Basic Artisan Sourdough Bread Recipe
User Reviews
5
Basic Artisan Sourdough Bread Recipe
Description
This sourdough bread combines three flours—bread, whole wheat, and rye—to create a dough hydrated with lukewarm water and raised with a levain. The dough undergoes a series of stretch and folds over several hours, promoting gluten development and even fermentation. After doubling in size, the dough is divided, shaped, and placed into proofing baskets coated optionally with sesame seeds.
The extended fermentation and careful handling result in a bread with artisan character, including a chewy crumb and flavor complexity from the blend of flours and natural leavening. Timing depends on ambient temperature, with the dough typically doubling in about four hours at 66-67°F.
Such bread is suitable for slicing and pairing with a variety of foods or serving simply with butter. The method demonstrates careful attention to dough handling and proofing to achieve the desired structure and taste.
Ingredients
- 500 g bread flour
- 450 g whole wheat flour
- 50 g rye flour
- 750 g water (around 85F)
- 200 g levain
- 20 g kosher salt
Instructions
- Two nights before bakingFeed mature sourdough starter using the levain formula above.
- The night before baking, around 6:00PMMix all of the ingredients in a large bowl, cover with a plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Thirty minutes to one hour later, around 7:00PMPerform a set of stretch and folds. Cover and let rest.
- Around 7:45PM and 8:30PMPerform two additional sets of stretch and folds. Cover and let rest.
- Around 10:00PMDepending on your ambient temperature, the dough should double in size by around 10:00PM. In my case, at around 66F - 67F ambient temperature the dough doubles in size in about 4 hours. If not, wait until it does, about an hour or so.Turn the dough over onto a flat, smooth surface. Divide into two equal pieces, pre-shape, flip and let rest for 20 minutes.
- Around 10:20PMFold the loaves one more time, pinch the seams (optional), dip into sesame seeds and place into 14" oval proofing baskets, seam side up. Cover with each with a piece of paper towel, then wrap with a piece of plastic wrap. Proof in a cool place (around 66F or lower) overnight.
- The morning of baking, around 7:00AMPlace the baking stone on the rack about 3 positions from the top. Place a kitchen towel in a bread pan, or a small cake pan, fill with hot tap water and place on a rack below the baking stone, to the side of the stone. Preheat the oven to 500F.
- Around 7:45AM - 8:00AMPrepare two pieces of parchment paper slightly bigger than the proofing baskets. Turn the dough pieces onto parchment paper. Score with a serrated knife. Using a pizza shovel, transfer the dough into the preheated oven. Using a water spray, spray some water on the sides of the oven to create some extra steam, and quickly close the oven door. Drop the temperature to 475F and set the time to 20 minutes.
- 20 minutes laterRemove the bread pan with water from the oven. Drop the temperature to 450F and continue baking the bread for an additional 25 minutes.
- 25 minutes laterRemove bread from the oven and set on a cooling rack to cool down for an hour. Then slice and enjoy.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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