Make Minnow's rosemary sourdough

Name: Make Minnow's rosemary sourdough
Prep time: 20 h
Total time: 20 h 40 min
Yield: Makes 1
Ingredients: For the sourdough starter250g strong white bread flour250g wholemeal flour500g cold waterFor the starter's food125g strong white bread flour125g waterFor the sourdough loaf400g strong white bread flour100g wholemeal bread flour250g of the starter270g cold water10g salt10g sugar20g finely chopped rosemary10 sprigs of rosemary

Making your own bread is always a labour of love, but it's well worth it in the end. This recipe comes from Jake Boyce, head chef of Minnow, a flower-filled neighbourhood restaurant in Clapham

Published: Thursday 1st March 2018

Bread

Makes 1

Preparation time 20 hours

Cooking time 40 mins

There's a certain beauty in baking your own bread. Sourdough loaves use a unique culture of bacteria to achieve that tangy flavour and bouncy, moreish texture. This culture is know as a starter. It's super easy to make and cultivate at home. You have to keep feeding it a mix of flour and water to keep it 'alive', but it'll probably be one of the most low-maintenance pets you'll ever own.

If you don't already have your own starter to hand, you'll want to start prepping this recipe three days ahead. Jake's named his starter after his mum Audrey. We're not saying you have to do the same, but the fear of seeing off your own mum might remind you to keep it alive...

Ingredients

For the sourdough starter

250g strong white bread flour
250g wholemeal flour
500g cold water

For the starter's food

125g strong white bread flour
125g water

For the sourdough loaf

400g strong white bread flour
100g wholemeal bread flour
250g of the starter
270g cold water
10g salt
10g sugar
20g finely chopped rosemary
10 sprigs of rosemary

Method

Make your starter by mixing together the flour and cold water in a large kiln jar or tupperware box. Leave to ferment in a warm place for three days.
Make the starter food by mixing the flour and water into a thick batter. Set aside.
To make the dough for the sourdough loaf, mix together the flour, water, sugar, salt and chopped rosemary in a bowl.
Knead the dough by hand for 25 minutes (or with a mixer for 10 minutes) and leave to autolyse for 2 hours.
Next, feed the starter, and leave to ferment for 2 hours.
Make the wet mix by mixing the starter and dough, and leave for 30 minutes.
Gently fold your wet mix in half while dusting a little flour. Add two sprigs of rosemary, then leave for 30 minutes.
Repeat four more times, then shape your dough into a loaf or place in a proving bowl, and leave in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 220°C. Bake the loaf at 220°C for the first 20 minutes, then turn down to 180°C for another 20 minutes.
Serve warm with a side of salted butter.

This recipe was made using rosemary from St Mungo's local community orchard. For more on the value of a good loaf, follow @MinnowClapham and Sustain's #RealBreadWeek, which runs until 4 March. minnowclapham.co.uk