Quicker Sourdough Bread Recipes

Steps:

• The day before or early in the morning, mix starter sponge, cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise till doubled - about 10 hours at 75°F.
• To make the dough, mix starter with flour and water and let rest covered for 20 minutes.
• Sprinkle on the salt and knead the dough for 4 or 5 minutes on a lightly floured surface with floured hands until the salt is uniformly distributed.
• Stretch and fold by stretching the dough on an oiled counter with oiled hands into a rectangle and folding letter-style top down, bottom up and sides in to form a rough cubic package.
• Place in an oiled, straight-sided container covered. Clear containers work best to judge when the dough has doubled in volume.
• S&F every 30 minutes for one or two more times until the dough is silky smooth.
• When nearly doubled in size (about 2 hours), tip the dough onto a very lightly floured counter, divide into 2 equal pieces and gently form into ball or torpedo shapes.
• Place in floured or oiled bowls or proofing baskets (seams up). Cover with oiled plastic and proof at room temperature about 45 minutes to bake or refrigerate overnight for baking the next morning.
• preheat oven to 425F with a steam pan (a skillet you add 1 cup hot water to).
• when the loaves are 1 1/2 times the original volume (refrigerated loaves should be ready to bake even cold), turn out the loaves (seams down) onto parchment paper (not oiled) and score with a sharp knife or razor blade.
• Bake for 12 min with steam, rotate loaves, remove steam pan, and bake for 10 more minutes without steam until 205 F internally.

Steps:

• To make your starter, place all the ingredients in a bowl and add 250ml cold water. Mix together thoroughly with a spoon until you have a spongy mixture, then cover with cling film and leave at room temperature at least overnight, but up to 24 hrs if you have time.
• To make the bread dough, tip the ingredients into a clean bowl and add 1 tbsp fine salt, 200ml cold water and your starter. Bring all the ingredients together to a dough, adding a splash more water if too stiff, then tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for at least 10 mins until smooth, elastic and springy (this will take 5-7 mins in a mixer with a dough hook). Place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave until doubled in size - about 1 hr at room temperature, 3 hrs in the fridge (see tips, below).
• Tip the dough onto a floured surface and gently shape into a round - you don't want to knock too much air out of the dough. Dust a piece of baking parchment heavily with flour and sit the dough on top. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for 1 hr until doubled in size.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Place a sturdy flat baking tray on the middle shelf of the oven and a smaller tray with sides underneath. Dust the dough with flour and slash with a utility knife. Slide the bread onto the hot tray on top and throw a few ice cubes (or pour some cold water) onto the tray below - this creates a burst of steam, which helps the bread form a nice crust. Bake for 25-30 mins until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Leave the bread to cool completely.