THE SOURDOUGH PREPARATION STAGE

On the day that you are going to prepare your bread start early in the morning, take your starter mixture out of the refrigerator, and give it 3 to 4 hours in a warm environment approximately 80° (inside your oven with the light on works well). Just remember to put some sort of sign on the oven so that you don’t inadvertently turn it on to warm up last night’s dinner

When your starter has doubled or tripled in size, it’s time to take it out and mix it with your bread mixture for the day. I recommend using the bakers mix which is all even numbers so 1000 g of flour, 750 grams of bread flour; 250 grams of whole wheat (75% bread flour, 25% whole wheat) is what I use). mix that with 65-75 % hydration I use 730 grams of water (for a 1000-gram mixture Add 650-750 g of water to the flour and mix that very thoroughly (1000 grams of flour will yield 2 loaves of bread. To make 1 loaf cut all ingredients in half) You want to mix the flour and water into a ball and let that sit in that same lighted oven for 45 minutes. This process is called auto-lysing, and I believe it to be critically important.

After the 45 min, mix 2% salt (20 grams) and 15% of the starter( 150 grams)

Mix these ingredients thoroughly into the dough mixture.

Perform the stretch and fold technique every 25 minutes, for 2 times, then a coil fold technique 2 times before placing the mixture in a bowl and cover with a wet cloth for 3 hours. This is a Bulk rise. Let the mixture sit for 3 hours in a lighted oven

The last 3 steps require you to shape the bread into a ball with certain techniques. (Demonstrated in video)

Step one pre-shape: cut the dough in half and place a dough mixture on a floured surface and stretch it out, then fold it back onto itself and flip over; pull the bread toward you and turn it, creating a ball

Place the ball inside down on a flowed cutting board. Repeat with the other mixture.

BENCH REST: Cover the 2 mixtures and let rest x 20 minutes.

FINAL SHAPE: If you want to make sesame seed bread ( my favorite), cover a small plate with a layer of sesame seeds; Return the ball to the counter and stretch it our lengthwise, fold it back onto itself and then flip it over. The TOP of there bread is now showing; Begin pulling the mixture towards you and turning it, creating a perfect ball.

Take out your Bennett’s and liberally flour them both. Wet the surface of the bread and place it quickly onto the layer of sesame seeds and then quickly into the Benneton. Place the benneton into a plastic bag. Repeat with the other loaf.

Place them both in the refrigerator overnight to slow proof.

In the morning, put your Dutch Ovens in the oven to heat up and turn oven on to 500 dogs for 45 minutes. When ready place loaves in the Dutch ovens and bake covered for 20 minutes; remove cover and bake for 20 minutes more. When done, turn over off and set timer for 5 minutes and let them begin to cool in the over before removing.