Sourdough Bread: A Beginner's Guide

This has become my staple sourdough bread recipe and I make it almost weekly. It yields a consistently delicious loaf every time. I often sub up to 100g of the bread flour with whole wheat flour. Sometimes I up the ingredients x 1.5 and make two loaves. I have left the second loaf to cold ferment in the fridge for up to 36 hours with no problem.

* 1 cup bubbly, active starter * 1 cup + 1 tbsp warm water * 2 tbsp olive oil * 2 & 1/4 c all purpose flour * 1 & 3/4 c bread four * 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

Got a good rise. Perfect for Instagram pictures but not the most flavorful loaf without whole wheat flavor and/or Rye

*For a more soft and pliable dough, you can increase the water up to 300 g- 325 g total. Please use a cloth lined bowl (instead of the Dutch oven for the second rise). **You will need a 5 1/2 or 6 quart Dutch oven for baking ***This recipe was tested with King Arthur Bread Flour, Gold Medal Bread Flour, Pillsbury Bread Flour Instructions Make the Dough Whisk the starter, water, and olive oil in a large bowl. Add the flour and salt. Squish everything together with your hands until all of the flour is absorbed. The dough will be dry and shaggy. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, reusable wrap or a clean, very damp kitchen towel. Let rest (autolyse) for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour, if preferred. After the dough has rested, work the dough in the bowl into a rough ball, about 15 seconds. Bulk Rise Now the dough needs to rise. Cover the bowl with wrap or a very damp kitchen cloth. Let rest in a warm spot to rise. The dough is ready when it no longer looks dense and has doubled in size. This can take anywhere from 3-12 hours depending on the temperature of your ingredients, the potency of your starter and surrounding environment. For example, in the summer rise times can take anywhere between 2-4 hours @ 85º F/ 29º C whereas in the winter, the dough will take about 10-12 hours @ 68º F/ 20º C. Optional Step: Stretch & Fold the Dough During bulk rise, you have the option to perform a series of ‘stretch & folds’ to strengthen the dough. Start 30 minutes into the bulk rise. Gather a portion of the dough, stretch it upwards and then fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl ¼ turn and repeat this process until you have come full circle to complete 1 set. Do this once or twice spaced about an hour apart. Although this step is not mandatory, it will increase the total volume and height of your bread. Click here for a step-by-step video tutorial. Cut & Shape the Dough Divide your work surface in half; lightly flour one side (for cutting) and leave the other half clean (for shaping). Remove the dough from the bowl, and place

I bake, covered, @ 425° for 25 minutes, then uncovered, @ 425° for another 25 minutes. cool on a rack for an hour. PERFECT every time!

Beautiful and easy sour dough

-375g water -150g levain -500g bread flour -368g water -150g levain -500g bread flour Mix at 2 pm;