Everyday Sourdough Bread
Ingredients
| 3 cups | 720 ml | All purpose flour |
| 1 teaspoon | 5 ml | Active dry yeast |
| 1 1/2 teaspoons | 7.5 ml | Salt |
| 1 cup | 240 ml | Sourdough starter, fed the night before |
| 1 cup | 240 ml | Warm water or whey at about 105 degrees |
| 1/2 cup | 120 ml | Flour for forming the loaf and baking |
Instructions
- Add all of the dry ingredients to a mixer and mix on low speed just to combine, then add the sourdough starter and begin mixing on low speed.
- With the mixer running on low speed slowly add the warm water up to one cup until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl as shown above. If the dough has not fully combined, add warm water one tablespoon at a time until it does. Be sure to give it time to mix in before each addition. If the dough becomes too wet add a little more all purpose flour until it comes together.
- Once your dough has come together, continue to mix for 6-8 more minutes on low. The dough should be fairly sticky.
- Scrape the dough onto a well floured board and knead with floured hands 4-5 times and form the dough into a ball.
- Place the ball into a bowl with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and swirl it around until all sides are lightly coated with the oil.
- Cover with plastic wrap and leave the dough to rise in a warm place until doubled. (60-90 minutes)
- After the dough has risen, move the dough back onto the floured board, knead 4-5 times and reform into a ball.
- Place the ball of dough into a well floured banneton or alternatively, into a bowl lined with a thin cotton towel that has been well floured.
- Cover with the banneton cover or a piece of plastic wrap sprayed with oil and allow the dough to rise once more in a warm place until doubled (45-75 minutes).
- Begin heating a Dutch oven with the lid on inside of your oven to 450 degrees.
- When the dough has risen, gently roll the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper that has been sprinkled with cornmeal or polenta and score as desired.
- Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the 450 degree oven. Remove the lid and lift the bread using the parchment paper and place it inside the hot dutch oven, paper and all. Replace the lid and place the dutch oven back into the hot oven and lower the heat to 425 degrees.
- Bake 40 minutes without peeking.
- Uncover your beautiful bread and carefully lift it out of the dutch oven and onto a bread board to cool using the parchment paper.
- Be sure to let it cool completely before slicing.