Sourdough Process

Based on Sourdough Bread For Complete Beginners by Brian Lagerstrom

Gear

​The following items are available in this Amazon bundle

• 9" Round Proofing Basket (For Boule)
  
• Escali Digital Scale
  
• Instant Read Thermometer
  
• 5.5 Qt Le Creuset Dutch Oven
  
• Stainless Bowl
  
• Stainless Bench Scraper 
  
• Bread Knife 
  
• Bread Lame

You'll also want a Dutch Oven (or two) to bake the bread in. 

RECIPE: 

I've listed measurements in grams and volumetric, but I HIGHLY recommend using gram measurements as listed for the best results.

Day 0 Feed starter

1. Feed your starter to the point it doubles in size on a consistent basis.
2. Discard 50% of existing starter
3. Feed 100g water and 100g flour each time
4. After using starter to bake bread, store in the refrigerator
   
   

Day 1 Build the Leaven

1. 100g room temp water (78 F/25 C) or 1/2 cup
2. 25g or 1 TBSP ripe sourdough starter
3. 100g or 1 cup all purpose flour (11.7% protein)
4. Measure water, sourdough starter, and flour into a high sided container and stir to combine. Ferment, covered, at room temperature for 12 hours.

Day 2 Mix the Dough

1. Ingredients
   310g water (92 f / 33 C) or 1-1/4 cup
   200g or about 1 cup leaven or (from build stage above. 25g will be left over to propagate your future sourdough starter)
   400g or 3-1/4 cup purpose flour (11.7% protein)
   50g 1/3 cup whole wheat flour (14% protein)
   12g or 2 tsp salt
   
   
2. Add water, leaven, flours, and salt to a bowl and stir to combine with a sturdy spoon. Once combined into a shaggy mess of dough, begin to pinch and squeeze with a wet hand until well mixed (about 2-3 minutes depending on how fast you mix). Cover and begin the bulk fermentation
   
   
3. Bulk Fermentation
   Place the dough you just mixed from step 2 above in a warm place to ferment for 30 minutes.
   After 30 minutes, give you dough a set of strength building folds. See 6:30 for process.
   Cover dough and place in a warm place for another 30 minutes.
   
4. After 30 minutes (or 60 minutes total of bulk fermentation, repeat the strength building folds. Cover and place in a warm place and continue to ferment for 2 more hours.
   
   
5. Shaping
   Flour the dough and work surface and flip the dough out onto the work surface. Shape as shown at 8:19. Scoop dough ball into a well floured proofing basket, seam side up.
   
   
6. Proofing
   Cover with a towel and allow to rise at room temperature for 90 minutes.
   After 90 minutes, when poked your dough ball should hold an indent briefly before bouncing back.
   
   
7. Baking
   Preheat the dutch oven in a 500 F / 260 C oven for 30-45 min.
   
   Sprinkle Semolina or cornmeal (optional) onto a piece of parchment and flip your proofed dough ball onto the parchment seam side down. Score with lame, razor blade, or scissors.
   
   Load parchment and dough into a preheated dutch oven, reduce oven temperature to 485 F / 250C and bake for 18 minutes. See video for alternative baking method.
   
   After 18 minutes, remove the lid from the dutch oven.
   
   Reduce oven temperature to 450 F / 240 C and bake for 25 more minutes.
   
   Place the loaf on the oven rack to continue browning for another 5-10 minutes.
   

Remove from oven and cool completely on wire baking rack before slicing.

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