Sourdough Bread

Makes 1 large loaf of sourdough

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups Room Temperature Water

4 Cups Unbleached Bread Flour (all purpose will also work)

2 tsp Salt

Combine active starter and water in a large bowl, mix to combine.
Add flour (spooned and leveled) and salt then mix just enough for the flour to be incorporated and form a shaggy dough.
Cover the shaggy dough and allow it to sit at room temperature for an hour undisturbed.
After an hour has passed, leaving the dough in the bowl, grab a section of dough, stretch it out, and fold it in. Repeat 8 times, rotating the bowl after every fold and grabbing a new section. The dough should be smooth and fairly elastic by the end
Cover and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 8 hours undisturbed (or until it has doubled in size). This could take as little as 6 hours or as long as 12 depending on the temperature of your house. Don't watch a clock, watch your dough!
Remove the dough from the bowl retaining as much air as possible. Place on a lightly floured surface and shape into one large round loaf.

To shape the dough, lightly stretch each side (left, right, top, and bottom) over to the middle and flip over. Then take your hand and cup the dough (pinky on the counter) and rotate the dough forming it into a round loaf. You will need to do this 3-4 times until the loaf is smooth and round.

If you have a round bread banneton, place dough top side down into the well floured banneton, cover, and allow it to rise for 90 minutes. After 90 minutes, place a sheet of parchment paper on the bottom of the loaf and flip the loaf (the top should now be up) onto the parchment paper. Set gently into dutch oven.

If you do not have a round banneton, line dutch oven with parchment paper and set the formed loaf directly into dutch oven top side up, then cover and rise for 90 minutes undisturbed.

During the last rise, preheat oven to 500 Degrees fahrenheit. Let it preheat for at least 30 minutes to fully come up to temperature.
Once the dough has doubled in size, after roughly 90 minutes, take a very sharp knife and score the top of the loaf in a half moon shape from the top of the loaf to the bottom. You just need to score the top. Don't be afraid to score deeply, this will help your bread to rise.
Decrease the oven temperature to 450F. Place the loaf in the dutch oven and bake with the lid on for 25 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove the lid and continue cooking for another 20-30 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown or the internal temperature is 200-205 degrees fahrenheit.
Allow loaf to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Enjoy with homemade butter and your favorite homemade jam!

Recipe Notes:

I recommend using a Danish Dough Whisk to mix dough but any wooden spoon or silicone spatula will work.
Try adding fillings such as Jalapeno and Cheddar or Cinnamon Raisin to your dough once you get more comfortable!