Long Fermented Sourdough Bread Recipe
A simple, low-maintenance long fermented sourdough bread made with all-purpose flour. It has a deep, slightly tangy flavor, and the fridge does most of the work over 3 to 4 days.
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 75 grams active sourdough starter ⅓cup
- 170 grams water ¾ cup
- 300 grams all-purpose flour 2½ cups
- 8 grams salt 1½ teaspoons
Instructions
- Mix the water, starter, and salt together in a large mixing bowl so the starter and salt spread evenly through the water.
- Add the flour and stir to make a shaggy dough. Start with a wooden spoon or Danish whisk, then switch to your hands to work in all the flour.
- Cover the bowl with something airtight (plastic wrap, aluminum foil, a plastic bag or a shower cap) and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- At room temperature, do about 4 sets of stretch and folds (or coil folds), 20 minutes apart. The dough should feel pliant and elastic at the end.
- Cover airtight and refrigerate for 24 to 72 hours (about 48 works best for me). The dough is ready when it has risen, looks puffy, and has tiny bubbles on the sides. If your loaves haven't risen well before, leave the dough at room temperature for an extra 1 to 2 hours before refrigerating.
- Turn the cold dough out onto your work surface. Shape it by pinching opposite ends together at the top, then repeat with the remaining ends. Let it rest on the counter for about 30 minutes.
- Place the dough, pinched side up, in a banneton or bowl lined with a lightly floured tea towel. A bench scraper helps. Cover it airtight.
- Refrigerate for the final proof, 12 to 24 hours. (In a hurry? Let it rise in a warm place for about 3 hours instead, and it will turn out great.)
- Preheat the oven to 460°F (238°C) with the Dutch oven inside. Cut a piece of parchment paper.
- Take the dough straight from the fridge and gently turn it out onto the parchment, seam side down. Score one deep cut on one side, plus a couple of shallow cuts on the other if you like.
- Lift the parchment and dough into the hot Dutch oven, cover, and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the lid, lower the oven to 440°F (227°C), and bake 12 to 15 more minutes until golden brown.
- Cool on a wire rack, covered with a slightly damp kitchen towel, for at least an hour before slicing.
Notes
- Since we're fermenting the dough for a long time, make sure to cover it with something airtight to prevent it from drying out. A damp towel is simply not enough for this situation, because we're letting the dough ferment for quite a long time and the towel will dry out in the meantime. Don't worry about letting air in - sourdough fermentation is mostly an anaerobic process (meaning it mostly doesn't require any oxygen), so there'll be more than enough air for your starter to do its job.
- Although a float test isn't 100% reliable, it is usually a great way of determining if your starter is ready to bake bread. You can do it when you're adding your starter into the bowl with the water and salt (step 1 of the recipe). Drop a bit of starter into the water. If it floats, it's ready to bake with; if it sinks, it needs more time to develop. This ensures your bread will rise well.
- Getting the dough to be just the right consistency is key, though it can pose a challenge. Here's a handy tip: if the dough is so sticky that you can't lift it in one go, it's time to sprinkle in a bit more flour. On the other hand, if it refuses to bind even after kneading for 2 minutes, just add a small dash of water to it.
- Although this is a wetter dough, similar to your usual artisan sourdough bread, it will be easier to handle because it will be chilled most of the time. If you find it too stiff to handle, just leave it at ambient temperature anytime you're handling it to make it more pliant.
- Wet your hands when handling the dough if you find it stick to your fingers.
- Pour a bit of water between the parchment and the Dutch oven to make steam, then quickly cover it to keep the steam in.
- You can use olive oil to coat the bowl you are raising your bread in to avoid the dough sticking.
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Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 116kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.05g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 312mg | Potassium: 32mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.1g | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg
