sourdough bread.
flour, water, salt,
The oldest and simplest form of leavened bread.
this is basically just the country loaf recipe from Tartine bakery.
Execution:
start your levain.
Feed your sourdough starter 4-8 hours before you start your levain.
In a jar, combine the levain ingredients and mix until no dry flour remains.
Cover with a loose fitting lid and let it sit in a warm environment for 4 hours. (75-82°F).
You can tell the levain is ready when it has doubled in size and is full of bubbles, just starting to deflate.
2. autolyze.
One hour before your levain is fully active, combine all of the dough ingredients in a large bowl, except for the salt and 60g of the water.
Continue to mix the mass of dough until no dry flour remains. Cover with a damp towel and place in a warm environment for one hour.
3. combine the autolyze & levain.
Pour the levain overtop the dough, using wet hands, mix the levain through the dough and knead until everything is well combined.
Transfer to a work surface and begin kneading using the slap & fold technique. Repeat this until the dough is smooth.
Form the dough into a ball by pulling the edges underneath all around the dough. Place the dough back into the bowl, cover with a damp towel and allow to rest for 20 minutes at room temperature.
To perform a set of slap & folds, first grab underneath the dough with just your fingertips at 12 and 6 o'clock, lift the dough slightly off the surface, rotate it 90 degrees, and slap the bottom portion onto your work surface, giving the dough a stretch towards yourself before folding it over itself with the dough being held by your hands.
4. incorporate salt.
Mix the remaining water and salt together until dissolved, mix into the dough until the liquid is completely absorbed.
Slap and fold until the dough is smooth and elastic. This may take 5 - 10 minutes.
To test the gluten strength; pinch a small portion of the dough and pull it to its limit before breaking, if light can pass through than you have built a strong gluten network.
Form the dough into a ball, place in a bowl, covered with a damp towel for 15 minutes at room temperature.
5. bulk fermentation.
Perform a set of stretch and folds.
For the next 2 hours, you will perform 4 more sets of stretch and folds, spaced between 30-minute intervals. After each set, you will cover and place the dough back in the warm environment.
After the last set of stretch and folds, cover and let ferment for 90 minutes at room temperature.
While the dough is in the bowl, with wet hands, gently grab an edge of the dough and pull up as far as the dough will allow you to without ripping, then fold overtop the opposite side of where you first grabbed. Perform this 4 times around the perimeter of the dough. (12, 3, 6, 9’ oclock).
6. pre-shape.
Split the dough into two equal portions.
With wet hands, shape each portions into a tight ball.
Allow this to rest on your work surface for 15 minutes.
7. final shaping & proofing.
Dust the balls with rice flour and gently flip each mass of dough onto its floured side.
Starting from the left edge, with your fingertips, stretch the dough outwards, then fold it into the center. Repeat with the opposite side. Then stretch the bottom side into the middle, and repeat with the top. Grab the bottom edge of the dough and begin rolling the entire loaf tightly, like a cigar, into itself, with the floured side facing upwards now, pull the edges underneath the dough to create a tight outer skin
Place the loaf, into a floured banneton or a bowl lined with a tea towel that has been generously dusted with flour with the seam-side facing up. Tightly cover each banneton/bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 12 - 24 hours to proof.
8. baking.
Preheat a convection oven to 500°F and place your Dutch oven, with the lid, into the oven for 30 minutes.
Gently flip your bowl/banneton onto a piece of parchment paper.
Score the dough about 1cm deep using a lame/razor blade.
Place the dough along with the parchment paper into the Dutch oven.
Place the lid on top and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the lid and reduce the temperature to 450°F. Bake for another 20-30 minutes, until the loaf achieves a dark brown exterior.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Repeat these steps for the second loaf.
Let the bread rest for at least 2-4 hours before slicing.
9. storage.
To prevent it from drying out after cutting, leave it cut-side down on a cutting board and cover it with a towel.
After a couple of days, the bread will go stale, to reverse this, spray the exterior of the loaf with a light misting of water then place in an oven preheated to 350°F and heat for 5 minutes or until crispy.
At room temperature the bread will last for 3-5 days and 3 months in the freezer, tightly wrapped with cling film.
baker’s percentages:
80% hydration.
2.5% salt.
22.5% starter.
Ingredients:
levain:
40g active sourdough starter.
70g wholegrain flour.
70g filtered water, (85-95°F).
dough:
650g unbleached bread flour.
150g whole wheat flour.
580g + 60g filtered water (85-95°F).
20g fine sea salt.
glutenous rice flour, (for dusting).
Equipment:
large mixing bowl.
banneton, or a bowl lined with a tea towel.
a razor, lame, or very sharp knife.
Dutch oven.
thermometer.
scale.
Yield:
2 loaves.