Bread Recipe
Ingredients:
350 g flour (100%)
245 ml water (70%)
70 g active starter (20%)
7 g salt (2%)
Mix the water and the starter. Add the flour and mix until there is no dry flour left. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes, covered with a tea towel.
Now add the salt and knead it into the dough. Let the dough rest again for 30 minutes.
Now do a first series of coil folds. Wet your hands and lift the dough from the middle until it releases from the bowl. Let the dough fold over itself and lower it back into the bowl. Rotate the bowl 90° and repeat this step. Repeat this until the dough takes on a firm shape. Let the dough rest again for 30 minutes.
Repeat the series of coil folds 3 more times, with 30 minutes of rest in between each.
Now let the dough rest, covered, to rise and ferment further. You can tell the dough is ready by the following signs: it has (almost) doubled in volume; the top is slightly domed; there are visible air bubbles on the surface; if you're using a glass bowl, you can see air bubbles on the side.
Sprinkle some flour over the top of the dough so it doesn’t stick. Then flip the dough out of the bowl, so it lands upside down on the work surface.
Now grab the dough from the side and pull a point toward the center. Do this from all sides, creating tension on the side that is against the work surface, and forming a ball.
Place the dough, with the same side down, in a bowl or basket lined with a tea towel. Cover it with a tea towel and put the dough in the refrigerator for cold fermentation. Leave it in the fridge for 6 to 36 hours, depending on the flavor you prefer.
Preheat the oven to 250°C. If you're using a Dutch oven, preheat it as well.
Carefully turn the dough onto a sheet of baking paper. Score a cross on the top of the dough using a razor blade or another sharp knife.
Place the baking paper with the dough in the Dutch oven or on a baking sheet, and put it in the oven. Bake the dough for 15 minutes at 250°C.
After 15 minutes, remove the lid of the Dutch oven or briefly open the oven door to let the steam escape. Lower the temperature to 230°C and bake the bread for another 20 to 30 minutes.
Take the bread out of the oven and let it cool completely before slicing it.
© Tessa Straver, 2023