Simplest Sourdough

Ingredients

Levain (Preferment made from your Starter) 80gm (Baker Percentage: 20%) (1:2:2)
Water 280gm (Baker Percentage: 70%)
White Bread Flour 400gm (Baker Percentage: 100%)
Salt 8gm (Baker Percentage: 2%)

Levain

Method

Preparing Levain

Mix 40gm of water and 40gm of flour with 20gm of your starter, that is, 1:2:2 ratio of Starter:Flour:Water
Let it rise till it nearly becomes double the size. It should be active (bubbly) before you mix it to your dough.

Autolysing

Dissolve levain thoroughly into water in a mixing bowl
Add flour and mix lightly just enough so as to ensure no dry flour remain
Leave the dough for an hour (Autolyse Period)

Autolyzing

Kneading

Add Salt and knead the dough for about 5~10 minutes (dough will be very sticky)
Leave the dough for 30 minutes
Give a light fold and let the dough rest further for 30 minutes
Stretch and fold the dough 3 or 4 times every 45 minutes till the dough grows up to 1.5 times in volume

Stretch and fold

Shaping

Dust the upper layer of the dough with flour and turn it over on your counter
Gently spread the dough and fold it nicely and place it on a banneton (don't forget to gently dust the inner linen of the banneton with flour)

Resting

Wrap the banneton (a plastic bag or a shower cap works) and keep your dough on your refrigerator overnight (for at least 12 hours).

Scoring

Scoring

Turn over your dough and score it with a blade (or a sharp knife) at 45 degree of the surface plane

Baking

Preheat your oven at 250C
Place the dough in an iron cast pan (Dutch Oven) and cover it with a lid
Bake for 25 minutes
Take off the lid of the pan, reduce the oven temp to 230C and bake further for 20 minutes
Take the pan out of your oven and let the bread cool for at least 1 or 2 hours before you slice it.

Baking

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