BASIC SOURDOUGH BREAD
In this video, I show you how to make my version of Tartine Bakery's Basic Country Bread. It's an easy recipe for sourdough bread that anyone can follow to make delicious loaves at home!
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Includes everything you need to know to bake your first loaf of sourdough bread!
INGREDIENTS
LEVAIN
50g Mature Sourdough Starter (~1/4 Cup)
40g Whole Wheat Flour (~1/3 Cup)
40g White Flour (bread flour or all-purpose) (~1/3 Cup)
80g Room Temperature Water (~1/3 Cup)
REMAINING DOUGH
900g Unbleached Bread Flour (~7.5 Cups)
100g Whole Wheat Flour (~0.8 Cups)
750g Room Temperature Water (700g initially + 50g added after autolyse) (~3 1/8 Cups Total)
20g Kosher Salt (~3 1/3 tsp) (VOLUME CAN VARY DEPENDING ON TYPE OF SALT USED)
STEPS
MAKING LEVAIN
Add 50g of mature starter to a clean jar, along with 40g of whole wheat flour, 40g of white flour, and 80g of water, and stir until all flour is fully saturated. This is your levain.
Allow the levain to rise at room temperature until at least doubled in size, approximately 10-14 hours.
MIXING DOUGH
Fill a large bowl with 700g of water at about 85°F (~30°C)
Add the entire levain (about 200g) to the bowl and stir to disperse it throughout the liquid.
Add 900g of unbleached bread flour to the bowl along with 100g of whole wheat flour, and stir until all flour is completely saturated.
Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap, and allow it to rest in a warm environment (about 85°F or 29°C) for 30 minutes
While the dough is resting, mix together 50g of water and 20g of salt in a separate bowl or measuring cup.
After 20-40 minutes, add the 50g of water and 20g of salt, and thoroughly incorporate it into the dough
BULK RISE
Transfer the dough to a clear rectangular container, cover, and return it to your warm environment for 25 minutes.
During the bulk rise phase, we will perform 5 sets of folds, spaced out at 25 minute intervals.
After the first 25 minutes, take your dough and perform a set of stretch and folds.
To perform stretch and folds, grab a small piece of the dough from underneath, and stretch it as far as it’ll go without tearing, then fold it over itself. Then, repeat that 7 more times around the entire perimeter of the dough.
Once the set of folds is completed, return the dough back to your warm environment.
After another 25 minutes, perform a second set of stretch and folds, cover the container, and return it to your warm environment.
After another 25 minutes, perform a third set of stretch and folds. This time, after the stretch and folds are completed, flip the dough over in the container. Cover the container, and return it to your warm environment.
After another 25 minutes, we will perform the 4th set of folds. This time, we will use coil folds instead of stretch and folds.
To perform the coil folds, lift the dough up and let it fold underneath itself, then turn the container 180° and repeat with the other side of the dough. Then repeat that same process with the remaining two sides of the dough.
Cover the container, and return it to your warm environment.
After another 25 minutes, perform another set of coil folds.
The dough should be soft and airy by now, and it should have grown in size by about 20-30% since the beginning of the bulk rise phase.
If it doesn’t seem ready yet, you can return the dough to your warm environment for another 25 minutes and perform another set of coil folds, then proceed from there.
After the last set of folds, set the dough aside for about 10 minutes to let it relax.
DIVIDING AND PRE-SHAPING
Remove your dough onto a lightly floured work surface, with the top of the dough facing down.
Using a metal bench scraper, divide the dough into 3 equal-sized pieces.
Lightly flour your hands and bench scraper to prevent the dough from sticking.
Make sure your surface doesn’t have too much excess flour on it, then place down one of your dough pieces with the unfloured side facing down.
Use your bench scraper to form the loaf into a taught ball by scooping it from the side as you rotate it a quarter turn, then scrape it back toward yourself.
Repeat that process a few more times until you feel some tension develop on the outer surface and the dough and it maintains its round shape. Be careful not to over-shape, which can cause the surface to tear.
Repeat that shaping process with the other two loaves.
Dust the tops of the loaves with flour, then cover them with a kitchen towel and let them rest for about 25 minutes
They should flatten during this time, but only slightly.
If they spread out too thin, you can give them another round of shaping to develop some more tension. Then, let them rest for another 25 minutes.
FINAL SHAPING
Dust the top of each loaf with a bit more flour, then flip them over so the unfloured side is facing up.
Make sure you have plenty of space to work with, and get rid of any excess flour on your work surface.
TO SHAPE A BATARD (a short, oval-shaped loaf), use the following steps:
Gently spread the dough into a wide rectangle, then fold the third of the dough closest to you over the middle.
Fold the left and right thirds over each other in the same way.
Grab the two corners of dough furthest away from you, and fold them in toward the middle as if you were making a paper airplane. This creates a thicker portion in the middle of the loaf, which then tapers out toward the edges.
Press down on the folded portion to seal it off and develop tension, then roll the dough over again, press again, and roll again, until the entire loaf is rolled up and sealed.
Drag the loaf along your work surface a few times with your bench scraper to develop additional tension.
Transfer the loaf, seam-side up, to an oval banneton that has been lightly dusted with rice flour.
TO SHAPE A BOULE (a round loaf), use the following steps:
Gently spread the dough into a wide rectangle, then fold the third of the dough closest to you over the middle.
Fold the left and right thirds over each other in the same way.
Grab the two corners of dough furthest away from you, and pull them all the way up and over the loaf, as you flip it right-side up.
Drag the loaf along your work surface a few times with your bench scraper to develop additional tension.
Transfer the loaf, seam-side up, to a round banneton that has been lightly dusted with rice flour.
Transfer your bannetons to food-safe plastic bags, and seal the bags to prevent the dough from drying out
Place the loaves into your refrigerator to allow them to proof for anywhere from 3-12 hours. The longer you allow them to proof, the tangier the loaves will end up.
NOTE: You can perform this final proof at room temperature, but proofing in the refrigerator helps the dough to develop more flavor and makes the loaves easier to score before baking.
BAKING
I prefer to bake after 4-6 hours of proofing in the refrigerator.
Place your dutch oven or dutch oven combo cooker into your oven and set the oven to 500°F (~260°C). Wait at least 30 minutes for both the oven and dutch oven to become smoking hot.
Once both are preheated, take one of your loaves out of the fridge and remove it from the plastic bag, then dust the loaf with a bit more rice flour to prevent it from sticking to the pot.
Working quickly, remove your dutch oven from the oven and place the loaf in, then score it about ½ inch to 1 inch deep using a bread lame or a very sharp knife.
For a batard, I like to score a single slash down the middle, and for a boule, I like to score in a cross pattern.
After the loaf is scored, place the lid on your dutch oven, and transfer it back to the oven as quickly as possible.
Allow the loaf to bake, still at 500°F, for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, remove the lid and reduce the oven to 450°F (~230°C)
Let the loaf continue baking until it reaches a deep, dark brown color, with some hints of black charring on the edges, which should take about 15-20 minutes.
I also like to rotate the loaf halfway through to ensure even browning.
Once the loaf is baked to your liking, remove it to a wire rack and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes, or up to a few hours to allow the inside to finish cooking.
Repeat the baking process with the remaining two loaves.
SAMPLE SCHEDULE
DAY 1
8:00 PM - Mix levain
DAY 2
8:00 AM - Mix dough and autolyse
8:45 AM - Add additional salt and water
9:15 AM - Perform first set of folds
9:45 AM - Perform second set of folds
10:15 AM - Perform third set of folds
10:45 AM - Perform fourth set of folds
11:15 AM - Perform fifth set of folds
11:30 AM - Divide dough and perform initial shaping
12:15 PM - Perform final shaping and transfer to bannetons for final rise
3:45 PM - Begin preheating oven and dutch oven
4:30 PM - Begin baking first loaf
5:15 PM - Begin baking second loaf
6:00 PM - Begin baking third loaf
Blueprint for Use with BreadMe App
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Tartine Bread Book
How to Make and Maintain a Sourdough Starter (Video)
More information about baker's percentages (Video)
MY COOKING EQUIPMENT AND RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
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