Sourdough Bread
Make Starter (if you don't have one already)
- Make starter (one spoonful of existing started or create your own, which takes ~5days). Good video for reference: https://youtu.be/A_PghQtLZtk?feature=shared
- Making the starter can be slightly tedious but rewarding process. You could also just get it from a fellow baker.
Grow the starter
- Put starter in a glass jar, and fill up 1/3 of the jar with bread flour
- Add water and mix - enough water to make everything moist but not more
- Close jar and allow to sit until starter grows to occupy the entire jar (can take between 8-12hrs). Warmer ambient temp. helps starter grow faster.
- Once the starter is ready, we can prepare the dough
Prepare Dough
- Pour 600mL of water into a bowl and dump the starter in it (if fully fermented, the starter should float)
- Add 900g of flour (makes two loaves)
check for baker hydration percentages to learn more about flour to water ratios
- Add 23-30g of salt
- Mix very well and cover with a cloth or plastic bag. Allow to sit for 6-10 hours.
- OPTIONAL for better results: stretch and fold every 30min
- Good kneading leads better results. Some good references to learn kneading:
- Shape the loaf
- Fold and roll into the shape you want
- Cover surface with seeds and put into bread basket
- Put in fridge for 4-20hrs (lower temp allows for preferential growth of bacteria over yeast, which gives flavor)
Bake
- Preheat oven to 550deg. F with dutch ovens inside
- Remove dough from bread basket, put on parchment paper, and into dutch oven
- Lower oven temp to 450deg. F
- Bake for 30min with dutch oven lid closed
- Bake for another 15 min without dutch oven lid
- Ta-Da! Enjoy!
Total Time:- 8-24hrs for starter to grow- 8-12hrs for dough to ferment- 4-20hrs for dough to get flavor in fridge- 45min to bake
