Artisanal Sourdough Bread
Making homemade bread can easily be deemed as one’s proudest moment in the kitchen. Although this recipe may have a lengthy instruction list, don’t let that intimidate you!
Artisanal sourdough bread is simple to make, the biggest investment is just a little time and patience. Start to finish, this recipe will take about 24 hours, but the first 4 hours are the only time that is hands-on.
Beginning stage
During the beginning stages of the recipe, you will perform a series of stretches and folds to the dough, over on to itself. This allows the gluten in the bread to grow strong, making your finished bread tender and light.
Bulk fermentation stage
Next your bread will move into bulk fermentation, the longest stage. At this point, the gluten will begin to develop, and the dough will rise.
Rest
Let the dough rest 8-10 hours and move the dough to the refrigerator. The dough will begin to take on the signature sour flavor and the consistent temperature will give you a little flexibility with the bake time of your bread.
Tips
We prefer to mix our dough around dinner time, perform the stretch and folds, and allow to rest overnight. Make space in your fridge to refrigerate the dough during the day and you will have hot fresh bread ready for the dinner table! Check out our Sourdough Blog for tips, tricks, and recipes!
ARTISANAL SOURDOUGH BREAD
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Cups of water (room temperature)
- 5 TBSP sourdough starter
- 3 ½ Cups Old Mill Bread Flour
- 1 TSP
- sea salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the bread flour and salt and make a well in the center.
- In a measuring cup, whisk together the water and sourdough starter and pour into the well.
- Mix together until all flour is incorporated. You will have a shaggy wet dough.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, do not punch the dough down. Instead, starting from the right side, pull some of the dough up and fold over to the left side. Then turn the bowl a quarter turn clockwise (to the right) and fold from right to left again. Repeat this process 25 times. Cover and let it sit for 1 hour.
- After the 2nd hour, repeat the folding process 10 times. Cover and let sit 1 hour.
- After the 3rd hour, repeat the folding process 10 times. Cover and let sit 1 hour.
- After the 4th hour, repeat the folding process 10 times. You will cover it once again with the plastic wrap and then toss a towel over it and let it sit on your counter for 8-10 hours.
- After it has rested and grown considerably in size, generously flour a sturdy tea towel. Gently, turn the dough out onto the floured towel. Place the towel with the bread down in the large bowl, cover with plastic wrap again.
- Put the bowl in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours and a maximum of 24 hours.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Remove the bowl from the refrigerator and carefully turn the unwrapped bowl over onto a sheet of parchment paper. Set the bowl aside and gently pull the towel off the dough. It could be a little sticky. Lightly dust the dough with flour.
- Using a clean knife, cut half inch slits in the top of the dough in any pattern you choose.
- Keeping the dough on the parchment paper, lower the parchment and dough into a Dutch oven and place the lid on.
- Place the cold Dutch oven in the preheated oven and bake for 50-55 minutes. Do not open the oven or the Dutch oven. After 50 minutes, check your bread. If it is brown enough, remove it from the oven. Otherwise, return it to the oven for 5 minutes without the lid.
- Carefully remove the bread and parchment from the Dutch oven and take the bread off the parchment and let it cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes to an hour before cutting.