Sourdough Bread Recipe

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine sourdough starter, water, and olive oil. Stir until combined.
2. Add bread flour and sprinkle salt overtop. Use your (clean) hands or a wooden spoon to stir together until dough is mostly combined. It will still be a bit shaggy and should not be cohesive (don’t over-mix) but no dry patches of flour should remain.
3. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit undisturbed for one hour (this is the “autolyse” period).

Stretch & Fold

1. Form dough into a ball with your hands.
2. Run your hands under cool water (prevents sticking!) and grasp the top of the dough and stretch it over the bottom. Turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat. Turn 90 degrees and repeat again, then once more (four total stretch & folds).
3. Allow dough to rest, covered, in a warm place for 30 minutes.
4. Repeat step 2 above every 30 minutes as dough rises.
5. Allow dough to rise (stretching and folding every 30 minutes as indicated) until dough has increased in size about 80% (how long this takes depends on the temperature of your kitchen, typically mine is ready within 4-6 hours).

Forming the Dough

1. Lightly grease a 9x5 loaf pan (with olive oil or butter) .
2. When dough has risen sufficiently, turn it out onto a clean, lightly floured surface.
3. Use your hands to gently deflate the dough and pat it into a rectangular shape. Lift the right side of the dough and fold it into the center (almost as if you were closing a book). Then, lift the left side of the dough and fold it over the first fold (use a bench scraper if the dough is sticking to your counter).
4. Starting with a skinny end, tightly roll the dough, as if you were rolling up a cinnamon roll. Tuck the ends under and carefully transfer to prepared bread pan. Don’t worry if the bread doesn’t fill the pan right now.
5. Cover pan tightly with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to rest overnight/for 12-24 hours.

Baking

1. Remove sourdough from the refrigerator and preheat oven to 450F. Let oven preheat and dough rest (covered or uncovered) for at least 30-35 minutes before proceeding.
2. Once oven has preheated, uncover bread, make a clean slice (about ¼” deep) down the center with a sharp knife or bread lame (to score it) then cover with another 9x5 pan (if you don’t have a second pan, you may instead make a makeshift oven using aluminum foil; tent it as high as the bread pan is deep).
3. Transfer to center rack of preheated oven. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes then remove the lid and continue to bake another 20-23 minutes/until golden brown and the center of bread reaches 206-208F (97C).
4. Allow bread to cool in pan for 15 minutes before gently turning it out onto a cooling rack (careful, the pan will still be hot!) to cool for at least 1-2 hours (until it no longer feels warm) before cutting into it.