Makes two loaves.
Ingredients:
300g fed start
700g warm water
900g flour (I use bread flour)
25g salt
Method:
Combine start and warm water in a large bowl. Whisk until the mixture looks like milky water. Add the salt and flour and mix for a few minutes with a danish whisk or by hand until it comes together and there is no more dry flour. Use a damp scraper and scrape the edges down into the dough ball. Cover with plastic and let it rest for 30 minutes. I like to use a shower cap for this.
Wet hands slightly. Do one coil fold. This is done by lifting the dough from the center and lettting the ends of the dough fall under itself. Repeat until all of the dough can be lifted. Rotate the bowl and do the same this in the other directions. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Wet hands slightly. Coil fold the dough again.
Repeat this until you have done four total coil folds, letting the dough rest 30 minutes, covered, between each fold.
Ley the dough rise on the counter until it has grown in volume slightly, is domed on top and has air bubbles. This can take my dough anywhere from 2-4 hours.
Lightly flour a flat surface and dump the dough onto it. Split the dough in half and shape into two round loaves. Do this by taking the edges and tucking them into the center. Flip the dough over and pull and push the dough until a small amount of tension forms over the top. There are videos of this in my Instagram. Let the dough rest uncovered for 20 minutes.
Lightly flour the top of the loaves and flip over. Shape into a round or an oblong shape depending on what shape your bannetons are. Place bannetons or bowls lined with flour, a tea towel or food service hair nets (these are linked on my Instagram). Let them proof in the fridge for about 8 hours, until the dough has risen slightly and the top is domed and puffy looking. I like to do this over night and bake the next morning.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees with a cast iron pot or a bread cloche inside, including the lid. When the oven it hot remove the dough from the fridge. Take a sheet of parchment and dust with corn meal. Turn out the dough onto the parchment. Score the dough at an angle and add any designs with a bread lame or a very sharp knife. Add dough to the hot pan carefully. Put two ice cubes next to the loaf and return the lid.
Bake for 30 minutes, lid on. Bake another 8-10 minutes with lid off until deep brown in color. Cool before slicing.
Click here to go to my post about all the things I love using when I bake sourdough.