Artisan Sourdough Bread

Sourdough Starter Maintenance: Feeding

Feeding Schedule: Feed your starter regularly, typically once or twice a day. A consistent feeding schedule is key to a healthy starter.

Feeding Ratio: A common feeding ratio is 1:1:1 (starter:flour:water). For example, if you have 50g of starter, add 50g of flour and 50g of water.

Type of Flour: Use a mix of bread flour and whole wheat flour for feeding. Whole wheat flour provides extra nutrients for the yeast and bacteria.

Water Temperature: Use lukewarm water (around 80-85°F or 27-29°C) for feeding.

Discard (Optional): Before feeding, discard all but 50g of your starter. This prevents it from growing too large and wasting flour. You can use the discarded starter in other recipes like pancakes or crackers.

Mixing: Combine the starter, flour, and water in a clean jar. Mix thoroughly until there are no dry clumps of flour.

Resting: Cover the jar loosely with a lid or plastic wrap. Let it sit at room temperature (ideally 70-75°F or 21-24°C) until it has doubled in size. This usually takes 4-8 hours depending on the temperature and activity of your starter.

Refrigeration (Long-Term Storage): If you don't plan to bake frequently, you can store your starter in the refrigerator. Feed it once a week, and let it sit at room temperature for a few hours after feeding before returning it to the fridge. Take it out a day or two before baking to revive it, feeding it 1-2 times until it's active again.

Making the Dough: Autolyse

Combine Flour and Water: In a large bowl, combine the bread flour, whole wheat flour, and lukewarm water. Mix until just combined. There should be no dry flour remaining. This process, called autolyse, allows the flour to fully hydrate, resulting in a more extensible dough.

Rest: Cover the bowl and let it rest for 30-60 minutes.

Mixing the Dough: Adding Starter and Salt

Add Starter: Add the active sourdough starter to the autolysed dough. Mix thoroughly until well combined. You can use your hands or a dough scraper for this step.

Add Salt: Add the salt and mix again until fully incorporated. The dough will be shaggy at this stage.

Bulk Fermentation: Stretch and Folds

First Fold: After 30 minutes, perform a set of stretch and folds. Gently stretch a portion of the dough upwards and fold it over onto itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat this process until you've completed a full circle. This strengthens the gluten and develops structure.

Subsequent Folds: Repeat the stretch and folds every 30-45 minutes for the next 2-3 hours. The dough will become smoother and more elastic with each set of folds.

Rest: After the final fold, let the dough bulk ferment for another 1-2 hours, or until it has increased in volume by about 30-50%.

Shaping and Proofing

Gently Shape: Lightly flour your work surface. Gently turn the dough out onto the floured surface. Shape the dough into a round or oval loaf. Be careful not to deflate the dough too much.

Proofing Basket: Place the shaped dough in a well-floured banneton basket or a bowl lined with a floured kitchen towel.

Cold Proof: Cover the basket and place it in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours. Cold proofing develops flavor and makes the dough easier to score.

Baking

Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C) with a Dutch oven inside for at least 30 minutes.

Score the Dough: Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven. Remove the dough from the basket and gently place it into the Dutch oven. Score the top of the dough with a sharp knife or lame. Scoring allows the dough to expand properly during baking.

Bake Covered: Cover the Dutch oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Bake Uncovered: Remove the lid and bake for another 25-30 minutes, or until the crust is deep golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 205-210°F (96-99°C).

Cool Completely: Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and let it cool completely before slicing and enjoying. This is crucial for the crumb to set properly.