Rustic Sourdough Bread - King Arthur

By mz0926

This chewy loaf, with its deep-brown crust, can be made in two versions: with rich, deep, flavor, and very mild tang; or with assertive sour flavor, typical of a San Francisco sourdough loaf. We love this bread for its chewiness and golden crust, ideal qualities for panini; try it with ham and cheese, for a new take on that favorite sandwich.

Hands-on time:
12 mins. to 15 mins.

Baking time:
25 mins. to 30 mins.

Total time:
3 hrs 7 mins. to 3 hrs 45 mins.

Yield:
Two 10" loaves, 32 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup "fed" sourdough starter
• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 5 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Preparation

Step 1

) Combine all of the ingredients, kneading to form a smooth dough.

2) Allow the dough to rise, in a covered bowl, until it's doubled in size, about 90 minutes.

3) Gently divide the dough in half; it'll deflate somewhat.

4) Gently shape the dough into two oval loaves; or, for longer loaves, two 10" to 11" logs. Place the loaves on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise until very puffy, about 1 hour. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F.


5) Spray the loaves with lukewarm water.

6) Make two fairly deep diagonal slashes in each; a serrated bread knife, wielded firmly, works well here.

7) Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes, until it's a very deep golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and cool on a rack.


Nutrition information

Serving Size: 1 slice Servings Per Batch: 16 per loaf Amount Per Serving: Calories: 80 Calories from Fat: 5 Total Fat: 0g Saturated Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g. Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 180mg Total Carbohydrate: 17g Dietary Fiber: 1g Sugars: 1g Protein: 3g.