https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-sourdough-bread-224367
Kitchn Sourdough
Bread
YIELD Makes
2 loaves
PREP
TIME 24 hours to 48 hours
INGREDIENTS
For the leaven:
·
1 tablespoon active sourdough starter
·
75 grams all-purpose
flour or bread flour (1/2 cup)
·
75 grams water
(1/3 cup)
For the dough:
·
525 grams water
(2 1/2 cups), divided
·
1 tablespoon salt
·
700 grams all-purpose
flour or bread flour (5 1/2 cups)
INSTRUCTIONS
1.
Make sure your sourdough culture is active. If your sourdough has been in the
refrigerator, take it out 2 to 3 days before you plan to bake. Feed it daily to
make sure it's strong and very active before you make the bread.
2.
Make the leaven and let it sit overnight. The night before you plan to make the
dough, place all the leaven ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly to form
a thick batter. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight, about 12
hours.
3.
Test that the leaven is ready. Generally, if the surface of the leaven is very bubbly, it's
ready to be used. To double check, drop a small spoonful of the leaven in a cup
of water; if the leaven floats, it's ready.
4.
Dissolve the salt. Place 50 grams (about 1/4 cup) of the water and the salt for
the dough in a small bowl. Set aside, stirring occasionally to make sure the
salt dissolves.
5.
Mix the leaven and water. Add the remaining 475 grams (2 cups) of water for the dough to the
bowl of leaven. Stir with a spatula or use your hands to break up and dissolve
the leaven into the water. It's OK if the leaven doesn't fully dissolve and a
few clumps remain.
6.
Add the flour. Add
the flour and stir with a rubber spatula until there are no more bits of dry
flour and it forms a very shaggy dough.
7.
Rest the dough (30 minutes, or up to 4 hours). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a
clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes or up to 4
hours. This is the autolyse stage where the flour is fully absorbing the water
and enzymes in the flour begin breaking down the starches and proteins.
8.
Mix in the salt. Pour the dissolved salt over the dough. Work the liquid and
salt into the dough by pinching and squeezing the dough. The dough will feel
quite wet and loose at this point.
9.
Begin folding the dough (2 1/2 hours). To fold the dough, grab the dough at one
side, lift it up, and fold it over on top of itself. Fold the dough four times,
moving clockwise from the top of the bowl (or giving the bowl a quarter turn in
between folds). Let the dough rest 30 minutes, then repeat. Do this a total of
6 times, every half hour, for a total of 2 1/2 hours. The dough will start out
shaggy and very loose, but will gradually smooth out and become tighter as you
continue folding.
10. Let the dough rise
undisturbed (30 to 60 minutes). Once you've finished the folds, cover and let the dough rise
undisturbed for 30 to 60 minutes, until it looks slightly puffed. This dough
won't double in size the way regular, non-sourdough breads will; it should just
look larger than it did when you started.
11. Divide the dough. Sprinkle some flour on a work surface and
turn the dough out on top. Work gently to avoid deflating the dough. Use a
pastry scraper to divide the dough in half.
12. Shape the dough into
loose rounds. Sprinkle a little
flour over each piece of dough. Use your pastry scraper to shape each one into
loose rounds — this isn't the final shaping, just a preliminary shaping to prep
the dough for further shaping. Shape them into rounds by slipping your pastry
scraper under the edge of the dough and then scraping it around curve of the
dough, like turning left when driving. Do this a few times to build the surface
tension in the dough (it makes more sense to do it than to read about it!).
Flour your pastry scraper as needed to keep it from sticking to the dough.
13. Rest the dough (20 to 30
minutes). Once both pieces
of dough are shaped, let them rest for 20 to 30 minutes to relax the gluten
again before final shaping.
14. Prepare 2 bread proofing
baskets, colanders, or mixing bowls. Line 2 bread proofing baskets, colanders, or clean mixing
bowls with clean kitchen towels. Dust them heavily with flour, rubbing the
flour into the cloth on the bottom and up the sides with your fingers. Use more
flour than you think you'll need — it should form a thin layer over the surface
of the towel.
15. Shape the loaves. Dust the top of one of the balls of dough
with flour. Flip it over with a pastry scraper so that the floured side is
against the board and the un-floured, sticky surface is up. Shape the loaf much
like you folded the dough earlier: Grab the lip of the dough at the bottom,
pull it gently up, then fold it over onto the center of the dough. Repeat with
the right and left side of the dough. Repeat with the top of the dough, but
once you fold it downward, use your thumb to grab the bottom lip again and
gently roll the dough right-side up. If it's not quite a round or doesn't seem
taut to you, cup your palms around the dough and rotate it against the counter
to shape it up. Repeat with the second ball of dough.
16. Transfer to the proofing
baskets. Dust the tops and
sides of the shaped loaves generously with flour. Place them into the proofing
baskets upside down, so the seams from shaping are on top.
17. Let the dough rise (3 to
4 hours, or overnight in the fridge). Cover the baskets loosely with plastic wrap, or place them
inside clean plastic bags. Let them rise at room temperature until they look
billowy and poofy, 3 to 4 hours. Alternatively, place the covered basket in the
refrigerator and let them rise slowly overnight, 12 to 15 hours. If rising
overnight, bake the loaves straight from the fridge; no need to warm before
baking.
18. Heat the oven to 500°F. Place two Dutch ovens or other
heavy-bottomed pots with lids in the oven, and heat to 500°F. (If you don't
have two pots, you can bake one loaf after the next.)
19. Transfer the loaves to
the Dutch ovens. Carefully remove
one of the heated Dutch ovens from the oven and remove the lid. Tip the loaf
into the pot so the seam-side is down. Repeat with the second loaf. (See Recipe
Note if your loaf sticks to the basket.)
20. Score the top of the
loaf. Use a lame, sharp
knife, or serrated knife to quickly score the surface of the loaves. Try to
score at a slight angle, so you're cutting almost parallel to the surface of
the loaf; this gives the loaves the distinctive "shelf" along the
score line.
21. Bake the loaves for 20
minutes. Cover and bake for
20 minutes.
22. Reduce the oven
temperature to 450°F and bake another 10 minutes. Resist the temptation to check the loaves
at this point; just reduce the oven temperature to 450°F. Bake another 10
minutes.
23. Remove the lids and
continue baking 15 to 25 minutes. Uncover the pots to release any remaining steam. At this
point, the loaves should have "sprung" up, have a dry surface, and be
just beginning to show golden color.
24. Bake another 15 to 25
minutes. Continue baking
uncovered until the crust is deeply browned; aim for just short of burnt. It
might feel a bit unnatural to bake loaves this fully, but this is where a lot
of the flavor and texture of the crust comes in.
25. Cool the loaves
completely. When done, lift
the loaves out of the pots using a spatula. Transfer them to wire racks to cool
completely. Wait until they have cooled to room temperature before slicing.
RECIPE
NOTES
Whole-wheat
sourdough: You can replace up
to half of the all-purpose flour with whole-wheat or whole-grain flour.
All-purpose
vs. bread flour: Bread flour will
give your bread a sturdier, chewier texture and a loaf that's easier to slice.
Loaves made with all-purpose flour will be a bit more delicate, especially when
you cut them, but still work just fine.
If
your loaf sticks to the proofing basket: This still happens to me all the time! It's annoying, but
not the end of your sourdough dreams. If some of the dough stays stuck to the
lining of the proofing basket, try to gently disengage it or pinch it away with
your fingers. Fold a pinch of dough over the tear and bake as usual. The crust
will look a little rough where it was torn, but the bread will still taste
delicious.
Storage: Bread can be stored at room temperature
(cut-side down if cut) in a paper bag for up to 3 days, or well wrapped in
plastic wrap and frozen for up to 2 months.