So You Want to Bake Sourdough...Here's What You Should Know

38g ripe starter

112g flour

112g water

750g flour

490g water

15g salt

150g levain

1) Mix Levain Ingredients 
Wait 8-12 hours until levain has risen 30-50% 

2) Mix Bread Ingredients
Mix flour and salt. Add water and levain. 
Mix with dough whisk or knead for 1-2 minutes until combined well. Flour should be incorporated - if still dry, add 8g of water at a time. Dough should be borderline sticky. 

Let sit 45 minutes. 

Knead by hand 1-2 minutes until nice and smooth. Let sit in a bowl, covered (with a loose-fitting lid or drape plastic wrap) for 1 hour.

In the bowl perform one set of stretch and folds. Dough should hold shape and show signs of strength. If not, wait another hour and do one more set of stretch and folds. 

It's time for the bulk ferment. Cover the dough again, in the bowl and keep in a warm place (70-78 degrees) for 5-7 hours until it's risen 50-80%.

Your dough baby has rested for 5-7 hours and is ready to be shaped. Use a bowl scraper and turn risen dough out onto a well-floured countertop. 

Lightly tug dough into a 10" x 10" square. 

Fold bottom halfway up to center of dough square, pull the top down to center, left side to center and right side over left. Flip over and drag the bottom of your dough across the countertop to seal the seam. 

Place in floured banneton seam side up. 

Let sit in room temp until slightly risen and dough has 2-4 second reaction to the poke test. 

Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees.

Lay parchment on top of dough sitting in the banneton and flip over so the dough sits on the parchment, on the countertop. 

Score your bread as you wish. 

Bake 20 minutes at 500 degrees with the lid of your dutch oven on. Remove the lid and turn down to 400 degrees, continue baking for 35-40 minutes. 

Your bread is done when internal temp is 205 degrees. 

Let rest on a wire rack for about an hour while you breathe in the aroma of your hard work.