Homemade bread is unrivaled. It makes your home smell incredible while it’s cooking and it’s warm and fluffy when it’s done. The perfect sour dough bread starts with a sourdough starter, but this recipe works even without one (it would just be french bread instead of sourdough.)
It takes a while from the mixing and rising process until it’s covered in butter and in your mouth, but this sourdough bread is worth the wait. You can add any optional ingredients to this basic recipe, I like adding cracked wheat or garlic and cheddar cheese.
Ingredients:
3 Cups of Flour
1 Teaspoon of Salt
2 Teaspoons of Sugar
1 3/4 Cup of Sourdough Starter*
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
*This recipe can be made without a sourdough starter. Substitute 1 3/4 Cups of Sourdough Starter for 1 3/4 Cups of warm water and 1 packet of quick rise Yeast. Combine in a small bowl and add the 2 Teaspoons of Sugar. Whisk together and let stand for 10 minutes. The mixture should be frothy. Add it to the Flour, Sugar and Salt and proceed with the rest of the recipe.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar and salt.
Add the olive oil.
Slowly mix in the sourdough starter until the mixture forms a large sticky ball.
Place in an oiled glass dish and cover with a clean cloth.
Let the dough rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours.
When the dough has risen, you can bake it as a whole loaf or make it into bread sticks, rolls or English muffins.
Heat the oven to 450 degrees.
Place the dough on a greased baking sheet and cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 25-30 minutes.
You can also make this in a bread maker, just mix all the ingredients and set it to the French setting (about 4 hours.)
Enjoy!
Photos: Jeffery W., Chris Lott
Elizabeth Adan is a Freelance Writer, Publicist and Brand Ambassador. Her blog Aquaberry Bliss is a unique food and travel blog dedicated to expanding your world and inspiring your creativity. When Elizabeth isn’t traveling, you’ll find her writing, hiking or gardening. Find Elizabeth on Twitter @stillaporcupine and on LinkedIn.
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Question – If you add the cracked wheat (or other ingredients) do you have to change the amounts of any of the other ingredients?
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Hi! Great question-I would add about 1/4 cup more of a wet ingredient. The addition of 1/2cup or so of cracked wheat doesn’t need more sourdough starter so go ahead and just add warm water. =]
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There’s nothing quite like sourdough bread! Thanks for the recipe.
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There’s definitely nothing like homemade bread, and I’m a sourdough fanatic! I’ve craved carbs like nobody’s business during my pregnancy. Pretty sure you couldn’t leave me alone with a loaf of this.
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Haha I can barely be alone with it either!!
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Looks like a work of art. I do some artisan breads but have yet to try a sourdough.
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