Doughveloper

Simple White Sourdough

A very straightforward, foolproof(ish) recipe for a white sourdough loaf. It uses a combination of lots of differents things I've learnt from lots of different recipies and techniques over the years. I don't knead it in this one, just fold it, but you can if you want - I just can't be bothered. In fact, I don't really remember the last time I actually kneaded (knud?) dough. All the bread I make these days I use this folding technique and I'm pretty happy with the results.

Ingredients

  1. 500g Strong White Flour
  2. 10g Salt
  3. 150g Starter
  4. 280g Water
  5. 20g Olive Oil

Method

  1. Measure out the flour and salt and mix them together in a large bowl. Flour and salt
  2. Mix the water in with the starter until all the starter has disolved. Mixture of starter, water and oil
  3. Tip the water/start mixture into the flour/salt mixture and combine into a sticky mass. Leave if for around half an hour or so to autolyse if you have time. Initial mix of wet and dry ingredients
  4. After half an hour or so, return to it and fold it over on itself several times - pulling it from under the edge back in to the top center, turning the bowl a little, then repeating, all the way around. Repeat this folding process every ten or fifteen minutes, four times.
    After half an hour After one set of folds After two sets of folds After three sets of folds After four sets of folds
  5. Now cover and leave the dough for anything between three to five hours. Most recipies will say until it's doubled in size, but to be honest, I've always found it quite difficult to gauge because it kind of settles down into the bowl. Basically, leave it, and check that there are a few bubbles forming on the surface.
    After three hours After five hours
  6. Prepare your banneton by dusting it liberally with flour. I've found that a combination of rice flour or semolina flour with normal white flour to be best.' Banneton sprinkled with flour
  7. Shape your dough by turning it out on to a lightly floured surface, gently flattening it out, then basically rolling it up, trying to ensure that you keep a 'tight' surface by pressing and sealing it with each roll.
    Spread dough out in to a rough rectange Fold top corners in Fold top middle down and press to seal Fold/roll down again and press to seal Repeat fold/roll/seal action Complete roll with seal underneath and tuck in the edges
  8. Place the shaped dough seam-side up into the prepared banneton, sprinkly liberally with flour, then cover in a clean plastic bag and rest for around five or six hours.
    Dough seam-side down in banneton Banneton in a clean plastic bag
  9. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 240c and place a baking tray in the bottom to heat up - this is to throw some water in to create steam when baking. When the oven is hot, tip some boiling water into the hot baking tray in the oven, quickly turn the dough gently out on to a baking sheet - I always use a silicon inlay to prevent sticking, but a lightly oiled baking sheet should also be fine. Make a deep slash down the length of it with a bread knife, or razor blade, and transfer gently to the oven. Turn the temperature down to 200c and bake for 30 minutes.
    Dough in banneton after six hours Dough ready for scoring Scored dough
  10. Once baked, remove the loaf and transfer to a cooling rack.
    Baked load Baked loaf showing internal structure and crumb