Here's a recipe to make one sourdough boule.
Ingredients:
3 1/2- 3 3/4 cups flour (1/2 cup whole wheat, the rest all-purpose white)
1 1/4 + 1/4 cup lukewarm unchlorinated water (105-115° F)
1 cup sourdough starter
1 tbsp salt
1/4 cup assorted seeds (sunflower, chia, pumpkin)
I had my starter in the fridge so I had to wake it up first. If your starter is on the kitchen counter and active you can skip this Friday night part.
Friday night: Took my unfed starter out of the fridge and left it on the counter overnight. Also left the water out on the counter so the chlorine would evaporate.
Saturday morning 8:00 a.m.: Removed 1/2 the starter to discard. (I had 1/2 cup, so 1/4 to discard) Then I mixed 1/4 cup water, 1/2 cup AP flour and 1/4 cup remaining starter together vigorously. I removed 1/4 cup to go back in the fridge storing Big Bertha (the OG starter) for future loaves. Then I covered my water/flour/starter with plastic wrap and put it in the oven, off but with the light on for 6 hours.
She's reviving nicely as seen here.
Saturday 2:00 p.m.: I fed the starter with 1/4 cup water and 1/2 cup flour again. Left it in the oven light warmed oven for a while longer then just kept it on the counter.
Saturday 6:00 p.m.: Making the dough.
Warm 1 1/4 cups water either in microwave for about 20 seconds or on the stove to the desired temperature. Mix the active starter and water together until the starter is completely dispersed in the water. Add 3 cups AP flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat. Mix to shaggy ball stage then let sit 30 minutes. The dough should be a bit sticky.
Combine 1/4 cup lukewarm water and salt and work into the dough with hands. Rest 30 minutes.
Saturday 7:00ish p.m.: Start the stretch and fold process. This is where I started to incorporate the seeds, adding a tablespoon or so each time. So sprinkled some seeds on here then reached under the dough and pulled up and over, turning the bowl 1/4 turn and repeating to complete 4 stretch and pulls. Let rest 30 minutes, covered, then repeat this process 3 more times.
Saturday about 9:00 p.m.: Let the dough rest (again covered) for 60 minutes before putting the whole thing in a large plastic bag and refrigerating overnight.
Sunday 9:30 a.m.: Remove the bowl of dough from fridge and leave on counter for 2 hours.
Sunday 11:30 a.m.: Dump the dough out onto an unfloured surface and flour the top. Using a scraper or your hands carefully form into a ball. Rest 20-30 minutes. If the ball starts to fall repeat the forming and resting. It won't be a perfect ball, but a little flattish.
Sunday 12:00 p.m.: Have a large bowl ready with flour and some more seeds in the bottom. With the scraper gently flip ball onto floured side. Stretch and pull from bottom to about 1/3 up the ball 3 times. Then take the top and pull it right over to the bottom. Turn into the bowl pinching the seam and leaving it seam side up. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (yes again!) 2-4 hours.
Preheat oven to 450°F for 45 minutes before baking with the pot, lid and (if you have one) baking stone in the oven to heat. I placed the baking stone on the bottom rack. the bread will go in on the middle one.
Sunday 2:45 p.m.:
Take the dough from the fridge and turn it out onto a sheet of parchment on the counter. Trim the excess paper off the corners but leave enough to use as "handles". Slash the dough. This was my first time using a razor blade which was much better than a knife or scissors, but I think the slash could have been deeper. Once the dough is slashed remove the pot and lid from the oven. Immediately and gently lower the ball into the hot pot using the parchment "handles". Cover with hot lid and return to the oven along with a cup of water in the bottom of the oven for steam. You could put a pan of water or ice cubes in the bottom, but I just throw the water right into the bottom of my oven (no element in the bottom of mine).
Bake at 450°F covered for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake another 20 minutes. Finally remove the pot from the oven, lift the bread out of the pot, remove the parchment paper and place the bread directly on the rack in the oven for another 10 minutes.
She is a thing of beauty, isn't she!
Refrain from slicing until the bread is completely cooled (a very difficult thing to do!) And store a day or 2 in a paper bag at room temperature.
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