The UN-TOX diet.

Detoxing? No such thing (ask your liver about this). But what about a 10 day conditioning diet to re-vitamin your body? I call it the UN-TOX diet and it's based on the work of Gaylord Hauser, the famous nutritionist of the 1920s (how very hipster, i hear some say).

This program was developed in the 1920s and is similar to the CRON diet (calorific restriction, optimum nutrition). It comes in at around 8000 KJ or 1900 Cals per day. We do it twice a year and try and afterward keep the principles of optimal nutrition in our daily diet, with a few added carbs. The program should be undertaken for ten days then carbs added. It is a better way to lose weight than intermittent fasting, especially when combined with Biblical model sporadic fasting every couple of months.

As mentioned in my last post, this plan focuses on the maximum amount of nutrients for the least calories. We're not just talking the same amount of nutrients on less calories, I mean nearly twice your average daily nutrient intake for a few less kilojoules. That's why it creates such vitality, and not the false alertness and edginess that intermittent fasting creates. 

Plus there's the weight loss benefits. Do the Vitality Diet for 10 days and you’ll lose about a pound a day. Then continue with a high-nutrient diet and occasional fasting and keep your protein at no more than 1g per kilo of body weight.

The UN-TOX diet (a.k.a the pound-a-day Vitality Diet to gain health and lose weight)

inspired by the original hipster, Gayelord Hauser circa 1920

Background to Vitamins for energy and relaxation

This diet helps you feel ‘vital’. We often feel tired and lacking energy and our diet has a lot to do with it. While you may think you just need food for energy, you also need the right foods to help you relax – proper relaxation and vital energy are two sides of the same coin. Once the body is healthy and vital it finds its best weight. Before we get to the diet here’s a little more on these vitamins:

Vitamin D, Calcium and Magnesium for relaxation

Although all vitamins and minerals play some part in helping you to relax, those most important are: Vitamins D and B6;  Calcium & Magnesium. (note: you can get the Calcium, Magnesium and Vitamin D all in one pill try Wagner’s Total Calcium complete – M)

Calcium, essential to the relaxation of both nerves and muscle tissue (aside from the bone growth properties which we all know), can be supplied by one or more serves of any kind of cheese – cream, cottage, cheddar etc.

Add cheese to your salad, eat as a dessert instead of chips or stir cream cheese through your steamed broccoli. Magnesium is even more important for relaxation – animals lacking this mineral become highly nervous, sleepless and appear to go insane. It is essential for peaceful nights sleep. Magnesium is best obtained from intensely green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, and all the Chinese greens, mustard leaves, parsley, kale, spinach, and beetroot tops etc. Take a glass of vege juice or try to get a serving each day.

B Vitamins for energy

These vitamins cannot be stored in your body and must be added daily.

Vitamin B1 plays an important role in making you energetic and in helping prevent fatigue.

Vitamin B6 is of great value in keeping your nerves relaxed.

Other members of the B family include B2 for skin health and bright eyes; Niacin for skin, blood and digestion; pantothenic acid to prevent old age changes; folic acid and inositol for hair health and growth; biotin for skin; cholin for the liver and maintaining a healthy weight; and adenylic acid which aids in producing energy. All these are part of the B vitamin family.

They occur naturally in many foods but the richest sources are foods rarely eaten today – liver, wheat germ, dried brewers yeast, black strap molasses, rice bran. Smaller amounts occur in unrefined grains, nuts, legumes and lentils including buckwheat, green peas, bran, oatmeal as well as meats such as lamb. Pork contains little of the B vitamins.  

One of the best ways to obtain B vitamins is to drink yoghurt and other cultured milk drinks. These sour milks contain bacteria which live in the intestinal tract and synthesise B vitamins for themselves such quantities that some is left over for their host. Folic acid and biotin can be largely obtained from drinking these sour milks. If you take fresh milk, use A2 milk as it’s easier for humans to digest.

Blackstrap molasses (unrefined molasses from the health food store – not treacle) has all B vitamins (except B1). It is extremely high in B6, panothenic acid, and inositol and well as minerals iron, copper, calcium and magnesium. It should be used as regularly as table salt and as a sugar substitute.

Get acquainted with the inexpensive super food, wheat germ to supply your B vitamins. Use it raw, cooked, in waffles, pancakes, muffins, biscuits, pie dough and even meat patties and meatballs (great in a soup).

Dried brewer’s yeast from the health food store is another superfood that gives you more for your money than any other food you can buy; stir it into water, milk, fruit or vege juice (pineapple works well); or get it in tablet form if you don’t like the taste.

Do not force yourself to eat foods you don’t desire, but takes steps to stimulate your appetite and allow it to normalise. The B group vitamins are hugely important and increasing their intake will benefit you in many ways. If the diet is too low in B vitamins, the stomach can produce too little hydrochloric acid. This acid is essential to both digestion of food and proper absorption of the vitamins and minerals into the blood. In order that you may have a good energy, normal appetite, excellent digestion and absorption of foods, and regular elimination, your daily food must be unusually rich in the vitamins of the B family. That means B vitamins from the food you eat, not only supplements.

Some suggestions:

·             Half a cup of raw wheat germ daily, either cooked or uncooked. Makes a nice hot cereal. Sprinkle on your cereal. Or mix into a yoghurt smoothie with some blackstrap molasses – vitamin boost.

·              A tablespoon of brewers yeast from your health food store stirred into your morning juice will also supply the most rich source of B vitamins you will find, in concentrated form.

·             Blackstrap molasses, a valuable food which has not enjoyed the popularity it deserves, is rich in vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, iron, inositol and as well as many other B vitamins. It should be kept on the table and eaten with each meal. Learn to enjoy it as a sweetening on your wheat germ cereal, with butter on bread, on porridge, in a hot A2 milk before bed. Use it as often as possible in your cooking. You can get even more B vitamins by eating nuts daily, wholegrain breads.

·             Finally, the amount of Bs supplies by the bacteria in the human intestine, provided a pint of yogurt is eaten daily, or at least 250g, is probably greater than that furnished by any one food.

Completely avoid all refined foods, including biscuits, chips, white flour and white sugar which cannot build health. Use black molasses as your favourite sweet. You will probably gain energy, vitality, and freedom from fatigue to an extent which you did not realise was possible.

SAMPLE Health/Vitality Menus for 10 days (great for slimming)

Menu 1

Breakfast         

Choose from:

1 glass tomato or pineapple juice ( with stir in 1 Tbspn brewers yeast)

Or

1 yoghurt smoothie consisting of ½ cup yoghurt, 1T brewers yeast, 1T wheatgerm,1 T blackstrap molasses and a low sugar fruit such as half a pear.

Or

1/3 cup cooked wheatgerm with full cream milk or yoghurt and 1 tspn blackstrap molasses.

Or sprinkle 1T raw wheatgerm on top of cold cereal (must be 1/3 cup only of raw muesli soaked in milk or juice overnight or for at least 15 mins, topped with fruit and yoghurt).

Calcium & Magnesium vitamin, plus one multivitamin

Snack

1 glass  fruit or veg juice or 1 tub non sweet yoghurt

Lunch

Fruit salad

Mushroom Omelet

1 slice Whole wheat bread

1 dish  full fat natural  yoghurt with blackstrap molasses

Snack

Fruit with/or natural yoghurt

Dinner

Soup
Tomato salad

Grilled steak with crisp bacon

Stir fried chinese greens or spinach sprinkled with wheatgerm

Mixed veges (Carrot, broccoli, cauliflower

Fruit salad and wheat germ cookie or oatcake

Before retiring:

Dish of yoghurt or a mug of hot A2 milk with blackstrap molasses, nutmeg (and brewers yeast if you like). Avoid stimulants such as tea, coffee, cocoa and cinnamon.

-------------

Menu 2

Breakfast         

Choose from:

1 glass tomato or pineapple juice ( with stir in 1 Tbspn brewers yeast)

Or

1 yoghurt smoothie consisting of ½ cup yoghurt, 1T brewers yeast, 1T wheatgerm,1 T blackstrap molasses and a low sugar fruit such as half a pear.

Or

1/3 cup cooked wheatgerm with full cream milk or yoghurt and 1 tspn blackstrap molasses.

Or sprinkle 1T raw wheatgerm on top of cold cereal (must be 1/3 cup only of raw muesli soaked in milk or juice overnight or for at least 15 mins, topped with fruit and yoghurt).

Calcium & Magnesium vitamin, plus one multivitamin

Snack

1 glass fruit juice or 1 tub full fat yoghurt

Lunch

Egg salad with watercress and sliced cheese

Sliced tomatoes with lemon and oil dressing

Rye bread, buttered or toasted with molasses

Fresh fruit

Snack

1 glass juice or 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses

Dinner

Fruit cup

Grilled salmon

Stir-fried/short cooked kale or steamed broccoli

Apple crumble with full fat yoghurt or light cream

Before retiring:

Dish of yoghurt or a mug of hot A2 milk with blackstrap molasses, nutmeg (and brewers yeast if you like). Avoid stimulants such as tea, coffee, cocoa and cinnamon.

-------------

Menu 3

Breakfast         

Choose from:

1 glass tomato or pineapple juice ( with stir in 1 Tbspn brewers yeast)

Or

1 yoghurt smoothie consisting of ½ cup yoghurt, 1T brewers yeast, 1T wheatgerm,1 T blackstrap molasses and a low sugar fruit such as half a pear.

Or

1/3 cup cooked wheatgerm with full cream milk or yoghurt and 1 tspn blackstrap molasses.

Or sprinkle 1T raw wheatgerm on top of cold cereal (must be 1/3 cup only of raw muesli soaked in milk or juice overnight or for at least 15 mins, topped with fruit and yoghurt).

Calcium & Magnesium vitamin, plus one multivitamin

Snack

1 glass fruit juice or 1 tub full fat yoghurt

Lunch

Prawn or salmon salad
1 slice Rye bread

Vege sticks

1 glass yoghurt

Snack

Fruit or natural yoghurt

Dinner

Coleslaw with raisins and yoghurt dressing

Meat patties mixed with wheatgerm and parsley

Stir fied spinach or chinese green, cooked quickly

Ice cream with berries

Before retiring:

Dish of yoghurt or a mug of hot A2 milk with blackstrap molasses, nutmeg (and brewers yeast if you like). Avoid stimulants such as tea, coffee, cocoa and cinnamon.

-------------

Menu 4

Breakfast         

Choose from:

1 glass tomato or pineapple juice ( with stir in 1 Tbspn brewers yeast)

Or

1 yoghurt smoothie consisting of ½ cup yoghurt, 1T brewers yeast, 1T wheatgerm,1 T blackstrap molasses and a low sugar fruit such as half a pear.

Or

1/3 cup cooked wheatgerm with full cream milk or yoghurt and 1 tspn blackstrap molasses.

Or sprinkle 1T raw wheatgerm on top of cold cereal (must be 1/3 cup only of raw muesli soaked in milk or juice overnight or for at least 15 mins, topped with fruit and yoghurt).

Calcium & Magnesium vitamin, plus one multivitamin

Snack

1 glass fruit juice or 1 tub full fat yoghurt

Lunch

Fresh fruit salad with 1T nuts and 25g cheese

Whole wheat bread and butter

1 dish yoghurt with cinnamon

Snack

Apricot or prune juice with a handful of peanuts

Dinner

Soup
Apple, nut and celery salad sprinkled with wheatgerm

Beef stew with vegetables

Green vegetable

Mini whole wheat apple pie with yoghurt, light cream or marscapone

                                   

Before retiring:

Dish of yoghurt or a mug of hot A2 milk with blackstrap molasses, nutmeg (and brewers yeast if you like). Avoid stimulants such as tea, coffee, cocoa and cinnamon.

-------------

Menu 5

Breakfast         

Choose from:

1 glass tomato or pineapple juice ( with stir in 1 Tbspn brewers yeast)

Or

1 yoghurt smoothie consisting of ½ cup yoghurt, 1T brewers yeast, 1T wheatgerm,1 T blackstrap molasses and a low sugar fruit such as half a pear.

Or

1/3 cup cooked wheatgerm with full cream milk or yoghurt and 1 tspn blackstrap molasses.

Or sprinkle 1T raw wheatgerm on top of cold cereal (must be 1/3 cup only of raw muesli soaked in milk or juice overnight or for at least 15 mins, topped with fruit and yoghurt).

Calcium & Magnesium vitamin, plus one multivitamin

Snack

1 tub full fat yoghurt

Lunch

Beef brisket or corned beef with parsley on whole wheat toast

1 dish yoghurt and cinnamon

Snack

1 glass juice or 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses

Dinner

Tomato salad

Grilled salmon or oily fish

Cauliflower and fennel casserole

Small new potatoes with parsley

Fruit with yoghurt or ricotta

Before retiring:

Dish of yoghurt or a mug of hot A2 milk with blackstrap molasses, nutmeg (and brewers yeast if you like). Avoid stimulants such as tea, coffee, cocoa and cinnamon.

-------------

Menu 6

Breakfast         

Choose from:

1 glass tomato or pineapple juice ( with stir in 1 Tbspn brewers yeast)

Or

1 yoghurt smoothie consisting of ½ cup yoghurt, 1T brewers yeast, 1T wheatgerm,1 T blackstrap molasses and a low sugar fruit such as half a pear.

Or

1/3 cup cooked wheatgerm with full cream milk or yoghurt and 1 tspn blackstrap molasses.

Or sprinkle 1T raw wheatgerm on top of cold cereal (must be 1/3 cup only of raw muesli soaked in milk or juice overnight or for at least 15 mins, topped with fruit and yoghurt).

Calcium & Magnesium vitamin, plus one multivitamin

Snack

1 glass fruit juice or 1 tub full fat yoghurt

Lunch

Tomatoes stuffed with cream cheese

Whole wheat crackers

Milk or yoghurt with blackstrap

Snack

Fruit or natural yoghurt

Dinner

Crustless Quiche or cheese souffle

Short cooked beet greens or green vegetables

Green salad with light yoghurt dressing

Apple sauce with honey and mascarpone, ricotta or yoghurt

Before retiring:

Dish of yoghurt or a mug of hot A2 milk with blackstrap molasses, nutmeg (and brewers yeast if you like). Avoid stimulants such as tea, coffee, cocoa and cinnamon.

-------------

Menu 7

Breakfast         

Choose from:

1 glass tomato or pineapple juice ( with stir in 1 Tbspn brewers yeast)

Or

1 yoghurt smoothie consisting of ½ cup yoghurt, 1T brewers yeast, 1T wheatgerm,1 T blackstrap molasses and a low sugar fruit such as half a pear.

Or

1/3 cup cooked wheatgerm with full cream milk or yoghurt and 1 tspn blackstrap molasses.

Or sprinkle 1T raw wheatgerm on top of cold cereal (must be 1/3 cup only of raw muesli soaked in milk or juice overnight or for at least 15 mins, topped with fruit and yoghurt).

Calcium & Magnesium vitamin, plus one multivitamin

Snack

1 tub full fat yoghurt

Lunch

Apple and celery salad with chopped nuts and a boiled or poached egg

1 dish yoghurt with cinnamon

Snack

1  tablespoon blackstrap molasses in hot or cold milk

Dinner

Soup

Grilled grapefruit half with blackstrap molasses

Watercress salad with creamy yoghurt mayonnaise

Baked beans and sausages

Baked apple with blackstrap molasses (serve with beans)

Before retiring:

Dish of yoghurt or a mug of hot A2 milk with blackstrap molasses, nutmeg (and brewers yeast if you like). Avoid stimulants such as tea, coffee, cocoa and cinnamon.

Menu 8

Breakfast         

Choose from:

1 glass tomato or pineapple juice ( with stir in 1 Tbspn brewers yeast)

Or

1 yoghurt smoothie consisting of ½ cup yoghurt, 1T brewers yeast, 1T wheatgerm,1 T blackstrap molasses and a low sugar fruit such as half a pear.

Or

1/3 cup cooked wheatgerm with full cream milk or yoghurt and 1 tspn blackstrap molasses.

Or sprinkle 1T raw wheatgerm on top of cold cereal (must be 1/3 cup only of raw muesli soaked in milk or juice overnight or for at least 15 mins, topped with fruit and yoghurt).

Calcium & Magnesium vitamin, plus one multivitamin

Snack

1 tub full fat yoghurt or glass vege juice

Lunch

Poached egg and smoke or tinned salmon on 1slice rye bread (pumpernickel).

Green salad

1 dish yoghurt with cinnamon

Snack

1  tablespoon blackstrap molasses in hot or cold milk

Dinner

Soup

Rocket and pear salad with light vinagrette

Baked choko filled with minced spiced beef

Fruit and yoghurt

Before retiring:

Dish of yoghurt or a mug of hot A2 milk with blackstrap molasses, nutmeg (and brewers yeast if you like). Avoid stimulants such as tea, coffee, cocoa and cinnamon

Menu 9

Breakfast         

Choose from:

1 glass tomato or pineapple juice ( with stir in 1 Tbspn brewers yeast)

Or

1 yoghurt smoothie consisting of ½ cup yoghurt, 1T brewers yeast, 1T wheatgerm,1 T blackstrap molasses and a low sugar fruit such as half a pear.

Or

1/3 cup cooked wheatgerm with full cream milk or yoghurt and 1 tspn blackstrap molasses.

Or sprinkle 1T raw wheatgerm on top of cold cereal (must be 1/3 cup only of raw muesli soaked in milk or juice overnight or for at least 15 mins, topped with fruit and yoghurt).

Calcium & Magnesium vitamin, plus one multivitamin

Snack

1 tub full fat yoghurt or glass vege juice

Lunch

½ a grilled chicken and steamed greens

I dish yoghurt

Snack

1  tablespoon blackstrap molasses in hot or cold milk

Dinner

Vegetable Soup

Chickpea salad with salmon and lots of greens

Fresh or frozen berries with

Before retiring:

Dish of yoghurt or a mug of hot A2 milk with blackstrap molasses, nutmeg (and brewers yeast if you like).Avoid stimulants such as tea, coffee, cocoa and cinnamon

Menu 10

Breakfast         

Choose from:

1 glass tomato or pineapple juice ( with stir in 1 Tbspn brewers yeast)

Or

1 yoghurt smoothie consisting of ½ cup yoghurt, 1T brewers yeast, 1T wheatgerm,1 T blackstrap molasses and a low sugar fruit such as half a pear.

Or

1/3 cup cooked wheatgerm with full cream milk or yoghurt and 1 tspn blackstrap molasses.

Or sprinkle 1T raw wheatgerm on top of cold cereal (must be 1/3 cup only of raw muesli soaked in milk or juice overnight or for at least 15 mins, topped with fruit and yoghurt).

Calcium & Magnesium vitamin, plus one multivitamin

Snack

1 tub full fat yoghurt or glass vege juice

Lunch

One scrambled or boiled egg

1 sliced tomato

30g cheese

Green salad

Yoghurt or clear beverage

Snack

1  tablespoon blackstrap molasses in hot or cold milk

Dinner

Lean fish

Stewed tomatoes and zucchini

Cucumber and lettuce salad

Baked apple with cinnamon and topped with yoghurt

Before retiring:

Dish of yoghurt or a mug of hot A2 milk with blackstrap molasses, nutmeg (and brewers yeast if you like). Avoid stimulants such as tea, coffee, cocoa and cinnamon

A Gallery of Bread

Time flies, so I've decided to have a look back at some of my favourite loaves (and other things) over the years.

Sourdough square loaf

Baked in a square tin in my gas oven, this golden loaf...

Sourdough square loaf inside

... has a moist, chewy texture. A true Sourdough.

Sourdough long loaf

From the pizza slab, fresh farm-style bread

 

Sourdough - dough stage

 A flat foccaccia-style loaf rests on my pizza stone before going in to the oven.

Sourdough flat foccacia-style

And comes out rustic and golden

Sourdough - dinner or lunch rolls and a loaf

  Economy day - A loaf and 4 buns

Sourdough blueberry bagels

 These were some truly awesome blueberry bagels... boiled, then baked, glazed with sugar and stuffed with fresh blueberries.

Sourdough bagels with cinnamon, blackstrap and blueberries

 So I had to keep going. I then made a richer, darker bagel with cinnamon, blueberries and blackstrap molasses.

Sourdough buttery croissants

Tried bagels... why not croissants? It requires a bit of elbow grease to work in the butter, so it layers, but it's so worth it!

Sourdough hi-top loaf of bread

 A VERY hi-top loaf...

A fine slice of bread

...with a light, chewy middle

Sourdough round loaf in pot

 The classic method of baking in a covered iron pot produces a rich, caramel colour.

 

Sourdough round loaf

 Another beautiful round country-style loaf

Fresh bread and butter - sourdough style

... and the only way to have it is with unsalted, cultured butter.

Twin sourdough loaves baked in silicon tins

 A pair of twins, from the oven. My first attempt at baking in silicone trays - not my favourite!

Sourdough pizza

As an Italian mamma said to me, "the taste is all in the base". While she had a wood stove in her Bondi garage, these pizzas made in my gas stove are not only the most popular item in my house, but they taste even better than her wood fired ones. She should have used sourdough starter instead of yeast!

About Sourdough Starters

About Sourdough Starters

Introducing "the family"

No it's not The Godfather part X111.... I have previously talked about how to make a starter - or, to use its old school name, the sourdough leaven. As the Bible says, a little leaven leavens the whole lump. Sounds powerful - so who exactly are these 'leaven' guys? 

The starter is a group of microscopic yeasts who live in a flour and water 'swamp' and multiply whenever they are fed. What do they eat? Flour. Plain, white organic, rye - whatever. They are basically the lactobacillis culture found in yoghurt and sauerkraut. They love the heat, so to slow them down they live in the fridge. 

The Swamp Thing 

When they get to room temp and are fed some more flour, they get all 'active' and start to breed like rabbits. This results in a spongy mixture, not unlike foamy pancake batter, that we add more flour to and make bread dough. They are highly effective critters, killing anything that stands in their way - including any bacteria that is not part of their family. So if you use a dirty spoon to mix them, they will 'kill' any contaminants. These critters are powerful - that's why they are so good for your tummy. And why yoghurt and other fermented foods are so good for you.

Sourdough Yeasties will attack anyone who's not "in the family"

They don't just attack contaminants - they eat all the 'bad' parts of a wheat grain. Research has proven that the wild, strong yeasties will eat up to 90 per cent of the gluten and phytic acid in wheat. Phytic acid cannot be digested by humans - it acts as a 'shield' around the wheat grain to prevent our tummies from digesting the good stuff in the wheat. The wild yeasts eat all this stuff up in a process known as 'predigestion'. 

Commercial bread is made with commercial yeasts, which are weaklings that work superfast and wouldn't have the time to 'predigest' the wheat, even if they had the strength to - which they don't, as they have been cross-bred and inbred for so long. The difference between sourdough leaven and commercial yeasts is much like the difference between a wild boar and a farm pig. Get the picture?

 Sourdough versus commercial yeasts - who would you pick in a gluten fight?

As for naming my starter - I haven't, but others before me have. Whether you give your yeast community a single name, like "Greg" or the name of a village, like "Tiny Yeast Town" is up to you. I just call them "my little guys".

Pizza!

Sourdough Pizza....

Above: Homemade sourdough pizza ... the crust is the best bit!

Follow instructions to make a basic bread (see previous post).

But when you take the bread out of the fridge in the morning... follow these simple steps.

Roll out dough on an oiled board to a flat pizza shape. The dough should be very elastic. Place on a pizza tray to rise in a warm room for an hour to an hour and a half.

Top with homemade tomato sauce (see below), cheese and and bake! Sure, you can add other toppings, but remember - the crust is the best bit!

And unlike regular pizza, you won't feel a bit bloated!

Homemade tomato garlic sauce

• 1 can organic tomatoes, Italian
• 6 cloves fresh garlic
• salt, pepper
• olive oil
• tomato paste (Aldi organic is nice)

Fry sliced garlic in 3 tbspns olive oil till light gold - not brown.

Add 1/2 small can tomato paste. Stir 1 minute.

Add tomatoes, salt, pepper and more olive oil

Simmer 30 mins. Cool slightly. Puree with a hand blender.

Top pizza.

Honey Cornbread Recipe

This honey cornbread was baked in a tin in my gas oven.

A new loaf!

I’m going to bake honey cornbread today. Yum. I will also add a few more pictures and use this opportunity to do a quick ‘review’ of the whole process for those who still have questions – or if you just want the whole process on one page.

Phase 1 - "Starter" revision

• Remove your starter from the fridge. Tip into a bowl and mix with a cup or two of water. Add enough plain flour to form a runny pancake batter. Cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel and leave overnight till it bubbles and is all foamy. If you get a layer of liquid on the top and no action after a while, add more food and stir again!

Phase 2 - "the Sponge"

• Take a few tablespoons of bubbly sponge and place in a screwtop jar with a hole in the lid, along with a teaspoon of plain flour to keep it fed for the week.
  
• Place jar in fridge where it will live until the next loaf.

Phase 3 - "the Dough"

• Take the bowl of foamy sponge and add to it 1 to 2 tspns of salt, 2 Tbspns honey. Stir.
  
• Add 1 cup corn meal/ corn flour (not polenta - corn meal is a little finer in grain. Kalla is a good brand and is sold in Coles).
  
• Add 1/2 cup of gluten flour. Stir. Note: Gluten is particularly important in this recipe as corn has no gluten. Therefore to make a loaf that rises properly, is chewy and ‘bready’, gluten must be added to ‘strengthen’ flour.
• We have already added the corn meal/flour in the last step. Now, as we need a mix of corn and plain white flour (preferably organic) for this bread, we will now add the white flour. Gradually stir in white flour to the mix, in half-cup measures.

• When the dough starts to ‘stick together’ in a clumpy mass, turn it out onto a floured board. Fill the empty bowl with water now or you won’t be able to clean it later as sourdough has a habit of drying impossibly hard…!
  
  
• Begin kneading, adding more plain white flour if it sticks - not too much. Keep the dough wettish.
  
  
  
  
  
  

• 
  
  
• It’s ready… shape into a loose ball and…..
• Place in an oiled bowl and cover with cling wrap and a tea towel.
  
• Leave in a warm place to rise while you enjoy a good book!

• NOTE: Clean your kneading board (or bench):
  A wooden cutting board is best, as it doesn't host bacteria. Simply scrape down and rub some coarse salt in to get rid of any doughy bits.

Phase 4 - "the Punching Down"

• The dough is risen nicely (it took about 4 hours as today was pretty hot) and does not 'spring back' when you poke it with your finger.

• Flatten the dough down gently.

• Fold the dough into a square.

• Now we will start to stretch the dough. Begin by cupping the dough into your hands and start to ‘pull’ the dough down and under itself, stretching and cupping the dough. This process is much gentler than ‘kneading’ the dough as we don’t want to be rough with it at this stage.

Stretch, and pull the dough under itself.

• Do this seven or eight times. That's enough - see the small tear at the side? That means the dough is stretched to its limit.

• Place in a plastic bag secured with a knot to stop it growing too much in the fridge.
  
  
• Place in the fridge overnight or up to 36 hours. The longer the resting time, the more ‘predigested’ the bread is – but the texture is different, too. Experiment!

Phase 5 - The baking

• Good morning – crikey the dough has risen, even in the fridge – it’s nearly filled the freezer bag! That tends to happen in summer….
  

• Place loaf gently in a floured loaf tin. I’m making a square loaf today.
  

• (Note – at this stage if you wanted to make pizza or flatbread you’d roll the dough out and flatten it completely, taking all the air out, then leave it to get to room temperature before baking the pizza/flatbread on a pizza stone).
  
• Leave the bread to rest, covered, for 2-4 hours, until returned to room temperature. It will also rise a little more.
  
• Preheat the oven to 210C at least half an hour before baking. Place a pan of water in the bottom of the oven to act as a ‘humidifier’ to help make a that crispy, chewy sourdough crust we all love.
• When returned to room temp and risen, 'score' or cut a pattern in the bread with a sharp knife. Dust with corn flour.

• Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Check after 30 minutes.
  
• Below is a picture of a loaf that is not yet propertly cooked …See how it is too light in colour and when you tap the loaf it does not sound 'hollow'.
  
• NOTE: It’s better to have an overcooked loaf than an undercooked one – as sourdough has no ‘floury’ taste it is almost impossible to burn. And the browner, the tastier, you will soon find.
  
• Below is a picture of a properly cooked loaf. The loaf is quite brown, and has a very ‘hollow’ sound when you tap it on the bottom.
  
• Use a knife to get it out of the tin if it sticks a little on the sides.
• REMEMBER to wait 1 hour before eating the bread - technically it's still 'cooking' and it will go hard if you cut it prematurely. It will be difficult but you must wait...
• Enjoy!
  

Cheat's Bread (Ciabatta)

Here's my easiest bread yet, a chewy Italian ciabatta.

Just follow the recipe as per Lesson 11, but use all white plain organic flour, for authentic taste. However, when you get to the kneading, follow these instructions:

* Don't add too much flour to the 'sponge'; just enough so it holds together, but still nice and sticky.
* Proof and age in the fridge overnight
* Take it out of the fridge in the morning and lay it on a nice stone pizza slab.
* Shape into a ciabatta shape (about 5-10cm high, 30cm long, 15cm wide)
* Let it rise, covered, in a warm place for 2 to 3 hours, till room temperature.
* Bake in a 200C preheated oven until brown and 'hollow' to the tap
* This bread should be chewy and 'holey'** in texture.

**Blogger cannot be held responsible for size of holes, as this is entirely dependent on the mood of the sourdough yeasties :)

Variations:
Full Cream Milk Powder: Add 1/2 cup of milk powder when adding flour to make the dough. It adds a nice 'white bread' taste. Lovely for making sandwich rolls for work. But still healthy, 'cos it's sourdough!!!
Bake the bread in a loaf tin: You'll get a different shape, but it will be nice to slice and toast, serve with avocado and tomato!

This is by far the easiest sourdough recipe, because of the lack of kneading (easy on the elbows).