Some clarification on my recipe:
the amounts below for the recipe are what I currently use:
100 grams starter
365 grams water
500 grams flour
…
then after resting
10 grams salt
35 grams water
for the night before when you feed the starter, this is my new method:
-Throw out all but about 2-3 tablespoons of starter ( i don’t measure this )
-To the remaining 2-3 tablespoons, mix in 100g of water, then mix in 100g of flour.
-Now you have 200g plus about 2-3 tablespoons of starter. After about 12 hours at room temp, it will be ready to use in the recipe.
By the way, I feed my starter with half wholewheat, half white flour. I don’t think that is necessary, but that’s what I do. I think the book I took this from told me to do that.
-Eric
The recipe
Here’s a video I made a while ago that shows the basic process.
(in the video I’m using less water than this recipe below. the dough will be a little harder to work with but the bread turns out better.)
in a large mixing bowl mix:
100 grams of starter,
365 grams water (**update – I have been heating the water in the microwave so that the water is about 80 degrees F)
add in and mix:
500 grams of white bread flour (don’t use all purpose flour) (**update – lol now I do use all-purpose flour)
mix that together, then let that sit for 45 minutes.
while waiting dissolve 10 grams of salt into 35 grams of water. (**update – hot water makes the salt dissolve faster)
after 45 minutes, mix in the salt and water.
then transfer to a container that you can cover and perform the “turns” in.
This is the bulk fermentation phase. The dough will be in this container for 4 hours. During the first 2 hours, “turn” the dough (see video) every 30 minutes. On the 3rd hour turn the dough again.
After 4 hours (5 hours if your kitchen is cold) of bulk fermentation, scrape the dough on to an unfloured counter.
(**update – for this first “shaping”, I do not use flour at all. I use wet hands and wet bench knife to fold the dough in half, then shape it into a kind of ball)
Using a wet bench knife and wet hands, fold the dough in half, then shape the dough as seen in the video.
Cover and let sit for 30 minutes. (** update – I cover with my large bowl upside down. A towel will stick to the dough if it isn’t sprinkled with flour! Probably don’t need to cover it at all. It’s just to keep flies or gnats from landing on it)
(** update – this next step we do sprinkle flour!)
Sprinkle flour on top, flip the dough over, then make the next series of envelope-like folds and shape the dough as in the video.
Transfer upside down into a floured (rice flour) basket.
(** update – Add a little more rice flour to the top so that a towel won’t stick to the dough)
Cover with a towel and let sit for 2 to 4 hours. (** update – This is the final proofing. I try to go a complete 4 hours for best results especially if the kitchen has been cold.)
Preheat the oven with your cast iron pot and lid in the oven to 500 degrees.
(** update – I don’t use my oven’s convection bake)
Take the preheated shallow cast iron pan out of the oven.
Transfer the dough on to the pan.
Score the dough.
Put the lid over the dough and place in the oven.
Immediately lower the oven temp to 450 degrees.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the lid.
Bake for another 20 minutes or until the crust looks dark brown.
Remove the bread from the pan and place on a cooling rack.
Maintaining the starter
You should have 200 grams of starter.
After you take out 100 grams for the recipe, mix in 50 grams of water, then 50 grams of flour to the remaining starter.
Now you are back to 200 grams of starter.
A freshly fed starter can be left for 12 hours at room temperature before it needs to be fed again.
or
A freshly fed starter can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 days before it needs to be fed again.
The starter is ready for use in the recipe right before feeding time.
For bread making, here are some items that I use that you might want also if you don’t have them.
- Digital Scale
- Large Mixing Bowl – you probably have one large enough. I have a huge 20 qt bowl.
- Bowl Scraper – amazon
- Storage Container with Lid for fermentation stage –
- Metal Dough Scraper –
- 8 inch Round Bread Proofing Basket –
- Lame – ( could use a knife or razor blade )
- Cast Iron Combo Cooker (10.25inch) – amazon