from Santa's kitchen
MAKES TWO LOAVES
[450g] 900g Unbleached stoneground white bread flour
[50g] 100g Whole wheat flour
[375g] 750g Warm water (keep 50g aside to add with the salt)
[100g] 200g Sourdough levain (100% hydration)
[10g] 20g Fine sea salt
The levain is just a larger version of your sourdough starter that will be incorporated into your dough instead of commercial yeast. Add mature starter, flour & water in a ratio of 1:2:2 (100% hydration means equal quantities of flour & water). Depending on the temperature, it should be ready to use after 6-10 hours when it is bubbly and doubled in size. Should float when dropped in water — “float test”.
The only ingredients in the bread are flour (preferably unbleached stone ground), water & salt (fine sea salt). Measure everything by weight.
When the levain is ready measure the desired amount and gently mix into 700g of water (keep 50g of water aside to add later with the salt). Add the water and levain mixture to the flour and mix with your hands until just incorporated (no kneading). Leave for about 30 minutes. The autolyse process helps to hydrate the flour, develop gluten and add flavor as the enzymes in the flour are activated.
Properly mix in the salt and remaining 50g of water. Use the pincer method to distribute gently and evenly through the dough. If not using an electric mixer work the dough for about 5 minutes in the bowl to start developing the gluten.
This is the first part of the rise. Fold 4-5 times every 30 minutes starting about
30 minutes after the final mix. Use wet hands to prevent dough from sticking and a plastic dough scraper to clean the sides of the bowl and your hands. Handle the dough very carefully in the last folds so as not to deflate the dough. The dough should double in size and become nice and bubbly with a domed top. If you don’t have time to do folds every 30 minutes then do a longer mix at the start to develop gluten and a few folds towards the end of bulk ferment time to build structure in the dough.
Gently slide dough onto an unfloured surface using wet hands. Sift flour over the top of the dough and cut into two equal portions with dough scraper. Dust dough scraper and hands with flour. Flip over onto floured side and fold sides over into the middle to form a round shape with flour on the outside. Flip over again so that the joined side is at the bottom and gently shape into round
using bench to create some tension in the skin, which will help to create a nice crust.
Leave the pre-shaped rounds to rest for 20-30 minutes. The edges of the dough should remain nice and rounded. If the edges flattens out too much the dough probably didn’t bulk ferment long enough. At this point you can put it back in the bowl to ferment longer before shaping.
Flip rounds over using minimal flour. See shaping demonstration. Aim is to make a nice tight round with lots of tension in the skin without breaking the skin and deflating the dough. If some dough sticks to your hands scrape it off and make sure your hands are clean before handling the dough further – wet dough attracts more dough!
9, Final proof
Gently place the shaped rounds seem side up into proofing baskets or bowls lined with dishcloths and sifted with flour (rice flour or maizena work well). Leave to proof at room temperature for 2-4 hours depending on temperature. You can also proof overnight in the fridge so that the loaves are ready to bake first thing in the morning (ideal fridge temperature is 8-10 degrees so that fermentation doesn’t stop completely). Cold loaves are easier to score and tend to have better rise in the oven – “oven spring”. Fully proofed loaves will have risen quite a bit in the basket (depending on the flour used) and when you press the dough with your finger it should rise back slowly. To do the “finger test” dip index finger in flour and gently press the dough. If it rises
back slowly it is ready. If it springs back very quickly and leaves no indent it can go a bit longer. If it stays indented and doesn’t spring back it’s over proofed. An overproofed loaf will also look quite bubbly and rise a lot in the proofing basket. You can still bake an overproofed loaf, but it won’t have much oven spring and it might even deflate in the oven.
Put your cast iron pot or Pyrex dish with lid (Dutch oven) into the oven and preheat to maximum temperature for about an hour. When the oven is at max temperature take the cast iron pot out of the oven and remove the lid. Take the proving basket out of the fridge. Line a board with baking paper (be careful of wax paper!) and gently flip the dough over onto the boards. Score each loaf with a nice confident slash using a sharp knife or lame, With support from the baking paper gently lower the dough into cast iron pot (if not using paper scatter some semolina at the bottom of the pot). Put lid on and straight back into the oven. Use heavy oven gloves at all times!!
Turn the heat down to 245 degrees C. Bake for 20-30 minutes at high heat and then remove lid, turn down the heat to 200 degrees and carry on baking for 30-40 minutes. The crust must be nice and caramelized, but not burnt.
Turn out onto cooling racks and leave for at least 30 minutes to complete the cooking process.