My first time making sourdough bread was a success! I didn't have a dutch oven at the time so I just used a regular bread loaf pan, and I found this held up well. This bread has a great sourdough flavor and holds up really well for toast and sandwiches. You could definitely use this recipe for a dutch oven, just pre-heat your dutch oven for at least 30 minutes-1 hour at 500F (450 F if using enamel and not cast iron) before placing the dough inside and baking (also place the dough in parchment before placing in the dutch oven to make removing it easier). This does take some planning and a bit of babysitting for part of the process. I recommend feeding your starter the night before, then start the process the following morning and you should have fresh bread by dinner or for breakfast the following morning.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup sourdough starter (fed 12-24 hours before)
1 1/8 cup lukewarm water
3-3 1/2 cups unbleached flour, divided
1 T honey
1 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions:
1) Feed starter 12-24 hours before starting (I recommend the evening before, around 7-8 pm)
2) The next morning: mix starter, water, flour (leave 1/2 cup), salt in a bowl by hand and let rest 30 minutes
3) Using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, knead for 10 minutes. Slowly add the 1/2 cup of flour when the dough starts to stick to the sides. Do not add more than 1/2 cup or the dough will be too dry.
The dough should be very wet and sticky, that's normal
4) Gently knead the dough on a floured surface into a ball. You don't want to press down too hard and deflate all the air bubbles. The ball should be relaxed but not spread out into a puddle.
5) Place dough into an oiled bowl, cover and rise for 6-12 hours. Every 30 minutes for the first 2 1/2 hours you will stretch and fold the dough while in the bowl. Doing this instead of kneading allows the nice air bubbles to form and the loaf won't be a dense texture.
-Start on one side of the dough, pull that side straight up to "stretch" it, then fold it toward the middle. Rotate the bowl and repeat on the other side, like folding a letter. Rotate again to repeat on the top/bottom. Re-oil the bowl if needed.
It's better to use both hands for this, but you can see how sticky and shiny it is. The dough will come together more as you keep stretching it.
6) Form dough into a loaf shape, place into an oiled loaf pan and rise until doubled (about 1.5-2 hours). You can also place the dough in the fridge overnight and bake the next morning if needed.
7) Heat oven to 500 F and place pan inside. Immediately turn the heat down to 375 F and bake for 30 minutes. By having a high heat at the beginning, it allows the loaf to rise and get a golden brown crust.
As tempting as it is to dive in and eat it right away, the loaf must rest for 30 minutes before slicing. Try to resist!
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