Wholemeal Sourdough Bread

For a long time, I used to think sourdough bread and soda bread were the same thing; it was only after watching some cooking programmes that I realised that they were different. It is the similarity in the name that confuses me. Even now, with all the 's's 'o's and 'd's I still mix up their names. I guess that means it is 'sod' trying to remember.

Apart from the similar sounding names, soda and sourdough bread are in fact very different. Soda bread is a quick bread that you can make with bicarbonate of soda so you don't have to spend the time proving it. Sourdough on the other hand requires a lot of preparation. It is well worth the effort though.

You can't just make sourdough bread when you feel like it, you need to decide five days in advance. At least when it is your first time making it. The reason for this is because you need to make your own yeast culture. This is known as a starter. Starters are very easy to make, and just require flour and water. You can also add yoghurt, which is what I like to do. Not only does it give the fermentation process a kick start, but it makes the bread a little milder in taste. Whether you use yoghurt or not depends on whether you prefer a strong rustic loaf, or something a little softer.

With this recipe you should be able to get twenty slices of bread (depending on how thick you like it), and based on the brands I used, each slice should be about 103 calories.

Preparation Time: 5 days
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Makes: 1 loaf

Ingredients
300g sourdough starter (see method)
500g wholemeal bread flour
250ml water
1/2 tsp salt

Method















Categories
#sourdough_bread
#bread
#starters

%recipeyum