Description
A mild, chewy sourdough made in the bread machine using an active wild yeast starter. Simple enough for everyday baking and works beautifully as a sandwich bread.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (188g) sourdough starter, 100% hydration, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (59g) water
- 1 tablespoon (14g) butter
- 3/4 teaspoon (4.5g) salt
- 2 cups (254g) bread flour
- 2 teaspoons (8.4g) sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
Instructions
- Add ingredients to the bread machine pan in the order suggested by your manufacturer.
- Select the basic or white bread cycle with a medium or normal color setting.
- After mixing for a few minutes, the dough should form a smooth ball around the kneading blade. If it looks too stiff, add liquid one teaspoon at a time. If it’s too soft, add flour one teaspoon at a time. Do not add more than 3 to 4 teaspoons total.
- At the end of the bake cycle, remove the bread from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
- Store in a breathable bread bag on the counter. The flavor develops and becomes more sour overnight.
Notes
For a 1.5-pound loaf, use 1 1/4 cups (313g) starter, 1/3 cup (79g) water, 1 tablespoon (14g) butter, 1 teaspoon (6g) salt, 3 cups (381g) bread flour, 1 tablespoon (12.6g) sugar, and 2 teaspoons (6.3g) bread machine or instant yeast.
If you use a stiffer starter rather than a 100% hydration starter, you may need to increase the water. When testing the 1-pound loaf with a stiffer starter, I needed 1/2 cup of water instead of 1/4 cup. Watch the dough during the first few minutes and adjust accordingly.
This recipe makes a mild sourdough, which I prefer for sandwich bread. For a more sour flavor, combine the water, starter, and half the flour in a medium bowl. Cover and let stand for 24 hours until very sour and bubbly. Then combine with the remaining ingredients in the bread pan and proceed as directed.
The timed-bake feature can be used with this recipe.
For a grape-based wild yeast starter variation, see my Natural Grape Sourdough Starter post.