Sourdough “Country Loaf”
This is probably the first loaf you will bake with your starter (although, the first loaf I baked was deli rye, so the world is your oyster!).
Essentially, this is a “plain” loaf made with primarily bread flour though I add a little whole wheat just for fun (and nutrition).
I use 70% hydration, which just means the ratio of water to flour is 7:10. If this isn’t your first rodeo and you want to go higher, that’s up to you, but I say, “JUST SAY NO TO HIGH HYDRATION” since 70% is sufficient enough for a nice crumb and works perfectly well for sandwiches. Higher hydration will lead to bigger holes, and therefore, a bigger mess.
For this recipe, you will need an ACTIVE sourdough starter. See my previous post to learn how to create your own NO DISCARD sourdough starter. To ensure that your starter is active, feed it the night before using it. (If you have a very strong starter, like I do, you can use it right from the fridge, but if you are a newbie, I recommend feeding it the night before!)
Baking sourdough is a lengthy process but most of it is down time. Here are the steps in a nutshell:
Mixing the ingredients
Just mix everything together.
Building the gluten
There are different ways to build gluten. In this recipe, I use the stretch and fold method. Please see my video for a demonstration on stretch and folds. Essentially, you take a corner of the dough, stretch it out, and fold it over onto the dough. You continue for all four corners or until the dough is tight. Let the dough rest for thirty minutes, then perform another set of stretch and folds. Continue the stretch and folds in thirty-minute intervals until the gluten is developed, which should take three to four sets of stretch and folds.
Bulk Fermentation (or first rise)
Let the dough rest until it doubles in size.
Shaping
Get the dough into the shape you prefer: either a boule or a batard.
Proofing (or second rise)
Allow dough to rest overnight in the fridge. See my video on why we proof overnight.
Scoring and Baking
Score dough with a sharp razor (like one you would use for shaving—you can use a lame if you have one), and bake! For this recipe, we are going to create steam using a Dutch oven. For the first twenty minutes, we are going to bake with the lid ON. this will create steam and enable the dough to get a better oven spring, or rise higher. Then, we will bake for twenty minutes with the lid OFF. This will create the crust. See my video on why we bake using a Dutch oven.
Sourdough "Country Loaf"
Ingredients
- 100 grams active sourdough starter*
- 350 grams water
- 7 grams salt
- 120 grams white whole wheat flour*
- 380 grams bread flour
Instructions
- Mix the active sourdough starter, water, and salt in a large mixing bowl (2.5 quart is ideal).
- Add the white whole wheat and the bread flour and mix, mix, mix until it becomes a shaggy dough.
- Gently knead the dough with your hands until it forms a ball. Cover and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes. This will develop the gluten.
- After 30 minutes, perform your first stretch and fold. Take one corner of the dough and stretch it out as far as you can without ripping the dough. Stop when you feel the dough start to tug back. Fold this piece over onto the dough. Continue for all four corners. Allow to rest for another 30 minutes. You will perform at least three stretch and folds in thirty-minute intervals.
- After 30 minutes, perform the second stretch and fold in the same way you did the first. Wait another thirty minutes and perform your third stretch and fold.
- If you are uncertain if the gluten has developed, perform a windowpane test. Stretch the dough until you can see light coming through it. If it breaks, then the gluten needs more development, and you can perform a fourth stretch and fold. If it doesn’t break, then you can start the bulk fermentation (or first rise).
- Allow the dough to rise for 4-8 hours. The amount of time the dough needs to rise will depend on the strength of the starter, the temperature, and the flours used. The dough should double in size (if using a 2.5 quart bowl, it will nearly fill the bowl).
- Once the dough has risen, it is time to shape it. Take your dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Flour your hands and fold it into a ball (for a boule) or oblong (for a batard) shape. Make sure to roll it tightly, so it holds its shape!
- Place the dough into a lined banneton or bowl with a tea towel inside. Cover and let it proof in the fridge overnight.
- Once ready to bake, place your Dutch oven with lid on in the oven. Preheat oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow to preheat for at least thirty minutes.
- Once your Dutch oven is preheated, take your dough out of the fridge and place on a parchment paper or silicone mat (this is to transfer the dough into the Dutch oven without burning yourself, so make sure that the parchment paper or silicone mat can fit into your Dutch oven!).
- Score your dough with a sharp razor. You can simply score a cross for a boule or a line right through the middle for a batard. With practice, you can make fancier scoring patterns, but I suggest starting simple.
- Carefully place the dough into the Dutch oven. Put the lid back on the Dutch oven and place back into your preheated oven. Turn down the temperature to 450 F and bake for twenty minutes.
- After twenty minutes, remove the lid from the Dutch oven and lower temperature to 420 F. Bake for another 20 minutes.
- After the second 20 minutes, check your crust. If it is brown enough to your liking, take the bread out of the oven and cool. If you want more browning on the crust, you can bake for a few more minutes or alternatively, turn off the oven and allow the bread to cool inside the oven. The latter will result in an extra crusty bread.
- Allow your bread to cool for at least one hour before cutting into it. (The bread is still technically cooking as it cools, and you will ruin the crumb if you are impatient).
- Enjoy your delicious sourdough bread! It will last 5-7 days stored in a cloth bread bag or tea towel. If you can't finish the bread in that time, I suggest slicing the portion you don't think you'll finish, putting it into a freezer safe bag, and storing it in the freezer.
Notes
Supplies
2.5 Quart Mixing Bowl with Cover
Fork for mixing
Kitchen Scale
Banneton (Can use a bowl lined with a tea towel)
Dutch Oven (Or other baking vessel with lid)
Silicone Mat or Parchment Paper
Razor (or Lame)
- You might use more or less sourdough starter based on the temperature of your room. Use more sourdough in the winter and less sourdough in the summer if the temperature of your house fluctuates.
- White whole wheat flour is simply a lighter version of whole wheat flour. You can use regular whole wheat flour in place of white whole wheat flour if you do not have access to it.
