Let’s bake some bread!!!

I cannot do 2-day sourdough. It’s a crazy amount of time to spend on making a loaf of bread. SO, this is what I’ve found works for me and my crazy life.

Before I start, note that this recipe makes 2 loaves.

200g starter

700g warm water.

Stir well and let sit for 5 minutes. It’s ok if there are small clumps.

Add 1000g bread flour or AP flour

and 23g Pink Himalayan salt .

Mix by hand or with bread whisk until it’s mixed well and shaggy.

Cover for 1 hr.

After resting for an hour, now you start to stretch the gluten.

Do stretch and folds every 15 minutes for one hour. (4 )

Now allow the dough to rest (covered) for 4 hours.

After 4 hours my dough consistently rises about 75%. If you don’t see a significant rise or little bubbles starting to form, you made need longer. 6 hours is the longest my dough ever needs. It should be dome shaped and jiggly.

If it is ready then it’s time to SHAPE! You’re going to work your dough into a ball and let it rest for 30 minutes and repeat.

(YouTube has great videos on Stretch and Folds and Shaping!)

Now let’s get it into lightly floured bannetons or baskets and let it sit in the fridge until I get ready to score (covered).

You can let it sit in the fridge and bake in as little as 30 minutes, OR you can let it ferment for up to 72 hrs. The longer you wait, the more sour it gets.

When you’re ready to bake- Preheat oven to 450 WITH Dutch Oven INSIDE .

When preheated, score your bread and place into preheated Dutch oven. Close lid. (I use a bread sling so I don’t born my fingers).

Bake for 30 minutes covered. Then remove top and bake an additional 18 minutes. Remove immediately and place onto a wire rack to cool.

Wait until bread cools to slice. At LEAST one hour. It will become gummy if you slice it while it is too warm.

I hope this works as well for you as it does for me! There are millions of sourdough recipes out there. Just find one that works for you!

Note: Please use your baking intuition with all recipes. Brands of flour vary, temperatures and climates vary etc. If it feels too wet, add flour. If it feels too dry, add a little water. If it doesn’t look proofed, give it more time. Just use common sense. Sourdough is a lot more forgiving that people claim!