Sourdough Bread

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Day 0 - Make Levain

Ingredients

  • 50g Mature Sourdough Starter
  • 40g Whole Wheat Flour
  • 40g bread flour or all-purpose
  • 80g Room Temperature Water

Recipe

Add all ingredients and stir until all flour is fully saturated.

Allow the levain to rise at room temperature until at least doubled in size, approximately 10-14 hours.

Day 1

  • 900g Unbleached Bread Flour
  • 100g Whole Wheat Flour
  • 750g Room Temperature Water
  • 20g Salt

Recipe

Fill a large bowl with 700g of water at about 85°F (~30°C) Add the entire levain (about 200g) to the bowl and stir to disperse it throughout the liquid. Add 900g of unbleached bread flour to the bowl, along with 100g of whole wheat flour, and stir with a dough whisk or by hand, until all flour is completely saturated. Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap, and allow it to rest in a warm environment (about 85°F or 29°C) for 20-40 minutes. While the dough is resting, mix together 50g of water and 20g of salt in a separate bowl or measuring cup. After 20-40 minutes, add the 50g of water and 20g of salt, and incorporate it into the dough by dimpling and folding it in.

Bulk Rise

Transfer the dough to a clear rectangular container, cover, and return it to your warm environment for 25 minutes. During the bulk rise phase, we will perform 5 sets of folds, spaced out at 25 minute intervals. 3 Folds and 2 Coil Folds

Remove your dough onto a lightly floured work surface, with the top of the dough facing down. You now have one “floured” side of the dough, and one “unfloured” side. Using a metal bench scraper, divide the dough into 3 equal-sized pieces. Dust the tops of the loaves with flour, then cover them with a floured kitchen towel and let them rest for about 20-30 minutes

Final Shaping

Dust the top of each loaf with a bit more flour, then flip them over so the unfloured side is facing up. Make sure you have plenty of space to work with, and get rid of any excess flour on your work surface. Shape Dough Transfer your bannetons to food-safe plastic bags, and seal the bags to prevent the dough from drying out Place the loaves into your refrigerator to allow them to proof for anywhere from 3-12 hours.

Baking

Place your dutch oven or dutch oven combo cooker into your oven and set the oven to 500°F (~260°C). Wait at least 30 minutes for both the oven and dutch oven to become smoking hot. Once both are preheated, take one of your loaves out of the fridge and remove it from the plastic bag, then dust the loaf with a bit more rice flour to prevent it from sticking to the pot. Working quickly, remove your dutch oven from the oven. Place the loaf in, then score it about ½ inch to 1 inch deep using a bread lame or a very sharp knife. After the loaf is scored, place the lid on your dutch oven, and transfer it back to the oven as quickly as possible. Allow the loaf to bake, still at 500°F, for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the lid and reduce the oven to 450°F (~230°C) Let the loaf continue baking until it reaches a deep, dark brown color, with some hints of black charring on the edges, which should take about 15-20 minutes. I also like to rotate the loaf halfway through to ensure even browning. Once the loaf is baked to your liking, remove it to a wire rack and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes, or up to a few hours to allow the inside to finish cooking.