425gramsWaterIf not using fresh-milled flour, start with 400 grams of water to start--add a little more if needed.
100gramsSourdough Starter
12gramsSea Salt
7gramsDiastatic Malt Powderoptional
Instructions
Into a mixing bowl, add your hard white wheat flour, red wheat flour, starter, water, salt, and diastatic malt powder (if using). Using a mixing spoon or a lightly wet hand, mix all the ingredients together until they are thoroughly mixed. Let rest 30 minutes.
250 grams Hard White Wheat Flour, 250 grams Hard Red Wheat Flour, 425 grams Water, 100 grams Sourdough Starter, 12 grams Sea Salt, 7 grams Diastatic Malt Powder
Perform your first set of stretches and folds. Grab an edge of the dough and lightly pull until the dough is sufficiently stretched without breaking, and fold the flap of dough into the middle. Work your way around the whole ball of dough doing anywhere from 6-12 stretches and folds total. After completing all folds, pick up the ball of dough & roll it over to move the smooth side to the top. Cover & let dough rest 30 minutes. Repeat this process 4 times for a total of four sets of stretches & folds with 30 min rest in between each set.
After the final set of stretches and folds, move your ball of dough to a clear sided container with measurement markings. (Or use a straight-sided container you can measure yourself. Curved bowls make this difficult). Lightly wet the back of your hand and flatten the dough to gauge the starting volume and mark the starting point.
Stick your temperature probe into your dough to check the temperature. Mark your approximate target for your percent rise. You will need to experiment to find what percent rise works in your home for the season you are in. See the notes section for a chart to help you with this step.
Let your dough bulk ferment. Depending on temperature, this may take anywhere from 2-6 hours or more! Do not watch the clock, watch the rise based on your dough temp.
When your dough has completed it's target rise, turn your dough out onto a clean work surface and preshape the dough by lightly stretching and folding the dough into a smooth ball, then use abench scraper to lightly flip it over so the smooth side is on top. Let the dough rest 20 minutes.
Complete your final shaping. You can make a boule (easiest) by flipping the dough ball back over & repeating the stretches and folds, then flipping it back again & doing some tuck & rolls to create surface tension. Be careful not to tear the dough! You can also shape into an oval batard by pressing the dough into a rectange, tri-folding the dough onto itself, and rolling it up like a burrito. Place your dough smooth-side down into the banneton, and then pinch the seams on the dough together to create more tension.
If it is winter or your dough temp is cool, you may want to let the dough counter-proof for an hour or two. Then, cover the dough and place in the fridge for anywhere from 8-48 hours. If the dough is warm, you can put in the fridge right after shaping.
When you're ready to bake, put your clay baker or dutch oven into your oven to pre-heat. Set your oven to 450 degrees.
When the oven is ready, pull your dough out of the fridge and lightly turn it out on the counter onto a dough sling or piece of parchment paper. Score your dough down the middle (or however you'd like). Carefully remove your pre-heated baker from the oven and remove the lid, then gently move your dough into the baking vessel. Spray your dough 10 times with a spray bottle filled with water. Put the lid back on your baker and put your baker into the oven. Set your timer for 30 minutes.
Remove the lid after 30 minutes. Then lower the heat to 425 and bake for 12-15 minutes more to darken the crust.
Remove the bread from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Allow the bread to cool down to room temperature before slicing.
Video
Notes
**Sourdough has many, many variables involved. Each brand or type of flour can behave differently. Your home's environment may be different from mine in temperature, humidity, sourdough starter microbes, etc. You may need to repeat this recipe several times tweaking different things to get the best results for you.**Take your dough temp and use the chart below to help you decide how much to let it rise. If this part doesn't make sense to you, make sure you read the full post.
65F --> 100% rise, ie: full doubling of dough.
67F --> 90% rise
70F --> 75% rise (3/4 of the way to doubling)
73F --> 65% rise
75F --> 50% rise (risen by half its volume)
78F --> 40% rise
80F --> 30% rise
**If you don't have a spray bottle for water you can lightly flick a small amount of water onto the dough with your hands.