Making Sourdough Bread!

This is my sourdough bread recipe. I have used a lot of principles from the NY Times Sullivan's No-Knead, but there are a few differences.

Pour out about 1/4 cup of sourdough starter into a bucket.

Add 1 2/3 cups of very warm water (use warm water if the starter is at room temp. Mine is at fridge temp ie 3deg c) Mix well.

Note: A purist would probably slap me, as they would mix 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup water to this mix and leave for 2 hrs before using. I am time poor so I don't do this. Plus by doing it the pure way, the bread has a more sour taste, I like my sour dough a bit milder.

Once mixed, add 3 cups of flour - bread flour preferably, but plain flour still gives great results.

Note: I have also used 1 cup bread flour, 2 cups wholemeal with great results.

Add 1 1/3 tsp salt

Add about 1/3 cup each of linseed, flaxseed sesame seed, chia seed and oats (or any other seed you have).

Note: Would love to add sunflower seeds, but don't have any hulled at the moment.

Once all in, mix using hands. I think this is the only way to do it, bugger the electric mixer or bread machine mixer. You get a good feel for the dough using your hands an know if you need more flour or water. Different flours absorb water at different rates so get a good feel for the dough and adjust accordingly.

Once well mixed, I then turn it onto a bench and do a very quick action knead for about 5 mins. This is not strictly no-knead, but as I said before, this is one of my variations. You need to knead with a fast action to avoid the dough sticking to the bench. Mind you it will definitely stick to your hands!

After about 5mins of quick kneading, put back into bucket, wrap with cling film, use a rubber band to hold the cling film in place.

Place the bucket on the bench for at least 12 hours. I always go minimum 18hrs.

Lightly flour surface and turn out the dough.

Next knead the dough for 3-4mins, no more. Once again, this is not strictly no-knead (obviously).

Shape the dough on baking paper if free forming or in proofing baskets, pans etc...

Let rise for 2 hrs then pre-heat oven for 30mins at 220deg celsius.

If you are going to bake it in a dutch oven, pre-heat this in the oven with lid on for the 30mins. If you are not, then just pre-heat oven with a shallow dish of boiling water at the bottom of the oven.

During the last 15mins of the final proofing, slash with a very very sharp knife.

Don't start baking until the dough has close to doubled in size.

Bake in oven for 30mins at 220c (if using a dutch oven, bake with lid on)

Turn down to 200c and bake for another 15mins (if using dutch-oven, take lid off at this stage as well)

I like to bake for a further 5 mins to get a good chewy crust so a total bake time of 50mins.

Let rest for 1hr and then eat with slabs of butter!