Judy’s Sourdough Bread

My mom was a bread baker. It was something that she loved and was a cost-saving for her large bunch of mouths to feed. She wasn’t a fancy baker; she was a practical one. I have great memories of the warm bread she would use to make our lunches. The house very often had that wonderful smell of bread baking. I came across an old folder that had a bunch of my mom’s recipes, all handwritten. Some of her own and some were from friends. I found this one for Sourdough, as well as a method for her starter.

I made the bread, and after two attempts, I was able to tweak the recipe, and it came out perfectly.  I am going to include the starter used, though I used my own.

• Ingredients
• 1 packet of active dry yeast
• 2 cups of warm water
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 ½ cups of sourdough starter
• 6 cups of all-purpose, unbleached flour
• 2 tablespoons any neutral oil
• ¼ cup cornmeal

In a large bowl add in the two cups of warm water and dissolve the yeast and sugar for about five to eight minutes.  Wait for the yeast to bloom completely.  Add in two cups of flour and the sourdough starter.  Mix thoroughly and continue to mix until everything is completely incorporated.

Now add in about 4 cups of flour and reserve the rest to roll out and incorporate into the dough as you need it.  Don’t worry if you end up needing more than a total of six cups of flour, just keep adding until the dough is no longer sticky and easy to handle. Once the dough comes together then knead for eight minutes.

Put the oil in the bottom of a clean large bowl and coat the dough in the oil and leave it in the bowl.  Put it in a warm, draft-free spot (I turn the light on in my oven and put the dough in there) for about sixty to ninety minutes or until it’s doubled in size.

When you take the dough out when its doubled, turn the oven on to 400 degrees and sprinkle the cornmeal onto the bottom of a sheet pan.  Turn the dough out and knead it a little bit to form it into a tube and then cut the dough in half.  Roll them tightly with the seam-side down.  Place them on the sheet pan and let them rest for another thirty minutes. Put the loaves of bread into the oven and spray the loaves with water.  Close the oven and set the timer for five minutes.  Repeat this twice, every five minutes.  This will help give the bread a crispy crust.

When the bread is done, after thirty-five to forty-five minutes, it will have a nice hollow sound when you tap the loaf with your knuckle or wooden spoon.

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Judy's Sourdough Bread

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By Judy Gallen

Prep Time: 3-4 hours – Cooking Time: 45 minutes

My mom was a bread baker. It was something that she loved and was a cost-saving for her large bunch of mouths to feed. She wasn't a fancy baker; she was a practical one. I have great memories of the warm bread she would use to make our lunches. The house very often had that wonderful smell of bread baking. I came across an old folder that had a bunch of my mom's recipes, all handwritten. Some of her own and, some were from friends. I found this one for Sourdough, as well as a method for her starter.

Ingredients

• 1 packet of active dry yeast
• 2 cups of warm water
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 ½ cups of sourdough starter
• 6 cups of all-purpose, unbleached flour
• 2 tablespoons any neutral oil
• ¼ cup cornmeal

Instructions

1

In a large bowl, add in the two cups of warm water and dissolve the yeast and sugar for about five to eight minutes. Wait for the yeast to bloom completely. Add in two cups of flour and the sourdough starter. Mix thoroughly and continue to mix until everything is completely incorporated.

2

Now add in about 4 cups of flour and reserve the rest to roll out and incorporate into the dough as you need it. Don't worry if you end up needing more than a total of six cups of flour, just keep adding until the dough is no longer sticky and easy to handle. Once the dough comes together, then knead for eight minutes.

3

Put the oil in the bottom of a large clean bowl and coat the dough in the oil and leave it in the bowl. Put it in a warm, draft-free spot (I turn the light on in my oven and put the dough in there) for about sixty to ninety minutes or until it's doubled in size.

4

When you take the dough out when its doubled, turn the oven on to 400 degrees and sprinkle the cornmeal onto the bottom of a sheet pan, turn the dough out and knead it a little bit to form it into a tube and then cut the dough in half. Roll them tightly with the seam-side down. Place them on the sheet pan and let them rest for another thirty minutes. Put the loaves of bread into the oven and spray the loaves with water. Close the oven and set the timer for five minutes. Repeat this twice every five minutes. This will help give the bread a crispy crust.

5

When the bread is done, after thirty-five to forty-five minutes, it will have a hollow sound when you tap the loaf with your knuckle or wooden spoon.