Making Sourdough bread is a step further in your bread game. It’s more complicated and definitely more challenging: so many variables to keep in mind and so many aspects to take of… BUT! Once you’ve baked your first Sourdough bread and tasted it splendid and absolutely unforgettable taste, there is no way back! You are hooked and there is not other bread anymore.
I have tried several Sourdough bread recipes by now, and here is the one that might be the easiest in handling. There’s only 2 proofings and 1 folding required in this process.
I am also using a stand mixer for this recipe, so for those of you who don’t like getting your hands dirty, that might also be a perfect recipe.
Preparation time: 12 hours
Cooking time: 40 min
Per servings: 2 Medium-size loafs
Ingredients:
- 533 g Bread Flour + extra for dusting
- 306 ml Water
- 7 g Salt
- 207 g Sourdough starter / levain
Equipment & tools:
- Stand mixer with a dough hook
- Plastic wrap
- Dough scraper
- 2 Proofing baskets
- Dutch oven
- Raser (for scoring)
Directions:
- Mix together the Sourdough starter and water. Break starter apart.
- Add salt and bread flour and mix in a stand mixer for about 8-10 min. Start on low speed and app. half way through increase to medium. You need to make sure that enough gluten is developed. Perform a *”window test” to check if you need to work the dough any longer.
- Place the dough ball in an oiled stainless steel bowl, cover it with plastic to protect from oxidation and let it sit at room temperature for about 3 hours to proof. The dough should grow twice in size.
- Uncover the dough, remove it carefully unto a work surface and divide in 2.
- Fold each dough part twice and form 2 balls.
- Dust the proofing baskets with extra flour generously, as well as the dough balls.
- Place those dough balls into the baskets, seam side up. Cover with plastic wrap.
- Let them proof at room temperature for another 1 hour and then move them into the fridge to cold-proof overnight.
- In the morning, preheat the oven with a dutch oven in for 45 min at 450F.
- Cover your loafs with extra flour generously and do the scoring for your bread (you are welcome to use my design), if you want. place your bread on a parchment paper and into the dutch oven. Close the lid immediately and back to the oven.
- Bake for 20 min with lid on (to allow for hydration to happen and for your bread to grow a little more, hopefully opening up in places of scoring) and 20 min with lid off (to get a perfect colour).
- Let your Sourdough bread cool down on a rack for about 15-20 min before cutting into it (no-matter how hard the wait might be!).
- Enjoy your Sourdough bread!
*In order to perform a window test, try to stretch the dough as much as possible against the bright window. If you can start seeing the light through and the dough is not ripping apart, you’ve managed to develop enough gluten.