Sourdough Bread Recipe

Ingredients

• 60 g sourdough starter
• 300 g room-temperature water
• 310 g bread flour
• 80 g whole wheat flour
• 8 g salt
• flour, for working
• 1 small bowl water, for working

Equipment

1 large bowl, 1 kitchen towel, 1 cloth-lined proofing basket (or bowl), a medium clay dish filled with water, baking paper, 1 razor blade, 1 large cast-iron pot (or a metal bowl)

Method

1. Dissolve the starter in the water, then add the flours.
2. Mix by hand for 4 minutes, cover with a cloth and leave for 30 minutes.
3. Add the 8 g of salt, mix by hand for 4 minutes, cover and leave for 30 minutes.
4. Wet your hand, stretch the dough from each of its four sides and fold it into the middle, then cover and leave. Repeat every 45 minutes, six times in all.
5. Lightly flour your counter, flatten the dough, fold it in from eight sides toward the middle, cover and leave for 30 minutes.
6. Gather it into the middle again from eight sides, as if stitching it; for the last fold, roll it up end to end, pressing and wrapping it tight. Shape it to your basket and set it in the cloth-lined basket. Cover and leave in the fridge for 12–16 hours.
7. Heat the oven to 250 °C with a clay dish full of water inside.
8. Take the dough out of the fridge and let it rest for 30 minutes.
9. Turn it onto baking paper, the side you want to show facing up.
10. Dust the dough lightly with flour and score it with the razor blade.
11. Bake it in the cast-iron pot, lid on, in the middle of the oven for 25 minutes.
12. For the 20-minute uncovered bake, lower the heat to 220 °C, take out the clay dish of water and lift the lid off the pot (or, if you’re using a bowl, take the bowl out of the oven).
13. When it’s done, set the bread on a wire rack and let it cool for 2 hours.

Notes

• Think of me while you eat it — and send me your version.