Rustic Sourdough Bread Recipe
This Rustic Sourdough Bread Recipe is the ideal sourdough bread that makes TWO loves without the sour flavor.
Equipment
- 2 bread proofing baskets
- 1 lame
- 1 Bread knife
- 1 starter storage jar
- 1 shower cap
- 1 large mixing bowl
Ingredients
Feed Sourdough Starter:
- 120 ml warm filtered water
- ¾ cup Organic flour
Sourdough dough:
- 700 ml warm filtered water
- 1 heaping tbsp sea salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 250 ml active sourdough starter
- 6 cups organic flour
Instructions
- Feeding sourdough starter: I like feeding sourdough starter without a scale. To do so you will need some live sourdough starter I usually keep about ¼ cup of starter in my fridge. Add 120ml of warm filtered water making sure it is just slightly warm if it is too hot let the water cool off as hot water can kill the starter. Also, add in ¾ cup of flour then mix it should be fairly thick like dough.
- Cover and let sit on the counter at room temperature until it has doubled and you can see bubbles forming in the starter. This process can take from 3 to 8 hours depending on your starter and the temperature of your home.
- Mixing sourdough dough: Once your starter has been fed and is active you are ready to mix the dough. In a large glass bowl, add 700ml of warm filtered water and to it add 250ml of your active starter. If your starter is floating it is ready and active if it sinks your bread will not rise so feed your starter again and wait until it's bubbly.
- Next, add 1 heaping tablespoon of sea salt and 1 tablespoon of sugar. With a Danish whisk mix the ingredients and start adding flour 1 cup at a time up to 6 cups of flour total. It's ok if the dough still looks a little lumpy at this point with each fold it will get better.
- Cover the bowl with either a shower cap or plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes.
- Stretching and folding Sourdough: After 30 minutes take off the shower cap and wet your hands with water then working from the edge of the bowl pull the dough up which stretches the dough and fold it over to the other side of the bowl. Working around the bowl you will notice the dough stiffen a little this shows that you are doing a good job strengthening the dough!
- Cover again with the shower cap and let sit again for 30 minutes. Repeat this for 5-6 times leaving the dough to rest on the counter for 30 minutes every time.
- Final stretch and forming sourdough: On the 6th time of strengthening your dough invert the dough onto a floured surface and split the dough into 2 even pieces. Take one of the pieces and slowly start stretching on the counter first side to side then up and down and stretch as far as possible without ripping the dough. It is ok if it rips but you are stretching too quickly. After the dough is stretched fold the top to the center and the bottom up to the center as well next roll up from one side to the other and with 2 hands cupped slowly roll it down the surface which will form the bread and create tension on the top to develop that beautiful ear on your cut.
- Coat the bread with flour and slowly flip the smooth floured side into a proofing basket. If needed pinch the bottom closed and sprinkle with some more flour and cover with a shower cap. Place in the refrigerator overnight or 8 hours to ferment.
- **If you prefer sour flavor in your sourdough then leave it on the counter to ferment for 6-8 hours before forming and then form as stated above and place in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 450F and place your Dutch oven with the lid to preheat in the oven for about 30 minutes. Once your oven and Dutch oven are preheated take out the proofing basket with the sourdough and invert it onto a piece of parchment paper.
- Coat the top with more flour and use a lame to make a large cut and score a design. It is important to make a deep cut across your bread if you don't the bread will end up bursting in random places. Cut at an angle to develop the ear on the bread and have that nice curl.
- With oven hits remove the hot Dutch oven out of the oven and slowly place the sourdough into the Dutch oven with the parchment paper. Cover back with the lid and place back into the hot oven leave to bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes remove the lid and let the bread finish baking for about 20-30 minutes depending on how dark you want your crust.
- After the Sourdough is done baking remove it place it on a cooling rack and let it cool to room temperature before cutting into it.