Instant Pot Sourdough Bread
You cook everything else in it, so why not Instant Pot Sourdough Bread? Use the “normal” Yogurt setting to generate the high heat necessary for proofing. (Sorry, actual baking has to be done in the oven.) This tasty loaf is based on a very unusual* (compared to today’s preps) recipe found on this old thread on The Fresh Loaf (the recipe is in the sixth post down, from Doc.Dough) for Larraburu, a sourdough from San Francisco’s glory days. (UPDATE 3/20: you can also experiment with any of the other sourdough bread recipes found on this or other sites. The big difference is the higher proofing temperature with the Instant Pot which might or might not cause the dough to use up its yeast before it gets in the oven. Try it and report back!) Makes 3 baguettes or 1 2-lb boule or batard.
Ingredients:
For the sponge** (this make a double portion so you can use half for a future bake):
40 g lively sourdough starter @60%
75 g King Arthur Sir Launcelot high-protein flour
35 g water
For the dough:
75 g sponge (half the recipe above)
500 g all-purpose flour or bread flour
300 g water
2 t salt
Method: combine the sponge ingredients in a glass bowl and knead the very stiff dough with your fingers to evenly distribute the starter. Cover and proof at 80 degrees (I put the bowl on a stand above a radiator) for 9-10 hours or until sponge is very lively, showing lots of bubbles on the sides of the bowl. Combine 75 g sponge and other ingredients in a stand mixer and mix 2 minutes at first speed to combine, using dough hook. Autolyze (let it sit) 15 minutes or longer, then knead on second speed 7 minutes or until there is good gluten development.
Have ready a glass or ceramic bowl that will fit inside the Instant Pot stainless steel liner and allow room for the dough to expand. Pour 2 cups water into the Instant Pot bowl. Lightly grease the glass or ceramic bowl with olive oil or butter, then place the dough in it and put the bowl in the Instant Pot liner. Cover (no need to use steam) and select Yogurt Normal (the center setting). Proof for 4 hours.
This half gallon ceramic bowl is just the right size for proofing dough in the Instant Pot
Flour a work surface and pour out the proofed dough. It will be very puffy and elastic. If making baguettes, use a bench knife to divide into 3 equal portions. Shape the dough, cover with a towel and rest 15 minutes then shape into baguettes. Allow to proof 30 minutes or until the wrinkles in the dough have smoothed out and it pops back slowly when pressed with a finger. (If you are making a boule or batard, simply shape the dough and do the final proofing in a banneton.)
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 420 degrees with your baking stone or pan or cast iron dutch oven or whatever you are using to bake the bread inside the oven. When dough is ready and everything is at temperature, use oven mitts to transfer baking pan to a trivet on your work surface. Sprinkle the bottom of the pan with coarse cornmeal (polenta) then carefully transfer your dough. Bake with steam for 20 minutes then remove cover (if you have one) and bake another 20-30 minutes or until bread is lightly browned.
*What’s unusual about this recipe? The water/flour percentages (in both the sponge and the dough), proofing temperature and baking temperature are quite different from today’s methods which generally go for much higher hydration and more aggressive bakes. The original recipe specifies clear flour at 14% protein for the sponge; I approximated this using Sir Launcelot which is much easier to find. Science says the higher proofing temperature will encourage the activity of lactobacilli which give sourdough its sour taste, but I didn’t find this bread particularly sour. Still, it’s tasty and you can tell your friends you made Instant Pot Sourdough Bread!
**If you want to get a Larraburu starter going, just refresh the leftover sponge with Sir Launcelot flour @50% hydration next time.
NOTE: this recipe uses a number of standard steps for making sourdough bread in a home kitchen. If you’re not familiar with these steps and the terminology, search this blog for “sourdough bread” for other posts (especially this one) which provide a more detailed explanation of the process.
