The smell of fresh baked bread can be intoxicating, especially when its a hand made loaf of your own creation. Baking bread takes time and patience but is worth every second. Plus you will be amazed at the flavors you can develop from three simple ingredients.

We tend to try and rush through everything, just so we can get it done. Do yourself a favor and take some time to make an incredibly delicious loaf of fresh sourdough bread. And why not start your bread journey with a recipe we’ve spent the last year perfecting. 

You’ll thank us later!

Ingredients

300g King Arthur AP Flour
43g King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour
198g Water
227g Sourdough Starter (Phyllis)
1 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt

Steps
  1. In a large bowl or Stand Mixer add Water and Starter then stir to combine. Next add in the Whole Wheat and AP Flour and continue mixing until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. The dough will start to stick to the hook and come off the side of the bowl. The dough will be sticky.
  2. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes.
  3. Add in the Kosher Salt and knead until dough is smooth, a Flexible Bench Scraper works great for this. Place the dough in a clean Bowl cover and let sit for one hour to proof (rest).
  4. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and fold the dough using the envelope method. Fold the top third down then fold the bottom third up. Next rotate the dough 90° then make the same two folds again, top to middle and bottom to middle.
  5. Cover and let the dough proof for one more hour then fold two more times like in the previous step.
  6. After folding the dough into loose ball and let rest covered on the counter for 20 minutes.
  7. Shape the dough by gently pulling your cupped hands toward you tightening the top surface of the dough. Rotate the dough a quarter turn and repeat. Continue this process until you have a nice tight ball with a smooth surface. Once you have a tight ball, make sure to seal the bottom. Roll the dough on its side pressing the seam together with your free hand.
  8. Place the dough smooth side down in a Floured Proofing Basket or a clean bowl lined with a floured towel. Cover and let proof for two more hours.
  9. In the last half hour of proofing, place a cast iron pan in the oven and pre heat to 450°F. Then boil a kettle of water, at least 1 cup.
  10. Turn the dough out onto a sheet tray lined with parchment paper with the smooth side up.
  11. Score the top of the dough using a Bakers Lame or razor blade. Cut a 1/4 – 1/2 inch deep X or + in the top of the dough. Then make a little score in between each of the open sections of the original X. Do this right before you place it in the oven.
  12. When the oven is ready quickly place the Sheet Tray with the dough on it on the center rack. Next add about 1 cup of boiling water to the cast iron pan and close the oven door. Be Very Careful this creates a lot of steam and can burn you!
  13. Bake for 20 minutes then carefully remove the cast iron pan. Bake for 20 more minutes or until the top is a dark brown color. The inside should reach 200°F and the bottom of the bread should make a knocking sound when thumped.
  14. Let the beard rest for a couple minutes then transfer to a Wire Rack to cool.
  15. We recommend waiting at least 30 minutes before cutting into your sexy new loaf of Sourdough.
  16. For two loaves split the dough in half before the final proofing. Bake for 15 minutes w/steam then bake 15 more minutes w/out steam.
  17. For Clam Chowder sized Bread Bowls split the dough into three equal parts. Bake for 12 minutes w/steam and 12 minutes w/out steam.
  18. For Rolls split the dough into 8-10 pieces then bake 10 minutes w/steam and 10 minutes w/out steam.

P.S. For a more “Sour Flavor” after final proof leave the dough covered and place in the fridge for 12-24 hours. You can bake the dough right out of the fridge, just pre-heat the oven to 500°F the set back to 450°F when you add the loaf to the oven.

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