Ingredients:
375g (13oz) strong plain flour, plus extra to dust
1½tsp caster sugar
1½tsp salt
250g (9oz) sourdough starter
Oil, to grease
1. To make sourdough, a starter is needed, which takes several days to prepare but will then keep indefinitely if maintained.
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2. To make sourdough, put flour, sugar, salt and sourdough starter in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add in enough water to bring mixture together to a soft dough, it’ll take up to 200ml (7fl oz) to come together.
3. Lightly rub work surface with a drop of oil and knead dough for 10min until smooth and springs back when pressed with a finger.
4. Lightly oil a large bowl and put dough inside. Lightly oil a piece of cling film and cover bowl. Leave to rise in a warm place for 5hr or until doubled in size. Sourdough breads take much longer to rise than yeasted breads so don’t panic if your bread doesn’t seem to be rising at first.
5. Remove cling film and punch dough down with a fist, to knock air out. Lightly flour work surface and roughly knead dough for a couple of min to redistribute air bubbles evenly.
6. Shape into a round loaf, then line a large bowl with a clean, dry tea towel. Dust generously with flour and lay loaf inside, seam side up. Cover loosely with hanging edges of tea towel. Prove for at least 5hr, or after 1hr at room temperature dough can put in fridge to prove overnight. Bring dough out of fridge for 1hr before baking to bring it up to room temperature.
7. Take a baking sheet and dust with flour and tip dough out. Carefully peel off tea towel.8 Put a baking tray with hot water into bottom of oven, to produce steam. Bake bread at 240°C (220°C fan) mark 9 for 20-25min, until a good crust has formed and loaf sounds hollow when tapped on underside.
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