Ingredients
Sourdough Starter Feeding
- 20 g sourdough starter
- 100 g water
- 100 g bread flour
Dough Ingredients
- 505 g warm water
- 190 g active sourdough starter (from above)
- 790 g bread flour
- 16 g sea salt
Instructions
- Feed Your Starter: The night before baking, combine 20 g sourdough starter with 100 g water and 100 g bread flour in a jar, a 1:5:5 feeding ratio. Allow it to peak over 10-12 hours so it is active and bubbly for baking.
- Mix Your Dough: In a large bowl, combine 505 g warm water, 190 g active starter, 790 g bread flour, and 16 g sea salt. Mix until a shaggy dough forms. Then, perform slap and folds on the counter for 1-2 minutes to develop gluten. Return dough to the bowl, cover, and set in a warm spot (82°F/28°C) for 30-60 minutes.
- Stretch and Folds/Coil Folds: Perform four sets of stretch and folds or coil folds spaced 30 minutes apart to strengthen the dough.
- Bulk Fermentation: Let the dough bulk ferment in a warm place until it doubles in volume, looks puffy, domed, jiggly, with bubbles visible along the sides and bottom of the bowl. This should take about 4-6 hours at 82°F/28°C, longer if cooler.
- Divide and Shape: Using a bench scraper, divide the dough into five equal pieces (~300 g each). Shape each piece into a tight round by pushing and folding the dough motion like a candy cane. Place seam-side up into lightly floured mini bannetons. Rest for 5-10 minutes, then pinch or stitch seams to increase surface tension. Dust tops with rice flour.
- Second Proof (or Cold Retard): For same-day baking, proof in a warm spot for about 3 hours until the dough passes the poke test (indents spring back slowly). For longer fermentation, cover and refrigerate for 8-16 hours (cold retard), up to 96 hours maximum. No poke test needed for cold retard.
- Score and Bake: Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C) with Dutch ovens or a bread steel and a steam source (cast iron pan with lava rocks or ice cubes). Transfer dough balls to parchment paper and score a shallow X on top. If using Dutch ovens, bake with lids on for 20 minutes, then lid off for 10 minutes or until golden brown and internal temp reaches 205-210°F (96-99°C). Repeat for remaining dough. If baking on bread steel, place all loaves on the hot steel, generate steam, bake 20 minutes, remove steam source, then bake 10-20 minutes until done. Cool on wire rack for an hour before slicing tops and hollowing out the bowls.
Notes
- Feeding your starter the night before ensures it is active for the bread dough.
- Slap and folds help develop dough strength without a mixer, but a stand mixer with a dough hook on medium-low for 5 minutes works well too.
- Bulk fermentation times vary based on temperature; visual and tactile cues are best to judge readiness.
- Using a water mister can help prevent sticking when dividing dough.
- Rice flour prevents sticking during the second proof and gives an attractive finish.
- Steam is crucial during baking to develop a good crust and oven spring.
- Cold retard enhances flavor and allows baking on your schedule.
- Use a thermometer for best accuracy in baking doneness.
- Prep Time: 18 hours 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American Artisan
