Ingredients For Sourdough Bread

• 260 grams of vigorous sourdough starter @ 100% hydration
• 550 grams of water
• 20 grams of sea salt
• 900 grams Mungoswells flour (strong or plain white bread flour, don’t use wholemeal flour for this recipe)

Method

Mix together:

1. Mix together the sourdough starter @ 100% hydration; the water and seas salt and the strong or plain whilte bread flour

In the afternoon around 1 – 2 pm:

• Mix the starter, water, sea salt and then flour
• Put the dough in a covered container and let it ferment at room temperature.
• After 2 hours stretch and fold the dough
• After an additional 2 hours stretch and fold the dough again.
• When the dough finished fermenting ( after a total of 5-6 hours -when dough is bubbly, soft and will pull a windowpane) divide dough into two pieces around 855 grams each.
• Do a first shaping of the dough. Let rest 20 minutes.
• Do a final shaping of the dough.
• Place dough into lined or floured baskets or bannetons.
• Cover with a plastic bag and refrigerate overnight.
• Next morning place your cast iron pot in the oven and preheat the oven to 250 C.
• Take out first loaf, score and place into the preheated pot, cover with lid and bake for 20 minutes with the lid on and then further 15 minutes with the lid off.
• Repeat with the second loaf. Let the loaf cool on the cooling rack before cutting.

EQUIPMENT:

Some basic baking equipment you might need in the kitchen for baking sourdough follows. Remember, these are mainly suggestions, work with whatever you have, and slowly gain more equipment as you have the need or the budget. 

Digital kitchen scales, baking stone, roasting lid, cast iron pot (Le Creuset or similar cheaper equivalent), baking trays, mixing bowls, saucepans, sourdough starter container, cooling rack, lame or sharp knife, water spray bottle, baskets, bannetons or couche, oven, tea towels, strong mixing spoons/spatulas, sharp bread slicing knife, breadboard, bowl scraper/dough divider, peel or flat pan to move your dough, baking parchment paper, mixer, razor blades (Wilkinson Sword are best and can be bought in bulk on eBay)

EXTRA LEARNING:

Books on Bread making:

“River Cottage Handbook No.3 Bread” Daniel Stevens, “How to Bake” Paul Hollywood, “Paul Hollywood’s Bread” Paul Hollywood, “Bread Matters: Why & How to make your own” Andrew Whitley, “Ballymaloe Bread Book”       Tim Allen, “Bread – a baker’s book of techniques and recipes” Jeffrey Hamelman, “Do Sourdough: Slow Bread for Busy Lives” Andrew Whitley, “Tartine Bread” Chad Robertson, “Tartine book no 3” Chad Robertson