Sourdough Bread for Beginners
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • 200g starter
  • 450g bread flour
  • 250g water
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1½ tbsp fine celtic sea salt
Instructions
  1. Autolyse Stage: In a large bowl, combine the starter, bread flour, water and olive oil and bread flour. Mix well with a wooden spoon, finishing off using your hands to incorporate as much flour as possible. Allow to rest for 30-60 minutes. During this time also feed your original starter culture again (if necessary) and put aside in a warm spot.
  2. After resting time sprinkle salt over the dough, adding a few drops of water to help the salt dissolve.
  3. First Rise: Gently mix the dough in the bowl with your hands, lifting and folding the dough over itself several times to incorporate all the salt. The dough will appear stringy and may easily tear when manipulated, gently shape into a ball and place seam side down in bowl, Cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel (or just a tea towel) and leave in a warm place to rise for 3-6 hours. Dough is ready when it has increased in size by around double.
  4. If you wish to speed up rising action, reshape dough every hour by removing from bowl and folding dough over itself.. To do this, grab a portion dough from the top of shaped ball and pull towards bottom, tucking underneath. Turn the dough ball 90 degrees to the left and perform again and again until back to the first side. Return to the bowl, seam side down.
  5. Shaping and Second Rise: Repeat actions to fold dough over itself to tuck underneath. Use this process to create a nice, tight ball of dough. Clean bowl and coat with flour, cornflour or a thin layer of olive oil. Place dough back into bowl for a shorter rise, between 1-2 hours. You are ready to bake when dough is slightly puffy. We are not expecting much more growth in this stage.
  6. Preheat oven to 220C (430F), for at least 15-20min, and heat a baking tray or ceramic baking stone in oven. Place baking paper (if baking on baking tray) or sprinkle flour or cornflour (if using a baking stone) on a wooden cutting board. Transfer dough to prepared surface and reshape gently if necessary.
  7. Using a serrated knife, make a cut or cuts along top of dough. Open oven door and quickly slide dough onto baking tray or stone. Seat loaf in the centre of the oven and close door as soon as possible to prevent heat loss. Bake for 60 minutes or until bread is golden brown and firm on top. If using an instant read thermometer, insert into bread and check for a reading of 100C (210F) Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking surface for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
Recipe by @OmNomAlly at https://omnomally.com/2014/07/27/sourdough-bread-for-beginners/