⏳ Yield & Time

Yield: 1 servings

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 60 minutes

Total Time: 70 minutes

🍽 Ingredients

• 500g Strong bread flour
• 100g Whole wheat flour
• 375g Lukewarm water (25°C)
• 100g Active sourdough starter
• 10g Salt

📖 Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine 500g of strong bread flour and 100g of whole wheat flour. Make a well in the center.
2. Add 375g of lukewarm water (around 25°C/77°F) to the well, then add 100g of active sourdough starter (fed 4-6 hours prior).
3. Mix the ingredients with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Don't worry if it looks messy at this stage.
4. Let the dough rest, covered with plastic wrap, for 30 minutes (autolyse). This allows the flour to fully hydrate.
5. After the autolyse, add 10g of salt to the dough. Mix thoroughly using a 'stretch and fold' method for several minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
6. Perform 4 sets of stretch and folds, spaced 30 minutes apart. To do a stretch and fold, gently grab a portion of the dough, stretch it upwards, and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees after each fold.
7. After the final stretch and fold, cover the bowl and let the dough bulk ferment for 4-6 hours, or until it has almost doubled in size. The timing will depend on your environment’s temperature – you might need more or less time, based on your kitchen.
8. Once the dough is ready, gently turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape it into a round or oval loaf. This step requires a little bit of finesse; I usually watch YouTube videos for the right techniques!.
9. Place the shaped dough into a well-floured banneton basket (or a bowl lined with a floured linen cloth). Cover it and let it proof in the refrigerator for 12-18 hours.
10. Preheat your oven to 250°C (482°F) with a Dutch oven inside for at least 30 minutes. Very Important Step!
11. Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven and place the dough into it. Score the top of the dough with a sharp knife or lame, creating a decorative pattern. This step helps control the direction of the oven spring.
12. Cover the Dutch oven and bake for 20 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 230°C (446°F), remove the lid, and bake for another 25-30 minutes, or until a deep golden brown crust forms and the internal temperature reaches 95-98°C (203-208°F).
13. Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and enjoying. Be patient – this is the hardest part! Resist the urge to cut it immediately!

📝 Notes

• Use a kitchen scale for accurate measurements.
• Adjust baking time based on your oven and desired level of crust browning.
• Let the bread cool completely before slicing to prevent a gummy interior.
• The starter should be bubbly and active. If it's not, feed it more and wait until it is active before proceeding.
• Have fun with your scoring! There are tons of tutorials online for fancy bread scoring!