Ingredients
Basic Sourdough Dough
- 50 g Sourdough Starter
- 350 g Water
- 500 g Bread Flour
- 10 g Salt
Flavorings
- 150 g Cheese (romano, parmesan, mozzarella, cheddar or your choice)
- 5 g Italian Herbs (dried oregano, rosemary, marjoram, parsley blend)
Instructions
- Pre Mix & Autolyse: Weigh out the sourdough starter and water in a glass or ceramic bowl and mix together. Add the bread flour and salt, then mix it all with a spatula until just combined, creating a shaggy dough. Cover with cling film or a damp tea towel and let it autolyse for about 1 hour.
- Forming Up Your Dough: Perform 20-25 stretch and folds around the bowl to develop the dough’s gluten and form a smooth ball. After shaping, cover again and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Stretch & Fold - Creating Structure: Begin stretch and folds to strengthen the dough. Incorporate the Italian herbs and cheese during the second or third set of stretch and folds. Complete a total of 4 sets, spacing them 15-30 minutes apart.
- Bulk Ferment: Cover the dough and allow it to ferment at room temperature until it has visibly risen and developed, typically several hours depending on ambient temperature.
- Shaping Your Dough: Gently shape the dough into your desired form, ideally a batard. Dust a banneton with rice flour and place the shaped dough seam side up inside.
- Cold Ferment: Cover the banneton loosely with a plastic bag or damp tea towel and refrigerate for a minimum of 5 hours and up to 36 hours. This slow cold ferment enhances flavor complexity and crust texture.
- Preparing to Bake Your Sourdough: About an hour before baking, preheat your oven to 230°C (450°F) with a Dutch oven inside to ensure it is very hot. Keep the dough chilled until just before baking to maximize oven spring.
- Baking Your Sourdough: Remove the dough from the fridge and place it on parchment paper. Score the dough’s surface with a razor blade or sharp knife. Carefully transfer the dough into the hot Dutch oven using the parchment paper, cover with the lid, and bake for 30 minutes at 230°C (450°F). Then remove the lid and bake uncovered for an additional 10-15 minutes at 210°C (410°F) until the crust is deeply golden and blistered. Optionally, place a baking sheet on a rack below to prevent the base from burning.
- Finishing Your Bake: Remove the bread promptly from the Dutch oven and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing to preserve crust texture and crumb structure.
Notes
- Using a cold dough straight into a hot oven helps achieve better oven spring and crust development.
- Adjust the timing and number of stretch and folds depending on dough behavior and room temperature.
- Longer cold fermentation (up to 36 hours) enhances flavor and crust blistering.
- Feel free to mix and match cheeses to suit your taste; harder cheeses like parmesan enrich flavor and texture.
- Dusting your banneton with rice flour prevents sticking and helps create a clean crust pattern.
- Maintaining a very hot Dutch oven is crucial for the best crust and rise.
- Prep Time: 4 hours
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
