Mom’s Sourdough Bread or Rolls

This makes a delicious, light and airy roll or loaf. There is lots to learn and know about sourdough and if this is your first time, its worth doing a bit of reading, but don’t be put off by all the details. Its really quite simple and a very old fashioned method. Makes a tasty bread that stays fresh and freezes very well.

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 24

Cook Time: 30 min  

Ingredients

1 pkg. or 1 Tablespoon yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp. sugar

1 egg
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 cup sourdough starter
5-6 cups flour (May use all white or a combination of white/whole wheat) I usually do half/half

My basic sourdough starter recipe is:
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 Tablespoon yeast (optional)

Directions

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water with 1 tsp. sugar. Allow to sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
Mix together in a large bowl, combine egg, salt, oil, 1/2 c. sugar, milk, sourdough starter and 2 cups flour. Mix well, then add the yeast mixture.
Add another 3 c. flour or more as needed. Knead lightly for about 5 minutes. Cover with a towel and let rise to top of bowl, about 2-3 hours. Shape into 2 loaves or 24 rolls and place in greased pans. Let rise again, about 1-2 hours. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

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To make sourdough starter:
Place milk in a glass jar and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours. Add flour and leave in a warm place for 2-5 days until full of bubbles and sour. To speed the process, you can dissolve yeast in the milk, then add the flour and 1-3 tsp. sugar. Once the starter is nice and bubbly, it is ready to use. To store, keep in a covered glass or plastic container in the fridge with room for it to expand. Don’t use a metal container or lid for storage. After you remove what you need for your recipe, you’ll need to feed your starter with a mix of 1 cup flour and 1 cup water or milk. Mix well into your starter and place it back in the fridge. Stir or use every week or so.

Categories: Breads, Sourdough

Submitted by: mamajoseph on August 6, 2011