Simply the Easiest Sourdough Bread

Ingredients

140g sourdough starter

420g filtered water (or 434g for 72% hydration)

630g bread flour (or 80% 504g bread flour + 20% 126g whole meal wheat flour)

14g sea salt

5g diastatic malt

140g inclusions if required

Directions

• 
  in a large bowl, stir water and starter till evenly mixed
• add flour and salt and knead until all dry flour is gone
• round the dough as much as possible, cover the bowl and let it rest for 1hr
• fold NSEW 3x every 30min
• cover again and let it rise till double in size 
• (newly fed starter can double in size within 5 hours. Unfed starter may take up to 24hours or longer to double in size)
• transfer on floured surface and shape into loaf (I split the dough into 2 loaves) and place into banetton baskets
• proof for 1-2 hour, cover in plastic and let it cold retard in the fridge overnight (min 12hrs and up to 3 days)
• next day when ready to bake, pre-heat the oven with dutch oven to 230°C at the 2nd lowest rack
• once oven is ready, transfer dough onto a parchment paper and score
• carefully transfer parchment paper and dough into dutch oven, spray water over the dough and bake for 20min covered and 15-20 min uncovered with oven fan
• cool before slicing (I leave it for few hours to totally cool down)
• best to eat freshly baked but to store, just keep in container or bread bag at room temperature for up to 5 days (don't think it will last that long though hehe)
• do not keep in fridge but can store in freezer

Foodnote: Now testing this easiest sourdough bread from here. It just makes so much sense. I didn't really follow the steps to a "T" and adjust the schedule accordingly. I am already using a fairly active starter so the mixture was left to proof till dough double in size. I am supposed to use 21g sea salt but it looks too much so I reduced it to 16-18g. The dough proof very well in 2hrs and after shaping and leaving it for 1hr, I left it in the fridge for another 2hr or so because I want to bake it slightly later. I also spritz the dough before baking to create more steam.

I am so impressed with the outcome. Check out how beautiful the bread look with the oven spring. The taste is excellent and the crumbs just perfect. I can't stop eating with a spread of butter. Being used to soft bread growing up, I grew to like the texture and flavour of sourdough more and more each day. Love this recipe and will definitely make this regularly. Thank you Ben Starr!

Update on 22 Oct 2022: I added 5g of diastatic mall to the dough and practice my scoring. I updated the recipe with steps that I think help with the oven spring and crumbs looks much better. I am very happy with it. Again... I split the dough into 2 portion so I can bake it in my dutch oven. Love and this is going to be my goto sourdough recipe 💖.

Update on 28 Oct 2022: I used this recipe but this time halved the portion (because it is for my own consumption) and included balance "origins california treats + extra cranberries". Again the recipe did not disappoint and it turns out really well. Look at that beautiful bread. Ooowwhh... I want to eat sourdough bread everyday!! 😭

Half Ingredients using bread formulas (right side of this blog)

70g active starter

210g water (or 217g for 72% hydration)

315g bread flour (or 252g bread flour + 63g whole wheat grain flour)

7g sea salt

4g diastatic malt

Origins Health Food California Treat Fruits & Nuts mix

dried cranberries