Carina Finn Koeppicus

I’m usually not one to post sourdough recipes, because so much of sourdough baking is a feeling — not a formula. You need to know your starter, your environment, the way even the slightest shift in the weather can impact the final product.

This is a guide for a simple loaf you can start in the morning and cut into for dinner. The dough is quite slack, and can be a bit challenging to shape. Wet hands and a wet surface will make your life easier. Heavily flouring your proofing basket is another key factor, because the proofed dough is sticky.

Ingredients

• 52g fed starter
• 300g warm water
• 200g bread flour
• 200g AP flour
• 100g spelt flour
• 10g salt

Method

1. Mix all ingredients except salt to form a shaggy dough. Cover and rest for one hour.
2. Squeeze salt into dough and form into a ball. Cover and rest for another hour.
3. For the next three hours, give the dough one set of stretch-and-folds each hour.
4. Bulk ferment undisturbed for 3-4 hours, or until the dough springs back slowly when poked.
5. On a wet surface with wet hands, then out the dough and shape into a tight ball. Rest on the bench for 15 minutes, then shape and proof in a well-floured banner on for 3-4 hours more, or overnight in the refrigerator.
6. Bake in a pre-heated, covered dutch oven at 500 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake an additional 20-25 minutes, or until dark golden brown.