Sourdough Bread

Day 1: Feed your starter: 50g, 50g, 50g (original starter, flour, water), let sit 8 hours

Day 2: Mix your levain: 30g starter, 120g warm water, 120g flour; mix in a medium bowl, put a lid on it and leave it on your counter, 10-14 hours

Day 3: Make dough: 270g levain, 520g warm water, 600g unbleached all-purpose flour, 200g white whole wheat flour, 18g salt

Weigh flours into a medium bowl.  Add levain and water in a large bowl, mix well.  Add flours to water mixture and mix thoroughly.  Cover and rest 20-30 minutes.  At this point, it's really helpful if you write out a time sheet of each step so you know what time to do each thing.  Go ahead and weigh your salt, too, while you're at it.

Add salt and mix thoroughly (okay to use water or oil to keep dough from sticking to hands), kneading with fold over knead method, 15-20 times. Place in covered container and let rest for 30 minutes.

First fold using letter fold method.  Cover and rest 30 minutes.  (*Using a wet cookie sheet, pat the dough down and stretch it to fill the cookie sheet, then fold in thirds across the sides, then in thirds top to bottom.)

Second fold using letter fold method.  Cover and rest 30 minutes.

Third fold using letter fold method.  Cover and rest 30 minutes.

Fourth fold using letter fold method.  Cover and rest 60-90 minutes.  (Dough should be billowy)

Divide dough into two pieces.  Shape each loaf into a ball, cover and rest for 20-30 minutes.

Line a banneton (or large-ish bowl) with a cotton or linen towel and sprinkle with flour.  Shape dough into final shape and place dough seam side up in banneton.  Place banneton in a plastic bag, seal, and let rise for 60 minutes.  Refrigerate for 8-16 hours.

Day 4: Baking Day  45 minutes before baking, heat up oven with Dutch oven inside to 500 F.  Remove loaves from fridge just before baking.  

After 45 minutes of pre-heating reduce heat to 450 F.  Tip the loaf onto parchment paper, score, and place into hot Dutch oven, replace lid, and bake 20 minutes.  Remove lid and bake an additional 10-15 minutes.  Turn out finished loaf onto a wire rack or cutting board.

Try to let it cool before you eat it.  (Hint: that's not possible!)

From Lorraine Hansen