30th April, 2005

JAMIE CROOKIVER (aka JAMES CROOK)

PICTURE: JAMES CROOK "The thing about authentic sourdough is that it uses no yeast: it rises because of natural bacteria in the air and fermentation over time. That's why it tastes sour."

"What?! Six days?!"

That's what my mum, the maestro of cooking in our family and the instigator of my delight in the culinary, said when I told her about this recipe. It's been known as six day sourdough ever since, even though once you've got the starter, the preparation time is reduced to overnight.

This bread is chewy and sour, crusty on the outside and thick inside. The thing about authentic sourdough is that it uses no yeast: it rises because of natural bacteria in the air and fermentation over time. That's why it tastes sour. It's also why, when made with a flour such as rye, it is good for the health conscious who wish to limit their intake of yeast and gluten. And while the initial preparation for this bread does take long time and prevents it being a spontaneous, 'oh, people are here' treat, if you've got enough forethought to plan at least a day ahead it is definitely worth it.

SIX DAY SOURDOUGH BREAD

INGREDIENTS:
6 cups strong bakers flour, white or rye as you prefer.
Water.
Dash of salt.


METHOD:
Day One. Begin the starter. In a large bowl mix two cups flour with enough water to make a sticky dough. Leave it ouside for half hour to get catch some bacteria, then bring it in, cover the bowl and sit it somewhere warmish - above the fridge works great for me.

Day Two. Look and wait. The mixture should be bubbling a bit.

Day Three. By this stage it will be frothy and a bit tangy on the nose. Add a handful more flour and enough water to return it to a sticky dough, mix, cover and return it to somewhere warm.

Day Four. Look and wait again.

Day Five. The starter is ready. It should smell sour and malty, look slightly grey and sticky. Make the bread by adding four cups of flour and enough water to get a soft, pliable dough. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured bench and knead.

Kneading. You should knead for about ten minutes on a lightly floured surface. You know it is ready when the dough is elastic and will stretch without breaking. Kneading evenly distributes the (natural) yeast within the flour and also serves to develop the gluten strands. If you don't knead for long enough your loaf will develop a scone-like texture. Don't be tempted to add too much flour to your bench: the process of kneading will itself cause the dough to become less sticky as the starch and gluten absorb more liquid. If you add too much flour it will dry out and become unworkable.

Shaping. Remove about two cups of the mixture for the next starter, put it aside and use the next day to start again from day five. The starter will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

After the starter is out add a dash of salt to the remainder, shape into a loaf and place in a bowl lined with a floured teatowel. Leave for about 14 hours overnight - it should double in size.

I have had trouble getting it to rise properly at this stage. The trick is not to skimp on the kneading, if it's not stretchy enough after ten minutes, make it fifteen. If you still face the same problem you can try adding a couple of tablespoons of sugar before you knead, I've found this can add the extra oomph needed when rising.

Day Six. Once it has risen, carefully turn it out onto a tray, cut deep gashes in the top and bake it on 190 deg C for an hour until it is dark brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

Allow the loaf to cool, slice and enjoy. I've found it especially good for dinner with soup or topped with cheese and tomatoes as a quick lunch. That first time I made it for mum was to accompany a fish curry and the sourness matched perfectly.

The bread will keep for a couple of days.