Country Crust Sourdough Bread

Pies, cakes, and other sweets are sure to please most any dinner guest but a stellar homemade sourdough bread is the real centerpiece in a home baker’s arsenal of tastes. Granny’s Country Crust Sourdough Bread is soft and delicate on the inside, surrounded by a crispy, crackling crust with just the right amount of sourdough tanginess. Break out this bread to impress your friends on a special occasion or use it as an everyday staple for sandwich lunches.

This bread is baked in a cast iron dutch oven, which gives the loaves their beautiful round shape. The cast iron also plays an important role in transmitting the oven’s heat to the outside of the bread, allowing it form such a crunchy, delectable crust. Because the dutch oven is really vital to the success of this recipe, we don’t recommend substituting in a different baking container.

The recipe may look complex, but don’t be intimidated. A lot of steps are spread over three days but most of that time is spent waiting on dough to rise. Additional rise time is needed for this recipe because it makes use of a preferment “sponge” that needs to rise itself before being incorporated into the final dough. The sponge technique is used to enhance the bread’s flavor with the distinctive tang of sourdough. Before you get started, be sure you have an active Sourdough Starter.

The Alchemy of Sourdough

Sourdough bread, with its distinctive tangy flavor and hearty texture, is indeed a timeless classic that has been a staple in many cultures for thousands of years. The history of sourdough is as rich and complex as its flavor, dating back to ancient civilizations. It's believed that the earliest forms of leavened bread were likely the result of wild yeasts present in the environment or on the grains themselves. These wild yeasts would ferment the dough, causing it to rise and develop a unique flavor profile.

The process of making sourdough is a beautiful blend of science and art. It involves fermenting dough using naturally occurring lactobacilli and yeast. This fermentation process is what gives sourdough its characteristic tangy flavor, chewy texture, and hearty crust. The name "sourdough" itself is a nod to this unique taste, which sets it apart from other types of bread.

But sourdough is more than just its taste. The process of creating a sourdough starter, nurturing it, and using it to bake bread is a tradition passed down through generations. It's a connection to our past, a testament to human ingenuity and the ability to harness the natural environment to create sustenance. It's a reminder of a time when bread was made slowly, with care and patience, a far cry from the mass-produced loaves many of us are familiar with today.

In many ways, sourdough bread is a symbol of resilience and sustainability. The same starter can be kept alive and used for many years, and some bakeries even boast starters that are several generations old. This continuity adds another layer of depth to the already rich history of sourdough bread, making each loaf a part of a long, ongoing story that connects us to our ancestors.

Granny's Country Crust Sourdough Bread is a nod to this age-old tradition. This recipe is unique in its use of a preferment "sponge", a technique that enhances the bread's flavor with the distinctive tang of sourdough. The sponge needs to rise before being incorporated into the final dough, which is why the recipe is spread over three days. This might seem complex, but most of that time is spent waiting for the dough to rise.

This recipe is more than just a method of making bread; it's a journey back in time, a way to connect with our roots and experience the simple, wholesome goodness of homemade sourdough bread. Whether you're looking to impress your friends on a special occasion or seeking an everyday staple for sandwich lunches, Granny’s Country Crust Sourdough Bread is a recipe worth mastering.