MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

Title: Sourdough
Categories: Breads, Hints, Info, Sourdough
Yield: 1 Batch

Sourdough bug
Flour
Water
Salt

None of the measurements here are very precise, and there is quite a
lot of tolerance, both in quantities, but especially around the
timing of each stage, except baking. The method is the same for both
white flour and whole meal flour, and can be used for making both
loaves and pizza bases.

Making The Starter:

Take the sourdough bug out of the fridge and top up the jar with
flour and water to roughly double the quantity. I use about a heaping
3 tb flour. The consistency should be like pancake mix. Stir in
thoroughly.

Leave the jar on the bench overnight, with the lid loose to prevent
gas from building up. When the bug is active enough, it will look
quite bubbly on top.

In cold weather, or to speed up the process, sit the jar in a bowl of
warm water for a few hours. Make sure the water isn't too hot, or the
jar may crack. Equal parts boiling water and cold tap water is about
right.

First Stage:

Once the bug is active, stir it well, and pour about half the
contents of the jar into a large mixing bowl. Return the bug to the
fridge for next time. You can close the lid tightly now. In the bowl,
stir in more flour and water, keeping the consistency the same as the
starter, like pancake mix. You want to end up with about 2 cups of
the mixture. Leave the bowl overnight on the bench covered with a tea
towel.

In cold weather, or to speed up the process, put the bowl in an oven,
preheated to low (about 40?C) and then switched off, for at least
30 minutes.

It's generally not a problem to leave the mixture for longer at this
stage.

Making The Dough:

Stir the first stage mixture in the bowl thoroughly. A watery layer
may have risen to the top. Mix in 1/2 tb salt. Add flour, first by
stirring it in, and then by kneading as the dough thickens, until it
reaches the desired dryness--this is just past the point where the
dough stops leaving bits stuck to your hands as you work it, but
experiment a bit.

If saving the dough for later, separate it into the desired
quantities and put these in sealed bags or containers in the fridge.
I usually do this with pizza bases; I haven't tried this with a loaf.
The amount of dough needed for a pizza base is about the size of a
grapefruit.

Making A Loaf:

If using the dough for a loaf, leave it to rise for at least 1 hour
on the bench or at least 30 minutes in a pre-warmed oven, as above.

Knead the dough, being careful not to overwork it at this point, coat
it with dry flour, and place in a baking tin or on a baking tray.

Making Pizza Base:

If using refrigerated dough for a pizza base, take it out of the
fridge, and let it warm up to room temperature and then sit for at
least 30 minutes before use. Fresh dough can be used straight away,
or left to rise for a bit first.

Press the dough out into a circular shape, either into an oven dish or
directly onto the bench. Coat both sides in dry flour. If using a
dish, coat one side, then flip it over to coat the other side. Leave
the dough to rise, either on the bench or in a pre-warmed oven, as
above. I usually use the oven at this point, even if I haven't for
the other steps.

After rising, re-coat the top of the base with dry flour and flip it
over again before adding toppings and baking.

Baking:

Bake a loaf for about 22 minutes at 180?C. After baking, allow it to
cool for 5 minutes before cutting.

For a pizza, add toppings without pre-baking the base. Bake for about
20 minutes at 180?C or about 13 minutes at 220?C.

continued in part 2

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