Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Mixing the Dough
- Mix your water and active sourdough starter in a mixing bowl until it's frothy.150 grams active sourdough starter, 390 grams cold water
- Add your salt and flour to the same bowl, then mix until you have a shaggy dough.14 grams salt, 430 grams bread flour
- Using your hands, mix and knead the dough in the bowl for 4-5 minutes to develop the gluten structure and ensure any dry patches of flour are thoroughly combined.
- This is a high-hydration dough; just lightly wet your hands before handling it.
- Tightly cover your bowl, then let it rest on the counter for 45 minutes.
Stretch & Folds
- After resting, perform your first round of stretch-and-folds on your dough. After, let it rest for 30 minutes.
- After resting, perform your second round of stretch-and-folds on your dough. After, let it rest for another 30 minutes.
- After this rest, perform your third and final round of stretch-and-folds on your dough.
Stretch-and-folds are when you pull up on the dough and put it back down, all around the bowl.
Bulk Fermentation (on the counter/in a warm area)
- After you complete the stretch-and-folds, cover the dough and place it in a warm area for 8-10 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
Please note that the timing of bulk fermentation depends solely on the environment in which the dough rests. The temperature plays a huge role in this! The warmer the area, the faster this step will go.
Cold Proof
- Once your dough has finished bulk fermentation, it'll need to be covered tightly and placed in the refrigerator for 6 to 12 hours. You can leave your dough in the same bowl it was in for this step.
Cold proofing is not required, but I recommend doing it for the classic sourdough taste and to get all the sourdough benefits!
Final Rise and Bake
- When ready for the final rise, remove the dough from the refrigerator. Keep it covered and let it sit on the counter in a warm area until it reaches room temperature. Depending on environmental temperature, this should take between 1 and 2 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 400℉.
- Once your dough is puffy and at room temperature, grease your baking pan or use parchment paper for faster clean up.1 tbs butter or oil
- Empty your dough into the baking pan, allowing it to spread gently.
- Let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Using 2 tbs of olive oil, pour it all over the dough. Then, use your fingertips to gently dimple the dough so that the olive oil seeps into all the holes.3 tbsp olive oil
- If using, add your flaky salt now as a topping.1 tbs flaky salt
- Put in the oven on the middle rack for 25 minutes.
- After 25 minutes, check the internal temperature of the dough. If it's reached 205℉-210℉, pull it out. If not, continue baking for another 10-15 minutes or until it reaches the target temperature.
Please note that every oven is different. You may need to cover the loaf with aluminum foil towards the end if the top is getting too brown for your liking.
Cooling
- Once your loaf is finished baking, let it sit for about 30 minutes before trying to remove it from the pan. Once cooled slightly, remove it and set it on a cooling rack for 1 hour before slicing. Enjoy!
Notes
