Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe
An easy sourdough bread recipe made with an active sourdough starter that produces a beautiful loaf that has a great crust, lovely, airy crumb, and delicious flavor.
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Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 Danish dough whisk
- 1 Dutch Oven
- 1 bread lame or razor
Ingredients
- 135 grams Starter
- 577 grams Water
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 780 grams Organic Unbleached Flour
Instructions
Feeding the Starter
- 6-8 hours before you want to mix the dough, feed the sourdough starter a ratio of 1:1:1, or equal parts starter, flour, and water of 70 grams each.
- Mix all of these well to incorporate and then cover loosely in a warm spot on the counter. After 6-8 hours, the starter will have plenty of air bubbles and have doubled in size.
Mix the Dough
- Add the sourdough starter, warm water, and salt to a large bowl and stir well. Next, add the flour and mix well. The dough will look shaggy at first. It will not have any elasticity to it at this point and will break when pulled and stretched.
- Let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes so that the flour can properly hydrate.
Stretch and Folds
- Grab the edge of the dough and lift it straight up, stretching the dough. Then fold it over, pressing it into its middle. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn, and repeat the fold again.
- Continue the stretch and folds 5-8 times or until the dough becomes stiff and more resistant. This completes one set of stretch and folds.
- Wait 15 minutes and do another set of stretches and folds. Repeat the sets of stretch and folds until the dough becomes smooth and elastic and holds when stretched thinly. This shows that the gluten has been fully developed and is strong enough to hold the air pockets. This is usually achieved in 2-4 sets of folds.
Bulk Fermentation
- After the last set of stretch and folds, cover the bowl with a plate or plastic wrap and set it in a warm place at room temperature for 8-12 hours. Exact rise times will vary based on the kitchen temperature as well as the strength and health of your starter.
Shaping the Dough
- The next day check the dough by performing the poke test. When it passes, scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently shape it into a circle without deflating it. With lightly dusted fingers or a bench scraper, lift the top half of the dough and fold it down to the middle of the dough. Next, grab the bottom half of the dough and fold it up to the middle of the dough. Fold each side of the dough to the middle.
- After all 4 sides of the dough are folded over to meet in the middle, carefully flip the dough over so that the seams of the dough are on the bottom.
- To shape the loaf into a boule, use both hands and cup the loaf on the side furthest from you and drag it towards you with your hands, tuck the loaf under with the edge of your hands. Rotate the loaf a quarter turn and do the same process. The seam should continue to remain on the bottom of the loaf.
Cold Ferment and Oven Preheating
- Using your bench scraper, lift the dough onto parchment paper and back into the bowl. Cover the bowl again and place in the refrigerator for an hour while the oven preheats. The bread can be left in the refrigerator for 12-18 hours before baking.
- When ready to bake, preheat the Dutch oven and lid to 450 degrees for 60 minutes.
Score and Bake
- When the oven is done preheating score the top of the loaf using a lame or sharp knife.
- Lift the dough using the parchment paper into the hot Dutch oven, add the lid, and back into the oven.
- Bake for 35 minutes with the lid. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- After the time is up, remove the loaf from the Dutch oven and give the loaf a gentle tap on the bottom of the loaf. It will sound hollow when it’s done. I like to double check it’s done with a thermometer with the internal temperature at 200 degrees.
- Place on wire cooling rack and allow to fully cool before slicing.
Storage
- Store sourdough bread in an airtight container at room temperature. Best eaten within 3-4 days.
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