Thank you to the generous people who share their knowledge and make this forum possible. Six months ago I started baking sourdough bread after watching a 4min 30sec video on youtube. Fed up with the bread maker and living in a farming community where good bread can not be bought I started baking my own from a video I had serious doubts about. Unable to spare time from the farm for all the normal steps to sourdough baking I followed a video that was too simple to be true. I made a starter in 7 days (not in the video) followed the video and baked the perfect bread at the first attempt. Since then I have baked many loaves including fruit loafs with only one failure when I used the starter after several days in the fridge without giving it time to fire up. I mixed two bowls of dough this morning with cumquat marmalade, mixed peel and dried fruit and I have just put the first one in the oven as I type. The basic recipe is 1 cup of starter (basic 1-1) 1 cup water 2 teaspoons of salt 3 cups of flour. mix together do not knead. leave covered until doubled about 8 hours. turn out onto a floured surface trying to break as few bubbles as possible. turn the dough in from each side. Bake in a preheated oven inside a peheated pot. (I use a cast iron camp oven) any oven proof pot will do. Bake 20 min on full 260c with the lid on and 20min on full with the lid off. With the fruit loafs I bake for 30min with the lid on and 10min off to prevent burning the fruit. The pot captures the steam from the bread and makes for a perfect crust. It took 10 min this morning to mix the dough. The oven alarm has just rang and I have taken the lid off in another ten min and the first loaf is cooked. With the fruit loafs I turn out onto the floured surface and simly shape without disturbing the dough. How is it possible to do so little work and get such great results?. Since watching this video I have done two sessions for the Local University of the third age (education for the over 50s) teaching sourdough bread making and I am getting great feedback from the participants. I would be interested in comments from experience sourdough makers on why this is so successful and so little known. The original video can be found by googling "world's easiest and best sourdough" Hope you have as much success and enjoy wonderful bread. Ianpharm Kotupna Victoria
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Replies
Hi Ianpharm,
I have been making my sourdough following this method for quite a while now with great success. I don't know why it works so well but I'm just grateful it does as it saves so much time. I've never had a problem with the starter being in the fridge for a while without being refreshed, though - I've left it for up to two weeks without refreshing without any discernible difference to the bread.
The only time I've had a problem was making fruit loaf - the fruit burnt so it turned me off doing it again. So thanks for the tip about leaving the lid on an extra ten minutes. I'll give it another go now!
Hi Annel, thanks for the reply. With the fruit loaf I mix the fruit along with the other ingredients at the begining to ensure the fruit is well covered. You can also cook at a lower temperature for longer, but I find that it is only the fruit on the outside that gets burnt. My problem with the starter was because I used it right from the fridge without giving it time to really fire up. It was good as gold after a a couple of feeds. My sister in law use to be an avid bread maker but with three children she has not done it for years. She has now taken up the no knead and finds it terrific therapy and is making stunning loafs of all kinds from the basic sourdough recipe. We are 22kms from the nearest shop so it is great to have a supply in the freezer. Good luck with the fruit loaf. Ianpharm
Hi, can I ask if it is ok to cook my sourdough bread in an aluminium dutch oven or does this react with the culture in the sourdough. I am having no end of trouble.
Regards Michelle
Hello Michelle,
I would see no problem with baking in an aluminium container. The acid in the dough is very weak and dilute and the metal is well and truly protected by the oxide layer on the surface.
Good luck with your projects.
Farinam