INGREDIENTS

For the Levain

2 tbs       Sourdough starter (see my recipe on how to make this)

75 g         Wholemeal rye flour

75 g         Lukewarm water

For the Loaf

100 g       Sourdough starter from above (take this from your pot and leave the remains in the fridge for next time)

400 g       Strong white bread flour

50 g       Strong wholemeal bread flour

300 g       Lukewarm water

8 g           Salt

Equipment

1 Dutch oven / casserole pot with lid

1 proving basket (banneton) or a bowl with a cloth

Rice flour to prep your proving basket/bowl

A sharp knife or bread Lame / Grignette

A dough / bench scraper 

Electronic kitchen scales

A spray bottle of water 

Non-stick baking parchment

Cooling wire rack 

METHOD

Day 1 - Feeding your starter

Before we start, we’ll need to feed the starter that we made in my previous recipe. This is what we call a Levain. 

1. In your chosen starter container, mix together the flour, water and 2 tbs of the starter (you can discard or store the leftovers) until no dry bits of flour remain. 

2. Scrape down the edges of the container to level off the mixture and mark on the side of the pot with an elastic band at the level of the mixture. 

3. Store in a warm dark place for at least 8-12 hours, preferably overnight, if you’re planning on making the dough in the morning. If it’s been a while since you baked with your starter, it might be a little sleepy and may need a couple of feeds to get it excited again. What I do is take it out of the fridge a few hours before I intend to feed it so it’s warm and ready to go.

4. The next day, your starter should be nice and lively, bubbly and ready to go.

Day 2 - Mixing your dough

Weigh out your flours and salt in a large mixing bowl, mix to combine and set aside. 

Now, take a small spoonful of your starter and gently place it into a glass of water. If the starter floats then we are good to go! If it sinks, your starter may need a little longer to rise. If this is the case, just place it back in a warm place and try again in 1-2 hours. 

In the bowl of your scales, weigh out your lukewarm water (pro tip: grams and millilitres weigh the same). Then, add your 100 g of bubbly starter to the water and mix to dissolve. Combine this mixture with your flour and mix into a shaggy but thoroughly mixed dough, ensuring there are no dry spots. Once mixed, cover with a towel and let rest 30 minutes.

First Fold

Uncover your dough and wet your hands with water (dough sticks less to wet hands). Pick up one side of your dough, lift it up and fold it over itself. Then, turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat (imagine the bowl as a clock face, and stretch and fold on 12, 3, 6, and 9.) Around 12 folds should be enough. Take a moment here and feel your dough – if it is resisting, let it rest a minute before you continue folding. Be sure to use a gentle-ish hand so you don’t tear the dough. Spray the dough with a misting of water, cover and leave to rest for 2 hours at room temperature.

Second Fold

Repeat the stretching and folding as before, 6 stretches and folds should be enough. Spray the dough with a misting of water, cover and allow the dough to rest for a further 2 hours.

Third Fold

You should now start to see signs of the dough coming to life! It should be rising and bubbles should be visible. Stretch and fold the dough once more exactly as described for the second fold. This time, after you have folded the dough, cover it and leave it to rest for just 1 hour. 

Pre-shape

This is where we get really hands on! Dust your surface with flour and turn out your dough upside down using your dough scraper onto the worktop. If you are worried about your hands sticking to your dough, you can dust your hands with a little flour at this stage. Shape the dough into a ball that is quite tight without tearing it. Let the dough rest on the worktop for 15 minutes covered with a cloth.

While the dough is resting, prepare your chosen proving bowl with a cloth. If you are using a banneton, lightly spray it with water. No matter what you’re using, be sure to liberally dust it with rice flour, gently tipping away any excess. Set the bowl/banneton to one side – you don’t need it yet! 

Final Shape

Now is when we prepare our dough baby for its nap. Our aim is to shape it into a tight loaf that will enable it to spring up and rise in the oven, so be gentle with this next part. Dust your work surface with a little flour and turn the dough out upside down. 

For a round loaf: 

Using the same technique above for stretching the dough, grab each corner and fold it over diagonally, stretching the dough very slightly as you do so. Roll the dough over and cup it with your hands to make a tight round ball. Dust it well with flour. Make sure you dust whatever proving bowl you are using (bowl or banneton) with flour. 

For an Oval Loaf:

One by one, pick up the side edges (think of the numbers 3 and 9 on a clock face), stretching out very slightly and folding over the dough, one on top of the other. Roll the dough from the top edge towards you into a cylinder and press/pinch the seam to stick in place. Dust the dough well with flour. Make sure you remember to dust your oval banneton basket too. Place the dough in the basket upside down (seam side up). 

Final Rest

Place the bowl or banneton containing the dough in the fridge uncovered overnight to allow the dough to prove and rise. Leaving it uncovered will help it form a nice crust that will crack when baked to give it that distinctive sourdough look. 

Day 3 - Baking your loaf

1.       When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to its hottest setting with a Dutch oven / casserole pot large enough to fit your loaf and have room to grow, on the middle shelf and a deep tray on the bottom. Have to hand a kettle of boiling water too. 

2.       Prepare a flat baking sheet with some baking parchment. Turn out the loaf out onto the baking sheet and, using a super sharp knife or razor blade (a bread lame or grignette is useful), make a cut along the entire length of the loaf on the top at a 45 degree angle. Cutting the dough at this angle helps the cut flair out, creating what is called an ‘ear’ (trust me this is a good thing) but more of an aesthetic thing, so do not worry if yours does not have an ‘ear’. At this stage, remove your preheated pot from the oven (be careful!). Using the edges of the baking parchment, carefully lift your loaf into the pot and cover it with the lid. Pour the hot water from the kettle into the tray currently residing on the bottom shelf of your oven to create steam and (quickly) shut the door.

3.   Bake for 30 minutes. Then, remove the lid of the pot, turn down the heat of your oven to 190/200°C and bake for a further 20-25 minutes, or until deeply browned and crusty. You will know when your bread is done as it will sound hollow when the bottom is tapped. Once baked, turn off the oven and leave to cool for 10-15 mins in the oven with the door slightly open. This allows the crust to dry out more making it super crunchy and delicious!

4.   After the 10-15mins is up, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. Trust me, it is worth the wait.

Tips / Troubleshooting 

• Ensure that your starter / Levain is nice and active and ready to bake with before you start. Look for clear signs that it has risen and is about double in size and passes the float test. 

• Be prepared, have all your ingredients and equipment ready and waiting. This will help keep the process smooth and stress free! 

• Do not tear the dough when working with it - this will ruin all your hard work you have done to build the gluten structure in your dough. When stretching and folding, if you feel the dough gets super tight and wont stretch, cover and rest for 15 mins and try again. 

• Try and get a feel for your dough. If it’s quite hot where you are and your dough is rising fast, either put it in a cooler spot or lower the resting times to avoid the dough over proving. The same goes for if its colder, move to a warmer room or leave to rest longer between stretching and folding to ensure proper fermentation and rising. 

• Be brave and bake the loaf for the full time if not longer to get a dark, blackened in places crust. This is all pure flavour and you’ll thank yourself later. 

• Don’t be disheartened if your first loaf doesn’t turn out perfect (mine didn’t). Your bread will still taste amazing and you’ll only get better with practice. 

• Experiment with different flours, flour ratios, and hydration levels! There’s a whole world of flours out there that will change the flavour and texture of your loaf. Get experimenting. Just remember that the more of an alternative flour (rye, spelt etc) you add, the more challenging the dough will be, so start small (50g) and work up. Play with the amount of water, more for a more open structure less for an easier to work with dough. Google and get playing! 

• If this really is your thing, I highly recommend you invest in a banneton and bread lame. They’re game changers and easily bought on online for not much money.