Sourdough bread (kovaszos kenyer)

After the coronavirus epidemic hit the US, flour and yeast became unavailable in most places. The local Coop still stocked King Arthur flour, and I committed to learning how to master baking with a sourdough starter. Kovaszos center, or bread baked with a sourdough starter, is basically the only type of bread you can buy in Hungarian bakeries. I prepared my own starter by just mixing flour and water in a bowl, lightly covering it, and feeding it daily for a week. We named it Hubert. Then my second starter also started to work, and we named that one Bonita. Since both functioned very well, I moved them into the same jar, and they became Bobert. Bobert now lives in my fridge, and we make bread together once a week. I do not have any discard as a byproduct. The loafs are incredible. 

Ingredients

227g sourdough starter

340g water

605g bread flour

2.5 tsp salt

Preparation

Mix the fed starter with the water and 362g of the flour and beat for a minute. Allow to rest at room temperature for four ours, then more to the fridge for 12 hours (overnight) in a covered container.

The next day add the remaining 243g of flour and the salt. Knead until it comes together into a dough. Allow to rise at room temperature, folding it once an hour for about 3-5 hours.

Shape into two loaves and place onto parchment-covered baking sheet. Oil and cover lightly. Allow to rise for another 3 hours.

When very puffy, preheat the oven to 425F. Spray the loaves with water and slash with a sharp, serrated knife.

Place into the oven for about 25 minutes, until golden brown.

Cool, slice, and freeze. So amazing!