Sourdough Bread

Ingredients

• 450 g strong bread flour
• 50 g wholemeal flour
• 375 ml water
• 100 g active sourdough starter
• 10 g fine salt

Steps

1. 1
   Feed your starter 4-8 hours ahead. It is ready when it has doubled and floats in water.
2. 2
   Mix the flours with 350 ml of the water and rest 1 hour — this autolyse builds gluten with no work from you.
3. 3
   Add the starter and squeeze it through, then add the salt with the remaining 25 ml water.
4. 4
   Over the next 3-4 hours, perform a set of stretch-and-folds every 45 minutes: wet hands, lift one side, fold over the centre, rotate.
5. 5
   When the dough is domed, jiggly and roughly 50% larger, tip it out and shape it into a loose round. Rest 20 minutes.
6. 6
   Shape tightly, building surface tension, and place seam-side up in a floured banneton.
7. 7
   Refrigerate 12-16 hours. The cold retard is what gives the flavour and a scorable skin.
8. 8
   Bake straight from the fridge in a preheated Dutch oven at 250C: 20 minutes covered, then 20-25 minutes uncovered at 220C. Cool completely before cutting — slicing it warm makes the crumb gummy.