Recipe for "sour-french"

NAME

     SOUR-FRENCH - An old-fashioned sourdough French bread
     This is a hearty bread, possibly heavier  than  many  people
     are  used  to.  The flavor is wonderfully tangy, and comple-
     ments just about any meal.  Try it with garlic butter!
     This bread is slow raising.  I usually spend two days on it-
     start  the  dough  one day, let it rise overnight, then form
     the loaf and bake the next day. This recipe is from The Com-
     plete Sourdough Cookbook, by Don and Myrtle Holm.

INGREDIENTS (1 loaf)

     1 cup     sourdough starter
     125 ml    milk (any type, but I prefer whole milk)
     15 ml     sugar
     10 ml     salt
     30 g      shortening
     250 g     flour

PROCEDURE

          (1)  Combine milk, sugar, salt,  and  shortening  in  a
               pan.   Heat  until  shortening melts, then cool to
               lukewarm (about 45 deg. C.
          (2)  Stir milk  into  starter.   Add  flour  gradually,
               forming  dough  that  pulls away from sides of the
               bowl.
          (3)  Kneed until smooth (about 15 min.),  adding  flour
               as  needed  to keep the dough from sticking to the
               board.  When done, the dough will be fairly heavy,
               but smooth in texture.
          (4)  Place in a well-greased bowl and raise in  a  warm
               place until doubled.
          (5)  Form into a long loaf (about 40 cm  long).   Place
               on  a  greased  baking  sheet  and let rise again,
               until almost doubled.
          (6)  Cut diagonal slits in top of  loaf  with  a  sharp
               knife,  and  bake in a 400 degree oven until done,
               about 30-35 min.
          (7)  Remove from pan, and  let  cool  in  a  draft-free
               location.

NOTES

     Be careful that the milk mixture has cooled before adding it
     to the starter. If it's too hot, you'll kill the starter and
     the bread won't rise.
     Since the dough rises for a long time, I  usually  cover  it
     with a damp towel to keep it from drying out.
     If you want a chewy crust, brush the top of the loaf with  a
     mixture of corn starch and water before baking.  Also, plac-
     ing a pan of water in the oven while baking  will  make  the
     crust a little softer.  I usually brush the loaf with butter
     after baking.

RATING

     Difficulty: moderate.  Time: 1 hour preparation, long rising
     time, 1/2 hour baking.  Precision: measure the ingredients.

CONTRIBUTOR

     Bill Turner
     Hewlett-Packard Personal Software Division, Santa Clara, CA
     hppsdc!bill