Beginners Sourdough Bread

🧂 Ingredients

• 400 grams unbleached bread flour

  (mix of unbleached bread flour, all-purpose and whole red wheat flour)
• 115 grams active sourdough starter
• 280 grams lukewarm water
• 8 grams sea salt

Instructions

• 1 The night before, feed the starter. (4-8 hours prior to making the bread) Place
  in a warm area (78-80 degrees F) to let it expand. It will build bubbles and
  double in size. Once it’s at peak or nearly at peak fermentation, place it into
  the fridge overnight.
• 2 Day of making bread; take the ripe starter out of the refrigerator in order to
  come to room temperature.
• 3 In a large bowl or plastic container, mix the flour and water. Use a dough whisk
  to mix as best as you can. This is a low hydration dough, so you can use your
  hands to incorporate the ingredients.
• 4 Mix until the flour is incorporated. The dough will be very dry and shaggy.
  Cover and let rest in a warm area (78-80 degrees F) for a minimum of 1 hour. Up
  to 3 hours.
• 5 Add the ripe starter over the dough. Sprinkle the salt over top. Mix by hand,
  using wet fingers to press the starter and salt into the dough. Mix until
  ingredients are incorporated. Cover with a damp cloth, plastic wrap or cover and
  let rest for 1 hour.
• 6 Perform a series of stretch and folds. Using slightly wet hands, pinch the dough
  with your fingers and gently stretch it up, wiggle a little and fold it back
  down over the dough past the center and release. Turn the bowl or container
  slightly and repeat this process around the dough. (Do this about 6 times until
  the dough starts to take shape.)
• 7 Perform 4 sets of stretch and folds at 30-minute intervals. This process will
  help strengthen the gluten.
• 8 If it’s not taking shape, you can also use coil folds.
• 9 Coil folds can also help strengthen your dough. Simply lift the dough from both
  sides and let it fold under itself. Rotate your bowl or container and repeat the
  process. Let the dough rest 30 minutes in between each coil fold.
• 10 Use a kitchen timer to remember when to perform S&Fs
• 11 Let the dough rest and increase in size. At the end of bulk fermentation, the
  dough will have risen 40-70%. It should have some bubbles on the dough. The edge
  of the dough should be slightly domed, around the edges where it meets the bowl
  or container. This process should take anywhere from 3-7 hours (depending on how
  cold or warm it in your house)
• 12 You can use the oven (on the proof bread setting or just with the light on) to
  bulk proof your dough. I monitored the temperature with a digital thermometer
  with a probe cord.
• 13 Once the dough is bubbly and risen 40-70%, perform a pre-shape. Dump the dough
  onto a very lightly floured work surface. (This dough will be very sticky! And
  you want that!)
• 14 Shape the dough into rounds. Using your left hand push it away from you,
  slightly rotating it and bring it back towards you with the bench scraper.
  Bringing the bottom under the dough. This is building tension.
• 15 Let the dough rest for 20-minutes, uncovered.
• 16 Shape into rounds. Flip the rounds over, (if making more than one loaf, work
  with one round at a time) and stretch into a rectangle shape, on a very lightly
  floured work surface. Be careful not to use too much flour. Don't add flour on
  the top of the dough.
• 17 Fold the end over towards you and then each side corner over towards the center.
  Press those onto themselves. Repeat this process all the way down the dough,
  almost as though you were braiding the bread. Pressing down each time.
• 18 Starting from the top, roll the dough into itself and tucking it. Keep rolling
  and tucking until the dough is fully shaped. Tuck the ends with your fingers or
  use a bench scraper to slightly rotate the dough.
• 19 Place in rice floured bannetons, cover with a plastic bag or inexpensive plastic
  shower caps which will help prevent the dough from drying out during the cold
  proofing process.
• 20 *I use a 7 to 8-inch banneton for this recipe!
• 21 Place the bannetons of dough into the refrigerator overnight. Or up to 36 hours.
• 22 Pre-heat the oven with the Dutch oven for 1 hour. 550 degrees F.
• 23 Remove the plastic wrap or plastic shower cap from the dough. Discard or turn it
  inside out to thoroughly dry and reuse later.
• 24 Lightly flour and sprinkle the dough with cornmeal. Place a piece of parchment
  paper over it and hold secure with your hand. Flip it over to release from the
  proofing basket onto a work surface.
• 25 Brush away any excess rice flour that may be hardened.
• 26 Score the bread RIGHT before baking, while the dough is still very cold. Use a
  bread lame to score the dough. Hold the lame at a 45 degree angle and cut the
  deep score. (Make this cut last!)
• 27 Use the parchment paper to carefully transfer the dough into the preheated Dutch
  oven.
• 28 Bake at 550 degrees F in a Dutch oven with the lid on for 20 minutes. Carefully
  remove the lid and continue to bake, uncovered at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes.
  Place a half sheet pan under the Dutch oven at this point to help prevent the
  bottom of the bread from burning or becoming too dark. Look for the color and
  internal temperature should be 200-205 degrees F.
• 29 Carefully remove the bread from the pot and let cool for at least 1-2 hours
  before slicing

Nutrition Info