Sourdough Bread - Better than a bakery

Photos by Charisa Martin Cairn; Carol Brozman took the videos

Sourdough  4 loaves     
1 lb 50/50 sourdough starter
3 lb 6 oz flour
4  c water (or more -- use enough to completely hydrate all the other ingredients)
3 T salt, non iodized
1.5 T dry yeast
Stir together well to fully hydrate (no kneading, just mix in bowl use hands as necessary); rest at room
temp 2 hrs covered w/ plastic wrap. 

Place in fridge up to 2 weeks - no  maintenance necessary (I am not kidding!). 

Day of bake: 
Cut 1 Lb 14 oz of dough
Shape into ball (1 min, no knead)
Proof in baskets 2 hours, covered
Place on wooden peel, slash with sharp blade (also called docking)
Bake in steam oven 450 degrees  for ~ 40-45  min

Learn how to make up your own sourdough starter here on The Fresh Loaf.

Here are several very raw, short unedited videos walking you through how to create fantastic sourdough yourself. This is exactly how long it takes to make sourdough bread (the hands-on part.)

Bookmark the entry, and return when it is time to do each step. You only need to watch one video at a time for the stages.