How to prepare a NO KNEAD SOURDOUGH LOAF!
Sourdough bread is what Western civilisation ate before the advent of commercial
baker's yeast - in the UK circa 1890. The word sourdough also refers to the sourdough starter (levain) - this is a living fermented culture of flour and water used as a natural leavening agent to make the bread rise. Proper sourdough is made with four ingredients - flour, water, starter (culture of flour/water) and salt.
Putting aside the one-upmanship among the artisan hipster elite and multinationals selling upmarket lines at vastly inflated prices, that is SOURDOUGH - simply four ingredients
The Good the Bad and the Healthy:
● Proper sourdough with 4-5 ingredients is GOOD.
● Ultra-processed white bread, rolls and wraps with long lists of ingredients is BAD.
● Wholegrain unprocessed bread with a short list of ingredients is HEALTHY.
DAY 1
1. Mix 150g of Sourdough Starter and 350g filter Water in a bowl.
2. Mix 500g strong white flour (13% - 14% Protein) and 11g salt in a separate bowl.
3 Make a well and pour starter/water into the flour bowl and mix
gently with a fork to combine until flour has cleared.
4. Cover and leave at room temperature for up to 2 hours - called AUTOTYSE.
5. Mix in Chef Mixer for 5 minutes (optional).
6. Cover and place in the fridge for 12-24 hours.
Day 2
TWO STRETCH AND FOLD
1. Take dough out of the fridge and leave at room temperature.
2. Pick up the top two corners and pull up the dough, stretching
upwards and fold over to the opposite side.
3. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat step 2.
4. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat step 2.
5.` Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat step 2.
6. Flip the whole dough over in the bowl, so that the bottom becomes the top.
7. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
8. Repeat Steps 2 to 6 and rest for 30 minutes.
PRE-SHAPE AND PROVE
1. Take the dough out of the bowl and give it a gentle pre-shape -
using a metal SCRAPER and your fingers shape the dough into a tight
round, rotating the dough round the floured work surface.
This creates good tension. Cover and rest for 10 minutes.
2. Dust flour in the proving basket. Place the dough upside down in the proving
basket, cover and leave to prove at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
Dutch oven and Baking
1 Preheat the oven to 250c or as hot as it will go.
2. Put the Dutch oven in the oven to preheat.
3. Very carefully take the Dutch oven out and sprinkle semolina on the base.
4. Gently place the dough (in proving basket) side top down in the Dutch oven.
5. Using a razor blade (lame), cut two slashes in the dough.
6. Put the lid on and place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
7. Very carefully remove the lid and bake for a further 15 minutes
8. Reduce heat to 150c.
8. Very carefully take the Dutch oven out and flip the loaf out on to a towel.
9. Directly put the loaf back on the oven shelf, bake for a further 5 minutes.
10. Place the Sourdough Loaf on a rack to cool.
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