Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe from Start to Finish

Instructions

1. Add the active starter to a large mixing bowl
2. Add the water to the sourdough starter and whisk until the mixture is liquid and no pieces of starter
3. Add the flour; you can do this all at once or add in stages as you mix. You will find that you eventually need to use your hands to knead the ingredients together.
4. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, until everything is well combined.
5. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 2 hours on your table or counter top.
6. After 2 hours, uncover the bowl and add the salt and the reserved 50g of water.
7. With your hands, "pinch" the dough and knead until all of the salt and water have been absorbed and you no longer see or feel the salt crystals.
8. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator overnight to allow fermentation. (If you are starting your bread early in the morning, you can allow your dough to sit on your counter top for about 8 hours or until it doubles in size.
9. The next morning; take the dough out of the refrigerator and sit it on the counter.
10. Prepare your clean counter/table by dusting with flour.
11. Turn out your dough onto the floured counter top.
12. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts.
13. Shape your loaves into rectangles, one at a time.
14. Once you have a rectangel shape, fold your dough long sides in, like a trifold.
15. Turn the dough lengthwise and roll the dough while gently stretching it towards you. Then push/pull to create tension in your loaf, while doing a slight rotation each time.
16. Repeat with the second loaf
17. Now let both loaves sit on your counter for 15-20 minutes to rest.
18. After 20 minutes, repeat the fold and roll with each loaf but this time do not stretch. Then do your push/pull and rotation.
19. Using a bench scraper, gently place loaves in proofing baskets and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours for a final rest.
20. After 2 hours, remove your loaves from the refrigerator and preheat your cast iron dutch oven in a 450* oven. (Your oven temp may vary)
21. Remove a loaf from the proofing basket, and place top side down on a piece of parchment paper.
22. Dust with flour. At this point you can leave your loaf as is, or make your cuts now with a bread lame.
23. Using oven mits, remove the preheated Dutch oven from your oven and place a small amount of water in the bottom (you may also use a few ice cubes).
24. Use the parchment paper to lower your loaf into the Dutch oven.
25. Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on.
26. After 30 minutes, remove the lid using oven mits, and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, until your loaf is golden brown.
27. Repeat with second loaf.