Beginner Sourdough Bread

Steps

1. 10-12 hours before you are wanting to start your bread: feed your starter appropriate amount or make up leaven ( I like to feed my starter in the morning and mix my dough in the evening)
2. Mixing Dough:

   - When starter/leaven is ready: Add water into a mixing bowl, add your active starter/leaven. Mix well until it is cloudy.

   - Add your flour, mix until it comes together. If you have a stand mixer you can use it for this portion. Dough will be sticky at this point.

   - Let dough autolyse for 30 mins.

   - Then add your salt, pinch and work into dough. Dough should be a bit smoother, but still sticky.

   - Let dough rest 30 mins.

3. Fold Series:

   - Do first set of stretch and folds OR coil folds. You are going to repeat your chosen folds 3-4 times, every 30-45 mins.

   - When folds are complete cover dough and put into fridge for 12 - 24 hours, this timeline is very flexible. You can bulk ferment on the counter, this will shorten your time to about 6-8 hours (depending on the temperature of your house.)

   - 12-24 hours later bring dough out of the fridge to warm up, for 20-30 minutes.

4. Pre-Shape:

   - Bring dough out onto clean surface and circle around creating a ball, and building tension, let rest for 15 mins.

5. Shaping & Baking Sandwich Style Loaf:

   - Flip dough over and gently spread dough out into a rectangle, lengthways away from you. Fold long sides into the centre to meet in the middle, and then roll up and away from you. Gently pulling underneath dough to tuck under. Then place into greased or lined loaf pan.

   - Cover with tea towel, and allow rest on counter for 2-3 hours, until positive “poke test” is achieved.

   - when dough passes poke test: Preheat oven to 450 F degrees.

   - Baking:Cover loaf with tinfoil- leaving room on top for dough to rise. Bake at 450 F for 20 minutes, then remove tinfoil and drop oven down to 425 F and bake for 15-16 minutes. Check with thermometer that inside temperature is 200F before taking out.

   - Remove from oven and allow loaf to sit in pan for 15-20 minutes, when loaf is still hot rub top with butter. Both of these things are going to work to soften the crust.

   - Remove from pan and allow to cool for 2-3 hours before cutting. I like to let my loaves set up for 8 hours before cutting.

6. Shaping & Baking Artisan Style Loaf:

   - Oval or "Batard": Flip dough over and gently spread dough out into a rectangle, lengthways away from you. Fold long sides into the centre to meet in the middle, and then roll up and away from you. Gently pull underneath the dough to tuck under. Flip and place in banneton basket or well floured tea towel lined bowl, upside down. Proof in fridge for 12 hours.

   - Round or "Boule": Flip dough over and gently spread dough out in a circle, just a bit, then bring opposite sides up and together in the centre and pinch or clasp, so they stick together. Do this on all four sides, then gently rolled up and over and circle dough around, building tension. Flip upside down, and place in banneton basket. Proof in fridge for 12 hours.

   - Baking:Once dough has cold proofed for 12 hours, preheat oven to 450℉ with your dutch oven inside. Flip dough out onto parchment paper or bread sling, give dough a score or slash with a sharp razor or knife, to direct steam while baking. Place in dutch oven with the lid and bake for 24 minutes at 450 ℉, then uncover dutch oven, drop your oven temperature down to 425 ℉ and continue to bake for 13-14 minutes.

   - Remove from oven, and place on cooling rack. Allow bread to completely cool before cutting into it.