Sourdough Boule

I've kept sourdough starter for years. We don't eat a lot of bread, but it's handy to have around for when we want to bake bread, and it makes great pancakes, waffles and biscuits, too. I only have to feed the starter every 4-6 weeks, so it's very low maintenance.

Starter, stored in fridge in a Mason jar

I use the extra-tangy sourdough bread recipe from King Arthur flour here. I generally halve the recipe, which makes a good sized boule for a family of 3-4. The instructions call for starting with fed starter, and I never seem to plan that far in advance. Instead, on a weekend day, I can feed the starter in the morning, wait an hour or two then take out the portion needed for the recipe. Some recipes call for adding yeast. This guidance calls for adding 1/2 tsp of yeast per cup of flour used, and King Arthur's Rustic Sourdough loaf includes yeast.

Starter with the first portion of flour added (first rise)

At lunch time or so, I add the remaining flour and knead the dough. The hydration levels in the starter vary, so the amount of flour is approximate- go by feel of the dough. I have a dough hook for my stand mixer, but in general I knead by hand- it's fun and it allows me to feel the changes in the dough and add enough, but not too much, flour. I let it rise in our oven on the bread rise setting (the oven light provides gentle warmth). I usually do add the citric acid as called for in the recipe to make a nice tangy loaf.

After adding remaining flour, the start of the second rise

Dough after the second rise

After a slow rise, I very loosely follow the advice from the book Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day and stretch the top of the dough ball down and under it to form a "gluten cloak."

Dough placed on parchment in dutch oven 

I place the dough ball on parchment in a ceramic dutch oven (a Le Creuset pot) and mist it lightly with water. Make sure that the dutch oven you use has an oven-proof handle. I had to purchase a replacement oven-proof stainless lid handle for this purpose for mine.

Bake the bread with the dutch oven lid on it at 475 F for about 25 min, then remove the lid and bake uncovered for an additional 10-15 min. The times are very approximate, so keep on eye on it.

After baking

Let the bread cool on a rack for at least 20-30 minutes if you can before cutting.