Everyday Sourdough

Prep Time 30

Total Time 2

500 g strong white flour needs to be 12% protein or higher for good rise, plain flour doesn't work
340 g distilled water
52 g sourdough starter
10 g salt

Mix sourdough starter into the water with a spoon until semi-dissolved, then add in salt, keep mixing and add the flour. Work it into a shaggy dough.
Rest for 15 minutes and then knead for a minute.
Rest for half an hour, then turn the dough out onto a surface that has been sprayed with water. Stretch and fold (or stretch it all out like pizza dough as big as possible, then fold back) then shape it back into a dough ball and put in bowl.
Cover bowl with lid, damp tea towel or glad wrap and leave it at room temperature until it has nearly doubled in size (around 6-8 hours at 20C).
Note: If the bulk ferment goes for too long it will over-proof. This can make it taste funny and/or collapse. Suggest that less sourdough starter is used if you need to leave it to bulk ferment for longer.

After 6 hours minimum, check dough to see if it's nearly doubled in size. Near enough is good enough.
Turn the dough out onto bench and pre-shape into a ball, then rest for 10 minutes.
Prepare the banneton by dusting with semolina or rice flour (most people use rice flour, I think semolina tastes nicer)
Sprinkle semolina on the dough ball, then place in banneton. Rest on the bench uncovered for around 30 minutes.
Seal banneton fully with plastic wrap and place in fridge overnight. If plastic wrap just goes over the top, then it can still dry out and that's not ideal.

Set oven to pre-heat at 240 °C, and pre-heat dutch oven at the same time with lid on.
When oven is at temperature, turn banneton upside down onto parchment paper (or silicone bread sling). Score the dough as desired, but at least one long cut.
Take the dutch oven out of the oven, carefully lower bread inside.
Bake for 25 minutes covered at 220 °C (or 30 minutes for large loaf), then take lid off and bake for a further 30 minutes.
If it doesn't sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, place the bread on a wire rack and bake for a further 3-5 minutes.
Let the loaf rest for an hour before eating.