Day 10: IT’S BAKING DAY!!!!!

After all of your hard work, you are in for this most amazing treat! Fresh sourdough bread! Even if you have had delicious sourdough bread before, there is nothing that compares to a freshly baked loaf coming straight out of your oven. The smell, the taste, the texture...seriously the texture of that crust is like candy...crispy, crunchy and oh so flakey!! I can’t wait for you to enjoy it!!

Day 10 - Directions:

1- Place cast iron pot with lid into oven. 

2- Preheat oven to 500° F convection. (Continue preheating oven for at least 15 min after oven says it is preheated.)

3- Take dough out of refrigerator. Uncover and sit on counter. Place piece of parchment paper on top of dough, and carefully flip over so the dough is on top of the parchment paper, which is on top of the counter. 

4- Place parchment paper and dough into cast iron pot. 

5- Using bread lame or sharp knife, cut the top of the loaf. 

6- place hot lid back onto cast iron pot and place back in the hot oven. 

7- turn oven temperature down to 450° F and bake for 30 minutes. 

8- remove cast iron lid, turn oven temperature down again to 400° F and bake for 20 more minutes. 

9- let bread cool for at least 20 minutes before you dig into it! It is better if you wait an hour or 2 to let the dough set, but I get it if you just can’t wait!!! 😁 I hope from the bottom of my heart that you enjoy and have fun perfecting your favorite way to make this delicious bread! Happy Baking!

Day 9: Add starter and salt to autolyse. Stretch and folds. Shape. Proof dough overnight. Bake TOMORROW!!!!

This is the most labor intense day of the sourdough bread making process, but even so, most of the time is spent waiting for the starter to do its thing and raise the bread. Let me know if you run into questions. I will check back often. 

Day 9 - Directions:

1- Add Starter - Measure out 250g of your starter, and add to Autolyse. Incorporate using a stand mixer with the dough hook 🙋🏻‍♀️ (makes life so much easier!!) OR by hand by pinching the top of the Autolyse and starter with your thumb and fore finger while rotating the bowl. This twisting method is a surprisingly effective way to incorporate the starter while strengthening the gluten bonds in the dough. 

NOTE: Be very rough with the dough at these first stages. The dough needs your roughness to build it’s gluten bonds and ultimately become a great loaf.

2- Add Salt - Once mostly incorporated, sprinkle 25g fine sea salt and 25g warm water onto the dough and continue mixing. 

3- 10-15 Slap & Folds - After salt is mixed in, dump your dough on your non-floured counter and preform 10-15 slap and folds. Sounds like a dance move, right?!?!?! This is what you have been waiting for over these many months of your new “Teacher’s Assistant From Home” role! Get ready for some anger release with this move!! It’s sure to get some stress out!! 

Technique: Start by scraping under the dough with fingers entering from the top and bottom edges of the dough until your fingers touch under the dough. Then pick up the dough in this position and literally throw the dough back onto your counter attempting to stretch it out as you do so! Pick up your dough again along the top and bottom edge, and repeat until your dough starts to take shape. You will notice that with each slap and fold, your dough becomes more strengthened and is better able to maintain it’s shape. It starts our very loose and seemingly wet, but ends up tighter and better able to hold the ball position that you fold it into.

(See video on website. Link in bio.)

4- 3 Stretch & Folds(5x each), 2 hours apart - place dough back in bowl and do the first if 3 “stretch and folds”. To do a stretch and fold, on one side of the bowl take the dough away from the side and lift it into the air to “stretch” it out then fold it over itself. Do this 5 times. Then cover and let sit for 1.5-2 hours to proof and allow the bubbles to form and the dough to rise. Repeat this technique a 2nd time, more gently than last time. Let rise for 1.5-2 hours. Repeat this technique a 3rd time being the most gentle. Let rise for 1.5-2 hours.

5- Divide & 1st shape - Flour counter and top of risen dough in bowl. Scrape around the edge of your bowl with your fingers to loosen the dough from the bowl. Be careful to maintain the bubbles that your dough has created. Dump dough onto floured counter and cut into 2 parts. Gently stretch each part out into a circle or square. Shape loaves by pulling dough from the outside and gathering it into the center. Go all the way around the circle twice doing this shaping method. Flip dough over and create a taut outside by pulling the dough toward you while your finger tips touch and your hands are in the shape of a “V”. The tautness in the loaf will help with the loaf maintain it’s shape while it rises. Place shaped dough on floured counter and let rest for 20-30 minutes.

6- Final shape & Proof - Generously dust bread proofing basket or colander & towel with rice flour, and place rice flour in. Set aside. Turn the dough over again. Pull edges into the center for the final shaping. Once edges are in the middle, pick up dough, “dip” into the bowl with rice flour and place in proofing basket. Cover with plastic wrap or shower cap and leave out on counter for the final proof for 2 hours. Store in refrigerator overnight. You can bake in the morning or store in the refrigerator forum to 3 or 4 days and bake later.

Day 8: Morning- starter refresh, Evening- make autolyse and starter refresh.

Day 8 - MORNING Directions:

1- Stir starter.

2- In clean bowl, add 100g old starter, 100g flour and 100g 85°F water. 

3- Mix well until there are no flour clumps.

4- Loosely cover and store in a room without food for 12 hours. 

NOTE: you will start making your dough tonight using bread flour, whole wheat flour and water. Stop by the store today to pick these up if needed.

Day 8 - EVENING Directions (10pm):

Make Autolyse:

An autolyse in baking is when you mix your flour and water together ahead of time before you add your leavening agent (starter) and salt. This process has an incredibly positive affect on your bread’s end result, and should be used whenever possible. A loaf that has had more time in this autolyse stage will have a more airy, and spongy crumb. It is absolutely delicious!!! I am so excited for you to try it!

10:00pm- Autolyse Directions:

1- Add 800g bread flour, 200g whole wheat flour, and 675g 85°F water to large bowl. 

2- Mix thoroughly by hand or using stand mixer with dough hook attachment.

3- Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a shower cap. Set aside in kitchen until the the next morning when you add your refreshed starter. 

10:30pm- Refresh and increase starter:

1- Stir starter.

2- In clean large bowl, add 200g old starter, 200g flour and 200g 85°F water. 

3- Mix well until there are no flour clumps.

4- Measure out 100g of this newly refreshed starter and place it in a glass jar. Loosely secure the lid, and store in the refrigerator for your next sourdough adventure!

5-     Loosely cover the remaining newly refreshed starter, and store in a room without food for 8 hours. This is the starter that you will add to your Autolyse to make your dough in the morning. Yay!!! Good night!!

Sourdough Tools

I hate to admit it, but there are certain tools that really do make sourdough bread baking more successful. I am not one to go out and buy all of the newest accessories for a specific recipe. It is part of the challenge for me to find a way to make each recipe as delicious as absolutely possible with the tools that I already have. BUT, with sourdough bread, these tools really do help. Here is a list of the needs vs. the wants:

NEEDS:

1- Cast iron pot with lid

2- Kitchen scale

3- Bread knife

WANTS:

1- Bread basket (Alternative: a colander. 🤣😂 That May sound so silly and for some reason it makes me laugh, but yep- a colander is a pretty good alternative for those fancy, (and can be expensive) banneton bread proofing baskets!!! 

2- Cloth bread basket liner (Alternative: kitchen tea dish towel)

3- Bread Lame (Alternative: very sharp kitchen knife)

4- Bench Scraper- (This tool helps you get the dough off of the counter)

Day 7: Test your starter.

Now that you have created the perfect environment for your new friends (aka- the millions of microorganisms living in your starter 🤪😂), let’s test the starters to see if they are ready to use tomorrow when we make our bread! Below are 3 tests to try...(pictures show results of my starter tests)

1- Bubbles test: Do you see bubbles? Do you hear bubbles popping when you mix the starter or spoon it out when refreshing it? If yes, then try the next test...

2- Volume test: place rubber band on the line where the starter lays just after feeding. If the starter doubles in size in 4 hours, it may be ready to go. Try the next test...

3- Float test: when you are ready to feed your starter, but before mixing it up, place a dollop of your unmixed starter in a cup with warm water. If it floats, it’s ready to go!!! 

NOTE: tomorrow evening you will start making your dough using bread flour, whole wheat flour and water. You will also need finely ground sea salt to flavor your bread the following day and rice flour to sprinkle on your basket before your loaf goes in. Happy baking!!

Day 4-7: Feed 2x per day, approximately 12 hours apart.

On days 4-7, we will feed our starter 2 times per day, about 12 hours apart. If you aren’t exactly 12 hours apart, don’t worry. Just aim for 12 hours in between feedings as a goal. I personally try to feed at 7am and 7pm. But sometimes I am a little early or a little late. It will work just fine! Follow the directions below and I’ll see you in 4 days on day 8! Homemade sourdough bread is in our near future!!

Day 4-7 Directions:

1-    Stir starter.

2-    In clean bowl, add 100g old starter, 100g flour and 100g 85°F water.

3-    Mix well until there are no flour clumps.

4-    Loosely cover and store in a room without food for 12 hours.

5-    After 12 hours, repeat steps 1-4.

Day 3: Feed then let sit for 24 hours.

Look at those bubbles!!!! The white flour and the 50/50 mix have visible bubbles on top. All three options have bubbles on the sides, and they all STINK!!! We’re well on our way!!!

Day 3 Directions:

1-    Stir starter, then remove roughly half of the starter and discard it.

2-    Add 100g flour & 100g 85°F water to the same container with the remaining starter.

3-    Mix well until there are no flour clumps.

4-    Loosely cover and store in a warm room without food for another 24 hours.

Looking ahead: days 4-7 we will feed using the same technique, only it will be twice per day; about 12 hours apart. See you tomorrow!! 😁

Day 2: Feed then let sit for 24 hours.

I see a bubble!!! Look closely at the white starter. Can you see the bubbles? Isn’t that amazing that after just 24 hours of warmth and hydration, the microorganisms start to live again?!?! How do your starters look? Follow the instructions below and let me know how your experiments are going and/or if you have any questions.

Day 2 Directions:

1-    Stir starter, then remove roughly half of the starter and discard it.

2-    Add 100g flour & 100g 85°F water to the same container with the remaining starter.

3-    Mix well until there are no flour clumps.

4-    Loosely cover and store in a warm room without food for another 24 hours.