Yes! You can make a tangy sourdough boule from scratch. Cooking it in a Dutch oven guarantees a delicious crunchy-chewy crust.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 16 hr |
| Active: | 40 min |
| Yield: | 2 medium boules |
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
- 3/4 cup warm water (about 75 degrees F)
- 2 tablespoons active sourdough starter, at room temperature (see Cook’s Note)
- 6 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 3/4 cups warm water (about 75 degrees F)
- 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
Instructions
- For the levain: Combine the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, water and starter in a medium bowl and mix to combine. Cover and let sit at room temperature until bubbly and increased in volume by about 20 percent, about 8 hours.
- For the dough: Add the all-purpose flour, water and whole-wheat flour to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Weigh out 7 ounces of the levain (about 1 cup) and add to the mixer (discard any remaining levain). Mix on low until a shaggy dough forms. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Add the salt to the dough and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes; the dough should feel a bit sticky and wet but look smooth and very stretchy. Scrape the dough into a plastic or glass container about twice its size. Cover and let sit at room temperature until puffed, about 45 minutes.
- Put the dough on a floured work surface, flatten it gently, then fold in thirds like a business letter. Transfer it back to the container. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes.
- Repeat the folding process one more time, transfer back to the container, cover and let sit at room temperature for another 45 minutes. After the third 45-minute rest, the dough should feel soft and pillowy; when pressed with a finger, it should leave an indentation that begins to spring back.
- Gently scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide in half using a bench scraper. Shape each piece loosely into a round by gently tucking the edges under. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Drape 2 kitchen towels into 2 medium (8-inch) bowls and dust very generously with flour. Dust the top of the dough rounds very lightly with flour and flip over using a bench scraper. Flatten one piece of dough into a circle, then fold the left and right sides of the dough over the center. Keeping tension in the dough, begin folding down from the top edge in 3 segments, sealing the bottom edge with the last fold. Loosely cup the dough and, using your hands and the tension between the board and the dough, pull the bread very slowly towards yourself while creating a taut ball. Gently flip the dough ball over and into one of the prepared bowls. Cover loosely with another kitchen towel. Repeat the process with the second piece of dough. Place both in a warm place to rise until about 1 1/2 times their size, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
- About 20 minutes before baking, position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven, put a 4-quart Dutch oven and lid on the rack and preheat to 500 degrees F. When preheated, carefully transfer the hot Dutch oven to a heatsafe surface with oven mitts (leave the lid in the oven). Flip one round of dough over into the Dutch oven. Using a sharp knife, scissors or bread lame, score the top of the bread in a cross or desired pattern. Return to the oven, immediately cover with the lid and bake for 20 minutes. Lower the temperature to 425 degrees F, uncover and bake until dark brown, about 10 minutes more. Transfer the bread to a cooling rack to cool completely. Return the empty Dutch oven to the oven, raise the temperature to 500 degrees F and let heat for 10 minutes before repeating the baking process with the second dough round.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 2 servings |
| Calories | 2018 |
| Total Fat | 7 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 424 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 22 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Protein | 61 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 2269 mg |
Reviews
I am new to sourdough. Tried another recipe and it was a disaster. Fed my starter for a couple more days and then tried this recipe. It worked great! Reading the comments below about the salt I decreased it by half. I wish I would not have as it could use a little more salt. I agree the recipe reads a little complicated but I just did the stretch and folds in the bowl for the first 2 hours of the rise.
My oven is in a commercial range and doesn’t have great rack heights. I baked on the bottom rack and it was DONE after 20 minutes at 500 degrees. The bottoms are almost overdone and the crumb a little dry. Will adjust that next time.
All in all I have 2 beautifully rounded sourdough loaves that taste yummy!
My oven is in a commercial range and doesn’t have great rack heights. I baked on the bottom rack and it was DONE after 20 minutes at 500 degrees. The bottoms are almost overdone and the crumb a little dry. Will adjust that next time.
All in all I have 2 beautifully rounded sourdough loaves that taste yummy!
Would be better if all the recipes were in grams. i can convert but would rather not. thank you
My first time making starter! It doubled in size by day 3 and doesnt smell yeasty but bad. Is it still good? DId I do something wrong?
Way too cumbersome! Never seen anything like it before
This recipe is needlessly complicated and calls for too much salt. Look for another recipe. You’ll thank me.
Came out perfect. I added dried sour cherries(rehydrated in orange juice), toast pecans, and cinnamon to one. It tasted very similar to whole foods cranberry Walnut bread.
Had to cover the baking dishes with aluminum foil as we do not have a Dutch oven. Had to bake for 50 mins at 500F and another 10 at 425F. Other than that adjustment the recipe worked great.
Very thorough information
Lots of work but worth it.