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Beginner Sourdough Bread

foolproof method for a delicious loaf of 100% naturally fermented homemade sourdough bread

Course bread
Cuisine French
Keyword Bread, sourdough, sourdough bread
Servings 1 loaf
Author LeAnne

Ingredients

  • 230 gams sourdough starter
  • 400 grams warm water around 85 degrees F
  • 600 grams unbleached all purpose flour
  • 14 grams kosher salt I use Morton's

Instructions

  1. STEP 1. Feed your sourdough starter 8-12 hours before you plan to start baking. We want to use the sourdough starter when it is fully active and bubbly, and has reached its "peak" rise in the jar.

  2. STEP 2. Mix the dough. To a large mixing bowl, add the sourdough starter and the warmer water. Whisk to dissolve the sourdough starter in the warm water. Then, add the unbleached AP flour, and mix by hand, pinching the dough to incorporate the water and flour. I use a kitchen scale to measure out my ingredients by weight. This is much more precise, so get yourself a scale if you don’t have one already.

    Cover the bowl, and let this mixture rest for 20 minutes. Then add the salt and a tablespoon of water and mix by hand again, pinching the dough as you go to incorporate the salt thoroughly.

  3. STEP 3. Stretch and fold and the dough, every 45 minutes for 3-4 hours. This is a gentle process that replaces kneading. We’re building up the strength and structure of the gluten without deflating the dough.

    Gently lift up sides of the dough, and fold onto itself, until you work your way all the way around the dough. Dampen your hands with water slightly to prevent sticking. Let the dough rest for another 3-4 hours until it has almost doubled in size, is puffy, and there are bubbles on the surface. This is the dough’s 1st rise, called ‘bulk fermentation.”

  4. STEP 4. Shape the dough. Gently turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Pull the corners in to create a loose round shape. Let the pre-shapen dough rest for 15 minutes. Then pull the edges up an over and pinch them together, and roll the dough up to create a tighter ball. Place the dough ball seam-side up in a prepared 8″ round or oblong proofing basket/bread form.

  5. At this point we want to keep our dough from drying out. You can either cover the proofing basket with a disposable shower cap (my favorite method) or loosely with a tea-towel, and place in a plastic bag, closed with a bag-clip.

  6. STEP 5. Refrigerate the dough for 12-24 hours in warmer months in warmer kitchens. In the dead of winter (January in the northeast) I let my dough proof at room temperature on my kitchen counter for 8-12 hours.

  7. STEP 6. Bake bread! Remove the proofed dough from the fridge. Place a dutch oven on the middle rack of your oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Cut a piece of parchment to fit in the bottom of the Dutch oven.

    Turn the dough out onto the parchment. Slash the top using a sharp knife or razor, to allow the steam to escape. Use oven mitts to carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven. Place the loaf (with the parchment paper) into the pot. Place the lid on top.

    Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the lid of the pot, and bake for another 20 minutes.

  8. Allow the bread to cool completely, before slicing into it. I know this is hard (bc hello, freshly baked bread) but the bread actually continues to cook, while it cools, and slicing into it too early results in a gummy crumb (crumb is the inside of the bread).