EASY (ish) Small loaf Sourdough recipe

After killing multiple starters, baking loaves that were closer to the texture of a football than a loaf of bread, and feeling, well, defeated by Sourdough bread, I have finally come up with a fairly straightforward recipe for a single batch, relatively easy loaf of Sourdough. I have tested again and again, tweaking ingredients to create a loaf that has a crust that has just enough crunch without cutting your mouth, a lovely crumb, and the softest, most delightful interior. Let me know how it goes for you!

Note: I use a Kitchenaid mixer, though I am sure you could do this by hand just as easily. You will need a kitchen scale that you can zero out/tare weight.

Oh, and I always start this process in the afternoon, which allows a full overnight rise on the counter.

FIRST…
1) Put your mixer on the scale, and zero it out.
2) Add:
> 60 grams of Sourdough Starter
> 300 grams of Organic Bread Flour
> 30 grams of Whole Wheat flour (I use organic Spelt)
> 225 grams of tepid, filtered water
(I scoffed at filtered initially but after failed attempts, realized it actually matters.)

3) MIX using the Kitchenaid and the dough hook until a sticky ball has emerged.
4) Place a damp towel across the bowl; wait 60 minutes.
* This is the Autolyse phase, where the gluten absorbs the liquid. Important step that I have experimented with and again, 60 minutes is where it is at.

NEXT – STRETCH AND FOLD.

This is the first of three total stretch and fold sessions to come. Your ball will look like an oily mess/oddly shaped ball. Remove the dough hook and pull your bowl someplace you can work. Now, stretch and fold!

Put your hand down on ball, and with your dominant hand, grab the back of the ball and stretch it up, up, up, without breaking it. It will look a bit like taffy. Bring the top of your “taffy” down into the bowl, into the middle of the remaining ball.

Turn the bowl to the right (or left, you do you) a quarter turn. Repeat the stretch. Turn again, repeat. And again. At the end you will have stretched and folded four times, on each side of your ball. Place your damp towel over the bowl, and set a timer for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, repeat the stretch and fold sequence, cover with a towel, and set a timer for another 30 minutes. And do this once more, for a total of three stretch and fold sessions.

Once you have done three thirty minute stretch and fold sessions, sprinkle the loaf liberally with flour in the bowl and turn to coat it fully.

Transfer your dough ball into a proofing basket, or into a large bowl lined with a tea towel sprinkled liberally with flour. This is a wet loaf, so the more flour at this stage, the easier it will be for the next morning.

Place a dry towel over the top of the bowl and let it rise overnight, either on your counter or in the fridge. Cold bulk fermenting (this final stage) can protect your loaf from becoming “overproofed”, which results in a flat loaf of bread. Try it both ways and see what works better for you!

In the morning, preheat your dutch oven (I use this 7.5qt one) in your oven at 450. Just before pulling it out of the oven, tip your bread onto a sheet of parchment paper, then flip it over and tuck the sides under and towards the middle. Sprinkle your loaf with flour and then score your bread – I use this lame – making a few marks along the bottom and then any design you want on top.

Pull your dutch oven out and add your bread to the pan, replacing the lid and putting back in the oven. Let it back at 450 for 30 minutes; remove the lid, lower the temp to 430 and let it bake another 15-20 minutes (internal temp should be 200 degrees).