Sourdough Bread Naples, Italy Recipe

Ingredients

• 800 g bread flour
• 430 g water
• 260 g flour, for starter
• 180 g water, for starter
• 16 g salt

Instructions

1. Combine 430 g of water, the starter made with 260 g of flour and 180 g of water, and 800 g of bread flour in a mixing bowl. Mix everything by hand or with a stand mixer until blended.
2. Add 16 g of salt to the mixture and incorporate until you achieve a shaggy dough texture.
3. Transfer the dough onto a clean counter and stretch and fold it at least a dozen times to develop the gluten.
4. Place the dough in a covered container that’s large enough to accommodate its rise, and let it rest for about 4 to 4.5 hours or until it has doubled in size.
5. After the dough has risen, punch it down gently to degas it before transferring it back to the clean counter for shaping.
6. Shape the dough into loaves and place them on parchment paper. Cover them lightly to prevent drying out and allow them to rest for approximately 45 minutes.
7. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit so it’s nice and hot when the loaves are ready.
8. Score the tops of the loaves with a razor blade or sharp knife to let steam escape during baking.
9. Mist the inside of the oven with water using a spray bottle to create steam, which will help form that crispy crust.
10. Bake the loaves for 10 minutes, then mist the oven again with water. Continue baking for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.
11. Once baked, remove the loaves from the oven and let them cool on a cooling rack.