Sourdough bread

Ingredients : (for 1 bread)

• 450 grams of flour
• 300 grams of water
• 90 grams of active sourdough
• 10 grams of salt

 Always sift through your white flour before you start to work with it. I used half split flour and half white flour( but you can use any kind). If you using just white flour first you need to mix the flour and water together and leave it for 30 minutes, then you can follow the next step below. 

Knead the flour, sourdough and water together about 10 minutes. Leave it to rest for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes add the salt with a little bit of water (3-4 tablespoon), knead it about another 10 minutes. Put the dough out in your work surface, your dough might be sticky but do not put to much flour in it, the texture will improve in the folding process. Work on your dough another 10 minutes, shape a little ball, put the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes take the dough out to your kitchen counter, stretch the dough out really good, don’t be afraid to stretch it really thin, but be careful not to brake your dough. To create the first fold, pick up one of the sides of the dough (on the right or the left) and fold it a third of the way over the rest of the dough. Brush off any excess flour. Pick up the opposite side of the dough that you folded and stretch it over the first fold, laying it on top, and brush off the extra flour. And do the same with the other side. Put back to the bowl and leave it in a warm place for 30 minutes. If it's cold in your house you can use your oven and place a hot water bottle near the bowl.

After 30 minutes take again the dough out from your bowl, now we don’t need to stretch it to much, just with our fingertips we start to press it and stretch it that way. Fold your dough again pick up one side of the dough and fold it a third of the way over the rest of the dough, pick up the other side of the dough and stretch it over the first fold.  Turn over the dough to the opposite side and stretch a little bit again with your fingertips then fold it again. Another 30 minutes of rest coming now. The next fold we do in the bowl, just stretch it one side fold it over, stretch the other side fold it over, do that on each 4 sides.

The folding process now ended. We leave the dough for a 2-3 hour of rest in a warm place, again you can use your oven and place a hot water bottle in it, that will keep the dough warm.

After 2 hours we need to form our bread. It’s really important that you not going to see a mayor rise here in contrast to a dough with yeast. You always work carefully with your dough not to break the air bubbles that already formed.

When shaping a loaf, your primary goal is to stretch the gluten and create surface tension. Dust the dough and your hands with flour. So we don’t get too much or too little flour, we rub our floured hands gently over the surface of the dough to get an even coating on both.

Prod the dough a little bit with your fingertips to flatten it. Now with your fingers lift an edge, fold it into the middle and press down. Make a turn and pick up the other edge and fold it into the middle again, repeat that till you return to the edge where you started.

Flip it over, you should have a nice round dough. Put your hands flat on the work top, palms up, either side of the dough, one forward and one back. Now bring your hands together under the dough, this spins the dough and stretches the upper surface down and under. Repeat these action a few times. Then place the dough with the nice side facing down in a lined bowl with kitchen towel and sprinkled really good with flour, (don’t be shy with the flour) cover with the remaining of the kitchen towel. 

The waiting time is on now, place the bowl into the fridge over night to rise. 

In the morning, or when you desire to bake your bread it’s important to leave your dough to come to room temperature (that takes about 30-40 minutes). Check the dough in the morning if it’s ready to bake. Press the dough with your finger and if it bounces back but still leaves a small mark on the dough than it is ready to bake. 

Preheat your oven with your cast iron in it (at least 20 minutes). Carefully place the bread in a baking sheet, cut the top with a blade or a sharp knife. The cut is for us to control where our bread is going to crack. Remove your cast iron from the oven and place your bread in it with the help of the baking sheet. Put the lid on and bake it for 30 minutes on 250 celsius (these helps your bread rise in the steam). After 30 minutes remove the lid and bake for another 25 minutes, reduce the heat for 220 celsius ( these help your crust to be crispy and golden brown ). 

Leave it to completely cool down.

Enjoy!!!