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Sourdough Bread
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Sourdough Bread

Ingredients

Leaven

  • 25 grams starter
  • 50 grams lukewarm water
  • 50 grams bread flour

The Bread

  • 100 grams leaven
  • 500 grams bread flour
  • 325 grams lukewarm water
  • 25 grams lukewarm water (additional)
  • 10 grams sea salt

Other

  • rice flour (for dusting)

Instructions

Making the Leaven

  • Combine the leaven ingredients and leave to ferment for 8 to 12 hours. The leaven is ready if you pinch a bit off and it floats on water. If it sinks, it needs to ferment a bit longer.

Mix and Autolyse

  • Combine the 100 grams of leaven with 325 grams of water, mixing with your fingers.
  • Add the flour to the mixture, again using your hands to combine.
  • Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let sit for up to an hour.
  • Add the 25 grams of water and salt.

Turning

  • Begin your first fold by getting your hands damp, then taking a piece of dough, gently pulling out and up and folding towards the middle. Rotate the bowl 90° and repeat 3 times.
  • Do 4 folds every 30 minutes for 3 hours. Rinse your hands off each time, do not use soap.

Shaping

  • Wet the clean surface of your countertop with some water that has been sprinkled on top and then spread around with your hand. Scoop the dough out of the bowl, form into a rough rectangle.
  • Let rest for 20 minutes.
  • Line your banneton (or bread-rising bowl) with a clean linen towel and dust generously with rice flour.
  • Finish shaping by folding your rectangle into thirds. Flip over so it's seam side down.
  • Use your hands (or a bench scraper) to cup and roll the dough, making as much surface tension as possible (without ripping the dough).
  • Flip the dough into the lined and floured bowl so the top is facing down.
  • Flour the dough with rice flour then cover with the edges of the towel.

Proofing

  • Proof in the fridge for up to two days, but not longer than 48 hours.

Baking

  • Preheat your oven to 500°F and place a dutch oven (and it's lid) inside to heat up with the oven.
  • Cut a piece of parchment paper to have a set of handles. Uncover the dough.
  • Place the parchment paper centered over the bowl, and flip confidently over onto the parchment paper. Remove the bowl and the towel.
  • Dust the top of the ball lightly with bread flour and score with a sharp blade or bread lame in an "X" or hashtag pattern. Make sure to score under the edges of the corners lightly. This will help with the rising during baking.
  • Once the oven is heated, remove the pot carefully, remove its lid, and using the "handles" of the parchment paper, place the loaf into the pot.
  • Put the lid back on and bake for 20 minutes.
  • Remove the lid and bake an additional 20-25 minutes until the loaf is a toasty brown.
  • Once cooked, remove immediately from the pot and place on a wire rack to cool.
  • Cool completely before cutting.

Storage

  • Store in a bread box or bread bag.

Notes

Folding technique can be seen in the No Knead Bread gallery.
Use a linen towel, not a cotton one. You know those towel that don't seem to dry anything? One of those. Designate it as your bread towel. Rinse with water only, do not clean with laundry detergent.