Easy Sourdough

Feed starter the night before you want to bake, then again first thing in the morning. Starter is ready to use when it's doubling in about 1 hour.

(Feed starter by measuring equal weights of starter, room temp water, and flour.)

Mix Ingredients -

In a very large mixing bowl, measure by weight all ingredients and mix it together into a dough with your dough scraper or a spoon until combined.

Cover with a clean cloth and let the mixture rest in the bowl for 30 minutes in the oven with the oven light on. (This is the easiest way to create the perfect warm environment. Just don't turn the oven on accidentally. Maybe put a postit on the oven to remind the household.)

First Fold -

Wash your hands, wet your hands (so the dough doesn't stick) then scrape the edge of the bowl with your hand, pull up a bit of dough slowly as far as it will stretch without breaking, and fold it back over to make a ball. Fold until dough has significantly less stretch, around 12 folds total should be enough. Roll the dough back over, smooth side up.

Cover with a clean cloth and leave to rest for 2 hours back in the oven with the light on.

Second Fold -

After the dough has rested it should have puffed up slightly already. Wet your hand again and stretch as before, about 6 stretches and folds should be enough this time. Roll the dough over with the smooth side on top and tuck everything underneath with your hands.

Return the dough to the bowl for a further 2 hours.

Third Fold - After the dough has rested for this second time there should be clear signs of the dough rising, Stretch and fold the dough once more exactly like the last time.

Return the dough to the bowl to rest for 1 hour.

pre-shape dough -

This time after resting it’s time to pre-shape the dough. Dust your surface with flour and gently turn out your dough upside down onto the surface. If you have doubled the recipe to make two loaves, divide it into two at this point with the flat side of a metal bench scraper or a dough scraper. Shape the dough into a ball really quite tight without tearing it.

How to shape - youtu.be/vmb0wWKITBQ?t=686

Rest on the side for 1 hour covered with a cloth.

final shape -

In the final shaping the aim is to create a tight structure without degassing the dough too much. So be delicate with the folds but still creating tension. Dust your work surface with a little flour, slide your dough scraper underneath and turn the dough upside down onto a lightly dusted surface. Let it relax into a circle. Pick up the side edges one by one, stretching out very slightly and folding over the dough, one over the top of the other. Roll the dough from the top edge towards you into a sausage and stick it onto the sticky patch closest to you, pinching the seam to stick in place. When you are done, dust it well with semolina or a wholemeal flour. Place seam side down in a bowl lined with a larger than needed piece of parchment paper. (The edges will be handles later.)

Cover the dough with a clean cloth and rest on the counter for 1 hour.

While the dough is resting heat the oven and your Dutch oven to 450 degrees F for one hour, to thoroughly heat the Dutch oven. (Note: if you're using a ceramic casserole look into this before baking it at 450 empty for an hour. I only know that this works with cast iron.)

Very gently and carefully, use the edges of the parchment to move the first loaf to the heated cast iron, being careful not to deflate the loaf too much. With your sharpest knife or a new razor blade make some light slashes on the top of the first loaf.

Baked with the lid on for 20 minutes.

(While first loaf is baking move the second loaf to the fridge, so it doesn't over proof.)

Remove the lid and bake until golden and beautiful.

Remove first loaf from Dutch oven. Put empty Dutch oven back in oven to heat again. Remove second loaf from fridge to take off the chill.

Repeat the same baking process again for the second loaf.