Cheat’s Charcoal Sourdough

This recipe allows you to create a sourdough-style loaf at home in 24 hours, rather than having to wait up to 2 weeks to culture a starter for your dough.

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 110g (1 cup) plus 440g (4 cups) strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
• 110g (1 cup) spelt or rye flour, preferably organic
• 3.5g (1/2 sachet) fast action yeast
• 300ml (1¼ cups) plus 240ml (1 cup) water
•  2 tbsp activated charcoal
• 1 tbsp sea salt flakes

Method

1. To make your starter, mix together 110g bread flour and 100g spelt or rye flour with half of the yeast and 300ml cold water. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave at room temperature for 24 hours.
2. To make the loaf, add the remaining flour and yeast to a clean bowl and stir in the charcoal and salt. Add the starter to the bowl along with the remaining water and mix well.
3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
4.  Preheat the oven to 220ºC/425ºF/ Gas 7. Dust a baking sheet with flour, then place a roasting tin in the bottom of the oven.
5. Turn the dough out onto the tray and gently shape into a loaf, without knocking too much air out. Transfer the tray to the oven.
6. Tip a couple of handfuls of ice into the empty tray to create a steamy environment to help the loaf develop a crisp crust. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
7. Leave the loaf to cool completely before slicing. Store in a paper bag or bread bin to keep fresh.

Per serving (114g) Calories: 390, Carbohydrates: 83.2g, Sugars: 0.6g, Salt: 3.0g, Fat: 1.4g, Saturates: 0.3g, Protein: 12.6g

Taken from September 2018 (Issue 42) Vegan Life Magazine