If you have been hiding under a rock somewhere or are avoiding social media, you may have missed the huge Sourdough Bread trend currently rocking the internet. For close to a year leading up to the pandemic closure our chefs were making their own bread in house and included their own sourdough in each breadbasket. Sourdough initially caught Chef Serdjo’s interest when a cousin of his returned from sunny California and a class in the art of making the perfect recipe. The creation and nurture of the famous “mother” or starter ensued and the rest is history. Given the current popularity of the beloved baked good, we figured we’d share our recipe for the best sourdough bread…

What is the difference between a sourdough and regular bread?

Regular bread is made with store bought yeast that reacts with gluten causing it to rise and sourdough is made with a starter or a “mother” that serves the same purpose. Sourdough is converted to sugar in the body more slowly aiding digestion. This helps those of us who are monitoring our blood glucose levels for health reasons. Some say it is much easier for people who have gluten sensitivies to digest sourdough. It has a mild to moderate sour flavour which is wonderful paired with honey or sweet jams.

And now for the good stuff…our chef’s recipe is as follows:

INGREDIENTS

Starter             180 grams

Water              450 grams

Flour                600 grams

Salt                  18 grams

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl except salt. Leave to rise for 30 min and then add salt. Proof the bread (fold with wet hands so it doesn’t stick) and then let rise for 30 min. Proof and leave to rise for 30 min three more times. Let rest for 4 hours. Shape the dough into two loaves. Let rest for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place loaves in dutch ovens or a pan with a top. Bake 25 min lid on. Bake 25 min lid off. Turn off oven. Open oven door a crack and leave for 20 min. Enjoy!