Rev 0.92, last revised: 13-Dec-05
This is my version of this simple, plain, easy, three-stage, white flour French bread. This recipe will make about 1-3/4 pounds of bread. If you need to make more or less bread, scale the ingredients accordingly. Recipe Guide.
Stage ONE; the SPONGE (the evening before) combine the following ingredients:
Allow to ferment at or near 80-85 degrees F (27-29C) for about 8 hours or so, or until it peaks.
Stage TWO (the next morning) add:
Allow to ferment at or near 80-85 degrees F (27-29C) for another 4-12 hours or so.
Mix the flour and salt. Stir to combine. Add to sponge. Let rest at least 20-30 minutes or so.
Mix, knead, or "No Knead". Do 6 Stretch&Fold iterations. Mist surface, allow to rise 2-5 hours (2 to 2-1/2 X).
Bake at 400F (205C) 55-60 minutes until the loaf turns a rich, golden-brown. Real San Francisco sourdough has a darker looking crust when compared to other types of bread. To accomplish that, leave the loaf in the oven an extra 5 minutes or so after you think it's done.
Detailed recipe:
Stage ONE; the SPONGE (the evening before) combine the following ingredients:
The starter should wind up having the consistency of thick pancake batter. Allow to ferment at or near 80-85 degrees F (27-29C) for about 8 hours or so—until it peaks (6-10 hrs, depends on the nature of your culture & the temperature). I start it around 22-2300 hrs, and do the second ferment around 0700 or so...
Stage TWO (the next morning) add:
Mix the additional flour and water into the starter. As with the first stage, allow to ferment for another 4-12 hours or so (actual time will depend on your starter, the temperature, and other factors).
Make the dough; (later in the day) combine the following ingredients with the starter [pre] fermented above:
Mix the flour and salt. Stir to combine. Mix in the sponge made in the previous step. Once the flour has been incorporated, cover the dough and allow to rest for 20 minutes or so. This permits the flour to fully absorb the water.
While convenient, a power mixer for kneading isn't necessary. If you're a true minimalist, you can use this simple, easy "No Knead" technique. Doing 4-6 iterations is usually enough. If you wish to knead the dough manually, feel free to indulge yourself--it's certainly wonderfully therapeutic and can do no wrong. If you're using a mixer, use the dough hook until the dough just no longer sticks to the sides or the bottom of the mixing bowl. While only a few minutes should be necessary, you can take up to 15 minutes on a low (1 to 2) speed setting to get a smooth, elastic dough. I find that if you're mixing it a long time, you might cut that by giving it time to "rest" for 15-30 minutes after you mix in the flour.
Turn the dough out on a floured surface. Begin 6 Stretch&Fold iterations. I've found this builds excellent gluten structures. Thank you, "Dicky"!
When done, gently, using your knuckles or palm, massage the dough a bit to pop the larger bubbles. Take care so as to permit the smaller ones to remain intact. This step should only take a few minutes.
If you're making a traditional round loaf, finish it by forming the dough into a small ball. Stretch the dough while tucking the ends under. Pinch the back of the dough ball to seal the seams.
Sprinkle some corn meal (or Semolina, or Cream of Wheat) on your baking surface (I use a cookie sheet & parchment) place the dough ball on it. For a round loaf, I invert a lightly oiled bowl over it. For longer or odd shapes, use lightly oiled saran wrap.
Stage THREE: Begin a final rise or ferment of around 2-5 hours. The time isn't so important. What matters is that the dough should rise to 2 to 2-1/2 times (or more) its original size. Again, the actual time will be a function of your starter and the temperature. Out of convenience, I do this final rise in a COLD oven at room temperature.
Remove the bowl or plastic wrap, and slash the loaf if desired. On a round boule, 3 or 4, 1/2 inch deep cuts should be fine. Longer loaves should be fine with that many as well. Since I do my final rise in the oven (the loaf is safely out of the way and in a draft free place), I simply spray the oven walls and top of the loaf with a little water. The humidity keeps the crust from drying out, so there's no need to cover it.
To form an authentic San Francisco style crust, the bread must be baked in a steamy, humid environment. I use a cookie tray at the bottom of the oven. When just about ready to bake, bring a 1/2-cup or so of water to a boil and pour it into the tray. Close the door and let the steam permeate the oven for 10-20 minutes.
Then, when ready to bake, turn the oven ON to 400F (205C). Bake until the loaf turns a rich, golden-brown. This should take 55-60 minutes or so. Real San Francisco sourdough has a darker looking crust when compared to other types of bread. To accomplish that, leave the loaf in the oven an extra 5 minutes or so after you think it's done.
For a variety of reasons, including a more consistent outcome, I always bake into a COLD oven. If you simply must pre-heat or use a stone, you're on your own to work out the details (start with taking 5-10 minutes off of the baking time).
Allow to cool at least 30 minutes (if you can). Enjoy it with butter, honey, or pâté like we do.
Notes:Some "final words"; while this version of San Francisco sourdough can be made with any fresh, active starter; the 'flavor' that's become true "San Francisco sourdough" requires that a specific combination of wild yeasts and lacto-bacilli be used. Without that; the taste, texture and result, while certainly palatable and edible, will NOT be the same as what you may recall if you're baking to an expectation from such a memory. For optimum results, I suggest that you obtain such a starter. Sadly, although I've looked high & low, and have gratefully many samples from friends, I've not yet hit upon that combination.
This recipe uses two independent pre-ferment stages. The first is used to get your culture up-to-speed. If you're like me, your starter spends at least some of its life in the refrigerator awaiting the call to duty. This first ferment gives it a chance to "wake-up", warm-up, and build up the lacto-bacteria that are at the heart of the 'sour' flavor true sourdough aficionados crave. Depending on your culture, it will rise and then crash as it over-proofs by morning. This is okay. However, the second pre-ferment must be carefully watched. Unless you have one of the defined or named cultures available from vendors that promote them, each culture in use is a unique mixture of wild yeasts and lacto-bacteria. Each, along with their diet and the temperature, has a unique growth pattern. In order to get the most out of your starter, you must get to know the pattern of your culture. The second pre-ferment should be allowed to continue until just before it starts to collapse when it's at it's peak of activity and flavor. Obviously this requires some experience with that starter. As you execute this recipe in a consistent fashion, you will soon learn the limits of your starter. Enjoy the experience, don't agonize over it. A few minutes or even hours either way won't make a whit of difference in the end.
Thanks to the person that sent me the original version of this recipe...I regret that I didn't make a note of who you are...but you have my gratitude for helping my on this journey of discovery...