Sourdough Bread

Let's cook

1. 1

   Check your starter floats

   Use starter 4–6 hours after feeding, when it has doubled and a spoonful floats in water. Sluggish starter is the reason most loaves come out dense.

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   The float test is the single best predictor of whether the loaf will rise.

2. 2

   Autolyse

   Mix the flour and water only and rest 1 hour. The flour hydrates and gluten begins forming with no kneading at all.

3. 3

   Add starter and salt

   Pinch the starter and salt through the dough until fully incorporated, about 3 minutes of squeezing and folding.

4. 4

   Stretch and fold

   Over the next 4 hours, perform a set of four stretch-and-folds every 45 minutes. The dough should go from shaggy to smooth, jiggly, and noticeably stronger.

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   Watch the dough, not the clock. It is ready when it has risen 50% and holds a dome.

5. 5

   Shape and cold-proof

   Shape into a tight round on an unfloured surface, place seam-up in a rice-floured banneton, and refrigerate 12–16 hours.

6. 6

   Bake in a Dutch oven

   Preheat the Dutch oven at 500°F (260°C) for 45 minutes. Turn the cold dough out, score it decisively, and bake covered 20 minutes, then uncovered at 450°F (230°C) for 25 minutes until deep brown.

7. 7

   Cool completely

   Cool on a rack at least 2 hours before cutting. The crumb is still setting inside and cutting hot leaves it gummy.

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   Two hours. Cutting early ruins the texture of the entire loaf.

Nutrition & Safety