Sour Dough Loaf

I got a sour dough starter from a friend in my ward. The website "here" goes into A LOT of detail about the process, and it was useful to read once, but I'm tired of scrolling through it when I just want the recipe. I'm just going to give the basic recipe and schedule without all the science behind it. My notes are in bold and italics! I'll add some photos next time I make it!

Feeding your Starter: This is Katie's Method, I'm sure there are others!

I make sour dough about once a week, so I only feed my starter once a week and then I keep it in the fridge. Here's what I do:

• Remove the starter and pour off any liquid that forms on the top.

• Let it warm up to room temperature.

• Pour about 1/2 C starter (for one loaf of bread according to the recipe below), into a clean jar

• Add 1/3 C flour and 1/3 C warm water and stir it up until it's not lumpy and let it activate for baking (see below to know when it's ready)

• I feed the rest of the starter in the original container and put it back in the fridge.

• If you want to increase the volume of your starter so that you can make more than one loaf at a time, then feed it more flour and water, or feed small amounts more often. I think feeding it a little bit and more often is generally the "better" method according to folks I've talked to, but I don't really know if it matters too much.

Schedule:

• Friday Evening: remove starter from the fridge and pour off any liquid from the top. Scoop some (I do about half a cup for one loaf) into a bowl, give it a feed (I do about 1/3 flour and 1/3+ C water - I sometimes need extra water to get it to the consistency I need - because I poured off the liquid when it came out of the fridge, remember?) and cover. Leave on the counter overnight. (If I start a little earlier in the afternoon on Friday, I can have the starter ready to make the dough on Friday night)

• Saturday Morning: check the starter- if it’s alive and bubbling, time to make the dough (use the float test to see if it's ready. Scoop a little spoonful of starter into a cup of room temp water. If it floats, it's ready!). If not, give it another feed (this is common especially if it's chilly). 

• Saturday Afternoon: make the dough (see recipe and instructions below). Leave on the counter to bulk ferment overnight. The cool winter temperatures slows down the rising process so don’t worry about it billowing over. In the summer, I would bulk ferment overnight in the fridge.

• Sunday Morning: cut and shape the dough. Place in Dutch oven for second rise. Slash. Bake. Cool. Eat.

INGREDIENTS: 

Original is in oz and g. I put in cup measurements.

• 5.35 oz / 150g bubbly, active starter (about 3/4 cup)

• 8.80 oz / 250g  (1 C + 2 Tbs) warm water, preferably filtered (who has this? Nope... tap!)

• .35 oz / 10g (.5 Tbs = 1.5 tsp) fine sea salt  (I just use regular salt).

• .90 oz / 25g olive oil (2 Tbs)

• 17.65 oz / 500g (3.5 C) bread flour (not all purpose) (I've used all purpose flour, and it's been fine. I don't have something to compare it to, though. When measuring in cups, make sure you fluff the flour up a bit before you scoop it into the cup, then level with a knife. Don't pack the flour or tap or shake it in.)

• fine ground cornmeal, for dusting (I use parchment paper because it's easy to lift the dough into the pot and out when it's done)

• *You will need a 6 quart Dutch oven for baking (I actually use my crock pot ceramic insert and tin foil for a lid because I don't have a Dutch oven).

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. To make the dough: Whisk the starter, water, and olive oil in a large bowl. Add the flour and salt. Squish everything together with your hands until all of the flour is absorbed. Rest (autolyse) for 30 minutes. (Cover dough when it's resting throughout the process with plastic wrap and/or a kitchen towel so it doesn't dry out).

2. After the dough has rested, work the dough in the bowl into a rough ball, about 15 seconds.

3. Bulk fermentation: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Leave it in a warm, sunny spot to rise (or it may need to rise overnight if it's chilly). Your dough is ready when it no longer looks dense, and has increased in volume about 1½- 2x its original size. This can take anywhere from 3-12 hours depending on the temperature of your ingredients, the potency of your starter and surrounding environment. I make my dough in the afternoon, and leave it to rise overnight. See my Weekend Baking schedule (above) for more details.

4. Stretch & folds: During bulk fermentation, you have the option to perform a series of ‘stretch & folds’ to strengthen the dough. Simply gather a portion of the dough, stretch it upwards and then fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl ¼ turn and repeat this process until you have come full circle. Do this once or twice spaced an hour apart. Although this step is not mandatory, it will increase the total volume of your bread. (I do the bulk fermentation over the night, so sometimes I do the stretch and folds in the morning before I cut and shape it... I don't know when the perfect time is to do it).

5. Cutting & shaping: To cut and shape the dough, divide your work surface in half; lightly flour one side (for cutting) and leave the other half clean (for shaping).

6. Remove the dough from the bowl, and place onto the floured section so that it does not stick. You do not need to ‘punch down’ the dough; it will gently deflate as you fold and shape it. (I do like to get big bubbles out... but if you want sour dough bread with big holes then leave them in).

7. Cut the dough in half to make 2 loaves, or leave it whole for a single loaf. (I've doubled the batch for 2 loaves, but I've never divided a single batch... I think they'd be pretty small loaves).

8. To shape, use a bench scraper (I use my... hands...) to move your dough to the non-floured section (if there is any flour present, it will be difficult to shape- brush away any excess). Starting at the top, fold the dough over toward the center. Give it a slight turn, and then fold over the next section of dough. Repeat until you have come full circle. Then flip the dough over and place it seam side down. Using your hands, gently cup the sides of the dough and rotate it, using quarter turns in a circular motion. You can also pull it towards you to even out the shape. Repeat this process until you are happy with its appearance.

9. Second rise: Coat the bottom of your Dutch oven with cornmeal. Alternatively, use parchment paper to prevent sticking (this is what I do, now). Place the dough inside for a second shorter rise, about 1-2 hours (I tend to go at least 2 hours... even more if I'm making 2 loaves because I only have 1 pot). It is ready when the dough is slightly puffy.

10. Slashing the dough: Right before your bread goes into the oven, make a shallow slash about 2 inches long in the center of the dough. Use a bread lame (huh?), a sharp pairing or serrated knife.

11. Preparing the oven: When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 450 F.

12. Place your bread into the oven (lid on - I use tin foil. I forgot once, and it definitely got too brown) and reduce the temperature to 400 F. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the lid, and continue to bake (uncovered) for an additional 40 minutes or until deep, golden brown. Keep in mind that all ovens are different; you might have to make minimal adjustments to these temperatures.

13. During the last 10 minutes of baking, crack open the oven door. This allows the moisture to escape, leaving your bread with a crisp crust. (I don't do this... it's still pretty crispy)

14. You can also take the internal temperature of your bread to double check that it is done. For sourdough, it should read about 205 F.

15. Cooling: Remove the bread from the oven, and cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing. Don’t cut too soon or else the inside will have a gummy texture!