Chez Panisse Sourdough Bread and Starter

Chez Panisse is a Berkeley, California, restaurant, known as one of the originators of the style of cooking known as California cuisine, and the farm-to-table movement. The restaurant emphasizes ingredients rather than technique and has developed a supply network of direct relationships with local farmers, ranchers and dairies. The main, downstairs restaurant serves a set menu that changes daily and reflects the season's produce. The restaurateur, author and food activist Alice Waters opened Chez Panisse in 1971 with the film producer Paul Aratow, then a professor of comparative literature at the University of California, Berkeley. It is named for a character in a trilogy of Marcel Pagnol films.

Warm (80 degrees) water
5 ounces Chez Panisse’s Sourdough Starter (see recipe below)
19 ounces (about 4 cups and 3 tablespoons) unbleached bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
Oil

Place 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm (80 degrees) water in bowl. Add starter, mixing well. Stir in 8 ounces flour (scant 1 3/4 cups) until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to stand in warm (80 degrees) place 2 hours. Refrigerate 12 to 24 hours.

Remove mixture from refrigerator and stir in 1/4 cup warm (80 degrees) water until well blended. Add 8 ounces flour and stir until mixture comes together in shaggy mass.

Cut away 5 ounces dough and reserve as starter for next loaf. Refrigerate.

Pour remaining 3 ounces flour on dough along with salt. Knead dough about 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic, dusting lightly with flour first few minutes to reduce stickiness.

Lightly oil bowl. Place dough in bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to stand in warm (80 degrees) place 3 hours, until tripled.

Turn dough out onto dry work surface. Flatten dough with palm of hand and shape into 2 long or round loaves.

Place loaves on baking pan with thermometer and enclose pan in large, clear plastic bag. Bring open end together and blow into bag to inflate. Tie off bag and set pan in warm place 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until tripled.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Dust top of loaves with flour and mist with water just before placing in oven. Reduce temperature to 400 degrees and bake 50 minutes or until loaves are browned and sound hollow when tapped on bottom.

Makes 2 loaves.

Chez Panisse’s Sourdough Starter

2 1/2 ounces Russet potato, peeled and cut into small pieces
Organic unbleached bread flour

Combine potato and 1 1/2 cups water in small stainless-steel saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cook 15 minutes. Pour contents of saucepan into 1 1/2-quart glass or plastic container and mash potatoes with fork. Cool to room temperature.

Gradually stir in 7 1/2 ounces flour and work until combined into stiff batter. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in warm place.

After 6 to 8 hours starter will begin to gray. Liquid may rise to surface. Stir vigorously, cover and allow to stand.

Taste after 24 hours. Starter should have flavor of mild cheese. After 32 hours small holes and bubbles will appear on surface. Stir, cover and let stand another 24 hours. It will be quite loose, with slight sour taste. Stir in 4 tablespoons water and 1 1/4 ounces flour and let stand 48 hours more.

Stir in 4 tablespoons water and 3 ounces flour until mixture feels sticky and heavy. Let triple in volume, about 8 hours.

If bread isn’t made immediately, cover starter tightly and refrigerate. Refresh after 7 days by stirring in 1/8 cup water and 1 ounce flour until well combined.

Makes about 13 ounces.