Homemade San Francisco Sour Dough

Dry starter available online or in some kitchen shops/tourist shops.

We brought home a packet of starter from a recent day-trip to Leavenworth, WA.

I started it the next morning and one week later we had our first loaf of sourdough bread.  I froze a cup, put a cup of the starter in the fridge, and used a cup in this first loaf.  

Follow the directions on the package for a week and then make your bread:

1 cup starter

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 cups better for bread flour (a higher gluten content flour than normal)

1 cup +/- warm water

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon honey or agave nectar

Stir together and use enough water to make a soft dough, not too sticky.  Knead for a few minutes and then set in a warm spot for about 4 hours.  Punch down, roll into nice ball shape and turn out onto a lightly oiled parchment placed into a small skillet.  Cover and let rise for another 3 or 4 hours until doubled in size.  Preheat oven to 450 f. with a small iron dutch oven/lid.

Bake loaf in dutch oven for 30 minutes with lid, then remove lid and bake another 20 minutes.

Lift loaf and paper out of dutch oven to cool on wire rack.

This bread is great served with hummus, greens, mushrooms and tomatoes on sandwiches.

A really crispy exterior, the result of baking in a dutch oven at a high temperature.