1 cup hot water
2 tbsp honey or sugar
2 tbsp butter or margarine
1 1/2 cup sourdough starter
4 cup (to 6) flour
1 cake yeast
2 tsp salt(optional)
Directions
Mix hot water, honey or sugar, butter or margarine in a large ceramic
mixing bowl. Cool to lukewarm and add yeast, sourdough starter, salt
and flour a cup at a time enough to make a stiff dough. Turn out onto
a floured board and knead for 5 to 8 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl
and cover; let rise until doubled in bulk. Punch down and let rise
for 30 minutes. Turn dough out onto a floured board and let sit ten
minutes. Form into long or round loaf, or into rolls and place in a
well greased pan or cookie sheet and let rise again until doubled.
Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 45 to 55 minutes or until
brown. Makes 1 large loaf or 8 to 12 rolls. SUGGESTIONS: The bread
will rise more quickly if salt is omitted. Use only ceramic or wood
bowls and utensils as metal spoils sourdough.(I use a large
corningware bowl and a plastic whip to mix, then rinse and reuse same
bowl to let kneaded ball rise in). Wash utensils promptly as this
stuff sets up like cement when left to dry! This recipe will make 4
thin baguette loaves, two small regular loaves or one MONSTER loaf in
a regular bread pan. Grease pans generously with crisco or other
shortening. From The Dough Boys Bakery in San Francisco
Servings: 1 servings
Never Fail Sourdough French Bread Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Bread; Breads; French
The History of Recipes
It is actually possible to track the history of recipes back into history, in truth as far back into recorded history as the Egyptians, and maybe even further. In practice though, mostly, these ancient records were just basic pictorial, hieroglyphic or cunieform recipes for preparing meals.
The truth of the matter is, the most ancient recipe discovered, according to academics are some clay tablets in the Sumerian language describing the preparation of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made those who drank it feel `blissful`. As we move into Roman times 25BC a man called Apicius compiled a few scripts which described recipes enjoyed by wealthy Romans. He describes how the meals were divided into hors d`oeuvre, main course and desserts, a very modern way of dining. This early Roman chef tells us how the chefs of Roman times were skilled in the use of many aromatic flavors, including some that we all recognise for example thyme, rue and dill. Moving on, there are a couple of interesting cookery books from the 1300s - a cookery book titled `Forme of Cury`, and another, similary named `Curye on Inglish`. The titles are a little misleading though, these are not about the spicy food that we all know today, but instead recipes for the types of food on the menus of the rich and powerful of the time. Later, in the 15th century, the Crusaders brought back many new foods, spices and herbs from the holy lands, including spices such as coriander, parsley, and rosemary. The introduction of these new tastes prompted a torrent in books on cooking, the majority of which are kept safe in private collections. By the advent of the 1900s, recipe publications are increasing in popularity due to better eduction, increased leisure time and having more disposable income. The revolution that is television brought us celebrity chefs and the spin-off recipe books. And that brings us to the present day and the invention of computers and the internet, allowing everybody to access massive numbers of recipes like the ones you can find on sites such as this. |
We hope you enjoy this Never Fail Sourdough French Bread recipe.
