Sourdough is one of my favorite all time breads. From taste to texture and aroma, it is hard to compete with the culinary qualities of sourdough. Now I still contest that the best “true” sour taste comes from the time and care of a good mother sponge. But not every baker has the foresight to have a mother sponge available when the sourdough craving comes on. To this end, I began my quest for the impossible: a one day (direct dough method) sourdough, that would have all the benefits of the “gold standard” sourdough made from a “mother” or “master dough.”
The art of this possibility came when I was experimenting with the James Beard Classic: Beard on Bread. In this book Beard experiments with sour cream when he could not find any buttermilk on hand. The bread smelled and tasted sour and had been my go-to until the development of my current creation. Wanting a bit more nutrient value in the mix I decided to tinker with the addition of whole wheat and semolina flour, not too much that it would weigh down the dough, but enough to give it good color and texture. The liquid, an essential feature to the structural framework of the bread, was a trifecta of plain yogurt, buttermilk and lemon juice all acting synergistically to draw the yummy sourness out of one another.
Organic evaporated cane juice sugar was added for flavor and for creating a golden crust, while also providing a little extra motivation for the “yeasties.” Unsalted butter, is added to give a tender and rich bread while improving browning.
Ingredients: (makes 3 8×4 loaves)
2 Cups Low-fat Buttermilk
2 Cups Plain Yogurt
1/2 Cup Warm Water
1/4 Cup melted unsalted butter (tempered: not over 115 degrees)
1/4 Cup Evaporated Cane Juice Sugar
2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
2 Tbsp. Salt
2 pkg. Active Dry Yeast
8-10 Cups Flour
(1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour, 7-8 cups hard wheat bread flour, 3/4 cups Semolina Flour)
Directions:
Combine in saucepan: buttermilk, yogurt and lemon juice let sit for a few minutes. Then add sugar, butter and salt. Heat almost to a boil. Cool thoroughly. In a 2 cup measuring cup, combine dry yeast and water. Add yeast mixture to cool buttermilk/yogurt mixture. Mix. Gradually add flour to make workable dough. Knead 10 minutes on floured board. Place in bowl and cover. Let rise for 45 minutes. Punch down. Divide into three equal loaves. Place loaves in greased bread pans. Let rise 45 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. Yield: 3 loaves.













