Baking Bread With Sourdough: That’s How It Works

Baking bread with sourdough: ingredients

For sourdough bread you need the following ingredients:

• 100 g starter of a sourdough: plan several days for this. You need 100 g rye flour and 100 ml lukewarm water. Mix both together in a bowl. Then keep them covered in a warm place for 24 hours. Repeat the procedure on the following days. For more information on how to prepare a sourdough, read our other article.
• 250 g wholemeal rye flour
• 200 ml lukewarm water
• 1 tsp salt
• some butter to grease the bread pan. Alternatively, a tray is also suitable or you can bake the bread in a loaf pan.

How to prepare the bread

For a tasty sourdough bread, follow these steps:

1. Mix the sourdough starter with the water. Mix both together roughly and then add the rye flour and salt.
2. Knead everything thoroughly to create a smooth mass. Don’t knead too long, however, because the sourdough is delicate.
3. Cover and let the dough rest in a warm place for 1.5 hours. Don’t be surprised if the dough doesn’t rise at this stage.
4. Sprinkle some flour in the dough bowl and knead it. Place the bread dough in a proofing basket or a slightly larger bowl for two hours. Remember to cover the container with a cloth.
5. Preheat your oven to 200°C.
6. After the dough has rested, grease your baking pan with enough butter. Then evenly distribute the mass in it.
7. In addition to your bread, place a heatproof bowl of water in the oven. This gives the bread a crispy crust.
8. After 30 minutes, turn the temperature down to 170°C.
9. After another 30 minutes, your sourdough bread should be ready. Take a look in the oven every now and
10. then, though. This will prevent the crust from getting too dark.
11. Finally, carefully remove the bread from the mold and let it cool on a wire rack.

Try different variations

For a different taste experience, use these ideas:

• Add 20 g of honey to the dough.
• For a more intense bread flavor, mix in 1 tsp bread spice.
• Bake the bread once with wheat or spelled flour. You can also create mixed bread from different grains.
• Nuts or fruits in the dough give you some variety.
• Sunflower or pumpkin seeds are not only a real eye-catcher, but they also give your bread more nutrients, including healthy fatty acids and vitamins.