Traditional Sourdough Loaf
The hydration of this loaf is 62.5%.
Ingredients:
250 grams warm water
400 grams unbleached, all purpose flour
100 grams starter
10 grams salt
Instructions:
The evening before you plan to bake bread, you’ll need to feed your starter. Simply take 25 grams of sourdough starter and mix in 50 grams of flour & 50 grams of water. Let that sit & in 6-12 hours, your starter should have doubled in size.
The next day, once your starter has doubled, it’s time to mix the above ingredients together. Thoroughly mix the starter, flour, water & salt together until everything is nicely combined & then cover the dough & let it rest for 30 minutes.
Put the remaining starter that’s left in your jar, back in the fridge for next time.
Time for Bulk Fermentation (aka the First Rise). After the first 30 minute rest, it’s time to begin your first round of stretch & folds. Wet your hands with water so the dough doesn’t stick to you & then grab one corner of the dough, stretch it upwards & then fold it back down over the top of the rest of the dough. Give the bowl a quarter turn & repeat another stretch & fold. You’ll do this two more times until the bowl has been turned completely around. Cover up the bowl & let the dough rest for another 30 minutes. (Stretch & folds help the dough to establish a strong gluten network, creating structure & smoothing out the dough.)
After the 30 minute rest, you’ll perform another round of stretch & folds, followed by another 30 minute rest.
It’s time for your third & final set of stretch & folds. You should notice the look & feel of the dough to change & improve with each set of stretch & folds. It should be becoming more elastic, smooth & you may even see some bubbles popping up. All great signs!
Once all your stretch & folds are complete, cover the dough & let it rest for the remainder of the Bulk Fermentation. The Bulk Fermentation can last for about 3 to 5 more hours. You’re looking for the dough to double in size & fluff up with air & the timing of this can vary. The temperature of your kitchen plays a big role in this - the warmer the kitchen, the faster the Bulk Fermentation will happen.
The Preshape. After Bulk Fermentation is complete, dump the dough out from the bowl & onto your counter. Sprinkle a little bit of flour on the top of your dough & gently shape it into a ball. Cover & let it rest for 30 minutes.
The Final Shape. Uncover your dough & gently push it down into a rectangle shape. Fold the right half of the dough up onto the middle, & then fold the left half of the dough up onto the middle, creating a “burrito”. Tuck & roll the burrito up until you have a nice cylindrical ball of dough. This tuck & roll is often called a tension roll because it creates surface tension across the top of the loaf.
Proofing (the Second Rise). Once you’ve shaped your dough, transfer it (seam side up) to a banneton or proofing basket that you’ve dusted with rice or AP flour. Move the basket to your fridge & let it rest there overnight (covered or uncovered), for at least 6 hours. Although 8-12 hours is ideal.
Scoring. The next day, 30 minutes before you plan on baking the bread, preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit with your dutch oven inside. The dutch oven should preheat along with your oven. Once your oven is preheated, transfer your dough out of the banneton basket & onto a piece of parchment paper. The dough should be seam side down. Sprinkle on a smooth, thin layer of flour on the top part of your dough. Create whatever scoring pattern you’d like.
Baking. Transfer your dough on the parchment paper to the dutch oven - being careful as it is HOT. Put the lid on the dutch oven & bake the dough, covered, for 20 minutes. after 20 minutes, careful remove the dutch oven lid & bake for an additional 15 minutes or until your loaf has reached the desired color you’re looking for. Remove the loaf from the oven & let it cool for one hour before slicing. (That’s easier said than done!)