My Perfect Sourdough
Making sourdough bread is a two day process so I have included timings for the actual work involved. I use a cast iron round casserole dish, like Le Creuset, but a Pyrex style glass dish with lid would work just as well.
Prep Time2 days d
Cook Time35 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Bread
Keyword: bread, sourdough
- 600 g strong flour
- 325 ml water
- 10 tbsps sourdough starter
- 10 g salt
Day 1 - 8am – The Sponge (3 minutes)
Put 300g flour, all the water and sourdough starter in a large bowl.
Mix together with a spoon.
Cover and leave for 10-12 hours.
Day 1 - 8pm
Add the remaining 300g flour and the salt.
Use your hands to incorporate the flour and salt into the Sponge. (3 minutes)
Turn the dough out on to a floured board
Stretch and Fold
Gently shape the dough into a sausage.
Visually divide the sausage dough into three parts.
Fold the left hand third into the middle of the remaining two thirds.
Fold the right hand third over the other two, so that you have three layers of dough.
Give the dough a half turn.
Repeat the Stretch & Fold 3 or 4 times. (5 minutes)
Leave for 30 minutes.
Repeat 1-6 of the Stretch and Fold (5 minutes)
Leave for 30 minutes.
Repeat 1-6 of the Stretch and Fold (5 minutes)
Leave for 30 minutes.
Repeat 1-6 of the Stretch and Fold (5 minutes)
After the final Stretch and Fold shape the dough into a ball and dust with flour.
Put the ball of dough in a floured bowl.
Cover and leave overnight.
Day 2 – 8am
Put a casserole dish with lid in the oven and turn heat to highest setting.
Leave for 30 minutes.
Take the casserole dish out of the oven, sprinkle a little flour inside and then put the dough in. Put the lid back on and return to the oven.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove lid and bake for further 5 minutes to brown the top.