Sourdough Recipe
Experience the joy of homemade sourdough with this easy-to-follow recipe. This delicious loaf boasts a crisp crust and tangy flavour, ideal for breakfast toast or gourmet sandwiches.
Serves: 12+
Ingredients
Sourdough Starter
- 250g strong white bread flour
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Levain (Day 1):
- 30g sourdough starter
- 60g strong white bread flour
- 60ml water
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Dough (Day 2):
- Levain (150g total weight - see above)
- 500g strong bread flour
- 320ml warm water
- 10g salt
Method
How to Make a Sourdough Starter:
Day 1:
Mix 50g bread flour with 50ml lukewarm water and leave semi-covered at room temperature.
Day 2-4:
Continue to mix 50g bread flour with 50ml lukewarm water and leave semi-covered at room temperature.
Day 5:
Your starter should be active and bubbling by now - if it hasn’t started bubbling, continue the process until it does. When it’s ready, you can keep it in the fridge to keep it alive, feeding it every 2 weeks - the more mature your starter is, the tangier your bread will be!
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How to Make Sourdough Bread:
Day 1 (PM):
Mix together your ingredients for the Levain (see above) and cover with cling film or a damp tea towel. Leave for 6 - 8 hours or until doubled. It’s best to make this in the evening so it's ready in the morning.
Day 2 (AM):
STEP 1Pour the water into a large bowl, then add in your risen Levain (it should float!) Mix into the water using a dough hook or your hands. If you’re using a KitchenAid stand mixer, you can use the dough hook attachment for this step.
STEP 2Add in your flour and salt and mix thoroughly. Cover with cling film and leave to rest for 30 minutes. The dough might look a bit shaggy at this stage but that is to be expected.
STEP 3After 30 minutes, you can begin to perform four sets of stretches and folds every 30 minutes - so 2 hours in total. (Tip: there are loads of stretch and fold tutorials on TikTok.)
STEP 4Cover again and leave the dough to prove in a warm place for 2 - 3 hours.
STEP 5Shape your dough (again, you'll find tutorials on TikTok for this) then turn into a banneton (proofing basket), well coated with rice flour. Cover and place into the fridge for the final overnight prove.
Day 3 (AM):
STEP 1The next morning, preheat your oven (with your Le Creuset Dutch oven in it) to 250C. Meanwhile, turn out your dough onto baking paper and score deep cuts along the centre with a razor blade. You can do patterns on the dough here (tutorials on TikTok for this, too!).
STEP 2Carefully place the dough into the Le Creuset Dutch oven or a lidded casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes with the lid on.
STEP 3Then, remove the lid of the dish, turn the heat of the oven down to 220C, and bake the loaf for a final 15 minutes with the lid off.
STEP 4Leave to cool for at least 2 hours before you cut into it or it will ruin the bread. And enjoy!
