Sourdough Bread Recipe

Ingredients

• 500 g milled hard red spring wheat berries flour
• 2 teaspoons table salt
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 250 g active starter (about a cup)
• 1 1/4 cups warm water

Instructions

1. Sift the 500 g of whole wheat flour through a sieve to remove large pieces of bran. Stir in the 2 teaspoons of table salt and ¼ cup of warm water to the bran flakes and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, add your 250 g of active starter and stir in 1 ¼ cups of warm water.
3. Gradually stir in the sifted flour until the mixture is fully hydrated and forms a cohesive dough.
4. Cover your dough with plastic wrap and place it in a warm location for an hour to let it rise.
5. After an hour, begin to stretch and fold the dough. With a wet hand, grab the bottom of the dough and stretch it over to the top. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat the process. Do the until you’ve stretched the dough four times.
6. Repeat the folding process two more times, allowing the dough to rest for 30 minutes between folds each time.
7. Add the bran, salt, and water mixture to the dough, and fold three more times, again with 30 minute rests in between. The bran and salt will incorporate as you fold.
8. Once you have completed a total of 6 folds, turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll it between two floured hands to create a tight boule.
9. Dust the top of the boule liberally with flour. Line a mixing bowl that is slightly larger than your boule with a towel and flour it as well. Fold the towel over to cover the bread and refrigerate it overnight.
10. On day two, remove the loaf from the refrigerator and preheat your oven with a cast iron pot to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Once heated, carefully remove the pot from the oven and turn the dough into it. Remove the towel and score or snip the top of the bread with a sharp knife.
11. Cover the pot and bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. After that, remove the lid and continue baking for another 15-20 minutes, or until the crust reaches your desired level of golden brown.