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Twenty Four Hour Sourdough Bread

Twenty Four Hour Sourdough Bread

Rebekah KukRebekah Kuk
The tangy flavor and chewy texture of this sourdough bread make it perfect for toast, for dipping into soup, or for slathering butter on top with a sprinkle of coarse sea salt and a thick slice of cheddar.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Mix the dough a day ahead of baking 1 day
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Equipment

  • Active sourdough starter
  • Dutch oven
  • Parchment paper
  • Banneton basket is helpful but not required
  • Tea towel

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups bread flour I used Grapewood Farm #70 sifted hard red wheat flour
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour I used Grapewood Farm unsifted hard red wheat flour
  • 1 1/2 cups filtered water or more as needed
  • 1/2 cup active sourdough starter
  • 2 tsp sea salt or Real Salt

Instructions
 

  • Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, using a wooden spoon or stiff silicone spatula. Scrape down the sides as best you can, pulling inward and pressing down toward the center. If the dough is too dry, add a little more water, stirring as you go, until dough is mostly mixed. Cover bowl with a plate and let rise for 8-10 hours at room temperature.
  • After 8-10 hours, the dough should look a bit bigger, but it won't rise as much as dough made with instant yeast. Take your spatula and pull the dough from the edge of the dough up and in, pressing down towards the center. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat, pulling dough up and in, and pressing down. Do this 4-5 times total. Cover the bowl and set a timer for 30 minutes.
  • After 30 minutes (no more than 45), repeat the turning/folding. Set a timer again for 30 minutes. Repeat this process two more times, for a total of four times.
  • After you have turned the dough four times, turn out the dough onto a lightly floured counter. Don't use too much flour; you want the dough to stick just a little. Lightly flour your hands if necessary, and gently shape the dough into a round boule (sphere) turning the dough in a circular motion and tucking the sides down a bit as you turn.
  • Let the dough rest about 10 minutes. Next, place a tea towel in a banneton basket or large bowl and lightly flour it. If your dough is particularly wet, use more flour on the tea towel to prevent it from sticking.
  • Lightly flatten out the down. Pull in the far edge toward the middle and press down. Pull in the side edges, one at a time, toward the center and press down. Pull up the edge nearest you up and over the center, and re-form your boule, tucking and turning a few times to form a tight ball. This process gives the dough extra tension, which helps it develop a nice crumb.
  • Flour the top of the boule, scoop it up, and place it top side down into the tea towel lined banneton basket (or bowl). Sprinkle more flour on top and cover with plastic wrap or a wet tea towel. Place in the refrigerator for 12 hours for the second long, slow rise.
  • After 12 hours, place your Dutch oven (with the lid on) in the oven and preheat it to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. Once hot, remove the Dutch oven. Turn dough out (seam side down) onto a piece of parchment paper. Lift the parchment, with the dough, into the hot Dutch oven. Score the top with a lame or very sharp knife (a single line down the middle is sufficient), cutting about 1 inch deep.
  • Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the lid from the Dutch oven, return bread to oven, and reduce heat to 450. Bake for another 20 minutes until bread is golden brown (dark brown or black in some spots). Let cool for about an hour.

Notes

Make sure you have an active starter for this recipe. Feed your starter a few hours before mixing the dough, and be sure it is at room temperature.
I often make 2-3 loaves at a time and freeze them.
*Grapewood Farm is my first choice when it comes to ancient grain, modern grain, or rye flour. They grind the grains into flour before they mail it, which keeps the nutritional value high. 
Keyword Ancestral, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Fermented, Thrifty, Traditional, Vegan, Vegetarian
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