This is a close-crumb, soft, chewy bread that's wonderful with your dinner or toasted for breakfast with an omelet. The crust is a little crunchy, but not tooth-shattering. The interior of the bread is scattered with little bits of salty feta, and the dill gives the bread a great kick flavor. This is not the sourdough "artisan bread" you'll typically find on Instagram with lots of holes and and a hard, dry crust. Instead, Sourdough Feta and Dill Bread a soft, tasty bread that you can actually eat without chewing for 10 minutes and that you can enjoy for days. The bread is easy to nosh on, great with a variety of foods, and won't go stale on you on day two.
Sourdough Feta and Dill Bread -- Makes 1 Loaf
1 cup of starter/discard (I use a whole-wheat based starter, but use what you have)
2 tablespoons of canola oil
2 tablespoons of plain, fat-free yogurt
1 egg
1 teaspoon of dried dill
1/2 cup of whole-wheat flour
In a large bowl, mix together the starter/discard, oil, yogurt, egg, dill, and flour. Stir everything together until everything is incorporated and well mixed. Cover the mixture loosely with plastic wrap and let it sit for at least an hour. Then add:
3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Stir/knead the flour and salt into the first mixture well. Then, gradually knead in:
1/4 cup of all-purpose flour (you may or may not need all of this)
1/4 cup of feta (sprinkle it on and fold it in as you knead)
Shape the dough into a loaf and place it in an 8- x 4-inch loaf pan that has been spritzed with non-stick cooking spray. Spritz the top of the dough with a little cooking spray and cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until it just barely comes to the top of the pan. With a very sharp knife, cut a few 1/4-inch deep slashes in the top of the loaf, if you like (or don't; the bread will crack a bit on top if you want a more rustic look). Bake the bread at 375 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until it's golden brown on top. Let the bread cool completely before slicing it.
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