43 bake from scratch
Sourdough Made Simple with Zoë François
ZOË FRANÇOIS HAS SPENT HER COOKBOOK-WRITING CAREER MAKING BREADAPPROACHABLE AND EASY FOR BEGINNER BAKERS. NOW SHE’S OFFERING THETOPTIPSALLNEWBIESSHOULDKNOWBEFOREDIVINGIN.Makes 1 oval bouleSourdough without homemade sourdough
starter sounds impossible, but this recipe and
its revolutionary ingredient—Red Star Platinum
Instant Sourdough Yeast—guarantees it. With
dried sourdough starter mixed with high-powered
yeast, this sourdough boule skips the starter
without missing any fl avor. For a bit of variety, we
swap our round Dutch oven and boule shape for
an elongated oval.4½ cups (572 grams) bread fl our
1 (0.63-ounce) package (18 grams) Red
Star Platinum Instant Sourdough Yeast
1 tablespoon (9 grams) kosher salt
1¾ cups (420 grams) warm water
(105°F/41°C to 110°F/43°C)- In the bowl of a stand mixer fi tted with the
paddle attachment, combine fl our, instant
sourdough, and salt. Add 1¾ cups (420 grams)
warm water, and beat at medium-low speed until a
sticky dough forms, about 30 seconds. Cover and
let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C)
for 2 hours. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper,
and generously dust with bread fl our. - Turn out dough onto a fl oured surface.
Gently stretch and fold bottom third over to
center. Stretch right side out, and fold right
third over to center; repeat with left side.
Finish by folding top third over previous folds.
Roll loaf away from you, and using both hands,
cup dough and pull it toward you to seal. Turn
dough 180 degrees, and pull again until a tight,
smooth, oval boule forms. (To shape dough
into a round boule for a round Dutch oven, see
Shaping Boule on page 37.) Place dough seam
side down on prepared pan. Cover and let rise
in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) for
1 hour. (Alternatively, place dough on prepared
pan; cover and refrigerate overnight. The next
day, remove dough from refrigerator, and let
rise in a warm, draft-free place [75°F/24°C]
for 1 hour.) - When dough has 30 minutes left to rise,
place a 5- to 7-quart oval enamel-coated
Dutch oven and lid in cold oven. Preheat oven
to 500°F (260°C).- Using a lame or razor blade, score top of
loaf. Carefully remove hot Dutch oven from
oven; remove lid, and place dough, still on
parchment, in Dutch oven. Cover with lid, and
place back in oven. - Immediately reduce oven temperature
to 425°F (220°C). Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove lid, and bake until an instant-read
thermometer inserted in center registers
205°F (96°C), 10 to 15 minutes more.
Immediately remove loaf from Dutch oven,
and let cool completely on a wire rack.
SHEET PAN METHOD:
Although we prefer the Dutch oven method,
each of these recipes can be baked on a sheet
pan. To bake on a sheet pan, cover loaf with
foil, and tightly seal foil around rim of pan. Bake
at 425°F (220°C) for 30 minutes. Uncover
and bake until an instant-read thermometer
inserted in center registers205°F(96°C),
10 to 15 minutes more.ShortCutShortCut Sourdough BouleSourdough Boule
Sourdough takes time, but
it’s inactive time. “Making
sourdough bread is a slow
and steady process, but that
shouldn’t intimidate fi rst-
time bakers. The long time
periods are inactive, where you
basically let the bread work
its own fermenting magic. So,
it’s less about an intense time
commitment and more about
having a proper schedule in
place.”Sourdough should be a fun
process, not a perfect one.
“Making sourdough can be an
intense experience, but it’s too
much fun not to do it. Think of
it: You’re growing and nurturing
your own yeasted culture;
then, you’re making your
own leavened bread with that
culture. And it’s not hard! It’s
just not a perfected journey—
every loaf will be diff erent. But
that’s half the fun, isn’t it?”Your bubbly active sourdough
starter? It can be dried! “I have
a jar full of sourdough starter
chips that I can take with me
and give as gifts to friends or
to use on the spot for baking. I
spread my starter out thinly on
a Silpat baking mat, and leave
it in the oven with just the light
on. Over the next day, it’ll dry
out, and I’ll break it into chips.
When I’m ready to use it again, I
rehydrate it and feed it over the
next few days, and it becomes
deliciously active again.”Still intimidated? Try Red Star
Platinum Instant Sourdough
Yeast. “The incredible thing
about the Red Star Platinum
Instant Sourdough Yeast is that
it has the oomph of fl avor from
dried sourdough starter and the
added insurance of commercial
yeast. I’ve been recommending
for years in our cookbooks
that if you’re trying your fi rst
sourdough loaf, add a touch of
yeast just as a backup. Now Red
Star has the perfect all-in-one
packet for you to add to yoursourdough.” (^) •