Classic San Francisco Sourdough Bread. First off, it should never be called SF Sourdough Bread for the same reasons as mentioned before, PLUS - I live in San Francisco, and we rarely see bread served with onion on top of sourdough. My only trouble was that I ended up with much too much starter, but that's a problem I know how to deal with. I followed the instructions that came in the packet.
San Francisco's sourdough bread dates back to the Gold Rush when French migrants discovered that the natural yeasts and bacteria in the air could be used for fermentation of the dough. San Francisco sourdough bread is a sourdough bread produced with the use of a starter unique to San Francisco. These bakeries ship San Francisco sourdough bread all over Northern California in addition to providing bread for San Francisco. You can cook Classic San Francisco Sourdough Bread using 7 ingredients and 15 steps. Here is how you cook it.
Ingredients of Classic San Francisco Sourdough Bread
- You need of warm water.
- You need of flour.
- Prepare of sourdough starter.
- You need of salt.
- Prepare of honey or sugar.
- It's of water.
- It's of cornstarch.
The classic characteristic of a San Francisco sourdough bread is its pronounced sourness, which differentiates it from the typical levain you find in France. The sour tang of San Francisco sourdough makes it an excellent match for seafood dishes, soups, and chowder—all favorites in the foggy Bay. Add more if the dough is too sticky. San Francisco celebrates the sour, but there are exceptions.
Classic San Francisco Sourdough Bread step by step
- In a large bowl, combine the water, sourdough starter and 4- cups of flour..
- Mix well and cover with plastic wrap in a warm place 8-12 hours, or over night..
- Stir in the salt and honey and add flour 1/2- cup at a time to make a very stiff dough..
- Knead till smooth..
- Cover and let rise 2- hours..
- Punch down and divide in half..
- Knead till smooth and form into rounds. Place on a greased baking sheet. Cover lightly and let rise till double and puffy (2-hours.).
- While this is rising mix the 1/2- cup water and 1/2- teaspoon cornstarch in a small bowl and microwave till boiling, remove from heat and let cool..
- Heat oven to 400°F..
- Carefully place a small pan of hot water on the bottom rack of the oven..
- Cut two slashes across each other on the top of each loaf..
- Bake for 10- minutes..
- Pull out the rack and baste each loaf well with the cornstarch mixture..
- Close the oven and allow to bake another 20-25- minutes. Loafs should be light golden color and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom..
- Allow to cool 2-hours to develop the sourdough flavor fully..
I learnt a lot about the history of sourdough from bread historian and author William Rubel. William and I have been chatting on his bread history group for a couple of years and he has a unique insight into the history of bread. Sourdough is the quintessential San Francisco comfort food, with yeasty and earthy aromas wafting out of the city's bakeries, hinting at warm loaves fresh out of hearth ovens. Thick and hollow, sourdough is crusty on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. San Francisco-Style Sourdough Bread Instructions: Add all the ingredients except cornmeal in the bread pan of bread machine.