King Arthur – Sourdough Bread With Yeast

“Many recipes for sourdough breads include some active
dry yeast to spped up the process, the sourdough
starter included mainly for flavor. We recommend
beginning sourdough bakers start with this bread
before moving on to the Classic Sourdough Bread which
follows. This version makes a quicker loaf with a
slightly different texture and taste, and is a good
introduction to the sourdough process.”

cornmeal to sprinkle on baking pans

Making the Sponge: In a large mixing bowl, dissolve
the sugar and yeast in the warm water. Let this sit
for 10 minutes or so until bubbly. Add the starter and
stir. Gradually add 3 cups of flour, stirring until
well mixed and smooth.

Cover this sponge and set it aside in a warm,
draft-free place for 4 to 5 hours.

Making the Dough: Stir down the sponge. Stir in 1
cup of flour, the salt and oil. Gradually add flour
until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the
bowl.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and
knead for 3 to 4 minutes. Let the dough rest while
you clean and grease your bowl. Continue kneading
another 3 or 4 minutes or until the dough is smooth
and elastic. Add only enough flour to the board to
keep the dough from sticking. Place dough in the
greased bowl and let rise until doubled in bulk, 1 to
2 hours.

Shaping & Baking: Knock down the dough and shape it
into two long French- or Italian-style loaves. Place
them on a cornmeal-sprinkled baking sheet and let them
rise for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Toward the end of the rising period, place a baking
pan on the oven bottom (or on the lowest rack) and
preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

Just before baking, slash the tops diagonally every
couple of inches, about 1/4″ deep, and brush with cold
water.

Pour 2 or 3 cups of water into the pan, put the loaves
on the rack above the steaming water, and bake for
about 25 minutes.

The crust will be very hard when you remove the bread,
but in 5 minutes it will be soft and chewy. To make
the crust crisp and chewy, turn the oven off and leave
the bread inside for an additional 5 minutes.