For the first loaf using my sourdough starter I made a very simple sourdough bread. Topped with my beetroot hummus it made for a great Sunday afternoon snack.

Head straight on to the Recipe For Sourdough Bread ♥
A few weeks ago I was training at gym, and talking to a friend at the same time. I must have turned my neck at a funny angle while conversing and ended up straining the right hand side. My Doctor friend recommended a product called Fastum and so I rubbed that in until my neck felt better. No sooner had I done that, I slept in a weird position, straining the left hand side. It is amazing how when your neck is sore you don’t really feel like doing anything. Driving becomes difficult, especially when you have to look over your shoulder to reverse. Another impossible task is kneading bread. I had just made my sourdough starter and wanted to make the first loaf of sourdough bread using it. I adapted my recipe for sourdough focaccia, with the intention of letting the stand mixer do all the work.
Today’s inspiration ♥ Recipe For Sourdough Bread ♥ can be found on Lavender and Lime Share on X
However, that did not go to plan at all. One of the screws on the base of the stand mixer had come loose. It meant that at medium speed with the heavy bowl attached the plate was lifting. And this would not be good while kneading. Dave had to remove the plate and get a new screw to fix it, which of course he could not do on a Sunday. So I ended up having to knead the bread by hand. This was not what my neck needed at all, but there is something therapeutic in getting the gluten to develop in bread dough. After a lot of bread making this is something you will be able to feel by hand. Bread making is extremely rewarding but please keep in mind that sourdough bread needs to be eaten within a couple of days of baking.
Click on the links for conversions and notes.
Sourdough Bread
Ingredients
- 500 g bread flour, plus extra for dusting
- 150 g 100% hydration sourdough starter
- 50 mls olive oil
- 275 g water
- 10 g salt
Method
- Place the flour, starter, olive oil and water into a stand mixer bowl
- Knead with a dough hook for 1 minute
- Add the salt and knead for a further 5 minutes, until the dough is soft
- Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes
- Place back into the bowl and cover
- Set aside to prove until doubled in size
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and gently knock back
- Shape into a ball and place seam side up in a well floured banneton
- Cover with a damp cloth and leave to prove until doubled in size
- Preheat the oven to 220° Celsius
- Bake for 40 minutes
- Once baked, remove from the oven and set aside on a wire rack to cool
Dave and I are overseas in Europe. We will be back at work on the 2nd of May. I will start replying to comments then. I won’t be able to read any blogs while we are away so please forgive my lack of visiting back. You can follow our trip by taking a look at our holiday blog.
Inspiration published on Lavender and Lime May 1:
- 2016 – Liebster Award VI
- 2014 – In My Kitchen May 2014
- 2013 – Sleeping At Grootbos
- 2012 – In My Kitchen May 2012
You have been in the wars Tandy! This beautiful sourdough would have certainly helped. I still haven’t made sourdough (made lots of other bread) so this recipe will be a good one for me.
Let me know when you get around to making sourdough bread Jem.
Your bread looks perfect Tandy, and the texture looks perfect. One day I will try my hand at this.
I hope you do!
Beautiful sourdough bread Tandy and just perfect with your beetroot hummous. I hope you feel better and your body is behaving 8)
Thank you Merryn, the holiday sorted it all out 🙂
Oh no! Neck pain is so disruptive. I’m glad you were able to enjoy making bread anyway! Sourdough is my addiction; I absolutely love baking with it. But I don’t know if I’d have the will to push through neck pain to get it done!
I think if I had not started the process I might not have made the bread!
I feel for you Tandy. Sore neck is really bad. I often get neck strain due to wrong sleeping, so I will have to look for Fastum here. This sourdough bread looks fantastic.
I hope you can find the Fastum in Europe Anu 🙂
Bad time for a losse screw, I know better by hand but so much easier with stand mixer lol. The bread does look fabulous!
Way easier with a stand mixer!
Oh yes I know what you mean by the dreaded tweak. It happens to me so often and I feel very pained and restricted all day long! I was told that the best thing to do was take a painkiller and start using your muscles as if they were tweaked and it sorts itself out. It has sort of worked for me in the past.
I am loathe to take painkillers as they mask the issue. But with my neck having been so bad, I should have done so 🙂
this looks like such a nice loaf of bread! i love tightly crumbed bread because there’s a lot less danger of your topping falling through the holes (:
that is always an important consideration Heather 🙂
This looks like an excellent bread, Tandy. I have always liked making bread and I have had some great successes and a few flops that we ate anyway. I am going to try this out.
We also eat the flops 🙂