Sourdough Bread

Ready to bake! This is about a 12 hr process. If you follow the link step by step it takes like 24 hrs and I am not a patient mama! 

Followed https://www.homemadefoodjunkie.com/tartine-style-sourdough-bread-recipe/  please read first and refer to this site for pictures and more information. I have put most of her instructions with my changes for personal preferences. The bread turned out awesome so I’m sticking to this. 

Dough

1 c sourdough starter (unfed)

2 c Lukewarm water

5 1/2 c flour (3 c bread flour & 2 1/2 c red fife wheat) 

Make the Dough

Pour the water into a large bowl. 

Add the starter to the water and mix thoroughly with a whisk until the starter is mixed completely into the water

Add the flour to the leavened water and mix with spatula. At the end use wet hands to form a shaggy dough ball.  

Autolyse

Let it rest (autolyse stage) about an hour. This stage can be extended without worry up to four hours. 

After autolyse, add the salt to the bread dough. Use your hands to pinch and stretch the dough gently until the salt is mixed into the dough. 

Stretch and Fold

Using your wet hands pull the dough from under the dough ball up and stretch it gently as you pull it over the dough ball top. Release. Repeat this process as you give the bowl quarter turns until the dough is stretched and pulled from each quarter of the bowl. 

(I went around twice)

Over the next 2 1/2 hours repeat the stretch and fold every 30 minutes for a total of FOUR times. The dough will change from a slimy ropy mass to a billowy dough with many air pockets and definite body as you stretch and fold it. DO NOT PUNCH DOWN THE DOUGH AT ANY TIME. Those air bubbles create the excellent crumb and flavor. 

The dough should become an elastic resilient dough that passes the window pane test. IF your dough is still breaking before it goes transparent when pulled. Do ANOTHER stretch and fold.

(I had to do another one)

Bulk Rise

Allow the dough to bulk rise IN THE BOWL at room temperature an hour or SO until it rises by 30 percent or so.

...at this point you can follow the exact recipe on the link and refrigerate overnight or...

Divide the Dough:

On a clean unfloured counter pour out the dough into a large mass. Flour the top of the dough lightly but evenly. Divide in half or leave as one very large loaf!

BEING CAREFUL NOT TO OVERWORK THE DOUGH-Form each half into a dough ball. The most efficient way to do this is to use the counter as your pivot point. Scrape in a circle around the dough (leave it unturned, flour side up). The unfloured counter will hold the dough center and create tension as you circle the dough with the scraper forming a ball. Repeat to form two dough balls. The DOUGH edge should be round and the dough ball should have some form and resilience to it. 

Final Shape and Rise:

Gently slide the dough scraper under one of your dough balls and flip it over so it rests on the floured side.

Now gently stretch and pull the dough over from the bottom to 1/3 up the loaf. Stretch and pull the dough from the sides to the dough middle. For the final stretch take the dough from the top of the ball and pull it all the way down to the bottom. Form a seam. Pinching the seam if necessary.

Place the dough seam side up in your parchment paper lined bowl(s)

Cover the bowl(s) of dough and set it on top of fridge for 8-10hrs

Baking Instructions:

Set your dutch oven with it's lid on (lower third of oven). PREHEAT oven to 450 degrees F. for at least 30 minutes.

Score the loaf with your lame knife or a razor blade or sharp scissors. Scoring helps the dough rise better.

Now pick up the scored loaf with the edges of the parchment paper, if using, and gently and carefully place it into your VERY hot dutch oven.

Put the lid on the dutch oven and return it covered to your preheated oven. 

Bake 30 minutes at 450 degrees. 

Now REMOVE the lid. Steam should come out. Hopefully the bread is a light golden color with a nice rise and set crust. Bake an additional 10 minutes UNCOVERED or until the loaf thumps hollowly and the surface gets dark and the scored areas look shiny. (To prevent over browning turn the parchment paper (or foil) upside down over the loaf as it finishes in the oven.)

Remove the dutch oven. Place the finished loaf on a cooling rack. Do NOT cut it for at least an hour to set the crumb. Return the dutch oven (with it's lid on) to the oven at 450 degrees F and preheat for 15 minutes. Repeat the process with the remaining loaf.

Note: so I decided to try and follow the exact steps as per the link above just so I have something to compare to. Will post update later

Started at 3:00 pm

Using rye flour instead of the wheat