Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 4 cups Unbleached AP flour
- 1–1/2 cups water (at room temperature)
- 1/2 cup active sourdough starter
- 3 teaspoons of sea salt
Instructions
- Take half a cup of active sourdough starter and place it in a bowl (glass or ceramic recommended).
- Add one and a half cups of warm water to the bowl and whisk until there are no clumps and the mixture is completely milky.
- Add four cups of unbleached AP flour into the mixture (dough whisk recommended).
- Add two teaspoons of fine grain sea salt and mix until a shaggy dough forms, but it is combined. It is okay if the dough is not smooth.
- Cover the bowl and let it sit on the counter for one hour.
- After an hour, perform the first set of stretch and folds by lifting the dough in quadrants and folding it back onto itself.
- Cover the dough again and wait for 30 minutes.
- Repeat the stretch and fold process for a second time, then cover and wait another 30 minutes.
- Do a third set of stretches and folds, then cover and wait for another 30 minutes.
- Perform the final set of stretch and folds, then place the dough back in the bowl, cover it, and let it sit overnight for 10 to 12 hours. (I like to transfer mine into a flour dusted proofing basket at this time.)
- In the morning, preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit with a Dutch oven or Bread Oven inside for one hour.
- Sprinkle flour on your countertop and gently tip the dough onto the counter, stretching it out while keeping the bubbles intact.
- Shape the dough into a square, fold it into thirds, and roll it tightly, pinching the bottoms together.
- Place the shaped dough on a piece of parchment paper, sprinkle all-purpose flour on top, and make a slit on the side of the loaf, this is called an “ear.”
- Bake the bread in the preheated Dutch oven for 30 minutes with the lid on, then 15 minutes with the lid off.
- Let the bread cool for a couple of hours before slicing.
Notes
I do recommend using a bread slicer for sourdough, as the crust can be harder to cut through and this makes it so much easier. I also use beeswax paper to store my bread as well. This is reusable and keeps my bread fresh for days!