Rustic Sourdough Loaf
Your starter is bubbly and active, now it's time to bake some bread!
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Add active sourdough starter, honey and water to a large bowl. Mix with dough whisk or hands until fully combined. *Honey is optional. I enjoy the super subtle sweetness, it also deepens the color of my loaf!*
- Add flour and salt to wet ingredients. Use hands or dough whisk to fully combine. The dough will not have a structured form, it will be lumpy but should be completely incorporated.
- Cover with damp tea towel or plastic wrap and allow to rest untouched (autolyse) for 1 hour.
- After one hour, perform your first set of stretch and folds. Starting at one side of the bowl, pull dough upward as much as possible without tearing and fold onto of itself. Rotate the bowl to complete 4 stretch and folds total.
- Repeat this process 3 times in 30 minute intervals if possible. You DO want to get at least 8-12 good stretch and folds but don't over do it!! An overworked dough will not have good rise.
- Now we leave our dough to rest in a warm environment until doubled in size. Ideally between 70-78 degrees. This can take as long as 8-12 hours. Wild yeast takes its time but is so so worth it! Please know that a slightly over-proofed dough is preferable to an under proofed one.
- After the bulk ferment you will shape your dough. Use your dough scraper to remove your dough from the bowl onto a clean work surface. Do not dust with flour! It will be a little sticky and that's okay. You can wet your hands with a little water if it's too sticky.
- Gently stretch your dough into a rectangle roughly 12 inches long and 8-10 wide- this is just an estimate to give you an idea. Don't over stretch.
- Take the bottom corners up towards the middle, the outer sides inward and the top down and under. There are tons of videos depicting this if you need more direction! Find what works for you. Rotate and drag the dough towards you until it forms a tight round.
- Place in your banneton basket upside down and cover with plastic wrap or tea towel. Use any bowl you have if you don't have a banneton basket. I've also been known to shape my dough right before it goes in the oven. Sourdough purists will advice against this but.. It still tastes just fine. Make it work for your life!!
- Regardless of whether you're shaping or tossing the bulk ferment straight into the fridge, please DO NOT SKIP your cold ferment. Allow your dough to rest in the fridge for 8-12 hours or up to 3 days. A long cold ferment allows the lactobacilli to predigest the gluten, making it much easier on our guts! It will also deepen the flavor and give your loaf better structure.
Bake
- After your cold ferment, it's time to bake! Preheat your oven to 500F with your dutch oven inside (lid off). I recommend keeping a sheet pan under your dutch oven to prevent bottom burn. Allow oven to come to 500F & continue to heat your dutch oven for another 30 minutes.
- Remove your dough from the fridge and gently transfer to a piece of lightly floured parchment paper making sure your seam side/bottom of your round is facing down. *Crinkling your parchment paper first will make it lay better for you when you transfer it to your dutch oven!*
- Create a long cut (score) about 1/4in deep on the top or side of the dough. This will allow the steam to release during cooking. This is also your opportunity to play with different scoring designs.
- Carefully, holding the corners of your parchment, place the parchment and loaf into the dutch oven and cover with lid.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes with lid on.
- Remove lid. You should see significant oven spring at this point! Reduce temperature to 450F. Bake for another 30 minutes until desired color is achieved.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 1 hour before cutting. The longer the better!! Your loaf is still carry over cooking and needs to continue that internal steaming. Cutting too early will release moisture and possibly lead to a gummy loaf. Enjoy!