Sourdough Artisan Bread

This is a 3 day recipe. You will need a healthy sourdough starter to make this. Temperature and humidty affects times and the dough, I am working in 80-90 degree weather with high humidity.



Ingredients:

100 grams sourdough starter at 100% hydration.

100 grams whole wheat flour.

400 grams bread flour.

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons dill or herb of your choice

4 slices of bacon, chopped up (optional)

olive oil



Day 1: (evening works best) Mix 100 grams starter with 100 grams bread flour and 100 grams water & add 1/2 teaspoon salt & set aside. This is the levain. Mix 100 grams bread flour and 100 grams wheat flour with 200 grams water & add 1 teaspoon salt. This is the autolyse and will give you better/more complex flavors. Leave both mixtures out at room temperature overnight, no longer than 12 hours.

Day 2: (morning) Mix together yesterdays concoctions, add 1 teaspoon salt, dill/herb, bacon & 200 grams bread flour. Knead lightly, put in oiled bowl and cover. After 30-45 minutes do a stretch and fold. Oil kneading surface and hands, take out and gently spread into a rectangle. Fold. Put back in bowl & cover. Repeat 2 more times 30-40 minutes apart. After the 3rd time put plastic wrap back on & put in the fridge. This is to develop the gluten of your dough without popping all the developing bubbles inside, giving you a better "crumb" structure, more open instead of dense.

(evening) Take out of bowl, very gently shape into ball, sprinkle bowl well with cornmeal or rice flour so it won't stick, place back in bowl, seam side up. Put back in fridge.

Day 3: (morning) Take bowl out of fridge & let finish raising for 2 hours or so, until not quite completely raised. Preheat oven to 475 F. When oven is ready, very gently invert bowl over parchment covered cookie sheet. Slice top, cover with larger bowl, gently place in oven. This steams the bread and gives it the marvelous carmelized and chewy crust. At 15 minutes take the bowl off and turn down the heat to 425 F. Rotate loaf for even baking. Bake another 25-30 minutes until internal temperature is 200 F, or you feel the loaf has a hollow sound & is done.



The recipe I've posted above is the result of hours of studying the excellent bread site, The Fresh Loaf and many trials & errors. The simplest recipe, however, can be found by clicking the title of this blog entry, which will take you to the Sourdoughome link. It will probably not have the carmelized, crunchy crust and it will taste different, but it will be delicious, I'm sure!