Beginner's Sourdough
Surprise, this is a condensed version of Perfect Loaf’s beginner’s sourdough. Makes 2 loaves.
Ingredients
Leaven
- 37 g 100% hydration mature sourdough starter (50%)
- 37 g whole wheat (50%)
- 37 g bread flour (50%)
- 74 g water (100%)
Dough
Final dough temperature target is 78°F (25°C).
- 748 g bread flour (82.5%)
- 110 g whole wheat flour (12%)
- 49 g dark rye flour (5.5%)
- 691 g water (76.2%)
- 18 g sea salt (2%)
- 184 g leaven (20.2%)
Procedure
Leaven
- Mix everything together in the leaven ingredients section.
- Keep at room temperature for 5-6 hours.
- Ready when expanded, bubbly on top & at the sides, and smell almost a little sour.
Autolyse
Start an hour before your leaven is complete.
- Reserve 50g of water from dough ingredients for later.
- Mix flour and remaining water until all dry parts are incorporated.
- Leave covered at room temperature.
Mix
- Add salt, reserved 50g of water, and leaven to dough mix. Spread it out on top, and pinch together by hand.
- Transfer to bulk fermentation container.
- Take the temperature, compare to 78°F (25°C), adjust water temperature accordingly next time.
Bulk Fermentation
- Set timer for 4 hours.
- Perform 3 sets of stretch and folds, every 30 min.
- By the end, dough should have risen 20-50%, and have a few bubbles on the top.
Divide & Preshape
- Flour work surface.
- Dump out dough.
- Divide into half with bench knife.
- Flour hands, and lightly turn and pull dough towards you to form a round circle.
- Let it rest uncovered for 25 minutes.
Shape
- Lightly flour surface and tops of the dough.
- Flip dough, so flour side is down.
- Stretch dough towards you, and fold it 2/3 up on itself. Stretch and fold over the sides, and finally the top to create an envelope.
- Flip or roll the dough, so the envelope seams are on the bottom.
- Using both hands, cup and pull the dough towards you to create rounds.
- Let rest for a few minutes.
Rest & Proof
- Place inside a basket with a towel lightly dusted with rice flour seam side up.
- Seal baskets inside reusable plastic bags.
- Rest for 20 minutes.
- Place in fridge to proof for 16 hours.
Bake
- Preheat oven at 500°F (260°C) with dutch oven inside for 1 hour.
- Place sheet of parchment paper and stiff surface on top of basket with dough, flip it to take the dough out.
- Score the loaf with a razor or scissors.
- Carefully open the oven, and using the parchment paper, transfer the dough into the dutch oven. Cover with lid to create a seal.
- Turn oven down to 475°F (246°C) and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the lid, turn oven down to 450°F (232°C) and bake for additional 30 minutes.
- Carefully remove bread using parchment paper and cool on wire rack.
- Turn oven back up to 500°F (260°C) and repeat for second loaf.
Wait 1-2 hours to slice the bread.