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.