Classic Sourdough Bread
Homemade sourdough is affordable, delicious, and healthier than storebought! I promise its not as hard as you think.
Ingredients
- 50 g active starter
- 375 g warm, filtered water
- 500 g flour
- 8 g salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix 50 grams of active starter with 375 grams of water until it is well dissolved and the mixture looks milky.
- Add 8 grams of salt and stir to combine.
- Add 500 grams of flour and stir until a rough, sticky dough forms. You may find it easiest to use your hands.
- Cover the dough and let it sit for one hour at room temperature.
- After it has set for one hour, perform a series of "stretch and folds." Grab the dough and pull it up toward you, then fold it back down on top of itself. Rotate the bowl 90* and do this again. Repeat twice more, so that you have rotated the bowl 360*. Let the dough rest, covered for 30 minutes, then perform another set of stretch and folds.
- Allow to rise, covered, for 8 hours (or overnight).
- Coax the dough out onto a floured surface and shape into a ball. Build tension in the loaf by pulling it toward you. Let sit uncovered for 10 minutes, then shape again. Wrap in a flour dusted tea towel and place in a banneton or bowl. Let set in fridge for at least one hour. It can be left in the fridge for up to one day before you bake it.
- Before baking, remove the dough from the fridge and allow it to proof on the counter while your oven preheats. Place your dutch oven in the oven and preheat the oven to 500*.
- Once your oven is at temperature, gently transfer your dough to a piece of parchment paper. Score with a knife or bread lame. Be sure to make at least one large, deep cut through the center of the dough.
- Place your loaf inside the preheated dutch oven, reduce your oven to 475*, and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the lid from your dutch oven and reduce the temperature to 450*. Bake for 20 minutes more. Remove bread from oven and transfer to a cooling rack.