Knead Not Sourdough

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2008

Show: Good EatsEpisode: Going Dutch

Picture of Knead Not Sourdough Recipe Photo: Knead Not Sourdough Recipe
Rated 5 stars out of 5
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  • Read 76 Reviews
Total Time:
20 hr 55 min
Prep
10 min
Inactive
20 hr 0 min
Cook
45 min
Yield:
10 to 12 servings
Level:
--
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Ingredients

  • 17 1/2 ounces bread flour, plus extra for shaping
  • 1/4 teaspoon active-dry yeast
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 12 ounces filtered water
  • 2 tablespoons cornmeal

Directions

Whisk together the flour, yeast and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the water and stir until combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to sit at room temperature for 19 hours.

After 19 hours, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Punch down the dough and turn it over onto itself a couple of times. Cover with a tea towel and allow to rest 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, shape the dough into a ball. Coat hands with flour, if needed, to prevent sticking. Sprinkle the tea towel with half of the cornmeal and lay the dough on top of it, with the seam side down. Sprinkle the top of the dough with the other half of the cornmeal and cover with the towel. Allow to rise for another 2 to 3 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.

Oven baking: While the dough is rising the second time, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place a 4 to 5-quart Dutch oven in the oven while it preheats. Once the dough is ready, carefully transfer it to the pre-heated Dutch oven. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake until the bread reaches an internal temperature of 210 to 212 degrees F, another 15 minutes. Transfer the bread to a cooling rack and allow to cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Outdoor coals: Heat charcoal in a chimney starter until ash covers all of the coals. Place 20 to 24 coals on a Dutch oven table. Place a cooling rack (or other wire rack that is at least 2-inches high) directly over the coals. Set a 5-quart Dutch oven on top of this rack and allow to preheat during the last 30 minutes of the second rise. Carefully transfer the dough to the Dutch oven and cover with the lid. Place 20 coals on top. Bake until the bread reaches an internal temperature of 210 to 212 degrees F, about 45 minutes. Transfer the bread to a cooling rack and allow to cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

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Newest Ratings and Reviews

Read all 76 reviews

  • on February 04, 2012

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    The easiest bread Ive ever made! Texture is chewy like sourdough and like you spritzed the inside of the oven when baking, but you didnt. This is by far the best for ease recipe and method for making a round of sourdough bread. I make it at least once a week. My dutch oven is enamel and it works great in there. I believe it would work great as well in an un-enameled dutch oven too. Highly recommend this recipe - and I have.

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  • on February 01, 2012

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    This bread came out amazing for me, but only after a couple tries with some modifications (some of which have already been mentioned in older reviews.

    First, I only used 10 oz of water. It will seem a bit dry when you just mix it together, but the water permeates all the flour after a few hours.

    Second, I let the bread sit out for 26 hours. 19 hours just wasn't enough to get any noticeable sourdough tang going.

    Third, I let the dough bench proof first for an hour in the oven with a pan of hot water (a la Alton's basic bread recipe, then let it sit covered on the counter for 2 more after that. I just didn't get a decent enough rise any other way.

    Finally, I scored the top of the loaf before putting it in the oven, though I think that might have had more of an aesthetic effect than anything.

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  • on January 14, 2012

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    I have made many yeast breads, both sweet and savory and look forward to making this one. My 3 star rating is due to not making it yet (will comment again later on taste, etc. I plan to use my slow cooker insert in place of a Dutch Oven (which I do not have. I do have a scale and use it frequently; I would recommend every cook have one.

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