I made a Sourdough starter following the instructions from the Sourdough Baker.
The flour I used was a light spelt from Callington Mill at Outlands.
The recipe for the bread was compliments of Chef Vinnie from Henry’s Restaurant. Thanks Chef, it worked a treat!
After posting the original recipe, I have modified it slightly as I have been getting a better result this way. I have just added an extra teaspoon of yeast and a teaspoon of sugar. You can leave it in the fridge overnight still, but I have been putting the dough in front of the fire for an hour if I need to use it on the day. Also, the Sourdough Baker seems to have dissappeared from the interweb, so here is another site to get your starter going.
Ingredients:
400g flour
125g Sourdough starter (you need to prepare the starter a week before you want your first loaf)
2 teaspoons yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoon salt
300g lukewarm water (use more or less depending on the consistency of the dough)
Method:
Add all the ingredients except the water to a bowl. Slowly add the water while gently mixing the dough by hand. Add enough water so that the dough is combined and just sticky but not wet.
Cover with cling wrap and leave in the fridge overnight, or put in a warm spot for an hour or so, until risen.
When you are ready to bake, gently move the dough from the bowl to a baking tray and shape to desired shape. I just let it take the rounded shape of the bowl and tried not to move it around too much, so as not to deflate the dough.
Put the tray in the oven and then turn it on to 220°C. When the oven comes up to temperature or 10 minutes (whichever comes first), add a cup of boiling water in a tray to the bottom of the oven.
Bake for a further 20 minutes or until a nice golden crust is formed and the base is hard and hollow sounding when knocked
