Day 1: Preparing the starter
On day 1, feed your sourdough starter the night before you prepare the dough.
Feed the starter: Take the active starter out of the fridge around 21.00. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the starter. Add 50 grams of purified water and 50 grams of all-purpose flour. Stir, cover and leave at room temperature overnight. The appetizer must be bubbly and double in size between 9.00 and 11.00 the following day. (More on feeding your starter is at How to Feed Sourdough Starters.)
Print the printable checklist: Print our sourdough bread checklist to use when you prepare the dough tomorrow!
Day 2: Preparation of the dough
On day 2, make and rise the dough. This is the most labor intensive day; the whole process will take about 5 hours. The step numbers correspond to the printable checklist; make sure you have it printed and ready to go!
1 Mix flour and water; rest for 1 hour at room temperature (“autolysis”): In a small mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, bread flour and whole wheat flour with the purified water. Using a spoon or whisk, stir until all the dry flour has been incorporated into a crumbly dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or place the bowl in a large Ziploc bag and let it sit at room temperature. Set a timer for 1 hour.
2a Prepare the proofing area: Prepare a warm area for rising before starting the next step. For best results, proofing should be in a warm place, between 80° and 90° degrees. (See the section above, “Rising Sourdough Bread for more on creating a rising area.”)
2b Stir the starter and rise for 30 minutes: Add the starter to the batter and stir until loosely incorporated; it does not need to be stirred in perfectly. Cover the bowl and place it in the warm area to rise. Set a timer for 30 minutes. Watch the folding video instructions for the next few steps.
3 Add salt, mix with your hands and proof for 30 minutes: Add the kosher salt evenly over the dough and mix the dough with your hands until the salt is incorporated. Watch the video above to see how to mix the batter. Return the covered dough to the proofing area and set the timer for 30 minutes.
4 Fold and prove for 30 minutes: Fold the dough: wwith wet hands, lift one side of the dough straight up so that it stretches, and fold it over the middle; turn the bowl a quarter of a turn and repeat 4 times. Lift the dough and wrap it on itself until you have a smooth surface, then turn it over and place it in the bowl, seam side down. Watch the video above to see how to fold the dough. Return the covered dough to the proofing area and set the timer for 30 minutes.
5 Fold and prove for 45 minutes: Fold the dough again in the same way as in step 4, wrapping as much as possible without tearing the dough. Return the covered dough to a warm area and set a timer for 45 minutes.
6 Fold carefully and proof for 1 hour and 30 minutes: Carefully fold the dough in the same way as in step 4, being careful not to release any trapped air in the dough. Return the covered dough to a warm area and set the timer for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Before starting step 7, watch the video for instructions on pre-shaping and shaping the dough.
7 Pre-shape the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature: At this point, the batter should appear bubbly on top and wiggle when shaken. (If not ready, proof for a few more minutes; timing may vary depending on the temperature of your proofing and variations in the starter.) Turn the dough onto an ungreased table top. Lightly flour the top of the dough and then use a bench scraper to gently scrape the dough into a ball, creating tension on the top. Do not go so far as to tear the dough. Place an inverted bowl over the top of the dough. Set a timer and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
8 Shape the dough, place it in the baking tin and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature: Prepare the banneton by rubbing the 50/50 rice flour mixture into all the grooves of the banneton. Remove the bowl from over the dough; the dough must be shaped into a gently rounded shape. Rub just enough flour on top of the dough so it’s not sticky. Use the table scraper to turn the dough so that the floured side is down. Carefully stretch the dough into a rectangle. Moving quickly, fold the top third of the dough down and the bottom third up to create a package. Turn the dough 90 degrees and roll it carefully into a ball shape. Be careful not to press the dough or deflate it. Use your hands to gently pull the dough taut and pinch off the seams at the end of the dough. Rub a little more flour on top of the dough so it’s not sticky. Carefully turn the dough over and pinch off the bottom seam. Place the bantone in the riser bag and set the timer for 30 minutes.
9 Refrigerate overnight: Place the bannetone in a bag and refrigerate until the next morning.
Day 3: Baking the dough
10 Preheat the Dutch oven at 515°F for 30 minutes: The following morning, place a covered Dutch oven on the middle rack of your oven. Preheat to 515°F for at least 30 minutes. If your oven only reaches 500°F, the recipe still works, but you won’t get quite as much rise out of the bread.
11 Place on parchment, tear and bake for 17 minutes in a Dutch oven:
- After preheating, cut a piece of baking paper to the width of your banneton. Remove the banneton from the fridge and pull back slightly around the edge of the dough to release it from the banneton. Carefully turn the banne note onto the baking paper and reach into the basket to release it from the banne note. Try not to deflate the dough.
- Use a dull or sharp knife to cut a flat slit diagonally across the top of the dough. You can also add additional small shallow cutouts for decoration.
- As soon as possible, remove the lid from the Dutch oven and carefully place the parchment paper with the dough into the Dutch oven. Cover it and set the timer for 17 minutes.
12 Place the bread on the oven rack, reduce to 400°F and bake for 23 minutes: After 17 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 400°F. Remove the Dutch oven, carefully remove the bread, and place the bread directly on the oven rack. Bake for a further 23 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for at least 45 minutes. After cooling, the bread is ready to eat. Store the bread wrapped in cloth or in a bread bag on the counter for up to 2 days, or freeze wrapped in foil in a plastic bag for several months.
