My Original Homemade Sourdough Recipe

Ok, Let's Prep Talk!

• Just a few words of comfort for some sourdough background here before we dive right in. All sourdough recipes are completely individualized depending on fermentation times, the environment you are baking in, and variations used in your techniques, but this is going to be all yours! Beautifully created by you! I cannot count how many bakes my bread came out looking like a thick pancake! No matter how many times I wanted to give up, I kept at it and practiced even when I didn't feel like it or wanted to walk away because I was getting flat, gummy yucky disasters. Sad face here. BUT, now I can honestly say I'm so thankful I have made it out the other side! So, if your loaves do not come out the way you want them to, continue to practice and give yourself some grace. This is a practice of patience, art and love and I am rooting for you! 🖤

Day One

Instructions for Making the Dough

• In the evening or afternoon start by whisking together your starter and water. Use your bread whisk to combine as it will start to look milky in consistency, then add in the flour and sea salt. Continue to combine with the bread whisk and feel free to use your hands to completely mix it all in leaving no dry flour mixture.
• It will look and feel shaggy and rough and a bit sticky. That is normal and what we want! Once it's completely formed, cover your dough with a shower cap or a damp tea towel and let the dough rest for 35 minutes at room temp. While the dough rests so do you!

Stretch and Folds

• After the dough has rested, now comes some fun! Time to stretch and fold! Go ahead and keep your dough in the bowl and wet your hands with water. You will now pick up the dough from the top, stretch it upwards and then fold it down over itself.

  Give the bowl a 1/4 turn and repeat 3 more times until you have made a complete rotation of 4 times total. Your dough should look more like a ball in shape.

  Cover your dough again and repeat this cycle every 30 minutes for a total of 4 sets. With each set you will notice your dough will be more easily manageable and less sticky. This process helps your loaf in volume and oven spring! Meaning…a nice and plump sourdough boule!

  You will also notice your dough will become more smooth and less sticky with each passing stretch and fold. Meaning, less dough on your hands after too!

Bulk Rise/Fermentation

• After all sets are finished you will now cover your dough again and let it sit out at room temperature for 5-12 hours. (This timing schedule depends heavily on your room temperature and the amount of humidity in your environment)

  For example, during warmer months like summer, your dough can ferment much faster than in the colder months like during winter.

  The key here is to watch it and look for signs that fermentation is complete: dough has approximately doubled in size and is jiggly, but not sticky. There might also be some pronounced air bubbles on top!

Shaping the Dough

• This is my favorite part! Now we shape our dough!

  It's time to shape your dough into a traditional circular boule shape. Sprinkle your workspace with a bit of rice flour and super gently let the dough fall out onto the surface. You can also help it a bit with a silicone bench scraper, just be careful not to pull or tug too hard, this can lead to less volume and overall less oven spring.
• Gently lift at the four corners of the dough creating a rectangle in shape, be very careful not to tear the dough as you do this stretching. Once you have a nice rectangle in place, bring in one long side to center and repeat with the opposite side. Then roll the dough up and now it kind of looks like a huge cinnamon roll.

  Cup your hands over the roll while tucking in all exposed seams and edges. Now, do little push and pull motion to create tension in your dough, ending when you have a nice smooth ball shape.

Second Rise

• Go ahead and rice flour on top and place inside your floured banneton or lined proofing basket. Cover with a tea towel or plastic shower cap and let rest for 1 – 1 1/2 hours.
• Now, for me, this is when I usually place my dough in the refrigerator for an overnight stay. The next day I continue with the steps below!

Day Two

It's Bake Day!

• When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 450°F with or without your dutch oven already inside for about 45 minutes.
• Tear off parchment paper large enough for your dough to be placed on it inside the dutch oven. Or, you can also use a dough sling. I do find the reusable slings are super easy to use and clean. Dust either one with your rice flour before placing your refrigerated dough on it.

Score

• Here's the fun part! Scoring your bread can be as unique as you want it to be! By using a bread lame or sharp razor tool, you will be making shallow cuts/slits in a design of your choice on your dough.
• To create a well sourdough ear; make a large deep (1/2" in)slit from top to bottom on the right side of your dough. When you slit, be sure to angle it just a bit as you cut down.

Bake

• Place your scored dough inside the dutch oven, be careful, it will be piping hot if you let it hang out in your pre-heated oven.
• Bake at 450°F for 30 minutes on the center rack with the covered lid on. After, remove lid and continue to bake for another 20 minutes. When your bread has a beautiful golden brown crust, you know it is ready!

  It's always a good idea to keep an idea towards the end of baking to prevent accidental burning.
• With very well protected hands, take out your dutch oven and place onto a potholder. Carefully, take your bread out and place on a wire cooling rack and let cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.

  It's important to wait that 1 hour to ensure the best fluffiest bread! Or, you might see it look gummy.

CONGRATULATIONS! 🎉

• What an achievement!

  This is a great recipe to use and experiment with as you discover what works best for you and your style of bread baking!

  To bake is to create!