Sourdough Bread

Why this recipe works Despite the “sour” in its name, sourdough breads need not be sour in flavor. What “sourdough” means is that the bread is fermented with a naturally occuring mixture of bacteria and yeasts, rather than with commericial yeast. Many think that sourdough is more complicated than other breads, but once you have a healthy sourdough culture to use, it isn’t all that different. Though creating a culture from scratch takes a few weeks of patience, it is dead simple to do. And it’s well worth the wait: Sourdough breads are among the best the baking world has to offer crusty without, moist and chewy within, complexly flavored, and superbly long-lasting (the mild acidity that gives sourdough some of its flavor also helps to stave off staling). Once your culture is active, the method for making sourdough is not that different from other loaves we’ve made using commercial yeast. We used a mixture of higher-protein all purpose flour and whole-wheat flour for complex flavor. We sift the whole-wheat flour to remove excess bran, ensuring a light and airy loaf. For convenience and the deepest flavor, we shape the loaf and give it an overnight proof in the fridge. If you can’t find King Arthur all-purpose flour, you can substitute bread flour. Take care when removing the linen towel from the loaf in step 10, as it may stick slightly to the dough. You can substitute a round banneton or proofing basket for the towel-lined colander.

MAKES: 1 loaf

RESTING TIME: 21 hours 35 minutes to 22 hours 35 minutes

RISING TIME: 17½ to 18½ hours

BAKING TIME: 1 hour

TOTAL TIME: 42 to 43 hours, plus 3 hours cooling time

KEY EQUIPMENT: large linen towel, 5-quart colander, baking stone, 2 (9-inch) disposable aluminum pie plates, 2 quarts lava rocks, pizza peel, lame, instant-read thermometer

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE STARTER 

• ¾ cup (3¾ ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (3 ounces) water, room temperature
• ⅓ cup (2⅔ ounces) Sourdough Culture

FOR THE DOUGH

• 1 cup (5½ ounces) whole-wheat flour
• 2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1¼ cups (10 ounces) water, room temperature
• 1¾ teaspoons salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. For the starter: Stir all ingredients together in a 4-cup liquid measuring cup with a wooden spoon until a cohesive dough starts to form and no dry flour remains. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 5 hours. Then refrigerate for 16 to 24 hours. Alternatively, the starter can sit at room temperature until doubled in size, 8 to 12 hours, and be used immediately without refrigeration.
2. For the dough: Sift whole-wheat flour through a fine-mesh strainer into the bowl of a stand mixer, discarding the bran remaining in the strainer. Whisk all-purpose flour into the whole-wheat flour. Stir water into the starter until well combined. Using the dough hook on low speed, slowly add the starter mixture to the flour mixture and mix until a cohesive dough starts to form and no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
3. Add salt to the dough and mix on low speed until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased large bowl or container, cover tightly with plastic, and let it rise for 30 minutes.
4. Using a greased bowl scraper or your fingertips, fold the dough over itself by gently lifting and folding the edge of the dough toward the middle. Turn the bowl 45 degrees and fold the dough again. Repeat turning the bowl and folding the dough 6 more times for a total of 8 folds. Cover tightly with plastic and let it rise for 30 minutes. Repeat the folding and rising process every 30 minutes, 3 more times.
5. After the fourth set of folding and rising, turn out the dough onto a lightly floured counter. Press and stretch the dough into a 10-inch round, deflating any gas pockets larger than 1 inch. Fold the edges of the dough toward the center until a ball forms. Cover loosely with greased plastic and let it rest for 15 minutes.
6. Line a 5-quart colander with a large linen or cotton tea towel and dust it liberally with flour. Repeat the pressing and folding of the dough to re-form a ball. Then flip the dough ball seam side down and, using your cupped hands, drag it in small circles on the counter until the dough feels taut, round, and all seams are secured on the underside of the loaf.
7. Place the loaf seam side up in the prepared colander and pinch any remaining seams closed. Loosely fold the edges of the towel over the loaf to enclose it, then place the colander in a large plastic garbage bag. Tie or fold under the open end of the bag to fully enclose the loaf. Let it sit at warm room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 16 hours.
8. Remove the loaf from the refrigerator and let it rise (still inside the plastic bag) at warm room temperature until nearly doubled in size and the dough springs back minimally when poked gently with your knuckle, 2 to 3 hours. Remove the loaf from the bag to test.
9. One hour before baking, adjust the oven racks to the lower-middle and lowest positions. Place a baking stone on the upper rack and place 2 disposable aluminum pie plates filled with 1 quart of lava rocks each on the lower rack. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil.
10. Remove the colander from the garbage bag, unfold the edges of the towel, and dust the top of the loaf with flour. If any seams have reopened, pinch them closed before dusting with flour. Lay a 16 by 12-inch sheet of parchment paper on top of the loaf. Using one hand to support the parchment and loaf, invert the loaf onto the parchment and place it on the counter. Gently remove the colander and towel. Transfer the parchment with the loaf to a pizza peel.
11. Carefully pour 1/2 cup of boiling water into one disposable pie plate of preheated rocks and close the oven door for 1 minute to create steam. Meanwhile, hold the lame (a type of razor blade) concave side up at a 30-degree angle to the loaf and make two 7-inch-long, 1/2-inch-deep slashes with a swift, fluid motion along the top of the loaf to form a cross.
12. Working quickly, slide the parchment with the loaf onto the baking stone and pour the remaining boiling water into the second disposable pie plate of preheated rocks. Bake the loaf for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Rotate the loaf and continue to bake until the crust is dark brown and the loaf registers 210 to 212 degrees Fahrenheit, 45 to 50 minutes, rotating the loaf halfway through baking. Transfer the loaf to a wire rack, discard the parchment, and let it cool completely, about 3 hours, before serving.

SOURDOUGH CULTURE:

Why this recipe works This recipe yields enough culture to make our Sourdough Bread with enough left to continue maintaining it for future use. Filtered water limits the amount of chlorine in the culture, which can weaken the growth of organisms. Don’t let the culture go for more than 48 hours without feeding in step 2. Don’t be alarmed if your culture has an unpleasant aroma in step 1; it will decrease in intensity and become more pleasant.

MAKES: about 6½ ounces sourdough culture

TOTAL TIME: 13 to 18 days

INGREDIENTS:

• 4½ cups (24¾ ounces) whole-wheat flour
• 5 cups (25 ounces) all-purpose flour, plus extra as needed
• Filtered water, room temperature

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Establish culture: Whisk together 4½ cups (22½ ounces) all-purpose flour and whole-wheat flour in a large bowl or container. In a separate medium bowl, stir together 1 cup (5 ounces) of the flour mixture and ⅔ cup (5⅓ ounces) water with a wooden spoon until well combined. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 48 to 72 hours until the culture is established. The mixture will become bubbly and have an intense aroma. Set aside the remaining flour mixture for feeding the culture.
2. Feed culture: Stir together ¼ cup (2 ounces) of the established culture, ½ cup (2½ ounces) of the flour mixture, and ¼ cup (2 ounces) water in a clean bowl with a wooden spoon until well combined and no dry flour remains. Discard the remaining culture. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
3. Refresh culture: Repeat the feeding process every 24 hours using ¼ cup (2 ounces) of the established culture, ½ cup (2½ ounces) of the flour mixture, and ¼ cup (2 ounces) water. Continue this process for 10 to 14 days until the culture is pleasantly aromatic and rises and falls within an 8- to 12-hour period after being fed. The sourdough culture is now ready to use or can be moved to storage.
4. Store and maintain culture: Stir together ¼ cup (2 ounces) of the culture, ¼ cup (2 ounces) water, and the remaining ½ cup (2½ ounces) of all-purpose flour in a clean bowl with a wooden spoon until well combined and no dry flour remains. Discard the remaining culture. Let the culture sit at room temperature for 5 hours, then transfer it to a clean container, cover loosely, and refrigerate. Once a week, remove the culture from the refrigerator and repeat the maintenance process using ¼ cup (2 ounces) of the culture, ¼ cup (2 ounces) water, and ½ cup (2½ ounces) all-purpose flour. Let the culture sit at room temperature for 5 hours before transferring it to a clean container and refrigerating it again.