½cup active and bubbly sourdough starter(100 grams)
1½cups+ 1 tablespoon warm water(375 grams)
4cups+ 2 tablespoons bread flour(500 grams)
2½teaspoonsfine sea salt(12 grams)
Instructions
*Note: You may want to make the dough in the evening (2.5 hours) before heading to bed so that the bulk fermentation (8-10 hours) can happen overnight.*
Make the dough: In a large bowl mix together the sourdough starter and warm water with a rubber spatula. Add in the bread flour and sea salt. Mix again until thoroughly combined. Cover with a thin, damp towel (like a tea towel) and let rest for 30 minutes.
Stretch and fold: After 30 minutes, grab the side of the dough and fold it up and inwards toward the center (kind of like folding paper into an envelope.) Continue to fold all around the dough – about 4-5 folds. Allow it to rest another 30 minutes. Repeat this fold every thirty minutes for a total of 4 times – this step should take about 2 hours. (If you don’t have 2 hours to give you dough, just do it the first time and proceed to the next step.)
Bulk fermentation (first rise): Cover the bowl with a thin, dry towel, and allow it to rest at room temperature around (70°F) for 8-10 hours, or until it has just about doubled in size. If your home is in a warm, humid environment, it may go quicker than 8 hours, and a colder environment may take longer to proof. A general rule of thumb is to go by visual cues rather than the actual clock.
Shape: Gently turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Use your hands to cup the sides of the dough to form it into a round shape. You can gently pull the edges out and tuck it under to help shape it. A dough scraper may help you with this process. Allow the dough to rest for another 30 minutes.
Proof (second rise): Prepare an 8” bowl or banneton (proofing basket) by placing a towel on the bottom, and lightly sprinkling it with flour. Carefully transfer your bread to the proofing basket, seam up. Allow it to proof in the basket for an additional 1-2 hours at room temperature.
Cut parchment paper to fit inside the dutch oven. You want it to extend up the sides, but not get in the way when you secure the lid. The purpose of the parchment paper is so that you can transfer your dough to the hot dutch oven without burning yourself. Preheat the oven to 500°F and place the dutch oven inside to heat up.
Score: Once the oven is preheated, place the parchment paper over the top of the proofing basket and flip the basket upside down to remove the dough carefully. Use a sharp knife to score the dough to help the steam escape while baking. A simple “C” or “X” on the top works well. Use the parchment paper to transfer the dough to the dutch oven.
Bake: Lower the oven temperature to 450°F. Cover the top of the dutch oven and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.
Allow bread to cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before serving.
Notes
Calories are automatically generated. For best results calculate based on your exact ingredients.