Sourdough Bread: From Starter to Showstopper

This is the loaf that makes people take up baking. A lively starter, a long ferment, and a covered bake produce a crackling crust and an open, tangy crumb that supermarket bread cannot touch.

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Ingredients

• 100 g whole wheat flour
• 400 g unbleached all-purpose flour
• 375 g filtered water, room temperature
• 12 g kosher salt (Morton's)
• 90 g sourdough starter, fed or unfed

Day 1

1. Measure out all the ingredients.
2. Add the starter to the bowl, then add the water and mix.
3. Add the flour and salt, then mix again with your hands.
4. Wait 20 minutes, then do a stretch and fold.
5. Wait another 20 minutes, then do a second stretch and fold.
6. Wait another 20 minutes, then do a third stretch and fold.
7. Cover for the bulk ferment.

Day 2

1. Do one more stretch and fold and wait 20 minutes.
2. Shape the loaves and place them in a banneton.
3. Let rest. The second rise can happen in the fridge for up to 12 hours if that suits your schedule.
4. Score the top, then bake at 450°F covered for 25 minutes, then uncovered for 20 minutes.

Warm sourdough, good butter, and a quiet minute. That is the whole recipe for happiness.