Sourdough Bread

Summary

Ingredients

• 520 g total flour (about 4 C)
• 2 tsp salt
• 385 g water (about 1 7/8 C)
• 90 g sourdough starter (about 1/3 C)- best to use after it peaks, when it is hungry…about 12 hours after you feed it if it is on the counter

Instructions

1. Combine flour and salt. In a separate bowl, combine water and starter. Mix wet mixture with dry mixture until it comes together. Cover and let rest for about 15 minutes.
2. With wet fingers, stretch outer edges up and into the center of the dough. Let rest 15 minutes. Repeat 1-2 more times. End with dough turned upside down. Proof anywhere from 6-12 hours.
3. Poke Test: With floured finger, poke the dough. If it indents easily and mostly springs back to its original shape, it has probably risen enough. If it feels firm or very hard to indent, let it rise longer. If it feels lose, runny, or indents too easily or doesn’t spring back, it is most likely over-proofed, but bake it anyway.
4. Line a bowl with sprayed or oiled parchment.
5. Stretch/Shape the dough. Loosen the edges of the dough, and with wet hands pull the dough straight up in the middle. Place it back down gently, folding it on top of itself. (If the dough breaks, it is probably over-proofed. If it won’t stretch or feels too tight/firm, it needs to proof longer). Wait 30-60 seconds and repeat 2-3 more times. On the third stretch, lift dough into parchment lined bowl.
6. Place bowl in the fridge for 1 hour (or up to 3-4 hours). Preheat the oven with dutch oven inside for one hour to 475.
7. Score dough and lift it (including parchment) into hot dutch oven. Cover and bake for 25-28 minutes. Remove lid. It should be puffed and slightly golden, with an internal temp close to 200. Place back in the oven and cook for 10-15 more minutes, until deeply golden and internal temp reaches 204-208. Let cool 1-4 hours.