Homemade Sourdough Bread

Sourdough is the original "100% guaranteed" truly natural bread. There’s no commercial yeast in it, it's made only with flour, water and natural yeasts from the air.
I’ve tried several times to make sourdough bread in the past but failed on every single occasion.
I gave it a last shot two weeks ago, following Jamie Oliver’s recipe. And this one this time I’ve finally cracked it.
Baking sourdough bread has to be one of the coolest things ever. Witnessing day after day the starter coming to life through the natural fermentation of the flour. When it's baking time, the incredible aroma of bread (real bread) permeating the apt. Yes, I fell love in love with sourdough bread.
The loaf came out beautifully, crunchy on the outside, chewy and moist on the inside, as per Jamie’s words “Sourdough is the ultimate loaf.”
Sourdough bread is packed with precious nutrients. It has nothing to do with mass-produced breads that are grossly degraded in nutrients and choked with sugar, preservatives and additives.
Sourdough bread comes from the natural fermentation of gluten contained in the flour. When gluten is properly fermented it becomes healthy for human consumption. When it is not it’s potentially one of the most highly allergenic foods we eat.
Correctly fermented wheat contain 18 amino acids, complex carbs, B vitamins, iron, zinc, selenium and magnesium, and maltase.
Sourdough bread is the healthiest form of bread you can possibly dig your teeth into. Are you ready for journey?

Homemade Sourdough Bread                                                                                         Print this recipe!
Adapted from Happy Days with the Naked Chef

The method stretches over a week, but once you’ve got the starter mix, you can make it every day.
On the first day you should use organic rye flour as it contains wild yeast and bacteria necessary to “develop” the starter. It should be organic because it has to be free of any additives or chemicals which can stunt the growth of the microflora.

Ingredients

Starter

1 lb / 453 gr organic rye flour
Water as needed

Bread

2 lb / 906 gr strong organic flour (whole wheat, rye, etc.)
Water as needed
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
Any seeds, nuts, or dried fruit you wish to add to your bread

Directions

Monday: Mix the flour with enough water to make a soft dough in a large bowl (it should reach the consistency of a thick pancake batter). Put it outside for an hour, then bring it inside to a warm place and cover with plastic wrap.

Tuesday: It will start to bubble. Leave it alone.

Wednesday: The mix will continue to bubble and will go slightly grey. At this point, stir in a handful of flour and a bit of water, enough to get the mixture back to the same consistency as on Monday. Leave it again, still covered.

Thursday: The mix will continue to bubble (mine looked like thick foam). Stir in a handful of flour and a bit of water, enough to get the mixture again to the same consistency as on Monday. Cover with plastic wrap and leave it.

Friday: By now, you’ll have a beery, malty smelling, ashy colored mixture, full of natural yeasts, full of character. This is your starter.
Make your bread by adding all of your starter to the flour, then adding enough water to make a firm, pliable dough that is not sticky. Knead it for a good 5 minutes.
Remove a 1 lb / 453 gr piece of dough for your next starter before adding any salt. Cover and set aside, ready to repeat the process the next day, and so on, etc.

Add salt and any other “stuff” you want to the dough you want to bake. Shape it and put it into a bowl lined with a floured tea-towel. Leave in a draft-free place undisturbed for 14 hours.

Saturday Morning: Time to bake the bread. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°). Gently turn the dough onto a floured baking tray, with a sharp knife cut quite deep slashes into it, and bake for 1 hour or until it is crisp and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Allow to cool and enjoy fresh.

Remember that the starter needs to be fed on any day you're not baking a loaf of bread. Here you can find all the directions to correctly fed the starter. Remember that you should take good care of your starter, kind like if it was your pet.