Sourdough Loaf: Wild Yeast, Long Fermentation, and Dutch Oven Crust

Overview

This video guides viewers through baking a sourdough loaf using wild yeast and long fermentation. It emphasizes patience, learning dough feel over timing, and achieving deep flavor and a crisp Dutch oven crust. The process involves multiple fermentation stages, cold retarding, and specific baking steps for an artisan result.

Ingredients

• 100 grams active sourdough starter
• 375 grams warm water
• 500 grams bread flour
• 10 grams salt
• small splash of water
• parchment paper

Instructions

1. Combine 100 grams active sourdough starter with 375 grams warm water and stir until dissolved.
2. Add 500 grams bread flour and mix until a shaggy dough forms with no dry flour visible.
3. Cover the dough and rest for 30 minutes for the autolyse.
4. Sprinkle 10 grams salt over the dough with a small splash of water after autolyse.
5. Pinch and fold the salt into the dough until fully incorporated.
6. Over the next 2 hours, perform 4 sets of stretch-and-folds at 30-minute intervals, stretching each side up and over the center, rotating, and repeating 4 times per set.
7. Leave the dough covered at room temperature for 3 to 4 more hours for bulk ferment until it increases about 50 percent in volume, feels puffy, and has visible bubbles.
8. Turn the dough onto an unfloured surface and pre-shape into a round by dragging it toward you to build surface tension.
9. Let the dough rest uncovered for 20 minutes before final shaping.
10. Shape the dough into a tight boule by folding edges toward the center, then flipping seam-side down and using a bench scraper to create tension.
11. Place the shaped dough seam-side up in a well-floured banneton.
12. Cover the banneton and place it in the refrigerator for 12 to 18 hours for cold retard.
13. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees with a Dutch oven inside for 1 full hour.
14. Turn the cold dough out onto parchment paper.
15. Score the dough decisively with a lame, lower it into the Dutch oven, and cover.
16. Bake covered for 20 minutes.
17. Remove the lid, reduce the oven temperature to 450 degrees, and bake for 20 to 25 more minutes until the crust is deep mahogany brown.
18. Cool the loaf completely on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.

In this video

• Sourdough baking is a partnership with wild yeast and bacteria, requiring patience rather than strict clock-watching.
• The distinct complex, tangy flavor of sourdough develops over 12 to 18 hours of cold fermentation.
• The autolyse step involves combining flour and water for 30 minutes to hydrate the flour before adding salt.
• Salt is incorporated after the autolyse, causing the dough to tighten and become slightly resistant.
• Four sets of stretch-and-folds, performed at 30-minute intervals over 2 hours, help develop dough elasticity.
• Bulk fermentation, lasting 3 to 4 hours at room temperature, allows the dough to increase about 50 percent in volume and develop visible bubbles.
• Pre-shaping into a round builds surface tension and requires a 20-minute rest for gluten relaxation.
• A 12 to 18-hour cold retard in the refrigerator slows fermentation and is crucial for flavor development.
• Baking begins by preheating the oven to 500 degrees with a Dutch oven inside for 1 hour.
• Cooling the loaf completely for at least 1 hour on a wire rack prevents steam release and crumb collapse.

Frequently asked questions

Why is sourdough bread not considered "fast bread"?

Sourdough baking relies on wild yeast and bacteria which operate on their own schedule, requiring patience and observation of the dough's feel rather than strict adherence to a clock.

How long does cold fermentation take for sourdough and why is it important?

Cold fermentation takes 12 to 18 hours in the refrigerator. This process slows fermentation, which is crucial for developing the complex, tangy flavor that distinguishes sourdough.

What is the purpose of the autolyse step in sourdough making?

The autolyse step involves resting the dough for 30 minutes after mixing flour and water. This allows the flour to fully hydrate before salt is added.

How do you know when the bulk ferment is complete?

After 3 to 4 hours, the dough should have increased about 50 percent in volume, feel puffy and jiggly, and show visible bubbles on its surface and sides.

What is the benefit of cooling sourdough completely after baking?

Cooling the sourdough loaf completely on a wire rack for at least 1 hour after baking prevents steam from releasing too quickly, which could collapse the internal crumb structure.