Description
A timeless recipe for homemade sourdough bread with a unique tang, chewy crust, and airy crumb.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of active sourdough starter
- 1 ½ cups of lukewarm water
- 1 ½ tsp of salt
- 3 ¼ cups of bread flour
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the active sourdough starter and lukewarm water. Stir until the starter dissolves.
- Add the bread flour and salt to the mixing bowl and stir until a shaggy dough forms.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Knead the dough for five minutes by hand or with a dough hook until it becomes smooth and elastic.
- Return the dough to the bowl, cover, and let it rest for another 30 minutes.
- Perform a series of stretch and folds, folding the dough into the center from all sides four times with 30 minutes of rest between each set.
- After the final stretch and folds, cover and let the dough rise for 2-4 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Transfer the risen dough to a floured surface and shape it into a round loaf.
- Place parchment in the rising bowl and transfer the loaf onto the parchment for its final rise, covering it for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat your oven to 425°F with a Dutch oven inside for 30-40 minutes.
- Lightly flour and score the top of the loaf.
- Transfer the loaf with parchment into the hot Dutch oven and bake for 40 minutes with the lid on, then an additional 12 minutes without the lid until golden.
- Let the bread cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Notes
If short on time, consider refrigerating your dough overnight to enhance fermentation and flavor.