1 Medium Loaf Preparation: Max 23 Cook: approx. 1 hour hours
EQUIPMENT
Dutch oven or a roasting tin with a lid
Baking parchment
Plastic wrap
2 mixing bowls
Wooden spoon
Banneton basket or proofing basket/bowl
Kitchen towel
Razor blade or very sharp knife (for scoring)
Kitchen scales
INGREDIENTS
400g white bread flour (I use Heygates)
100g wholemeal bread flour
100g active ‘starter‘
2tsp brown sugar
2tsp salt
250ml Heineken
METHOD
1. Combine both types of flour and sourdough starter with the Heineken in a bowl. Add the sugar and the salt and mix together with a wooden spoon. You will see that it forms a shaggy ball (not at all smooth). If it really is very dry and not holding together, add a little bit more beer (only a desert spoon at a time). Using your hands, keep manipulating the dough mixture until the flour, starter, salt and sugar are completely incorporated.
2. Put the dough into a very lightly oiled bowl and cover it with a damp cloth to prove – I leave this covered in the kitchen for 9 hours!! ______
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3. After 9 hours, you’ll see that the dough has risen to probably twice its original size. It will be very much more stretchy. So, for the next 2 hours every half an hour – ‘stretch and fold‘ your bread – see Step 5 in my Sourdough Loaf for Beginners recipe. Then, leaving the dough in its bowl, cover the bowl with plas- tic wrap and leave it to rest for another hour.
4. Time to ‘preshape’. Place your dough on a lightly floured surface and gently press it into a rectangular shape. Fold the top edge forward 2/3rds of the way then fold the bottom edge back up and over 2/3rds of the way. Turn the dough 90 degrees and roll the top edge neatly towards the bottom edge so that the dough forms a nice tight parcel. Now begin to shape it into a neat ball by turning the ball a little bit like turning a steering wheel. Dust it lightly whilst you’re shaping it. You should end up with a nice firm ball. Leave this to rest on the counter top for about 20 minutes before final shaping.
5. The idea of ‘shaping’ is to create surface tension on your dough. There are lots of brilliant YouTube videos that help to demonstrate this technique and it is something that comes with practice.
6. To final shape. Scoop your dough up into your hand and place it smooth side down on a lightly floured surface and repeat the ‘preshape’ folding technique to form a tight ball. Now use a bench scraper or your hands to move the dough be pushing and dragging it across the counter top so that the surface tension on the bread becomes stronger.
7. Once the ball of dough is looking smooth and tight, place it smooth side down in a well floured banneton basket, cover with plastic wrap and leave on the side in the kitchen for 1 hour OR if you want a much stronger flavour, you can put your dough into the fridge overnight to continue to cold ferment – I sometimes leave mine in for 10 hours.
8. When you’re ready to bake your bread turn on your over to 250 oC. Place a tray of water in the bottom of your oven and place a Dutch Oven in the oven too. Heat the oven for about an hour so it’s really hot.
9. Cut some baking parchment a little bit bigger than the base of your Dutch Oven and, after you’ve left your bread for an hour (or if it’s been in the fridge) turn your bread onto the baking parchment (seam side down) and score your bread!
10. Scoring is the best part of making sourdough bread I think. Be as creative as you like.
11. Remove the base of your Dutch Oven from the main oven and carefully place your dough onto it by picking each side of the baking parchment up. Cover the loaf with the lid and place in the oven for 30 minutes. If the water in the tray has disappeared, very carefully pour some water in which will increase the moisture in the over.
12. After 30 minutes, turn the oven down about 10 degrees and remove the lid from the Dutch Oven. Bake your loaf for another 25 to 30 minutes. Your loaf should be a deep gold brown when it’s ready and when you tap the bottom of the loaf it should sound hollow.
13. Once cooked, turn out onto a cooling tray and leave for an hour or so.
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