Brioche
This bread is superb to use with French Toast.

2¾ cups flour
¼ cup dry milk
3 tbs sugar
1 tbs instant yeast
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
¼ cup water
10 tbs unsalted butter
1½ tsp salt

Mix and knead the dough. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, mix together the ingredients on medium-high speed for 5 minutes. Scrape down and beat for 5 more minutes. Scrape down, exchange the paddle attachment for a dough hook, and knead dough for 5 more minutes. The dough should be shiny and smooth.

Ferment the dough. Form the dough into a ball. Place the dough ball into a square food storer and cover. Place container in oven (with oven light or pilot light on) and let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Retard the dough. Place the dough (and the container) in the refrigerator and let it retard for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Shape and proof the dough. Turn container upside down on lightly floured surface. Knead gently and then form into a long torpedo and place into a loaf pan. Let rise at room temperature for 2½ to 3 hours or until the dough nearly crowns the rim of the loaf pan.

Prepare the oven. Preheat oven to 350°. If using a baking stone, place stone on middle rack and preheat for at least 30-45 minutes.

Bake the bread. Bake in oven for 40 to 45 minutes, tenting the loaf with foil after about 15 minutes.

Fresh Herb Twists
I got this recipe out of my favorite baking book, Local Breads by Daniel Leader. It's a great way to use the last of the fall herbs in the garden. The recipe calls for three fresh herbs: basil, rosemary, and thyme. Of these, we have only fresh basil and rosemary. I used dried thyme. If substituting dry stuff for fresh... use only half of the amount called for.

1 tbs fresh basil, coarsely chopped
1 tbs fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
1 tbs fresh thyme, coarsely chopped
1½ cups water
2 tsp SAF instant yeast
2½ cups unbleached bread flour
¾ cup rye flour
¼ cup olive oil
1½ tsp sea salt

Mix the dough. Combine all of the ingredients except the fresh herbs in the stainless steel bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low speed until a rough dough forms. Let stand 10 minutes.

Prepare the herbs. Coasely chop the herbs and place them in a small bowl. Set aside.

Knead the dough. Using a kneading attachment (dough hook) mix the dough on medium-low speed (4 on a KitchenAid mixer, 5 on a Cuisinart mixer) for 9 minutes. Add the herbs and knead for 2 minutes more until they are well distributed.

Ferment the dough. After kneading, form the dough into a ball. Spray the inside of a square food storer with a little olive oil (or Pam). Place the dough ball into the container and cover. Place container in oven (with oven light or pilot light on) and let the dough rise until it has doubled in size... about 1½ to 2 hours.

Divide and shape the twists. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a rope about 12 to 14 inches long. Lay two ropes side by side and pinch the ends together at one end. Twist the two ropes together and pinch at the other ends to seal. Place loaves on a piece of parchment paper and cover loosely with plastic wrap.

Proof the twists. Let the loaves stand at room temperature until they look pillowy, 30 minutes to 1 hour. The dough is ready to bake when you press your fingertip into the dough slightly and the resulting indentation springs back slowly.

Prepare the oven. Preheat oven to 425°. If using a baking stone, place stone on middle rack and preheat for at least 30 minutes. Also place a cast iron skillet on the lowest rack (to aid with steam generation later).

Bake the twists. Slide the loaves onto the baking stone. Put about a 8-12 ice cubes in the skillet to produce steam. Close the oven door immediately. Bake until the loaves are golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly, then serve warm.

You should end up with something like this:

Bertha's Orange Rolls
My mother-in-law Bertha makes killer orange rolls. They are one of Kristy's favorite things to eat from her many years spent at 11 Center. Last time I was down in CV, I asked Bertha for her orange roll recipe. She hemmed and hawed and then finally admitted that she doesn't have one. She stated that for the items that she has been cooking/baking for the better part of the last 50 years that there is no "recipe" per se; she just mixes the stuff together until it looks right... that's just how she rolls (pun intended).

But she did scribble something down for me - a recipe that makes a whopping 36 rolls (we don't entertain that many people at one time!) and uses active dry yeast (I prefer to use instant yeast, which is more powerful). So, this is my slight modification to her original... which can be found here. (Note: If doubling this recipe... 1 egg + 1 egg yolk becomes 3 eggs as in Bertha's original.)

2½ tsp SAF instant yeast
¾ cup water
¼ sugar (or 2 tbs sugar and 2 tbs honey)
1 egg
1 egg yolk
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp salt
2½ cups + 2 tbs bread flour

Mix the dough. Add the water, eggs, sugar (and honey), and yeast to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Using a kneading attachment and with the mixer on the lowest setting, add the flour in two parts and mix well. Add the butter in increments and mix until well integrated into the dough. Finally, add the salt and mix to combine.

Knead the dough. Knead the dough on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid mixer; 6 on a Cuisinart mixer) for 10 minutes. The dough will be soft and tacky, but should clean the sides of the stainless steel bowl. The dough should be smooth, look "satiny", and feel very elastic.

Ferment the dough. After kneading, form the dough into a ball. Spray the inside of a square food storer with a little olive oil (or PAM). Place the dough ball into the container and cover. Place container in oven (with oven light or pilot light on) and let the dough rise until almost doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Chill the dough. Place container of dough in refrigerator and chill for at least a couple of hours (or overnight).

Before proceeding to the next step, prepare the orange filling:

½ cup butter
½ cup sugar
2 tbs orange rind (the rind from 2 large oranges)

Combine the butter, sugar, and orange rind into a small saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil while stirring continuously. Turn down heat and let simmer for "a few minutes" while stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Roll out and shape the rolls. Remove container from refrigerator and remove dough from container. Roll out into a thin rectangular sheet that is approximately 8"x15" in size and ladle the orange filling all over the dough (see picture below). Roll up dough into a log (like a cinnamon roll). Cut log into about 18 1"-1½" thick slices and place each slice in a muffin pan that has been lined with aluminum foil baking cups (see picture below).

Proof the rolls. Let rolls stand at room temperature and let rise for about 1 hour.

Prepare the oven. Preheat oven to 400°. If using a baking stone, place stone on middle rack and preheat for at least 30 minutes.

Bake the rolls. Bake for 10-11 minutes or until tops of rolls are lightly browned. Rotate muffin pans 180° about 4 minutes into the baking cycle.

You should end up with beautiful and delicious orange rolls. See pictures below at right.

Sourdough Baguettes
The night before you want to bake these crunchy/chewy baguettes, mix the following ingredients in a small bowl:

¼ cup sourdough starter
¾ cup water, tepid
¾ cup unbleached white flour (King Arthur's or Bob's Red Mill)

Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. The next morning, the mixture should be bubbly and will have expanded by about a third.

Assemble the following additional ingredients:

2⅔ cups unbleached white bread flour (King Arthur's or Bob's Red Mill)
¾ cup water, tepid
1 tbs olive oil (or an additional 1 tbs of water)
1½ tsp finely ground sea salt

Mix the dough. In a bowl combine the water (and oil) with the flour and the starter (approximately 1¾ cup) and mix by hand until the water is absorbed and a rough dough forms. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes to hydrate the flour. Then place the dough with the salt in a bowl of a stand mixer (like a KitchenAid).

Knead the dough. Using a kneading attachment (dough hook) mix the dough on medium-low speed (4 on a KitchenAid mixer) for 10 minutes. The dough will be soft and tacky, but should clean the sides of the stainless steel bowl. Test the dough using the "window pane" or "membrane" test. To test, take a golfball-sized piece of dough and flatten it slightly. Put the fingers of both hands underneath it and very gently stretch it. If the dough can be stretched such that the center is thin enough to see through, then the dough is ready. If not, knead for another two minutes.

Ferment the dough. After kneading, form the dough into a ball. Spray the inside of a square food storer with a little olive oil (or Pam). Place the dough ball into the container and cover. Place container in oven (with oven light or pilot light on) and let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Turn the dough. After 1 hour of fermenting, dump the dough out on to a floured surface. Pat it into a square roughly 8 inches by 8 inches. Fold the flattened dough into thirds, first one way (like a business letter) and then the other. Place the folded dough back into the container. Place container back in warmed oven until dough has doubled in size... about 1-2 more hours.

Shape and retard the dough. Turn container upside down on floured surface. Knead gently and then divide and form the dough into three long thin baguettes. Place dough in a baguette pan, such as the very capable one made by Chicago Metallic. Cover lightly and place dough in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours. About 1 hour before you want to bake, remove the dough from the refrigerator. The loaves will feel dense and cool and will not have risen considerably.

Prepare the oven. Preheat oven to 450°. If using a baking stone, place stone on middle rack and preheat for at least 30-45 minutes. Also place a cast iron skillet on the lowest rack (to aid with steam generation later).

Just before placing loaves into the oven, score the loaves using a sharp serrated knife (lubricated with olive oil if necessary); make cuts approximately ¼-inch deep.

Bake the bread. Place dough on the baking rack or baking stone. Put about a 8-12 ice cubes in the skillet to produce steam. Close the oven door immediately. Add additional ice cubes if required during the first 10 minutes that the loaves are baking. Reduce heat to 400° and bake using convection heat until internal temperature has reached 200°. The crust should be golden brown and the bread will sound hollow when tapped.

You should end up with something like this:

Allow baked bread to cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Eat while fresh and warm with oranic butter and Bonne Maman Raspberry Preserves or Kristy's homemade peach jam. Yum!

Wheat Sandwich Bread
This makes two 2-lb loaves of bread. This is the same recipe as my white sandwich bread, but with half of the white flour replaced with white whole wheat flour.

Assemble the following ingredients:

5 tsp instant yeast
2½ water
2 tbs sugar
2 tbs olive oil
4 tbs honey
½ cup dry milk
3 cups white whole wheat flour
3½ cups white bread flour
½ cup potato flakes (or another ½ cup bread flour)
8 tbs softened unsalted butter, cut into 1 tbs pads
2½ tsp salt

Mix and knead the dough. In a mixing bowl combine the yeast, water, sugar, olive oil, honey, dry milk, and potato flakes. Whisk to combine. Add half of the flour. Using a kneading attachment (dough hook) mix the dough on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid mixer, 6 on a Cuisinart mixer). Add the butter and continue to knead the dough until the softened butter is thoroughly incorporated into the dough. Add the remaining flour 1 cup at a time. Finally, add the salt. Knead the dough for 10 minutes. The dough will be soft and tacky, but should clean the sides of the stainless steel bowl. Test the dough using the "window pane" or "membrane" test. To test, take a golfball-sized piece of dough and flatten it slightly. Put the fingers of both hands underneath it and very gently stretch it. If the dough can be stretched such that the center is thin enough to see through, then the dough is ready. If not, knead for another two minutes.

Ferment the dough. After kneading, divide in half and form each half of the dough into a ball. Spray the inside of two square food storer with a little olive oil (or Pam). Place each dough ball into a container and cover. Place containers in oven (with oven light or pilot light on) and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Shape and proof the dough. Turn container upside down on floured surface. Knead gently and form a "torpedo" and place in an oiled loaf pan. Cover lightly (like with a damp paper towel) and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour. The bread is ready to bake when the dough has risen above the pan's rim by about 1 inch.

Prepare the oven. Preheat oven to 350°. If using a baking stone, place stone on middle rack and preheat for at least 30-45 minutes.

Bake the bread. Place loaf pans on the baking rack or baking stone. Bake for 15 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil and continue baking for 15-20 minutes utnil internal temperature has reached 190°. The crust should be golden brown and the bread will sound hollow when tapped. Brush melted butter on top of the loaf.

(Update Sun May 3 14:36:09 PDT 2009 // added link to instant yeast

White Sandwich Bread
This makes two 2-lb loaves of bread. Assemble the following ingredients:

5 tsp instant yeast
2½ cups water
2 tbs sugar
2 tbs olive oil
4 tbs honey
½ cup dry milk
6½ cups white bread flour
½ cup potato flakes (or another ½ cup bread flour)
8 tbs softened unsalted butter, cut into 1 tbs pads
2½ tsp salt

Mix and knead the dough. In a mixing bowl combine the yeast, water, sugar, olive oil, honey, dry milk, and potato flakes. Whisk to combine. Add half of the flour. Using a kneading attachment (dough hook) mix the dough on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid mixer, 6 on a Cuisinart mixer). Add the butter and continue to knead the dough until the softened butter is thoroughly incorporated into the dough. Add the remaining flour 1 cup at a time. Finally, add the salt. Knead the dough for 10 minutes. The dough will be soft and tacky, but should clean the sides of the stainless steel bowl. Test the dough using the "window pane" or "membrane" test. To test, take a golfball-sized piece of dough and flatten it slightly. Put the fingers of both hands underneath it and very gently stretch it. If the dough can be stretched such that the center is thin enough to see through, then the dough is ready. If not, knead for another two minutes.

Ferment the dough. After kneading, divide in half and form each half of the dough into a ball. Spray the inside of two square food storer with a little olive oil (or Pam). Place each dough ball into a container and cover. Place containers in oven (with oven light or pilot light on) and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Shape and proof the dough. Turn container upside down on floured surface. Knead gently and form a "torpedo" and place in an oiled loaf pan. Cover lightly (like with a damp paper towel) and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour. The bread is ready to bake when the dough has risen above the pan's rim by about 1 inch.

Prepare the oven. Preheat oven to 350°. If using a baking stone, place stone on middle rack and preheat for at least 30-45 minutes.

Bake the bread. Place loaf pans on the baking rack or baking stone. Bake for 15 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil and continue baking for 15-20 minutes utnil internal temperature has reached 190°. The crust should be golden brown and the bread will sound hollow when tapped. Brush melted butter on top of the loaf.

You should end up with something like this:

(Update Fri Apr 24 23:14:10 PDT 2009 // added pictures)
(Update Sun May 3 14:35:23 PDT 2009 // added link to instant yeast

Ten Grain Sourdough Rolls
I made plain white and wheat sourdough rolls yesterday. But I decided to mix it up a bit and do some ten grain rolls today.

The night before you want to bake these rolls, you'll need to prepare the sourdough starter as well as soak the cereal grains.

⅔ cup Bob's Red Mill Wheat-less 8-grain hot cereal
¾ cup water

Measure out the cereal grains into a small bowl. Pour the water over the cereal and let sit uncovered at room temperature overnight. In the morning, the cereal should have absorbed all of the water.

To prepare the sourdough starter, mix the following ingredients in a small bowl:

¼ cup sourdough starter
¾ cup water, tepid
¾ cup unbleached white flour (King Arthur's or Bob's Red Mill)

Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. The next morning, the mixture should be bubbly and will have expanded by about a third.

Assemble the following additional ingredients:

2 cups unbleached white bread flour
1¼ cups white wheat flour
¾ cup water, tepid
1 tbs olive oil (or an additional 1 tbs of water)
1½ tsp finely ground sea salt

Mix the dough. In a bowl combine the water (and oil) with the flour and the starter (approximately 1¾ cup) and mix by hand until the water is absorbed and a rough dough forms. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes to hydrate the flour. Then place the dough with the salt in a bowl of a stand mixer (like a KitchenAid).

Knead the dough. Using a kneading attachment (dough hook) mix the dough on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid mixer or 6 on a Cuisinart mixer) for 10 minutes. The dough will be soft and tacky, but should clean the sides of the stainless steel bowl. Test the dough using the "window pane" or "membrane" test. To test, take a golfball-sized piece of dough and flatten it slightly. Put the fingers of both hands underneath it and very gently stretch it. If the dough can be stretched such that the center is thin enough to see through, then the dough is ready. If not, knead for another two minutes.

Ferment the dough. After kneading, form the dough into a ball. Spray the inside of a square food storer with a little olive oil (or Pam). Place the dough ball into the container and cover. Place container in oven (with oven light or pilot light on) and let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Turn the dough. After 1 hour of fermenting, dump the dough out on to a floured surface. Pat it into a square roughly 8 inches by 8 inches. Fold the flattened dough into thirds, first one way (like a business letter) and then the other. Place the folded dough back into the container. Place container back in warmed oven until dough has doubled in size... about 2-3 hours.

Divide and proof the dough. Turn container upside down on floured surface. Knead gently and then divide and form the dough into the 24 small balls (about 40-45g in weight). Dip each ball into a bowl filled with a thin layer of water and then into a bowl filled with a thin layer of Bob's Red Mill 5-Grain Rolled Cereal. Place balls (cereal side up) on an rimless baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Cover lightly (like with a damp paper towel) and let rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours. The dough is ready to score and bake when you press your fingertip into the dough slightly and the resulting indentation springs back slowly.

Prepare the oven. Preheat oven to 450°. If using a baking stone, place stone on middle rack and preheat for at least 30-45 minutes. Also place a cast iron skillet on the lowest rack (to aid with steam generation later).

Just before placing rolls into the oven, score each rolls using a sharp serrated knife (lubricated with olive oil if necessary); make cuts to form a plus sign (+) on the top of each roll. The cuts should be approximately ¼-inch deep.

Bake the rolls. Place dough on the baking rack or baking stone. Put about a 8-12 ice cubes in the skillet to produce steam. Close the oven door immediately. Add additional ice cubes if required during the first 8 minutes that the rolls are baking. After 8 minutes, reduce heat to 400° and bake using convection heat until internal temperature of rolls has reached 200°.

Allow baked rolls to cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour. Slice and eat the hot bread with butter and Bonne Maman Raspberry Preserves or Kristy's homemade peach jam. Yum!

White or Wheat Sourdough Rolls
The night before you want to bake these rolls, mix the following ingredients in a small bowl:

¼ cup sourdough starter
¾ cup water, tepid
¾ cup unbleached white flour (King Arthur's or Bob's Red Mill)

Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. The next morning, the mixture should be bubbly and will have expanded by about a third.

Assemble the following additional ingredients:

Mix the dough. In a bowl combine the water (and oil) with the flour and the starter (approximately 1¾ cup) and mix by hand until the water is absorbed and a rough dough forms. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes to hydrate the flour. Then place the dough with the salt in a bowl of a stand mixer (like a KitchenAid).

Knead the dough. Using a kneading attachment (dough hook) mix the dough on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid mixer) for 10 minutes. The dough will be soft and tacky, but should clean the sides of the stainless steel bowl. Test the dough using the "window pane" or "membrane" test. To test, take a golfball-sized piece of dough and flatten it slightly. Put the fingers of both hands underneath it and very gently stretch it. If the dough can be stretched such that the center is thin enough to see through, then the dough is ready. If not, knead for another two minutes.

Ferment the dough. After kneading, form the dough into a ball. Spray the inside of a square food storer with a little olive oil (or Pam). Place the dough ball into the container and cover. Place container in oven (with oven light or pilot light on) and let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Turn the dough. After 1 hour of fermenting, dump the dough out on to a floured surface. Pat it into a square roughly 8 inches by 8 inches. Fold the flattened dough into thirds, first one way (like a business letter) and then the other. Place the folded dough back into the container. Place container back in warmed oven until dough has doubled in size... about 2-3 hours.

Divide and proof the dough. Turn container upside down on floured surface. Knead gently and then divide and form the dough into the 24 small balls (about 40-45g in weight). Dip each ball into a bowl filled with a thin layer of poppy seeds and/or sesame seeds. Place balls (seeded side up) on an rimless baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Cover lightly (like with a damp paper towel) and let rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours. The dough is ready to score and bake when you press your fingertip into the dough slightly and the resulting indentation springs back slowly.

Prepare the oven. Preheat oven to 450°. If using a baking stone, place stone on middle rack and preheat for at least 30-45 minutes. Also place a cast iron skillet on the lowest rack (to aid with steam generation later).

Just before placing rolls into the oven, score each rolls using a sharp serrated knife (lubricated with olive oil if necessary); make cuts to form a plus sign (+) on the top of each roll. The cuts should be approximately ¼-inch deep.

Bake the rolls. Place dough on the baking rack or baking stone. Put about a 8-12 ice cubes in the skillet to produce steam. Close the oven door immediately. Add additional ice cubes if required during the first 8 minutes that the rolls are baking. After 8 minutes, reduce heat to 400° and bake using convection heat until internal temperature of rolls has reached 200°.

You should end up with something like this:

Allow baked rolls to cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour. Slice and eat the hot bread with butter and Bonne Maman Raspberry Preserves or Kristy's homemade peach jam. Yum!

Multi-Seed Sourdough Bread
The night before you want to bake this bread, you'll need to prepare the stiff sourdough starter as well as soak the seeds.

1 tbs poppy seeds
2 tbs sesame seeds
¼ cup flax seeds
⅓ cup sunflower seeds
¾ cup water

Measure out the seeds into a small bowl. Pour the water over the seeds and let sit uncovered at room temperature overnight. In the morning, the seeds will have absorbed most of the water, but not all. Strain off the excess water, draining them well.

For the stiff sourdough starter:

¼ cup stiff sourdough starter
¼ cup water, tepid
⅔ cup white flour (stone-ground unbleached flour is preferred)
2 tsp organic stone-ground whole wheat flour

Place stiff sourdough starter in a small bowl. Add water and use a spoon or a spatula to break up the starter. Add the bread flour and the whole wheat flour and knead until the water has absorbed. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. The next morning, the mixture should have doubled in volume.

Pinch off about ½ cup of the stiff dough starter and store the rest in refrigerator.

Assemble the following ingredients:

1⅓ cup water, tepid
2¼ cups unbleached white flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup rye flour
1½ tsp finely ground sea salt

Mix the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer (like a KitchenAid) combine the water with the white flour, wheat flour, rye flour, and soaked seeds. Mix by hand until the water is absorbed and a rough dough forms. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes to hydrate the flour. Then place the dough, the reserved 1¼ cups stiff dough starter, and the salt in a bowl of a stand mixer (like a KitchenAid).

Knead the dough. Add the reserved ½ cup starter and the salt. Using a kneading attachment (dough hook) mix the dough on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid mixer) for 10 minutes. The dough will be soft and tacky, but should clean the sides of the stainless steel bowl. Test the dough using the "window pane" or "membrane" test. To test, take a golfball-sized piece of dough and flatten it slightly. Put the fingers of both hands underneath it and very gently stretch it. If the dough can be stretched such that the center is thin enough to see through, then the dough is ready. If not, knead for another two minutes.

Ferment the dough. After kneading, form the dough into a ball. Spray the inside of a square food storer with a little olive oil. Place the dough ball into the container and cover. Place container in oven (with oven light or pilot light on) and let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Turn the dough. After 1 hour of fermenting, scrape the dough out on to a floured counter. Pat it into a square roughly 8 inches by 8 inches. Fold the flattened dough into thirds, first one way (like a business letter) and then the other. Place the folded dough back into the container. Place container back in warmed oven until dough has increased by about 50% in size... about 2-3 hours.

Shape and proof the dough. Turn bowl upside down on floured surface. Knead gently and then form into one large bâtard or divide and form the dough into two medium-sized rounds. Cover lightly (like with a paper towel) and let rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours. The dough is ready to score and bake when you press your fingertip into the dough slightly and the resulting indentation springs back slowly.

Prepare the oven. Preheat oven to 450°. If using a baking stone, place stone on middle rack and preheat for at least 30 minutes. Also place a cast iron skillet on the lowest rack (to aid with steam generation later).

Score the loaves using a sharp serrated knife (lubricated with olive oil if necessary); make ¼-inch deep cuts in the dough.

Bake the bread. Place dough on the baking rack or baking stone. Put about a 8-12 ice cubes in the skillet to produce steam. Close the oven door immediately. Add additional ice cubes if required during the first 10 minutes that the loaves are baking. Reduce heat to 400° and bake using convection heat until internal temperature has reached 200°. The crust should be golden brown and the bread will sound hollow when tapped. Allow baked bread to cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour.

You should end up with something that looks like this:

Rosemary Garlic Sourdough Bread with Parmesan
For this bread, I started with my Rosemary Garlic Sourdough Bread and removed some of the garlic and in its place added some parmesan (or asagio) cheese. It's fantastic.

The night before you want to bake bread, mix the following ingredients in a small bowl:

¼ cup sourdough starter
¾ cup water, tepid
¾ cup unbleached white flour (King Arthur's or Bob's Red Mill)

Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. The next morning, the mixture should be bubbly and will have expanded by about a third.

Assemble the following additional ingredients:

2¾ cups unbleached white bread flour (King Arthur's or Bob's Red Mill)
¼ cup stone-ground whole wheat flour
¼ cup rye flour
2 tbs coarsely chopped partially-dried rosemary
2 tbs minced garlic
4 oz parmesan (or asagio) cheese, finely shredded
14 tbs tap or bottled water, tepid
2 tbs olive oil
1½ tsp finely ground sea salt

Mix the dough. In a bowl combine the water and oil with the flour and the starter (approximately 1¾ cup) and mix by hand until the water is absorbed and a rough dough forms. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes to hydrate the flour. Then place the dough with the salt in a bowl of a stand mixer (like a KitchenAid).

Knead the dough. Using a kneading attachment (dough hook) mix the dough on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid mixer, 6 on a Cuisinart mixer) for 10 minutes. The dough will be soft and tacky, but should clean the sides of the stainless steel bowl. Test the dough using the "window pane" or "membrane" test. To test, take a golfball-sized piece of dough and flatten it slightly. Put the fingers of both hands underneath it and very gently stretch it. If the dough can be stretched such that the center is thin enough to see through, then the dough is ready. If not, knead for another two minutes. Lower spead on mixer, add minced garlic, chopped rosemary, and parmesan (or asagio) cheese, then mix to combine... approximately two more minutes.

Ferment the dough. After kneading, form the dough into a ball. Spray the inside of a square food storer with a little olive oil (or Pam). Place the dough ball into the container and cover. Place container in oven (with oven light or pilot light on) and let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Turn the dough. After 1 hour of fermenting, dump the dough out on to a floured surface. Pat it into a square roughly 8 inches by 8 inches. Fold the flattened dough into thirds, first one way (like a business letter) and then the other. Place the folded dough back into the container. Place container back in warmed oven until dough has doubled in size... about 2-3 hours.

Shape and proof the dough. Turn container upside down on floured surface. Knead gently and then divide and form the dough into one large round, two medium ovals, or two medium-sized french loaves. Use bannetons made of cane to imprint an interesting pattern onto the round or oval loaves. When forming french loaves, this very handy french bread pan from Chicago Metallic is an absolute must. Cover lightly (like with a damp paper towel) and let rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours. The dough is ready to score and bake when you press your fingertip into the dough slightly and the resulting indentation springs back slowly.

Prepare the oven. Preheat oven to 450°. If using a baking stone, place stone on middle rack and preheat for at least 30-45 minutes. Also place a cast iron skillet on the lowest rack (to aid with steam generation later).

Just before placing loaves into the oven, score the loaves using a sharp serrated knife (lubricated with olive oil if necessary); make cuts approximately ¼-inch deep.

Bake the bread. Place dough on the baking rack or baking stone. Put about a 8-12 ice cubes in the skillet to produce steam. Close the oven door immediately. Add additional ice cubes if required during the first 10 minutes that the loaves are baking. Reduce heat to 400° and bake using convection heat until internal temperature has reached 200°. The crust should be golden brown and the bread will sound hollow when tapped.

After you have baked the bread, you should end up with something that looks like this:

Allow to cool. Slice and serve as a dipping bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

(Update Mon Apr 27 13:26:25 PDT 2009 // changed the title)

Corn Bread
I made this today to eat with my Steak Chili. The recipe is out of a book I bought called "Artisan Baking" by Maggie Glezer (which is just a so-so bread book IMHO). This yeast-risen bread, made with fresh corn and coarsely ground cornmeal, is much better than traditional baking soda and buttermilk sheet-style pan cornbread.

Make the poolish:

1¼ cups bread flour
1½ tsp instant yeast
¾ cup water

Beat together the flour, yeast, and water in a large bowl to form a gloppy batter. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let ferment until the batter becomes bubbly and increased in volume by 50%, about two hours.

Assemble the following:

⅔ cup water
2½ cups bread flour
1¼ cups coarsely ground cornmeal
1½ cups fresh kernel corn (shaved from 2-3 ears of fresh corn)
2 eggs
2 tbs honey
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs salt

Mix the dough. Add the water to the poolish and whisk to combine. In a mixing bowl, add the poolish, eggs, honey, and olive oil and whisk to combine. Using a kneading attachment and with the mixer on the lowest setting, add the flour, cornmeal, and corn incrementally and mix each addition until integrated. Finally, add the salt and mix to combine.

Knead the dough. Knead the dough on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid mixer; 6 on a Cuisinart mixer) for 10 minutes. The dough will be soft and sticky, but should clean the sides of the stainless steel bowl. The dough should be smooth with some corn lumps and feel very elastic. If not, knead for another two minutes.

Ferment the dough. After kneading, form the dough into a ball. Spray the inside of a square food storer with a little olive oil (or Pam). Place the dough ball into the container and cover. Place container in oven (with oven light or pilot light on) and let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Turn the dough. After 1 hour of fermenting, dump the dough out on to a floured surface. Pat it into a square roughly 8 inches by 8 inches. Fold the flattened dough into thirds, first one way (like a business letter) and then the other. Place the folded dough back into the container. Place container back in warmed oven until dough has doubled in size... about 1-2 hours.

Shape and proof the dough. Turn bowl upside down on floured surface. Cut dough in half. Knead gently and form into two pan loaves. Coat two 9 x 5-inch baking pans with butter or PAM. Cover lightly (like with a paper towel) and let rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours. The dough is ready to bake when you press your fingertip into the dough slightly and the resulting indentation springs back slowly.

Prepare the oven. Preheat oven to 350°. If using a baking stone, place stone on middle rack and preheat for at least 30 minutes.

Bake the bread. Place dough on the baking rack or baking stone. Bake bread until well browned, about 30-40 minutes or until internal temperature has reached 200° Remove the bread from the pans and let cool on a rack.

You should end up with something like this:

Biff's Potato Rolls
The potato flavor of these rolls is developed over the course of the 12-24 hours that the dough is refrigerated (or retarded). So plan ahead, the dough must be prepared on the day before they are baked.

First things first, make some mashed potatoes. You'll need:

2 medium Yukon Gold or Butter Gold potatoes
about 2½-3 cups of water

Skin the potatoes and cut into ½" cubes. Boil until tender. Drain potatoes; reserving 1½ cup of the potato water. Mash potatoes... there should be at least 1 cup, but there may be a little more. Set potatoes and water aside and let stand until cooled to a lukewarm temperature.

Next assemble the following ingredients:

2 eggs
½ cup sugar
1 tbs SAF instant yeast
5½ cups all-purpose flour
8 tbs unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature and cut into tablespoon pads
2 tsp salt

Mix the dough. In a mixing bowl, add the potato water, eggs, sugar, mashed potato, and yeast and whisk to combine. Using a kneading attachment and with the mixer on the lowest setting, add the flour about 1 cup at a time and mix each addition until integrated. Add the butter also in increments and mix until well integrated into the dough. Finally, add the salt and mix to combine.

Knead the dough. Knead the dough on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid mixer; 6 on a Cuisinart mixer) for 10 minutes. The dough will be soft and tacky, but should clean the sides of the stainless steel bowl. The dough should be smooth with some potato lumps, look "satiny", and feel very elastic. If not, knead for another two minutes.

Ferment the dough. After kneading, form the dough into a ball. Spray the inside of a square food storer with a little olive oil (or Pam). Place the dough ball into the container and cover. Place container in oven (with oven light or pilot light on) and let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Turn the dough. After 1 hour of fermenting, dump the dough out on to a floured surface. Pat it into a square roughly 8 inches by 8 inches. Fold the flattened dough into thirds, first one way (like a business letter) and then the other. Place the folded dough back into the container. Place container back in warmed oven until dough has doubled in size... about 1-2 hours.

Shape the rolls. Turn container upside down on floured surface. Knead gently and then divide the dough into small balls that measure approximately 70g in weight (which should make about 30-36 rolls). Line two or three large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place dough balls on cookie sheets about ½-2" apart (about 12-15 per cookie sheet). Cover with plastic wrap.

Retard the rolls. Place rolls in refrigerator and chill for 12-24 hours. Remove rolls from refrigerator approximately 3 hours before baking and allow to warm to room temperature. The rolls will expand as they warm.

Prepare the oven. Preheat oven to 375°. If using a baking stone, place stone on middle rack and preheat for at least 30-45 minutes.

Bake the rolls. Slide the parchment paper with the rolls onto the baking stone (or if not using a baking stone just put the sheet full of rolls on a baking rack). Bake for about 15 minutes or until tops of rolls are golden brown.

You should end up with something like this:

Allow baked rools to cool slightly before serving. Serve with organic butter and Bonne Maman Raspberry Preserves or Kristy's homemade peach jam. Yummy!

Light Rye Sourdough Bread with Caraway
This caraway seed infuses this bread with a pungent, anise-like flavor and aroma. This bread is great for hot and cold deli sandwiches; espcially my favorite... a grilled reuben! Nom nom nom nom.

The night before you want to bake this bread, you'll need to prepare the stiff sourdough starter as well as soak the caraway seeds.

1 tbs whole caraway seeds
3 tbs water

Measure out the caraway seeds into a small bowl. Pour the water over the seeds and let sit uncovered at room temperature overnight. In the morning, the seeds will have absorbed some of the water, but not all. Strain off the excess water, draining them well.

For the stiff sourdough starter:

¼ cup stiff sourdough starter
¼ cup water, tepid
⅔ cup white flour (stone-ground unbleached flour is preferred)
2 tsp organic stone-ground whole wheat flour

Place stiff sourdough starter in a small bowl. Add water and use a spoon or a spatula to break up the starter. Add the bread flour and the whole wheat flour and knead until the water has absorbed. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. The next morning, the mixture should have doubled in volume.

Pinch off about ½ cup of the stiff dough starter and store the rest in refrigerator.

Assemble the following ingredients:

1½ cup water, tepid
2 cups unbleached white flour
1¼ cups rye flour
1½ tsp finely ground sea salt

Mix the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer (like a KitchenAid) combine the water with the white flour, wheat flour, rye flour, and soaked caraway seeds. Mix by hand until the water is absorbed and a rough dough forms. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes to hydrate the flour. Then place the dough, the reserved 1¼ cups stiff dough starter, and the salt in a bowl of a stand mixer (like a KitchenAid).

Knead the dough. Add the reserved ½ cup starter and the salt. Using a kneading attachment (dough hook) mix the dough on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid mixer) for 10 minutes. The dough will be soft and tacky, but should clean the sides of the stainless steel bowl. Test the dough using the "window pane" or "membrane" test. To test, take a golfball-sized piece of dough and flatten it slightly. Put the fingers of both hands underneath it and very gently stretch it. If the dough can be stretched such that the center is thin enough to see through, then the dough is ready. If not, knead for another two minutes.

Ferment the dough. After kneading, form the dough into a ball. Spray the inside of a square food storer with a little olive oil. Place the dough ball into the container and cover. Place container in oven (with oven light or pilot light on) and let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Turn the dough. After 1 hour of fermenting, scrape the dough out on to a floured counter. Pat it into a square roughly 8 inches by 8 inches. Fold the flattened dough into thirds, first one way (like a business letter) and then the other. Place the folded dough back into the container. Place container back in warmed oven until dough has increased by about 50% in size... about 2-3 hours.

Shape and proof the dough. Turn bowl upside down on floured surface. Knead gently and then form into one large round or divide and form the dough into two medium-sized ovals. Place dough in heavily-floured bannetons. Cover lightly (like with a paper towel) and let rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours. The dough is ready to score and bake when you press your fingertip into the dough slightly and the resulting indentation springs back slowly.

Prepare the oven. Preheat oven to 450°. If using a baking stone, place stone on middle rack and preheat for at least 30 minutes. Also place a cast iron skillet on the lowest rack (to aid with steam generation later).

Score the loaves using a sharp serrated knife (lubricated with olive oil if necessary); make ¼-inch deep cuts in the dough to form a "tic-tac-toe" pattern.

Bake the bread. Place dough on the baking rack or baking stone. Put about a 8-12 ice cubes in the skillet to produce steam. Close the oven door immediately. Add additional ice cubes if required during the first 10 minutes that the loaves are baking. Reduce heat to 400° and bake using convection heat until internal temperature has reached 200°. The crust should be golden brown and the bread will sound hollow when tapped. Allow baked bread to cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour.

You should end up with something that looks like this:

(Update Wed Apr 15 09:00:25 PDT 2009 // decreased amount of caraway)

Sesame Seed Sourdough Bread
This sesame seed bread is very aromatic. I love it. The sesame oil released when the seeds are cooked is absorbed into the bread crumb and gives this bread a toasted nutty flavor. This bread is wonderful to eat with organic butter or as a dipping bread with oil and vinegar.

The night before you want to bake this bread, you'll need to prepare the stiff sourdough starter as well as soak the sesame seeds.

⅔ cup natural brown sesame seeds
¾ cup water

Measure out the sesame seeds into a small bowl. Pour the water over the seeds and let sit uncovered at room temperature overnight. In the morning, the seeds will have absorbed some of the water, but not all. Strain off the excess water, draining them well.

For the stiff sourdough starter:

¼ cup stiff sourdough starter
¼ cup water, tepid
⅔ cup white flour (stone-ground unbleached flour is preferred)
2 tsp organic stone-ground whole wheat flour

Place stiff sourdough starter in a small bowl. Add water and use a spoon or a spatula to break up the starter. Add the bread flour and the whole wheat flour and knead until the water has absorbed. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. The next morning, the mixture should have doubled in volume.

Pinch off about ½ cup of the stiff dough starter and store the rest in refrigerator.

Assemble the following ingredients:

1⅓ cup water, tepid
2¼ cups unbleached white flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup rye flour
1½ tsp finely ground sea salt

Mix the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer (like a KitchenAid) combine the water with the white flour, wheat flour, rye flour, and soaked sesame seeds. Mix by hand until the water is absorbed and a rough dough forms. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes to hydrate the flour. Then place the dough, the reserved 1¼ cups stiff dough starter, and the salt in a bowl of a stand mixer (like a KitchenAid).

Knead the dough. Add the reserved ½ cup starter and the salt. Using a kneading attachment (dough hook) mix the dough on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid mixer) for 10 minutes. The dough will be soft and tacky, but should clean the sides of the stainless steel bowl. Test the dough using the "window pane" or "membrane" test. To test, take a golfball-sized piece of dough and flatten it slightly. Put the fingers of both hands underneath it and very gently stretch it. If the dough can be stretched such that the center is thin enough to see through, then the dough is ready. If not, knead for another two minutes.

Ferment the dough. After kneading, form the dough into a ball. Spray the inside of a square food storer with a little olive oil. Place the dough ball into the container and cover. Place container in oven (with oven light or pilot light on) and let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Turn the dough. After 1 hour of fermenting, scrape the dough out on to a floured counter. Pat it into a square roughly 8 inches by 8 inches. Fold the flattened dough into thirds, first one way (like a business letter) and then the other. Place the folded dough back into the container. Place container back in warmed oven until dough has increased by about 50% in size... about 2-3 hours.

Shape and proof the dough. Turn bowl upside down on floured surface. Knead gently and then form into one large round or divide and form the dough into two medium-sized ovals. Place dough in heavily-floured bannetons. Cover lightly (like with a paper towel) and let rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours. The dough is ready to score and bake when you press your fingertip into the dough slightly and the resulting indentation springs back slowly.

Prepare the oven. Preheat oven to 450°. If using a baking stone, place stone on middle rack and preheat for at least 30 minutes. Also place a cast iron skillet on the lowest rack (to aid with steam generation later).

Score the loaves using a sharp serrated knife (lubricated with olive oil if necessary); make ¼-inch deep cuts in the dough to form a "tic-tac-toe" pattern.

Bake the bread. Place dough on the baking rack or baking stone. Put about a 8-12 ice cubes in the skillet to produce steam. Close the oven door immediately. Add additional ice cubes if required during the first 10 minutes that the loaves are baking. Reduce heat to 400° and bake using convection heat until internal temperature has reached 200°. The crust should be golden brown and the bread will sound hollow when tapped. Allow baked bread to cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour.

You should end up with something that looks like this:

Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread
My neighbor Jerrod (our first beta tester) asked me if we bake cinnamon raisin bread several weeks ago. I had not considered having the kids offer cinnamon raisin bread on the Liviana Bee bread menu because I don't like raisins baked in cookies, bread, or anything else. However, it soon became clear that there are loads of cinnamon raisin bread fans. In fact, of all of the breads that we offer, cinnamon raisin has been the most commonly ordered bread. Imagine that.

Unfortunately, our first attempt at cinnamon raisin bread yielded a dense heavy loaf. I learned that this was because cinnamon retards yeast growth... by as much as 20-25% per tablespoon. We had been adding 3 tablespoons of cinnamon directly to our bread dough. So, after a few iterations, we have developed a new recipe - that does not lack cinnamon flavor - which we have tested and are happy with the results. The new bread has just a bit of cinnamon added to the dough; the rest is included in a cinnamon swirl that also includes some sugar and other spices. The result is a light, airy loaf with a delicious aroma and flavor that even a non-baked-raisin person like myself really likes to eat!

The night before you want to bake bread, mix the following ingredients in a small bowl:

¼ cup sourdough starter
¾ cup water, tepid
¾ cup unbleached white flour (King Arthur's or Bob's Red Mill)

Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. The next morning, the mixture should be bubbly and will have expanded by about a third.

Assemble the following additional ingredients:

3¼ cups unbleached white bread flour (King Arthur's or Bob's Red Mill)
1 cup + 1 tbs of tap or bottled water, tepid
2 tbs softened unsalted butter
1½ tsp finely ground sea salt
¾ cup organic raisins
1 tbs cinnamon

For the swirl filling:

1 tbs cinnamon
2 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs cane sugar
½ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp cardamon

Prepare the raisins. Measure the raisins out in a small bowl. Add enough very warm water to cover the raisins. Let the raisins sit and soak (while the dough is being prepared) for about 20-25 minutes.

Mix the dough. In a bowl combine the water and softened butter with the flour and the starter (approximately 1¾ cup) and mix by hand until the water is absorbed and a rough dough forms. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes to hydrate the flour. Then place the dough with the salt in a bowl of a stand mixer (like a KitchenAid).

Knead the dough. Using a kneading attachment (dough hook) mix the dough on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid mixer) for 10 minutes. The dough will be soft and tacky, but should clean the sides of the stainless steel bowl. Test the dough using the "window pane" or "membrane" test. To test, take a golfball-sized piece of dough and flatten it slightly. Put the fingers of both hands underneath it and very gently stretch it. If the dough can be stretched such that the center is thin enough to see through, then the dough is ready. If not, knead for another two minutes.

Add the raisins. Drain the water from the raisins. Use a small salad spinner or paper towels to dry the raisins. Return to bowl and add the 1 tbs cinnamon. Coat the raisins with the cinnamon and then add to the mixing bowl with the dough. Incorporate the raisins and cinnamon into the dough using a low speed on the mixer... mix for approximately two minutes.

Ferment the dough. After kneading, form the dough into a ball. Spray the inside of a square food storer with a little olive oil (or Pam). Place the dough ball into the container and cover. Place container in oven (with oven light or pilot light on) and let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Turn the dough. After 1 hour of fermenting, dump the dough out on to a floured surface. Pat it into a square roughly 8 inches by 8 inches. Fold the flattened dough into thirds, first one way (like a business letter) and then the other. Place the folded dough back into the container. Place container back in warmed oven until dough has doubled in size... about 2-3 hours.

Prepare the cinnamon sugar swirl filling. Mix the cinnamon, brown sugar, cane sugar, nutmeg, and cardamon together in a small bowl and set aside.

Shape and proof the dough. Turn container upside down on floured surface. Knead gently and form a rectangle about 8 inches wide by 10-12 inches long. Brush the dough with water and then spread a thin layer of the cinnamon sugar over the moistened dough. Leave a small border around the edges so that the dough can be sealed after rolling. See below:

Roll the dough up and place in an oiled loaf pan.

Cover lightly (like with a damp paper towel) and let rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours. The dough is ready to score and bake when you press your fingertip into the dough slightly and the resulting indentation springs back slowly.

Prepare the oven. Preheat oven to 450°. If using a baking stone, place stone on middle rack and preheat for at least 30-45 minutes. Also place a cast iron skillet on the lowest rack (to aid with steam generation later).

Just before placing loaf into the oven, score the loaf using a sharp serrated knife (lubricated with olive oil if necessary); make a single longitudinal cut down the center of the loaf approximately ¼-inch deep.

Bake the bread. Place loaf on the baking rack or baking stone. Put about a 8-12 ice cubes in the skillet to produce steam. Close the oven door immediately. Add additional ice cubes if required during the first 10 minutes that the loaves are baking. Reduce heat to 400° and bake an additional 25 minutes until internal temperature has reached 200°. The crust should be golden brown and the bread will sound hollow when tapped.

You should end up with something like this:

Allow bread to cool at least 1 hour before slicing. Serve warm with organic butter or use slices for French toast.

(Update Mon Feb 9 23:38:34 PST 2009 // revision 2 ... bumped publication date)
(Update Sat Feb 14 11:32:01 PST 2009 // changed lightbox picture set ID)

Basic Wheat Sourdough Bread
The night before you want to bake bread, mix the following ingredients in a small bowl:

¼ cup sourdough starter
¾ cup water, tepid
¾ cup unbleached white flour (King Arthur's or Bob's Red Mill)

Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. The next morning, the mixture should be bubbly and will have expanded by about a third.

Assemble the following additional ingredients:

2¾ cups unbleached white bread flour (King Arthur's or Bob's Red Mill)
½ cup stone-ground whole wheat flour (King Arthur's or Bob's Red Mill)
1 cup of tap or bottled water, tepid
1 tbs olive oil (or an additional 1 tbs of water)
1½ tsp finely ground sea salt

Mix the dough. In a bowl combine the water (and oil) with the flour and the starter (approximately 1¾ cup) and mix by hand until the water is absorbed and a rough dough forms. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes to hydrate the flour. Then place the dough with the salt in a bowl of a stand mixer (like a KitchenAid).

Knead the dough. Using a kneading attachment (dough hook) mix the dough on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid mixer) for 10 minutes. The dough will be soft and tacky, but should clean the sides of the stainless steel bowl. Test the dough using the "window pane" or "membrane" test. To test, take a golfball-sized piece of dough and flatten it slightly. Put the fingers of both hands underneath it and very gently stretch it. If the dough can be stretched such that the center is thin enough to see through, then the dough is ready. If not, knead for another two minutes.

Ferment the dough. After kneading, form the dough into a ball. Spray the inside of a square food storer with a little olive oil (or Pam). Place the dough ball into the container and cover. Place container in oven (with oven light or pilot light on) and let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Turn the dough. After 1 hour of fermenting, dump the dough out on to a floured surface. Pat it into a square roughly 8 inches by 8 inches. Fold the flattened dough into thirds, first one way (like a business letter) and then the other. Place the folded dough back into the container. Place container back in warmed oven until dough has doubled in size... about 2-3 hours.

Shape and proof the dough. Turn container upside down on floured surface. Knead gently and then divide and form the dough into the desired shapes (e.g. a rectangular loaf, two medium French loaves, or one large round boule). Place dough in oiled loaf pans, perforated french loaf pan, or a floured brotform. Cover lightly (like with a damp paper towel) and let rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours. The dough is ready to score and bake when you press your fingertip into the dough slightly and the resulting indentation springs back slowly.

Prepare the oven. Preheat oven to 450°. If using a baking stone, place stone on middle rack and preheat for at least 30-45 minutes. Also place a cast iron skillet on the lowest rack (to aid with steam generation later).

Just before placing loaves into the oven, score the loaves using a sharp serrated knife (lubricated with olive oil if necessary); make cuts approximately ¼-inch deep.

Bake the bread. Place dough on the baking rack or baking stone. Put about a 8-12 ice cubes in the skillet to produce steam. Close the oven door immediately. Add additional ice cubes if required during the first 10 minutes that the loaves are baking. Reduce heat to 400° and bake using convection heat until internal temperature has reached 200°. The crust should be golden brown and the bread will sound hollow when tapped.

Allow baked bread to cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour. Slice and eat the hot bread with butter and Bonne Maman Raspberry Preserves or Kristy's homemade peach jam. Yum!

Olive Sourdough Bread
The night before you want to bake bread, mix the following ingredients in a small bowl:

¼ cup sourdough starter
¾ cup water, tepid
¾ cup unbleached white flour (King Arthur's or Bob's Red Mill)

Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. The next morning, the mixture should be bubbly and will have expanded by about a third.

Assemble the following additional ingredients:

2¾ cups unbleached white bread flour (King Arthur's or Bob's Red Mill)
¼ cup stone-ground whole wheat flour
¼ cup rye flour
1 cup of tap or bottled water, tepid
1 tbs olive oil
1½ tsp finely ground sea salt
5 oz niçoise or kalamata olives

Mix the dough. In a bowl combine the water (and oil) with the flour and the starter (approximately 1¾ cup) and mix by hand until the water is absorbed and a rough dough forms. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes to hydrate the flour. Then place the dough with the salt in a bowl of a stand mixer (like a KitchenAid).

Prepare the olives. Rounghly chop the olives.

Knead the dough. Using a kneading attachment (dough hook) mix the dough on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid mixer) for 10 minutes. The dough will be soft and tacky, but should clean the sides of the stainless steel bowl. Test the dough using the "window pane" or "membrane" test. To test, take a golfball-sized piece of dough and flatten it slightly. Put the fingers of both hands underneath it and very gently stretch it. If the dough can be stretched such that the center is thin enough to see through, then the dough is ready. If not, knead for another two minutes. Lower spead on mixer, add chopped olives, and mix to combine... approximately two more minutes.

Ferment the dough. After kneading, form the dough into a ball. Spray the inside of a square food storer with a little olive oil (or Pam). Place the dough ball into the container and cover. Place container in oven (with oven light or pilot light on) and let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Turn the dough. After 1 hour of fermenting, dump the dough out on to a floured surface. Pat it into a square roughly 8 inches by 8 inches. Fold the flattened dough into thirds, first one way (like a business letter) and then the other. Place the folded dough back into the container. Place container back in warmed oven until dough has doubled in size... about 2-3 hours.

Shape and proof the dough. Turn container upside down on floured surface. Knead gently and then divide the loaf in half and form into two medium French loaves. Use this very handy french bread pan from Chicago Metallic; it is an absolute must. Cover lightly (like with a damp paper towel) and let rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours. The dough is ready to score and bake when you press your fingertip into the dough slightly and the resulting indentation springs back slowly.

Prepare the oven. Preheat oven to 450°. If using a baking stone, place stone on middle rack and preheat for at least 30-45 minutes. Also place a cast iron skillet on the lowest rack (to aid with steam generation later).

Just before placing loaves into the oven, score the loaves using a sharp serrated knife (lubricated with olive oil if necessary); make three (or more) oblique cuts approximately ¼-inch deep down the longitudinal axis of the French loaves at an angle of about 10-15°.

Bake the bread. Place dough on the baking rack or baking stone. Put about a 8-12 ice cubes in the skillet to produce steam. Close the oven door immediately. Add additional ice cubes if required during the first 10 minutes that the loaves are baking. Reduce heat to 400° and bake using convection heat until internal temperature has reached 200°. The crust should be golden brown and the bread will sound hollow when tapped.

Allow baked loaves to cool for 1 hour before slicing. Serve with a dipping oil or lightly toasted with organic butter.

(Update Fri Feb 13 09:19:44 PST 2009 // turn the dough)

Sunflower Seed Sourdough Bread
This bread is very hearty and incredibly delicious. This or the Ten Grain Sourdough Bread is my favorite.

The night before you want to bake this bread, you'll need to prepare the stiff sourdough starter as well as soak the sunflower seeds.

¾ cup raw sunflower seeds
¾ cup water

Measure out the sunflower seeds into a small bowl. Pour the water over the seeds and let sit uncovered at room temperature overnight. In the morning, the seeds will have absorbed some of the water, but not all. Strain off the excess water, draining them well.

For the stiff sourdough starter:

¼ cup stiff sourdough starter
¼ cup water, tepid
⅔ cup white flour (stone-ground unbleached flour is preferred)
2 tsp organic stone-ground whole wheat flour

Place stiff sourdough starter in a small bowl. Add water and use a spoon or a spatula to break up the starter. Add the bread flour and the whole wheat flour and knead until the water has absorbed. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. The next morning, the mixture should have doubled in volume.

Pinch off about ½ cup of the stiff dough starter and store the rest in refrigerator.

Assemble the following ingredients:

1⅓ cup water, tepid
2¼ cups unbleached white flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup rye flour
1½ tsp finely ground sea salt

Mix the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer (like a KitchenAid) combine the water with the white flour, wheat flour, rye flour, and soaked sunflower seeds. Mix by hand until the water is absorbed and a rough dough forms. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes to hydrate the flour. Then place the dough, the reserved 1¼ cups stiff dough starter, and the salt in a bowl of a stand mixer (like a KitchenAid).

Knead the dough. Add the reserved ½ cup starter and the salt. Using a kneading attachment (dough hook) mix the dough on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid mixer) for 10 minutes. The dough will be soft and tacky, but should clean the sides of the stainless steel bowl. Test the dough using the "window pane" or "membrane" test. To test, take a golfball-sized piece of dough and flatten it slightly. Put the fingers of both hands underneath it and very gently stretch it. If the dough can be stretched such that the center is thin enough to see through, then the dough is ready. If not, knead for another two minutes.

Ferment the dough. After kneading, form the dough into a ball. Spray the inside of a square food storer with a little olive oil. Place the dough ball into the container and cover. Place container in oven (with oven light or pilot light on) and let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Turn the dough. After 1 hour of fermenting, scrape the dough out on to a floured counter. Pat it into a square roughly 8 inches by 8 inches. Fold the flattened dough into thirds, first one way (like a business letter) and then the other. Place the folded dough back into the container. Place container back in warmed oven until dough has increased by about 50% in size... about 2-3 hours.

Shape and proof the dough. Turn bowl upside down on floured surface. Knead gently and then form into one large round or divide and form the dough into two medium-sized ovals. Place dough in heavily-floured bannetons. Cover lightly (like with a paper towel) and let rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours. The dough is ready to score and bake when you press your fingertip into the dough slightly and the resulting indentation springs back slowly.

Prepare the oven. Preheat oven to 450°. If using a baking stone, place stone on middle rack and preheat for at least 30 minutes. Also place a cast iron skillet on the lowest rack (to aid with steam generation later).

Score the loaves using a sharp serrated knife (lubricated with olive oil if necessary); make ¼-inch deep cuts in the dough to form a "tic-tac-toe" pattern.

Bake the bread. Place dough on the baking rack or baking stone. Put about a 8-12 ice cubes in the skillet to produce steam. Close the oven door immediately. Add additional ice cubes if required during the first 10 minutes that the loaves are baking. Reduce heat to 400° and bake using convection heat until internal temperature has reached 200°. The crust should be golden brown and the bread will sound hollow when tapped. Allow baked bread to cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour.

(Update Fri Feb 13 09:19:44 PST 2009 // turn the dough)

Flax Seed Sourdough Bread
The night before you want to bake this bread, you'll need to prepare the sourdough starter as well as soak the flax seeds.

⅔ cup brown flax seeds
1 cup water

Measure out the flax seeds into a small bowl. Pour the water over the seeds and let sit uncovered at room temperature overnight. In the morning, the seeds should have absorbed all of the water and will cling together in a slippery mess that resembles tapioca.

For the starter, mix:

¼ cup sourdough starter
¾ cup water, tepid
¾ cup unbleached white flour (King Arthur's or Bob's Red Mill)

Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. The next morning, the mixture should be bubbly and will have expanded by about a third.

Assemble the following additional ingredients:

2¾ cups unbleached white bread flour (King Arthur's or Bob's Red Mill)
¼ cup stone-ground whole wheat flour
¼ cup rye flour
1 cup of tap or bottled water, tepid
1½ tsp finely ground sea salt

Mix the dough. In a bowl combine the water (and oil) with the flour and the starter (approximately 1¾ cup) and mix by hand until the water is absorbed and a rough dough forms. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes to hydrate the flour. Then place the dough with the salt in a bowl of a stand mixer (like a KitchenAid).

Knead the dough. Using a kneading attachment (dough hook) mix the dough on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid mixer) for 10 minutes. The dough will be soft and tacky, but should clean the sides of the stainless steel bowl. Test the dough using the "window pane" or "membrane" test. To test, take a golfball-sized piece of dough and flatten it slightly. Put the fingers of both hands underneath it and very gently stretch it. If the dough can be stretched such that the center is thin enough to see through, then the dough is ready. If not, knead for another two minutes.

Ferment the dough. After kneading, form the dough into a ball. Spray the inside of a square food storer with a little olive oil (or Pam). Place the dough ball into the container and cover. Place container in oven (with oven light or pilot light on) and let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Turn the dough. After 1 hour of fermenting, dump the dough out on to a floured surface. Pat it into a square roughly 8 inches by 8 inches. Fold the flattened dough into thirds, first one way (like a business letter) and then the other. Place the folded dough back into the container. Place container back in warmed oven until dough has doubled in size... about 2-3 hours.

Shape and proof the dough. Turn container upside down on floured surface. Knead gently and then form the dough into one large round or divide and form the dough into two medium-sized rounds. Place dough in heavily-floured bannetons. Cover lightly (like with a damp paper towel) and let rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours. The dough is ready to score and bake when you press your fingertip into the dough slightly and the resulting indentation springs back slowly.

Prepare the oven. Preheat oven to 450°. If using a baking stone, place stone on middle rack and preheat for at least 30-45 minutes. Also place a cast iron skillet on the lowest rack (to aid with steam generation later).

Just before placing loaves into the oven, score the loaves using a sharp serrated knife (lubricated with olive oil if necessary); make cuts approximately ¼-inch deep.

Bake the bread. Place dough on the baking rack or baking stone. Put about a 8-12 ice cubes in the skillet to produce steam. Close the oven door immediately. Add additional ice cubes if required during the first 10 minutes that the loaves are baking. Reduce heat to 400° and bake using convection heat until internal temperature has reached 200°. The crust should be golden brown and the bread will sound hollow when tapped.

Allow baked bread to cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour. Slice and eat the warm bread with organic butter.

(Update Tue Feb 3 15:41:44 PST 2009 // fixed URL to Bob's Red Mill)
(Update Fri Feb 13 09:19:44 PST 2009 // turn the dough)

Three Cheese Sourdough Bread
The night before you want to bake bread, mix the following ingredients in a small bowl:

¼ cup sourdough starter
¾ cup water, tepid
¾ cup unbleached white flour (King Arthur's or Bob's Red Mill)

Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. The next morning, the mixture should be bubbly and will have expanded by about a third.

Assemble the following additional ingredients:

2¾ cups unbleached white bread flour (King Arthur's or Bob's Red Mill)
¼ cup stone-ground whole wheat flour
¼ cup rye flour
1 cup of tap or bottled water, tepid
1 tbs olive oil
1½ tsp finely ground sea salt
2 oz Comté cheese
2 oz English Country Farmhouse Cheddar cheese
2 oz Cantal cheese or Gruyère cheese

Mix the dough. In a bowl combine the water (and oil) with the flour and the starter (approximately 1¾ cup) and mix by hand until the water is absorbed and a rough dough forms. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes to hydrate the flour. Then place the dough with the salt in a bowl of a stand mixer (like a KitchenAid).

Prepare the cheese. Cut the cheese into ¼-½" cubes.

Knead the dough. Using a kneading attachment (dough hook) mix the dough on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid mixer) for 10 minutes. The dough will be soft and tacky, but should clean the sides of the stainless steel bowl. Test the dough using the "window pane" or "membrane" test. To test, take a golfball-sized piece of dough and flatten it slightly. Put the fingers of both hands underneath it and very gently stretch it. If the dough can be stretched such that the center is thin enough to see through, then the dough is ready. If not, knead for another two minutes. Lower spead on mixer, add cheese cubes, and mix to combine... approximately two more minutes.

Ferment the dough. After kneading, form the dough into a ball. Spray the inside of a square food storer with a little olive oil (or Pam). Place the dough ball into the container and cover. Place container in oven (with oven light or pilot light on) and let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Turn the dough. After 1 hour of fermenting, dump the dough out on to a floured surface. Pat it into a square roughly 8 inches by 8 inches. Fold the flattened dough into thirds, first one way (like a business letter) and then the other. Place the folded dough back into the container. Place container back in warmed oven until dough has doubled in size... about 2-3 hours.

Shape and proof the dough. Turn container upside down on floured surface. Knead gently and then divide the loaf in half and form into two medium French loaves. Use this very handy french bread pan from Chicago Metallic; it is an absolute must. Cover lightly (like with a damp paper towel) and let rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours. The dough is ready to score and bake when you press your fingertip into the dough slightly and the resulting indentation springs back slowly.

Prepare the oven. Preheat oven to 450°. If using a baking stone, place stone on middle rack and preheat for at least 30-45 minutes. Also place a cast iron skillet on the lowest rack (to aid with steam generation later).

Just before placing loaves into the oven, score the loaves using a sharp serrated knife (lubricated with olive oil if necessary); make three (or more) oblique cuts approximately ¼-inch deep down the longitudinal axis of the French loaves at an angle of about 10-15°.

Bake the bread. Place dough on the baking rack or baking stone. Put about a 8-12 ice cubes in the skillet to produce steam. Close the oven door immediately. Add additional ice cubes if required during the first 10 minutes that the loaves are baking. Reduce heat to 400° and bake using convection heat until internal temperature has reached 200°. The crust should be golden brown and the bread will sound hollow when tapped.

After you have baked the bread, you should end up with something that looks like this:

Allow baked loaves to cool for 1 hour before slicing. Serve with a dipping oil or lightly toasted with organic butter.

(Update Fri Feb 13 09:19:44 PST 2009 // turn the dough)
(Update Mon Apr 27 15:48:16 PDT 2009 // added additional pictures)

Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
The night before you want to bake this bread, you'll need:

¼ cup stiff sourdough starter
½ cup water, tepid
1 cup whole white wheat flour (stone-ground whole wheat flour is preferred)

Place stiff sourdough starter in a small bowl. Add water and use a spoon or a spatula to break up the starter. Add the whole wheat flour and knead until the water has absorbed. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. The next morning, the mixture should have doubled in volume. Here is a picture of the whole wheat stiff dough starter (on left):

Pinch off about 1¼ cups of the stiff dough starter and store the rest in refrigerator.

Assemble the following ingredients:

1½ cup water, tepid
1 tbs olive oil (or an additional 1 tbs of water)
¾ cup unbleached white flour
2½ cup stone-ground whole wheat flour
1½ tsp finely ground sea salt

Mix the dough. In a bowl combine the water with the white flour and the whole wheat flour and mix by hand until the water is absorbed and a rough dough forms. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes to hydrate the flour. Then place the dough, the reserved 1¼ cups stiff dough starter, and the salt in a bowl of a stand mixer (like a KitchenAid).

Knead the dough. Using a kneading attachment (dough hook) mix the dough on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid mixer) for 10 minutes. The dough will be soft and tacky, but should clean the sides of the stainless steel bowl. Test the dough using the "window pane" or "membrane" test. To test, take a golfball-sized piece of dough and flatten it slightly. Put the fingers of both hands underneath it and very gently stretch it. If the dough can be stretched such that the center is thin enough to see through, then the dough is ready. If not, knead for another two minutes.

Ferment the dough. After kneading, form the dough into a ball. Spray the inside of a square food storer with a little olive oil (or Pam). Place the dough ball into the container and cover. Place container in oven (with oven light or pilot light on) and let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Turn the dough. After 1 hour of fermenting, dump the dough out on to a floured surface. Pat it into a square roughly 8 inches by 8 inches. Fold the flattened dough into thirds, first one way (like a business letter) and then the other. Place the folded dough back into the container. Place container back in warmed oven until dough has increased by about 50% in size... about 2-3 hours.

Shape and proof the dough. Turn container upside down on floured surface. Knead gently and then divide and form the dough into one large round or divide and form the dough into two medium-sized rounds. Place dough in heavily-floured bannetons. Cover lightly (like with a damp paper towel) and let rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours. The dough is ready to score and bake when you press your fingertip into the dough slightly and the resulting indentation springs back slowly.

Prepare the oven. Preheat oven to 450°. If using a baking stone, place stone on middle rack and preheat for at least 30-45 minutes. Also place a cast iron skillet on the lowest rack (to aid with steam generation later).

Just before placing loaves into the oven, score the loaves using a sharp serrated knife (lubricated with olive oil if necessary); make cuts approximately ¼-inch deep cuts in the dough to create a wheat grain looking pattern.

Bake the bread. Place dough on the baking rack or baking stone. Put about a 8-12 ice cubes in the skillet to produce steam. Close the oven door immediately. Add additional ice cubes if required during the first 10 minutes that the loaves are baking. Reduce heat to 400° and bake using convection heat until internal temperature has reached 200°. The crust should be golden brown and the bread will sound hollow when tapped.

Here are a few pictures I took during the preparation process:

You should end up with something like this:

Allow baked bread to cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour. Serve warm with organic butter topped with honey or fruit preserves.

(Update Wed Jan 21 10:42:20 PST 2009 // ferment the dough in containers)
(Update Fri Feb 13 09:19:44 PST 2009 // turn the dough)

Ten Grain Sourdough Bread
The night before you want to bake this bread, you'll need to prepare the stiff sourdough starter as well as soak the cereal grains.

⅔ cup Bob's Red Mill Wheat-less 8-grain hot cereal
¾ cup water

Measure out the cereal grains into a small bowl. Pour the water over the cereal and let sit uncovered at room temperature overnight. In the morning, the cereal should have absorbed all of the water.

For the stiff sourdough starter:

¼ cup stiff sourdough starter
¼ cup water, tepid
⅔ cup unbleached white bread flour (King Arthur's or Bob's Red Mill)
2 tsp organic stone-ground whole wheat flour (King Arthur's or Bob's Red Mill)

Place stiff sourdough starter in a small bowl. Add water and use a spoon or a spatula to break up the starter. Add the bread flour and the whole wheat flour and knead until the water has absorbed. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. The next morning, the mixture should have doubled in volume. Here is a picture of the stiff dough starter (on right):

Pinch off about ½ cup of the stiff dough starter and store the rest in refrigerator.

Assemble the following ingredients:

1 cup water, tepid
1 tbs olive oil (or an additional 1 tbs of water)
2¼ cups unbleached white bread flour (King Arthur's or Bob's Red Mill)
¾ cup stone-ground whole wheat flour (King Arthur's or Bob's Red Mill)
¼ cup rye flour
1½ tsp finely ground sea salt

Mix the dough. In a bowl combine the water with the flour and the hyrdrated cereal and mix by hand until the water is absorbed and a rough dough forms. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes to allow the flour to develop on its own. Then place the dough, the reserved ½ cup stiff dough starter, and the salt in a bowl of a stand mixer (like a KitchenAid).

Knead the dough. Using a kneading attachment (dough hook) mix the dough on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid mixer) for 10 minutes. The dough will be soft and tacky, but should clean the sides of the stainless steel bowl. Test the dough using the "window pane" or "membrane" test. To test, take a golfball-sized piece of dough and flatten it slightly. Put the fingers of both hands underneath it and very gently stretch it. If the dough can be stretched such that the center is thin enough to see through, then the dough is ready. If not, knead for another two minutes.

Ferment the dough. After kneading, form the dough into a ball. Spray the inside of a square food storer with a little olive oil (or Pam). Place the dough ball into the container and cover. Place container in oven (with oven light or pilot light on) and let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Turn the dough. After 1 hour of fermenting, dump the dough out on to a floured surface. Pat it into a square roughly 8 inches by 8 inches. Fold the flattened dough into thirds, first one way (like a business letter) and then the other. Place the folded dough back into the container. Place container back in warmed oven until dough has increased by about 50% in size... about 2-3 hours.

Shape and proof the dough. Turn container upside down on floured surface. Knead gently and then divide and form the dough into one large round or divide and form the dough into two medium-sized rounds. Place dough in heavily-floured bannetons. Cover lightly (like with a damp paper towel) and let rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours. The dough is ready to score and bake when you press your fingertip into the dough slightly and the resulting indentation springs back slowly.

Prepare the oven. Preheat oven to 450°. If using a baking stone, place stone on middle rack and preheat for at least 30-45 minutes. Also place a cast iron skillet on the lowest rack (to aid with steam generation later).

Just before placing loaves into the oven, score the loaves using a sharp serrated knife (lubricated with olive oil if necessary); make cuts approximately ¼-inch deep cuts in the dough to create a plus sign (+) which is also the character for "10" in Chinese (十). Get it? 10-grain... Chinese symbol for the numeral 10. OK. Good.

Bake the bread. Place dough on the baking rack or baking stone. Put about a 8-12 ice cubes in the skillet to produce steam. Close the oven door immediately. Add additional ice cubes if required during the first 10 minutes that the loaves are baking. Reduce heat to 400° and bake using convection heat until internal temperature has reached 200°. The crust should be golden brown and the bread will sound hollow when tapped.

You should end up with something like this:

Allow baked bread to cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour (if you can wait that long). Slice and eat the hot bread with organic butter and homemade preserves.

(Update Mon Jan 17 02:25:36 PST 2009 // added additional pictures)
(Update Wed Jan 21 07:54:03 PST 2009 // added picture of starter)
(Update Wed Jan 21 10:42:20 PST 2009 // ferment the dough in containers)
(Update Sat Jan 31 21:27:40 PST 2009 // soak cereal overnight)
(Update Fri Feb 13 09:19:44 PST 2009 // turn the dough)

Rosemary Garlic Sourdough Bread
This bread is a very good dinner bread to serve with a formal meal. A couple of days before you want to make this bread, snip some fresh sprigs of rosemary from your rosemary bushes (or go buy some at the store). Let the rosemary partially dehydrate indoors at room temperature. I pick rosemary from our bushes and place the sprigs in a decorative vase in the kitchen window sill.

The night before you want to bake bread, mix the following ingredients in a small bowl:

¼ cup sourdough starter
¾ cup water, tepid
¾ cup unbleached white flour (King Arthur's or Bob's Red Mill)

Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. The next morning, the mixture should be bubbly and will have expanded by about a third.

Assemble the following additional ingredients:

2¾ cups unbleached white bread flour (King Arthur's or Bob's Red Mill)
¼ cup stone-ground whole wheat flour
¼ cup rye flour
2 tbs coarsely chopped partially-dried rosemary
2 tbs minced garlic
about 12-16 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
14 tbs tap or bottled water, tepid
2 tbs olive oil
1½ tsp finely ground sea salt

Mix the dough. In a bowl combine the water and oil with the flour and the starter (approximately 1¾ cup) and mix by hand until the water is absorbed and a rough dough forms. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes to hydrate the flour. Then place the dough with the salt in a bowl of a stand mixer (like a KitchenAid).

Prepare the garlic. For the minced garlic, I use some prepared stuff that Costco sells in a 48oz tub. For the price ($3.50 at the time of publication), it is well worth it for the convenience. When preparing the garlic cloves, strip the paper skin and then cut the bottom end off of the clove. Cut the clove in half lenghtwise. Use the fine point of a paring knife to pick out and trim all of the green parts away. The green bits (according to America's Test Kitchen) have a bitter taste when cooked. Here is a picture of some prepared garlic cloves:

Toss the garlic cloves with some olive oil and roast in an oven on the lowest broil setting for about 5 minutes to soften and sweeten the garlic.

Knead the dough. Using a kneading attachment (dough hook) mix the dough on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid mixer) for 10 minutes. The dough will be soft and tacky, but should clean the sides of the stainless steel bowl. Test the dough using the "window pane" or "membrane" test. To test, take a golfball-sized piece of dough and flatten it slightly. Put the fingers of both hands underneath it and very gently stretch it. If the dough can be stretched such that the center is thin enough to see through, then the dough is ready. If not, knead for another two minutes. Lower spead on mixer, add garlic and rosemary, then mix to combine... approximately two more minutes.

Ferment the dough. After kneading, form the dough into a ball. Spray the inside of a square food storer with a little olive oil (or Pam). Place the dough ball into the container and cover. Place container in oven (with oven light or pilot light on) and let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Turn the dough. After 1 hour of fermenting, dump the dough out on to a floured surface. Pat it into a square roughly 8 inches by 8 inches. Fold the flattened dough into thirds, first one way (like a business letter) and then the other. Place the folded dough back into the container. Place container back in warmed oven until dough has doubled in size... about 2-3 hours.

Shape and proof the dough. Turn container upside down on floured surface. Knead gently and then divide and form the dough into one large round, two medium ovals, or two medium-sized french loaves. Use bannetons made of cane to imprint an interesting pattern onto the round or oval loaves. When forming french loaves, this very handy french bread pan from Chicago Metallic is an absolute must. Cover lightly (like with a damp paper towel) and let rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours. The dough is ready to score and bake when you press your fingertip into the dough slightly and the resulting indentation springs back slowly.

Prepare the oven. Preheat oven to 450°. If using a baking stone, place stone on middle rack and preheat for at least 30-45 minutes. Also place a cast iron skillet on the lowest rack (to aid with steam generation later).

Just before placing loaves into the oven, score the loaves using a sharp serrated knife (lubricated with olive oil if necessary); make cuts approximately ¼-inch deep.

Bake the bread. Place dough on the baking rack or baking stone. Put about a 8-12 ice cubes in the skillet to produce steam. Close the oven door immediately. Add additional ice cubes if required during the first 10 minutes that the loaves are baking. Reduce heat to 400° and bake using convection heat until internal temperature has reached 200°. The crust should be golden brown and the bread will sound hollow when tapped.

After you have baked the bread, you should end up with something that looks like this:

Allow to cool. Slice and serve as a dipping bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

(Update Wed Jan 21 00:06:27 PST 2009 // added pictures)
(Update Fri Feb 13 09:55:29 PST 2009 // revision 2)

"Country Blend" Sourdough Bread
My brother Mark went to France on his LDS mission. I explained to him that I have been trying some bread recipes with a mixture of white, wheat, and rye flours. He characterized it as a "country blend" of flours; so I decided to title this bread after his apt description. This recipe is essentially the same as the Basic White Sourdough Bread recipe with just some substitutions of wheat and rye flour for some of the white flour.

The night before you want to bake bread, mix the following ingredients in a small bowl:

¼ cup sourdough starter
¾ cup water, tepid
¾ cup unbleached white flour (King Arthur's or Bob's Red Mill)

Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. The next morning, the mixture should be bubbly and will have expanded by about a third.

Assemble the following additional ingredients:

2¾ cups unbleached white bread flour (King Arthur's or Bob's Red Mill)
¼ cup stone-ground whole wheat flour
¼ cup rye flour
1 cup of tap or bottled water, tepid
1 tbs olive oil (or an additional 1 tbs of water)
1½ tsp finely ground sea salt

Note: Replace 1 tbs of the white flour with 1 tbs of buckwheat flour for bread with a more earthy flavor.

Mix the dough. In a bowl combine the water (and oil) with the flour and the starter (approximately 1¾ cup) and mix by hand until the water is absorbed and a rough dough forms. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes to hydrate the flour. Then place the dough with the salt in a bowl of a stand mixer (like a KitchenAid).

Knead the dough. Using a kneading attachment (dough hook) mix the dough on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid mixer) for 10 minutes. The dough will be soft and tacky, but should clean the sides of the stainless steel bowl. Test the dough using the "window pane" or "membrane" test. To test, take a golfball-sized piece of dough and flatten it slightly. Put the fingers of both hands underneath it and very gently stretch it. If the dough can be stretched such that the center is thin enough to see through, then the dough is ready. If not, knead for another two minutes.

Ferment the dough. After kneading, form the dough into a ball. Spray the inside of a square food storer with a little olive oil (or Pam). Place the dough ball into the container and cover. Place container in oven (with oven light or pilot light on) and let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Turn the dough. After 1 hour of fermenting, dump the dough out on to a floured surface. Pat it into a square roughly 8 inches by 8 inches. Fold the flattened dough into thirds, first one way (like a business letter) and then the other. Place the folded dough back into the container. Place container back in warmed oven until dough has doubled in size... about 2-3 hours.

Shape and proof the dough. Turn container upside down on floured surface. Knead gently and then divide and form the dough into the desired shapes (e.g. a rectangular loaf, two medium French loaves, or one large round boule). Place dough in oiled loaf pans, perforated french loaf pan, or a floured brotform. When forming french loaves, this very handy french bread pan from Chicago Metallic is an absolute must. Cover lightly (like with a damp paper towel) and let rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours. The dough is ready to score and bake when you press your fingertip into the dough slightly and the resulting indentation springs back slowly.

Prepare the oven. Preheat oven to 450°. If using a baking stone, place stone on middle rack and preheat for at least 30-45 minutes. Also place a cast iron skillet on the lowest rack (to aid with steam generation later).

Just before placing loaves into the oven, score the loaves using a sharp serrated knife (lubricated with olive oil if necessary); make cuts approximately ¼-inch deep.

Bake the bread. Place dough on the baking rack or baking stone. Put about a 8-12 ice cubes in the skillet to produce steam. Close the oven door immediately. Add additional ice cubes if required during the first 10 minutes that the loaves are baking. Reduce heat to 400° and bake using convection heat until internal temperature has reached 200°. The crust should be golden brown and the bread will sound hollow when tapped.

You should end up with something like this:

Allow baked bread to cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour (if you can wait that long). Slice and eat the hot bread with organic butter and homemade preserves.

(Update Tue Jan 20 23:43:43 PST 2009 // added picture)
(Update Wed Jan 21 10:42:20 PST 2009 // ferment the dough in containers)
(Update Fri Feb 13 09:19:44 PST 2009 // turn the dough)

Making a Firm Sourdough Starter from Liquid Sourdough Starter
Some of the recipes I've found and want to try call for the use of a "firm sourdough starter" (stiff dough levain) instead of a batter-type starter (liquid levain). I used a two-day process to convert some of my liquid starter into a solid one.

On Day 1, assemble the following ingredients:

1½ tbs liquid sourdough starter
1½ tbs water
½ cup unbleached bread flour

Dissolve the starter in the water, add the flour, and knead together to make a very firm dough. Cover and let the dough ferment overnight, about 8 to 12 hours. It should expand by about 50%.

On Day 2, assemble the following ingredients:

3 tbs water
½ cup unbleached bread flour
1 tbs organic stone ground whole wheat flour

Uncover the firm starter made the previous day. Add water and use a spoon or a spatula to break up the starter. Add the bread flour and the whole wheat flour and knead until the water has absorbed. Cover and let the dough stand at room temperature for 8-12 hours or until the dough has doubled in volume. Store in refrigerator. Refresh once per week. To refresh the stiff dough levain, pinch off about ¼ cup of the the firm starter and throw the rest away. Then, using the reserved ¼ cup of firm starter as the culture, follow steps from "Day 2" above. Do this at least once per week.

Here are a couple of pictures of the stiff dough starter on the morning after preparation. The tape marks on the containers indicate the level of the dough on the previous night.

(Update Tue Jan 20 23:21:13 PST 2009 // added pictures)