Sourdough Bread

Sourdough Bread

Ingredients :
1 Cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
3 ½ - 4 cups AP flour
½ cup or more Sourdough starter ( I use whatever has resulted from step 1 below and then adjust the flour to the right consistency)
1 or 2 tsp salt (adjust to your preference)
1 tsp sugar
10” azalea pot (this is my baker of choice. Use whatever clay baker works for you)

Method :
1) In large mixing bowl, combine water, sourdough starter batter and 2 cups of flour. Mix well and cover with clear plastic wrap. Let stand in warm place 8 -12 hours.
2) Stir in salt, sugar and enough remaining flour to form very stiff dough. Knead until smooth on speed 2 on your Kitchenaid. I knead two minutes, let it rest for 5 minutes and give it another 2 minutes of kneading in KA. Use your judgment with your own mixer. Cover and let rise in buttered bowl til doubled.
3) Punch down and shape into “ball” or round loaf. Get the dough as tight as you can into this ball. Should be taut and smooth, about the size of a cantaloupe or large grapefruit. Place in parchment lined pie tin. Let rise til doubled.
4) While the dough is on its second rise, soak the clay azalea pot for at least 45 minutes in cold water to prepare for steaming the bread. (I plug my clean kitchen sink, set the pot in the sink and fill it with cold water)
5) Slash top with at least three ¼” deep cuts, right before it goes into oven
6) Place your risen bread in oven and cover immediately with clay pot.
7) Bake 30 minutes covered at 400 degrees. Uncover at 30 minutes and bake 10 minutes, rotate pie tin and bake another 10 minutes. Internal bread temp should be right around 200 degrees. Use your meat probe to check temp.
8) Immediately remove bread from baking tin and place on wire rack to cool.