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French Sourdough Bread from a Powdered Starter
The powdered starter you've purchased will allow you to make tasty bread with excellent texture, consistently, without the demanding job of keeping a sourdough fed. Any sourdough will change over time, due to native bacteria being introduced into it; using the powdered starter allows you to achieve the same results, batch after batch. Once you've opened and used some of the starter packet, close it tightly and freeze the rest for up to 6 months.
Use the following procedure for this powdered starter:
Before starting your bread, think about the following variables: temperature, water, flour, and time. Let's examine these elements before we get started.
Temperature: If you're making the same bread recipe time after time, but getting different results, check that the temperature at which you keep your sponge (the initial mixture made from the powdered starter, flour and water) is consistent. There's not one exact optimum temperature that everyone will agree upon, because everyone doesn't like the same flavor in his or her bread. In general, try to keep your sponge between 70°F and 90°F. At cooler temperatures (65°F or below), the sponge will take longer to develop than the stated 18 to 20 hours, and won't develop as much acid flavor.
Water: If you have water that's heavily chlorinated, it will affect the flavor of the bread and the action of the sponge. Either use bottled water, or let the water sit in an open container for a day to let the chlorine dissipate.
Flour: Use only unbleached, unbromated flour. The protein level in King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, or Artisan Bread Flour, both 11.7%, is perfect for crusty, country-style breads.
Time: The hardest part of a recipe is, for us, stating a "rising" time. Just about everything you do while making bread can affect the rising time. Please be flexible and build enough time into your schedule to allow the dough to develop its optimum flavor and rise.
Sourdough Bread
This French Sourdough loaf is assertively sour; if you like San Francisco-style sourdough, this one's for you!
New to sourdough? Find the help you need for all of your sourdough baking at our Sourdough Essentials page.
Ingredients
Sponge
- 1/4 teaspoon French Sourdough Starter
- 2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or Artisan Bread Flour
- 1 cup warm water
Dough
- All of the sponge (above)
- 3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or Artisan Bread Flour
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
Instructions
- To make the sponge: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, or in the bucket of your bread machine, mix the starter and the flour together. Mix in the water. Stir for several minutes to activate the gluten. (If you're using a bread machine for this step, cancel after about 6 minutes of kneading.)
- Cover and set aside in a warm (70°F to 90°F) place for 18 to 20 hours. When ready, the sponge should have expanded by about one-third (or more), and developed bubbles and a pleasing aroma. You may do this step up to 7 days ahead, then refrigerate until ready to use the sponge. (If you want to enhance the sour flavor, substitute 1/2 cup rye or whole wheat flour for 1/2 cup of the unbleached all-purpose flour in your sponge.)
- To make the dough: Add the flour to the sponge along with the water, salt and yeast. Stir to form a shaggy mass, then let the mixture sit for 20 to 30 minutes. (This resting period, called the autolyse, allows the flour to absorb the water before you start kneading; it will make kneading easier, and also help prevent you from adding too much flour to the dough.)
- To knead the dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased work surface. (Using a lightly floured work surface is OK, but the idea is not to work too much flour into the dough. A dough that's slack and slightly sticky will produce a loaf with much better texture. Many people knead in too much flour, thinking the dough is too sticky to work with, then end up with dry or crumbly bread.) The dough starts out sticky, so a bench scraper is a handy tool. When the dough is kneaded enough, about 8 to 10 minutes by hand, 6 to 8 minutes in an electric mixer or bread machine, or about 90 seconds in a food processor, it will feel firm, slightly sticky, and elastic.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to cover all sides, cover the bowl, and set it in a warm place (though not above 90°F). Don't try to rush the dough by raising it at a temperature above 90°; the best bread rises slowly, so give the dough time. After an hour, and again at the 2-hour mark, gently deflate it and fold it over a few times to redistribute the yeast and oxygen, and dispel some of the carbon dioxide. In 2 to 3 hours the dough should have almost doubled.
- To shape the dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased work surface. Divide the dough in half, and form each half into a round. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes or so, covered; then form the pieces into whatever shapes you prefer — round, oval or baguette. Raising your loaves in a couche or a banneton will help them achieve a thick, chewy crust. If you don't have any of these, use a linen (or other smooth — not terry cloth) dishtowel to line a round bowl. Heavily flour the forms you're using, place the shaped loaves in them seam-side up, and cover.
- Let the loaves rise for 2 or more hours; the dough should have almost doubled. Note: If you want really big holes in your loaves and loads of flavor, dust them with flour, cover, and refrigerate overnight (without letting them rise first).
- Preheat your oven to 475°F for 30 minutes. If your loaves have been refrigerated, remove them from the fridge, and let them rest, still covered, at room temperature, while you preheat your oven, about 30 minutes. Once the loaves have come to room temperature, turn them out onto a floured baker's peel (if you have a baking stone in your oven), or onto lightly floured baking sheets. For risen, unrefrigerated loaves, turn them out the same way (onto a peel or pan).
- Slash the loaves several times using a lame, sharp knife or razor blade. Just before placing the loaves in the oven, spritz them several times with water.
- Put the loaves into the oven, spritz with water after 30 seconds, and again at 1 minute and 2 minutes. Turn the oven temperature down to 450°F and bake for 18 to 25 minutes. Be sure the bread is baked through, and the crust well browned. The bread should feel firm and sound hollow when tapped, and its internal temperature should read 195°F on an instant-read thermometer. Much of the flavor is concentrated in a deep brown crust, so don't be afraid to bake it until it's good and dark.
- Remove the bread from the oven. Now tilt your head close, and listen: as the bread cools, you should hear it crackle. This is the sound of a good loaf. It's hard not to tear off a piece right away, but the bread is still baking and developing flavor as it cools — it really will taste better after an hour of cooling.
- Store on the counter for a day or two, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Tips from our bakers
- This is a basic recipe and a great one to use as a jumping-off point. Feel free to substitute some rye or whole wheat flour for some of the white flour; you may have to adjust the water a little because all flours absorb liquids at a different rate. Add chopped nuts, seeds, or herbs, or use the dough to make a stuffed fougasse — the possibilities are quite varied.
- This amount of water called for in the dough is a guideline. You may need to add a tablespoon or two more in the winter, or use a little less in the summer. Flour can absorb water, or dry out. Use your sense of touch to tell you if you need to sprinkle a little water over the dough, or add a little flour. The dough should feel slightly tacky, firm, but soft enough to "relax."
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Reviews
I am a beginner and learnt a lot with some trial and error but my recent loaf turned out pretty well. I just would like to ask whether the sponge in this recipe is the same as a ready starter that can be used in other recipes. Thank you for your help!Hi Mah! This recipe is a little different because it's specifically calling for powdered starter versus a fresh, liquid sourdough starter. While the finished sponge is similar to ones you'd make in other recipes calling for fresh sourdough starter, water, and flour, you'll likely find a difference in flavor from the powdered to fresh versions. It's worth experimenting with! Annabelle@KAF
FYI I made this in my Zojirushi bread machine, from start to finish, Delicious. Only adjustments, 1 tsp yeast instaed of 1/2 but not clear increase needed as well as 2 tsp fennel, 1 tsp herbs de provence, and 2 cl garlic, for added flavor
Using mini-Zo, I made the sponge and pulled the plug after 8 minutes of kneading. After 18 hours in the machine rI removed half the sponge and refrigerated it. Then I added 1/2 the above recipe and used the dough setting. When done, I punched it down and put the dough in my pain de mie (9") and let rise 2 hours. Baked loaf at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. It came out great; not looking like traditional sourdough, but just what I wanted. I followed the same procedure with the refrigerated sponge.
I am a virgin sourdough bread baker and otherwise a novice-amateur. I followed the recipe exactly except that I baked it in my Emile Henry cloche as follows: preheated the cloche in the oven at 475 for 30 minutes; dusted the boule (the bottom, which was facing up in the banneton) with rye flour, flipped onto a parchment round, slid the parchment round with the boule onto the preheated base, slashed with lame, covered & baked for 25 min; top off for another 10. The first loaf has been cooling on a rack for about 50 minutes. The second one just came out. I cannot wait to eat it! Tapped the bottoms to confirm they sounded hollow. I will say this: I purchased the 9" banneton with the liner. After reading a ton, I decided to use the banneton naked (w/o liner) and spent a day or 2 seasoning it with a spritz or two of water/flour dusting/drying. I used the liner in a glass bowl equivalent inn size/diameter to the banneton, and seasoned the liner similarly. I first soaked the liner in water, wrung it out, and fit it inverted on the banneton to dry so it would be a little looser, following which I rubbed a lot of bread flour into it several times (after it was dry). The crust of the boule that proofed in the banneton is richer looking and reached a higher rise pre- and during the bake (not by much though), so it seems that the banneton served its purpose well. The markings were gorgeous and I had zero sticking, which I attribute to my patience in "seasoning" the basket. I also proofed the loaf for 20-22 hours in the refrigerator as the note in the recipe suggests as an alternate method. I am thrilled with the clarity of the recipe and the results. So much fun! I made a lovely goat cheese and roasted red pepper spread with delicious olive oil. I was so excited, I had to post this review before eating it! I will post again with the ultimate test results: tasting!
we can't wait to hear the results of the tasting! Thanks for sharing! Elisabeth@KAF
This recipe has worked perfectly for me twice now, once with "Note" (putting it in the fridge overnight) and once without. The fridge method works, believe it or not - just blindly follow instructions and let the culture do all the hard work. Yes, the dough comes out of the fridge looking like a deflated football, but miraculously rises up, up, up! in the hot oven without further rising. Crunchy crust, tender holey insides, nice and sour - perhaps not as mind-bendingly sour as SF waterfront sourdough, but it will probably appeal to a wider audience because of that. Dusting the dough with flour before consigning it to the fridge overnight means water spritzes at 30 seconds, one minute and two minutes make a mess, but it doesn't appear to affect anything but the baking stone. Next step: combining the Florapan culture with yeast in a biga.
I am just getting back into baking bread and did not want a sourdough starter that I had to feed. I followed the directions EXACTLY. While the bread came out a bit heavy and did not have much sourdough flavor, it was still enjoyable. I used KA's Artesian Bread Flour for the sourdough sponge and for the dough, but next time I am going to try it with their regular unbleached all purpose flour along with some rye flour and see if that makes a difference. I may also let the sponge sit for more than 20 hours and may let the bread rise for longer. We live at 4200 ft and after learning about the problems with higher altitudes, I didn't want to ruin the recipe the first time out. I also will leave it in for the lower amount of time and check it. I left it in for the 25 mins and that crust was definitely very very dark brown. I wish there was a video that would show the steps for making the sponge, for what it should look like when it starts and at the end of the 20 hours or so. While the steps are really easy, I have read enough comments about the powdered starter to know that some people were lost. Some thought you dumped in all of it and said that was too expensive for a loaf of bread. Others didn't realize you had to make the sponge ahead of time. Others bought it thinking it made a regular fed starter, which I think is possible, but the recipe for doing that does not come with the tiny package. Also would have been good to show it being used in the recipe, as it is not the same as fed sourdough. If you order the powdered starter look very carefully for it in the box. I ordered it along with 3 types of flour and a bag of yeast. The box was snugly packed, using paper filling rather than styrofoam pellets or bubble wrap, which I really liked. But, the tiny little .5 gram packet with the powdered starter was at the bottom of the box and not inside so much as a sandwich sized bag to keep it from being missed. Also, what they are calling a free insert is the same as this recipe only printed double sided on a sheet of paper. Well worth the effort and the time.
We're glad to hear you had a positive sourdough experience using this starter. If you are looking to increase the tang of the bread you make, try refrigerating the loaves overnight after they are shaped and bake them the next morning. This rest allows the acid in the dough to build up, which is what tastes tangy to us. Happy baking! Kye@KAF
I have been looking for a reasonable recipe for San Francisco style Sourdough bread off and on for years and just found a web site that mentioned King Arthur sourdough. My bread just cooled enough to taste and I must say it is definitely worth the effort. Since I have my own starter I didn't have to buy any, but in order to give the recipe every chance I just took a tablespoon of my starter instead of the powder and started from there. Since I had only a tablespoon of starter in the sponge I let it sit out for almost 20 hours to get a vigorous bubbling and rise of the sponge. My only problem with the dough was the high moisture content and stickiness. Since I couldn't get the loaves to hold their form while rising, I ended up baking them in a covered casseroles in a 375 oven since my casserole dishes have glass tops. I did make a few Kaiser style rolls, forming ropes of dough and tying them in knots, those I baked in individual sized covered casseroles. All of the bread came out of the oven well risen with a crispy dark golden brown crust. It is very fragrant with a perfect crumb and mild sourdough flavor. Wonderful. I would recommend this recipe with reservations. Even though the directions are excellent, it is not for a beginning baker. Next time I make this bread I will try increasing the amount of flour I use.
>My first attempt at this recipe. As with other comments I too had issue with the rise. One loaf 1in and the other 1.2 in. I thought I followed the direction. What is the average rise? Very dense bread. Did have the sour taste. Not sure if will make again. I would recommend the recipe as a learning curve.
I'm sorry you had difficulty getting this bread to rise properly. We'd love to help you troubleshoot this recipe if you'd like to give us a call at the Baker's Hotline: 855-371-2253. Barb@KAF
Good bread, nice texture and crust. My only problem was with the Note under Baking. The second time I made the recipe, I decided I'd like big holes in the bread, so I put them in the fridge, as instructed. The next morning the baguettes were flat! They sat out all day and just barely rose up, so I baked them anyway. Not one hole and very dense - a super waste of time and effort! I still recommend this recipe - just don't go for the holes, unless you like your bread flat and dense!
Hmm, sounds like something went off-kilter somewhere along the line. Please call our hotline if you would like to troubleshoot. MJR
First, they're not kidding that the package is small! It's only a bit larger than a sugar packet. The starter buboes up within a day, and the bread was very good. I didn't get as much rise as I would have liked, though. 1/4 tsp doesn't seem like enough yeast to me. The initial rise took around four hours, and the loafs didn't proof much - after two hours they had not even doubled. Resulted in a pretty dense loaf, but the flavor was spot-on.
