Active sourdough starter: 100g (make sure it’s bubbly and well-fed)
Water: 350g (room temperature)
Bread flour: 500g
Salt: 10g
Instructions:
Mixing the dough:
In a large bowl, mix the water and sourdough starter together until dissolved.
Add the bread flour and salt, and mix until it forms a rough dough. You can use your hands or a wooden spoon.
Autolyse (resting phase):
Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for about 30 minutes. This helps the flour absorb the water and begin to develop gluten.
Kneading:
After the autolyse, knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. You can use the “stretch and fold” method if you prefer not to knead by hand—this works well with sourdough.
First rise (bulk fermentation):
Transfer the dough to a clean bowl and cover it with a damp cloth or plastic wrap.
Let it rise at room temperature for 4-6 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen. You want the dough to double in size. You can also perform a few stretch and folds during this phase every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours to help with gluten development.
Shaping the dough:
Once the dough has risen, gently remove it from the bowl and shape it into a round or oval loaf. Be careful not to deflate it too much.
Place it seam-side down in a well-floured proofing basket or bowl.
Second rise:
Let the shaped dough rise for another 2-3 hours at room temperature, or you can refrigerate it overnight for a slower fermentation and better flavor development.
Preheating the oven:
Preheat your oven to 475°F (245°C). If you have a Dutch oven or baking cloche, place it in the oven while it heats up for about 30 minutes.
Baking:
When ready to bake, carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven. Turn the dough onto a parchment paper, score the top with a sharp knife or razor blade, and place the dough inside the hot pot.
Cover with the lid and bake for 20-25 minutes.
After 20-25 minutes, remove the lid and bake for another 20-30 minutes until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Cooling:
Let the bread cool completely on a wire rack before slicing (if you can wait that long!).
