The Doctor's Sourdough Bread Photo Tutorial

Here's a handy photo tutorial of this recipe. :)

The Doctor’s Sourdough BREAD

1 c Sourdough Starter
2 c Warm Water
2 c Warm Milk
1 Tbsp Butter
2 1/4 tsp SAF Yeast
1/4 c Honey
7 c Unbleached Flour
1/4 c Wheat Germ
2 Tbsp Sugar
2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Baking Soda

OPTIONAL: Add 1/4 c wheat bran, 1/4 c oat bran, 1 c whole wheat, rye, or kasha flour (adjusting the white flour volume) to increase the dietary fiber.

Mix the starter and 2 1/2 cups of the flour and all the water the night before you want to bake. Let stand in warm place overnight. I cover it lightly with a folded towel or plastic wrap.

In the morning, it should look bubbly, foamy and a bit larger in bulk than it was the night before.

Next morning mix in the butter with just-warm milk and stir in yeast until dissolved.

Add honey and when thoroughly mixed add to the starter mixture. Mix in 2 more cups of flour (I'm using wheat and rye) and stir in the wheat germ and oat bran (if you are using it).

Sprinkle sugar, salt, and baking soda over the mixture. Gently press into dough and mix lightly. (I blend it in using the 'momentary' pulse a few times.)

Allow to stand from 30 to 50 minutes until mixture is bubbly.

Add enough unbleached flour until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl. Then place the dough on a lightly floured board and knead 5 minutes until a silky mixture is developed.

Portion and form into loaves, place in well-greased loaf pans 9 x 3 size or in French bread pans.





Let rise until double, about 2 to 3 hours in a warm room. I usually allow the french loaves to rise in the oven at 100 degrees for an hour, and let the loaves rise, covered, on top of the stove.









Place pan with 3 c water in bottom of oven for steam.

Then bake in hot oven, 375-400 degrees F. for 20-25 minutes. Remove from pans and place loaves on rack to cool. Butter tops of loaves to prevent hard crustiness.

Light crust for me....


Darker crust for my husband:


Makes 5-6 1-lb Loaves (I have had it make up to 7 pounds of dough on a wet day. Yield will depend on many factors, including weather and humidity.)