born with a loaf of bread in their hand), it couldn't last long. I was then introduced to spelt sourdough bread and to my amazement I felt great after eating it. A while after a friend of mine, Sandy, came to visit and taught me the art of sourdough bread making. Since then I have never looked back and our whole family (extended included) RELISH it. So, THANK YOU Sandy!!

Makes 1 Large Loaf       
      
Ingredients:
2 cups Culture which has been out of the fridge for 1 hour. Leave a couple of tablespoons of starter in your jar *(note at end of post)
2 cups lukewarm water
4 tsp Celtic salt
6 cups wholemeal/unbleached Spelt flour (I use 100% wholemeal, but you will achieve a less dense bread if you use 3 cups unbleached Spelt flour and 3 cups wholemeal spelt flour)
1/4 cup Olive Oil (optional)

STEP 1: Combine the Sourdough Culture, lukewarm water, salt and olive oil in a large bowl. Whisk until well combined.

STEP 2: Add the Spelt flour to the above mixture and combine well. Knead for 5 minutes until a nice glossy smooth ball forms.

STEP 3: Place the mixture into a large lined loaf pan. Press well into the loaf pan and then spread a little olive oil on top of the loaf so that it doesn't dry out in the rising process. Cover with a plastic bag, making sure that no draft is coming onto the bread and let it rise in a warm place for up to 4 hours or until almost at the top of the loaf pan. Sprinkle Sesame seeds on top of loaf once risen.

STEP 4: Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius. Place the loaf in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Decrease temperature to 180 and bake for a further 50 minutes. Take loaf out of tin and let cool. Enjoy!!

Bread Risen - ready to go in the oven



* Sourdough Culture - is a natural leaven to raise your bread. "Sourdough likely originated in Ancient Egyptian times around 1500 BC and was likely the first form of leavening available to bakers." Wikipedia. The best way to get hold of some starter is to get it from someone who you know makes sourdough bread. You can purchase starter from health food stores or even make it yourself. I found this handy site to make your own starter http://sourdough.com/blog/sourdom/beginners-blog-starter-scratch

* Feeding your culture - Each day or two you will need to add 1/4 cup rye flour and a little water to keep your culture healthy. The consistency should not be doughy but like a thick pancake mix. The day before you want to make bread, add a cup or 2 of rye flour to the culture with water to have enough ready by the morning. Always keep your culture in the fridge. 

* TIP - store a little culture in the freezer, just in case something happens to the culture you are using. Take out of the freezer and let it thaw out. Feed as normal. 

 Posted by Melissa Awde