Sourdough Bread: The ONLY method you need
July 26, 2022
I fell in love with Sourdough Bread a few years ago while dining at “The Cafe” in Ames, Iowa. There they serve beautiful and flavorful slices of Sourdough toast with their breakfast entrees that keep you coming back for more (so much that I even worked there for some time). Ever since that love at first bite moment, my favorite bread had become any and all things Sourdough.
Like many, when the pandemic hit, I needed an indoor hobby. I watched my boyfriend grow a starter and make a loaf of Sourdough for the first time and I knew I had to try it. My first attempt at making my favorite bread was less than impressive; the loaf was hard as a rock and had almost no bounce to what should be a holy interior. From that point on I tried a handful of different recipes and watched almost every Sourdough video youtube had to offer. I was determined to bake my dream Sourdough loaf.
After watching Allison’s “Bake With Me” YouTube video, I knew I had to try her method. So I added a bulk fermentation container, a banneton, and a lame to my Sourdough baking collection (all completely optional FYI) and got started. What I really liked about the method she used, was that it was extremely laid back and only kept me at home for 2-3 hrs in the morning.
Here is the method she uses with some of my notes that I hope will help you on your Sourdough Bread journey:
Day 1: Levain (approx. 10 min)
Feed your starter in the morning and leave it in a warm place to ferment throughout the day.
In the evening (I typically do this step before bed), combine 27 g of mature sourdough starter with 150 g of room-temperature water (filtered is ideal) and 150 g of bread flour.
Leave on the counter overnight with a lid lightly on so gas is able to escape.
If you don’t have a starter, you can learn how to make one here. (It will take about 7 days to create a mature starter)
Day 2: Making the loaves (approx. 3 hrs at home plus 5-10 hrs of bulk fermentation)
In your bulk fermentation container, combine 900 g of bread flour, 560 g of filtered room-temperature water, and your bubbly Levain.
Wet your hand (shake off any excess) and mix with your hand until all the flour has been absorbed. This may take some time. If the dough begins to stick to your hand, wet your hand again. The dough should be sticky and moist. Do not stress.
Once the dough is mixed, cover it with a damp towel and let it rest on the counter or in the oven with the light on for 45 min to 1 hour.
While the dough is resting, take a small bowl and mix 27 g of coarse sea salt with 20 g of warm filtered water. *The coarse salt may not dissolve fully into the water, but I have not found this to affect the quality or taste of my loaves.*
Once the dough is done resting, you will complete your first round of stretch & folds (Learn how here). You will do four stretch & folds each round, cover the dough with a damp towel, and then allow the dough to rest for about 30 minutes (or more if you are busy). On the first stretch & fold cycle only, add the salt mixture a little at a time with each of the four folds. You will repeat the stretch & fold process three more times for a total of four rounds with about 30 minutes in between each round.
After you have completed your fourth round of stretch & folds, you will move right into 5-10 hrs of bulk fermentation. Bulk fermentation is complete when the dough has doubled or more in size. If you are lucky enough to have an oven with a proofing setting use that. I simply place my bulk fermentation container covered with a damp towel in the oven with the light on. It is summer, so 5 hrs is the perfect amount of time for my dough to double in size; it may take more time in the Winter.
Once the dough has doubled, you will move on to shaping your loaves. To do this, use a metal strainer or your hand to lightly dust a CLEAN counter with flour. Next, use a plastic spatula (or your hand) and gravity to transfer your dough from the fermentation container to the counter. Note: when working with dough from here on out you want to be extremely gentle with the dough; you just spent 5-10 hrs getting gas into the dough, and you do not want to lose it.
Next, use a bench scrape or a sharp knife to divide your dough in half (does not need to be perfect).
Then we will do our first shaping. First, coil the dough so it becomes circular. Next, gently use the stretch & fold method (about 4-5 s&f’s) to get the dough into a ball, and then place the dough seam side down on the counter. Repeat with the other loaf, dust the tops with flour, cover with a damp towel, and allow them to rest on the counter for 15 min.
While you are waiting, find a banneton or a round bowl and line it with a baking towel. Then dust the towel with flour (you will need 2 vessels total).
Final shaping. Flip your dough seam side up and do the stretch & fold process again. Next, gently flip the dough seam side down and cup the dough in your hands. You will then move the dough in a circular motion creating tension between the counter and the dough which will further shape the dough into a loaf. Then, gently place the dough seam-side up in one of your containers. Repeat with the other loaf.
Next, dust both loaves with flour and cover them with a towel (If your towel is large, you may be able to fold the excess towel over top). Place the containers in the fridge to cold-proof overnight (or up to 32 hrs).
Here is a great tutorial on bread shaping if you need a video visual.
Day 3: Baking day! (approx 1.5 hrs)
Preheat your oven to 500˚F with an empty Dutch oven (lid on) inside.
Once your oven is preheated, lay some parchment paper on the counter (make sure the piece is large enough so that there will be excess around your bread) and gently transfer your bread loaf to the parchment. *I found that working one loaf at a time helped the loaf to keep its shape before being baked.*
Next, score your bread. When I first started, I did not have any of the fancy tools, so I can assure you a knife works fine for this. If you want to get fancy, search “sourdough bread scoring” on Pinterest.
Lower the heat of your oven to 450˚F. Use the parchment paper to transfer the loaf to your Dutch oven and bake for 20 min with the lid on.
After 20 min, remove the lid and bake for an additional 10-15 min depending on how done you like your loaf (my sweet spot is 10 min).
When your loaf is done, transfer it to a cooling rack and repeat the baking process with the other loaf.
Allow the bread to fully cool (about 2 hrs) before cutting into it.
Enjoy!
Supplies I used: