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My husband loves the coarser texture of this sourdough bread recipe. He
said to be sure and tell you that it is even better served with honey. As you
can see, this sourdough bread recipe is a favorite in our house.
For more great Low Fat Recipes, Low Calorie Recipes, Low Carbohydrate recipes, and Diabetic Recipes, check out
my
Diet Recipe Index. Also check out my
Nutritional Chart for fat grams, fiber grams, and calories for all your favorite foods.
Bread Making Hints:
Secrets to using the bread machine,
About yeast in bread making, and
Sourdough Starter - How to make a Sourdough Starter.
More great
Bread Recipes,
Sourdough Bread Recipes and
Quick Bread Recipe for all your bread making.
Sourdough Semolina Bread
Recipe Type:
Sourdough Bread,
Sourdough Starter
Yields: 1 large loaf
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups
sourdough starter, room temperature*
1/2 cup lukewarm water (110 degrees F.)
2 tablespoons
olive oil
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 cup semolina flour (durum wheat)
2 cups bread flour or unbleached all-purpose
flour**
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher
salt
1 teaspoon instant active dry
yeast
Cornmeal
 * If you don't presently have a sourdough starter, either
make your own
sourdough starter or purchase Packaged Sourdough Starter Mix by mail-order.
** The thickness of your sourdough starter can determine
how much flour needs to be used. If you think the dough is too moist, add additional flour (a tablespoon at a time). The same is true if the dough is
looking dry and gnarly. Add additional warm water (a tablespoon at a time).
Preparation:
Bread Machines:
Add sourdough starter, water, olive oil, sugar, bread flour, salt, and yeast in the bread pan of the bread machine.
Process according to manufacturer's instructions for a dough setting. NOTE: Don't be afraid to open the lid and check the dough.
It should form a nice elastic ball. When the bread machine has completed the dough cycle, remove the dough from the pan to a
lightly-oiled surface. Knead the dough several times and form the dough into an oval; cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.
Stand Mixers:
In a large bowl or in the bowl of a 5-quart stand mixer, combine sourdough starter, water, olive oil, sugar, bread flour, salt, and
yeast. Using dough hook, mix everything together into a uniform dough. In an electric mixer, it should take about 9 minutes.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.
After resting, knead dough on a lightly-floured board by pulling the dough
towards you and then pushing down and forward with the palms of your hands
(kneading gives the bread the elasticity and lets it rise).
Place the dough in a lightly-oiled large bowl, and turn it over
so all surfaces are greased. Place a damp towel over the bowl
and then cover with plastic wrap (the humidity in the bowl helps in the rising
process). Let rise until it doubles in volume (when you can put your finger in
the dough and it leaves and indentation and doesn't spring back out)
approximately 4 to 8 hours (depending on the temperature and the starter used,
the rising time can vary as much as 2 hours).
Oven Bread Rising: Sometimes I use my oven for the rising. Turn
the oven on for a minute or so, then turn it off again. This will warm the
oven and make it a great environment for rising bread. If you can't
comfortably press your hand against the inside of the oven door, the oven is
too hot. Let it stand open to cool a bit. Sourdough rises more slowly than
yeast bread. Always remember, the longer the rise time, the more sourdough flavor.
Cool or Refrigerator Bread Rise: If I don't have the time to wait
for the rise to finish or I know that I will be interrupted before the
completed rise, I do a cool rise. A cool rise is when the dough is place in
the refrigerator and left to rise slowly overnight approximately 8 to 12
hours. Allow the dough to come to room temperature
(approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours) before the final knead.
How Long Should My Bread Rise:
The best way to tell if the dough has risen enough is
not by time, but by look and feel. When you touch the dough, it will
be soft and your finger will leave an indentation when lightly
pressed against the dough. If it is not risen enough, the dough will
tend to slowly spring back. In most cases, this means that the dough
will double in volume.
After dough has risen, remove from bowl, and place on a lightly-floured board.
Flour your hand and then knead in flour to feed it one more time before baking. Shape dough into a loaf
shape and place on a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet that is dusted with cornmeal
(I use the
Silicone Baking Mats instead of cornmeal). Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to rise until
doubled in size, approximately 1 to 3 hours.
After rising, slash the bread with a bread razor or a very sharp knife making
three 1/2-inch deep diagonal slashes. Brush or spray the top of the bread with
cold water. Sprinkle with coarse salt (if desired). Do not preheat oven - place bread in your oven; turn oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 30 to 45
minutes or until nicely browned. (A good check is to use an instant
digital thermometer to test your bread. The temperature should be between 200 and 210 degrees.)
 This
is the type of cooking and meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking. I get many readers
asking what cooking/meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking and baking. I, personally, use the
Thermapen Thermometer shown in the photo on the right. Originally designed for professional users, the
Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is used by chefs all over the world. To learn more about this excellent
thermometer and to also purchase one (if you desire), just click on the underlined:
Thermapen Thermometer.
Remove from oven and place the bread on a wire rack to cool.
Let baked loaf cool for 30 minutes before cutting (this is because the bread is still cooking while it is cooling).
Makes 1 large loaf.
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