Sourdough (Hamilton)

[mapsam]

Feeding Starter

• 25 g starter
• 25 g AP flour
• 25 g H2O (~80°F)

At each feeding discard excess starter if not making bread. Combine ingredients and refrigerate for up to ~2 weeks. Stir before use

Making bread

Levain (night before)

• Split off 50 g of starter, combine with 50 g AP flour and 50 g H2O (~80°F)
• Let rise at room temp overnight (should be nice and bubbly the next day)

Bulk fermentation (4hr)

• Ingredients
  • 150 g levain (starter from previous night)
  • 765 g bread flour
  • 159 g whole wheat flour
  • 708 g H2O (~85°F)
  • 18 g salt
• Roughly combine all ingredients except salt (just enough so there is no dry flour left. Should be a shaggy, sticky dough) in a large bowl. Let sit (covered) for ~30m.
• Add salt to dough. Fully combine w/ pinching and splitting.
• Begin stretch/folds. Every ~30m, do a series of stretch and folds (grab one side of the dough, fold it over itself. Repeat on each side, (4 folds per set). Wet hands slightly to avoid sticking. Do this 3 times, keep dough covered.
• After final stretch/fold let dough rise for additional ~2 hours.
• (optional) After the 2 hour bulk fermentation you can choose to put the dough in the fridge overnight (the longer this stage, the sour-er the bread)

Shape & Proof (3hr or overnight)

• Gently pour the dough onto a lightly floured counter/mat. Split into 2 portions and shape into rough circles.
• Flour the top of the dough circle, flip (flour side down), and shape into a boule by folding 4 edges into each other leaving one seam on top. Flip seam side down and slide the ball into a tighter shape until the surface is smooth and taught.
• Place the boules seam side up (seam side down if proofing directly on parchment paper) into proofing baskets/bowls. Put the baskets into a large plastic bag and proof for ~3 hours or overnight in the fridge.

Bake (45m per loaf)

• Preheat oven & cast iron pot/dutch oven for ~45m at 500°
• Flip dough out of the proofing basket onto parchment paper (or lift out dough already on parchment paper)
• Deeply score the dough with a shape knife/razor as desired
• Turn oven down to 475°, bake in covered pot for 20m
• Turn oven down to 450°, uncover pot, bake for ~30m until crust darkens
• Move bread to cooling rack, reheat oven to 500°, repeat for second loaf

Sources

• Starter gifted from Joe
• "Flour Water Salt Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread and Pizza" by Ken Forkish
• How to Make Sourdough Bread: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-sourdough-bread-224367
• Beginner’s Sourdough Bread: https://theperfectloaf.com
• Terminology: https://www.theperfectloaf.com/beginners-sourdough-bread/

[mapsam]

Going to start experimenting with ratios using https://observablehq.com/@mourner/sourdough-calculator (thanks @mourner!)

date	flour	water	levain	salt	% hydration	notes
2021-03-27	852	711	168	18.7	84.8%	1750 grams of dough with 84.9% hydration, 17.9% levain and 2% salt. Baked for 20 covered, 30 uncovered, left 10 hours in fridge and 4 out for bulk fermentation, then 1.5 for proving in boules. Spongey, great flavor, not too difficult to work with
2021-04-02	839	728	165	18.4	88%	1750 grams of dough with 88% hydration, 17.9% levain and 2% salt. 80/20 bread/whole wheat
2023-09-26	643	500	143	15	80%	✨ this one is a keeper, 1300 grams of dough, 110 whole wheat / 533 bread flour, bake 20 minutes in the dutch oven with top on, 25 off (a little shorter than normal) to keep it soft for a few more days