Description
A comforting sourdough bread recipe perfect for first-time bakers, featuring a simple method and delightful results.
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ cup active sourdough starter
- 1 ¼ cups lukewarm water
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
Instructions
- Mix the dough: In a large bowl, combine the active sourdough starter with the lukewarm water. Stir in the flour, then add the fine sea salt. Use a fork to mix until it becomes stiff, and then switch to using your hands to bring it all together into a ball.
- Rest the dough: Place the dough ball back into the bowl, cover it with a clean dish towel, and let it sit for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and fold: After the resting time, gently stretch and fold the dough a few times. Then reform it back into a ball.
- Cover it again with a slightly damp dish towel and let it rise in a warm place overnight or until doubled in size (about 8 hours).
- Shape the dough: The next morning, turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Gently fold it over a couple of times to tighten it into a ball, then let it sit for 15 minutes.
- Final shaping: After its short rest, gently shape the dough into a ball once more and transfer it into a well-floured proofing basket or a bowl lined with a floured dish towel. Cover it and let it rise for an additional 2-3 hours.
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C). If using a Dutch oven, preheat it in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Bake the bread: Carefully turn the dough out onto a sheet of parchment paper and place it into the preheated Dutch oven. Cover it with the lid and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the lid and continue baking for an additional 30 minutes, or until the loaf is deeply browned and crispy on top.
- Cool and slice: Transfer the loaf to a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
For best results, ensure your starter is active and bubbly. Experiment with different types of flour for unique flavors.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 80 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 100
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 0.5g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 0mg