Sourdough Bread Recipe

How to make it

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• Use a large glass bowl with tight lid
• add 100g of the wholegrain flour and 100ml water and stir well
• keep the dough in a warm place (25 degrees centigrade) for 24 hours
• Every day, add 100g of flour and 100ml of water
• Depending on the climate and the quality of the flour, by Day 2, little bubbles will appear and it will smell pleasantly sour (the fresh, clean sourness of a granny smith apple)
• There may be some alcoholy liquid; just str back into the dough
• No need to bother with starter cultures; the flour and the air contains all you need for a good sourdough
• Your sourdough will turn out differently depending on where you live; in tropical Mombasa, it is a bit more sour and contains less natural yeast
• Important: use only fresh flour; if it has been in your cupboard for a few months, there is a risk of the sourdough turning putrid; in this case, discard and start again
• Once you have 400g of sourdough, dissolve it in 500ml of warm water (30 degrees centigrade)
• Stir in the rye and wheat flour, add the salt and ground spices
• Dissolve the yeast in a bit of warm water and knead into the dough
• Depending on the consistency of the dough, you may need more water; the dough should be firm, but slightly sticky
• Cover and allow to rest for 1 hour
• Knead the dough again for about 10 minutes
• Dust your baking tray with a thick layer of plain flour
• Form a loaf and use water to rub the surface to make it smooth
• sprinkle with carraway seeds (optional)
• Make incisions (whatever pattern you desire)
• Allow to rise for 1- 3 hours (sourdough may take much longer to rise; the volume should double)
• Preheat oven to 220 degrees centigrade
• Place a pie dish with water on the bottom of the stove to provide humidity
• Bake for 45 minutes (if the crust turns too dark, lower heat to 175 degrees after 30 minutes)
• Remove the tray from the oven
• Use a wet clean towel to dampen the crust
• Bake for another 15 minutes (the wet surface will turn shiny)
• Bread is ready if it sounds hollow when you tap it
• Dust the loeaf with a thin layer of plain flour and allow to cool on a rack
• If the bread is dense and firm, you have succeeded; if it turns soft, spongy, fluffy or squishy, it's back to the drawing board; it should require some effort to slice