My Sourdough Recipe
Though i haven’t been making sourdough for long I’ve taken the combination of a few recipes I have tested and came up with my own! Now keep in mind a starter is a living thing and can very greatly from starter to starter. What may work for mine may not work for yours but I have found this recipe to be a great starter recipe. Its easy to tweak to fit your personal needs!
Keep in mind also that this recipe is a longer recipe. I have personally tried shorter recipes but they haven’t worked out for me. They came out hard and tough, no crumb whatsoever. This one has never failed me. Even if i didn’t get the crumb i wanted it still tasted amazing and was soft and fluffy. Not to mention beautiful looking on the outside!
Equipment:
A large bowl
Kitchen scale. This is preferred but if that is just not a option then measuring cups is fine.
Dough whisk or Regular whisk.
Stand mixer with dough hook attachment. This is also optional but if not your hands may get tired. It just makes things easier.
Tea Towles. To cover bowls while its proofing.
Proofing baskets. This recipes makes 2 loafs so you’ll need 2. If you double the recipe then you’ll need 4.
Dough Scraper. Optional but makes cutting the dough in half easier. A sharp knife will suffice if you are just starting.
Bread lame. Optional but you’ll need a very sharp knife to score the bread.
Dutch ovens. 2 is preferred but one will suffice.
Parchment paper
ice cubes
Ingredients:
985g of AP flour(plus more for dusting)
705g of warm water
250g active starter at its peak(when it has a dome shape)
16g Dark rye flour
10g pink Himalayan salt
Directions:
This is my personal time table. You can adjust it to fit your time table! ***IMPORTANT NOTE*** During the winter these times will need to be adjusted as your starter will be slower to double. This is completely normal. This recipe is for warmer months.
Day 1: 9am-approx 6:15pm
9am: I feed it 135g of warm water and 135g of flour. I let that double for about 6 hours.
3:30pm: I start my dough. I take a large bowl and measure out 570g of warm water(approx. 2 1/2c). I gentle add in 250g(approx. 1 c) of starter. This is when i make sure the starer floats. If it floats then that means it is ready to use! Mix the starer and water thoroughly with a whisk. It will look milky but that’s how you want it to look. Then add 850g of AP flour as well as 30g of dark rye flour. This helps boost the starter and give it a slightly more tangy flavor. Mix thoroughly with the dough hook or by hand. Cover bowl with tea towel and let rest for 30 minutes before adding the salt(also called the autolyse)
4:15pm: Now its time to add 10g of salt and a sprinkle of water. This time you will exclusively use your hands to mix the dough. The dough will be very sticky when you first start out but as the salt mixes into the dough it will become more tacky. Let rest covered on the counter again for 30 minutes.
4:45pm: This is when you will do your first set of stretch and folds.(see description at the bottom if you aren’t familiar with this technique). Let rest covered on the counter for another 30 minutes.
5:15pm: Now it is time for your second set of stretch and folds. Leave covered on the counter for another 30 minutes.
5:45pm: Now it is time for your third set of stretch and folds. Leave covered on the counter for another 30 minutes.
6:15: Time for the Final stretch and folds! after this it is time for the dough to go covered int the fridge for 24 hours.
Day 2:
6:15pm: Remove from the fridge. We are going to divide the dough into two. Laminate(If you are unfamiliar with this term, the directions are at the bottom of this page) the dough one at a time. Then shape the dough into a boule. Build tension(If you are unfamiliar with this term, the directions are at the bottom of this page) until the dough has a nice shape to it (usually about a minute or two). Then repeat this step on the second loaf. Let it bench rest for 20 minutes.
6:50pm: Lightly dust the proofing baskets with flour. Now we are going to carefully build tension again, one loaf at a time. Once you have built tension on each loaf, place them upside down in the proofing baskets. Place the two baskets back in the fridge, covered, overnight.
Day 3:
8am: Preheat the oven to 475° with the Dutch ovens inside for an hour before baking. They need to warm up before baking.
9am: Take 2 square/slightly rectangular pieces of parchment paper(ensure they are large enough to cover the bottom and sides of the Dutch ovens). Place the loafs upside down on the parchment paper and lightly flour the top of the loaf. Now its time to score the dough(If you are unfamiliar with this term, the directions are at the bottom of this page). Ensure the score is 1/2” deep while making one large cut across the top to bottom of the loaf(see photo for more details).
9:15am: Turn the oven down to 425°. Without taking the Dutch ovens out of the oven, remove the lid and place the parchment paper and loaf into the Dutch oven along with 2 ice cubes in each of the Dutch ovens, between the parchment paper and the Dutch oven, this creates steam and allows the dough to fully spring before the crust hardens. Cover the Dutch oven up and allow the loafs to cook for 25 mins.
9:45am: While leaving the Dutch ovens in the oven, remove the lids and let them continue to bake for another 15-20 minutes. They should be golden brown before removing. Allow to cool completely before cutting into a loaf. I know its tempting to cut into it before but it will burn your hands with the steam from inside as well as the loaf is more likely to be crushed.
Terms and Photos:
If you are new to sourdough, some of the terms i used may have you questioning what to do but don’t fret! I’m here to help!
Stretch and folds: This is where you are going to take the furthest part of the dough that’s in a bowl and lift it up towards the ceiling without breaking it. Then fold it over to the portion of the dough that is closest to you. Turn the bowl a quarter of the way and do the same thing. Each set of stretch and folds will consist of stretching the dough and folding it over 4 times, turning the bowl a quarter of the way each time. Once you are back to where you started, that is considered one set of stretch and folds.
Laminate: This is where you take one section of the dough and stretch it to cover the surface of the counter, as if you were stretching out the dough to add toppings to the inside. It should be thin but not breaking. once the dough has been laminated i usually fold in in thirds back over itself. Two fold from the sides and then two folds, once from the top and one from the bottom.
Building tension: This is where you take the boule with your hands and you are going to push it away from you, gently and with a sweeping motion, and then pull it towards you, gently. There is a video of this on my Instagram if you need to see it in action.
Scoring the dough: This is where you will make one long cut into the dough ranging from 1/4” to 1/2'“. We do this to the dough because during the bread making process, fermentation naturally produces carbon dioxide that builds up in the dough. As the dough bakes, the exterior of the dough rapidly hardens and forms a crust. Meanwhile, the water in the dough evaporates rapidly. Scoring creates a weak point in the dough where steam, can escape. Without scoring, the steam will find its own weak point and will burst through the crust as it hardens, this creates unwanted splits in the bread. Some people like to get creative and make designs in there loafs. A good way to get ideas, once you have got the one cut down, is to google sourdough scoring ideas. They have some good ideas on there.
Terms and Photos:
If you are new to sourdough, some of the terms i used may have you questioning what to do but don’t fret! I’m here to help!
Stretch and folds: This is where you are going to take the furthest part of the dough that’s in a bowl and lift it up towards the ceiling without breaking it. Then fold it over to the portion of the dough that is closest to you. Turn the bowl a quarter of the way and do the same thing. Each set of stretch and folds will consist of stretching the dough and folding it over 4 times, turning the bowl a quarter of the way each time. Once you are back to where you started, that is considered one set of stretch and folds.
Laminate: (Pictured to the right) This is where you take one section of the dough and stretch it to cover the surface of the counter, as if you were stretching out the dough to add toppings to the inside. It should be thin but not breaking. once the dough has been laminated i usually fold in in thirds back over itself. Two fold from the sides and then two folds, once from the top and one from the bottom.
Building tension: This is where you take the boule with your hands and you are going to push it away from you, gently and with a sweeping motion, and then pull it towards you, gently. There is a video of this on my Instagram if you need to see it in action.
Scoring the dough:(Pictured right) This is where you will make one long cut into the dough ranging from 1/4” to 1/2“ deep. We do this to the dough because during the bread making process, fermentation naturally produces carbon dioxide that builds up in the dough. As the dough bakes, the exterior of the dough rapidly hardens and forms a crust. Meanwhile, the water in the dough evaporates rapidly. Scoring creates a weak point in the dough where steam, can escape. Without scoring, the steam will find its own weak point and will burst through the crust as it hardens, this creates unwanted splits in the bread. Some people like to get creative and make designs in there loafs. A good way to get ideas, once you have got the one cut down, is to google sourdough scoring ideas. They have some good ideas on there.
