Easy No Knead Sourdough Bread Food

BETTER-THAN-BAKERY NO-KNEAD SOURDOUGH

Steps:

• Mix water and salt together in a very large bowl. Add sourdough starter and whisk vigorously to mix and aerate; stir in 3 cups bread flour until smooth. Stir in remaining 3 cups bread flour until dough is completely mixed.
• Cover bowl and set aside until dough is bubbly and increased in volume, 12 to 15 hours.
• Turn dough on to a well floured work surface using floured hands. Turn dough several times to cover with flour. Return dough to an oiled bowl and let rest until dough is doubled in size but not risen enough to collapse, 2 to 3 hours.
• Preheat an oven-safe, lidded Dutch oven (at least 8 quarts) in a 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) oven for 30 minutes.
• Carefully remove Dutch oven using oven mitts and sprinkle cornmeal into the bottom to prevent dough from sticking.
• Gently roll dough out of oiled bowl and into the Dutch oven; replace lid.
• Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue baking until crust is lightly browned, about 15 minutes more. Carefully tip loaf out onto a cooking rack to cool completely.

SOURDOUGH BREAD RECIPE (DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS)

Steps:

• Twelve hours before mixing your dough, feed your sourdough starter, leaving it out on the counter making sure it doubles in size within 6 hours. (See notes for extra sour). OR, if you keep your starter in the fridge and fed it in the last 7 days- it is OK to use it straight from the jar, cold, without feeding. Best to use starter after it peaks, when it is "hungry".
• PLEASE use a kitchen scale if this is your first loaf. Weigh the flour in a medium bowl (***zero-ing out the weight of the bowl). Then add salt, spices, seeds. Mix starter and water in a small bowl until cloudy and well mixed. Pour the starter-water into flour incorporating all the flour using a fork or wood spoon. It should be a thick, shaggy, heavy, sticky dough. See video. Mix for about 1-2 minutes using the wood spoon- it will be hard to mix. Don't worry about tidy dough here, just get the flour all mixed in and cover with a wet kitchen towel and let rest 15 minutes. It will loosen up as it rests. (Alternatively, mix starter and water in the bowl first, then add the salt and flour-like in my 3rd video- either way works.)
• (See the 1st video in post) With one wet hand (put a bowl of water next to you) pull the dough from one side and stretch it upward, then fold it up and over to the center of the dough. Quarter turn the bowl and repeat, stretching up and folding it over the middle, repeat for about 30 seconds or until the dough gets firm and resists. This helps strengthen the gluten. Cover, rest, and repeat the process 15 minutes later. With wet fingers, stretch up and fold over, turning, repeating, for 30 seconds until the dough gets firm and resists. Then turn the dough over in the bowl. Yes, you could do this a couple more times if you would like to build the gluten, but not imperative. ????
• Proof overnight, at room temp. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, wax wrap, or a damp kitchen towel (to keep the moisture in) and place it on your kitchen counter for 8-12 hours. (see notes on temperature) 68-70F is the ideal temp. (If it is warmer, check at 6-8 hours. If it is very cold, it may take up to 18 hours in winter.)
• Check the dough in the morning. The dough should have expanded, with a slight springy dome to the top. It won't necessarily double in size ( maybe 1.5 -1.75 times bigger) but will have expanded. Do the POKE TEST: With a floured finger, poke into the dough. If it indents easily and mostly springs back to its original shape, it has probably risen enough. If it feels firm or very hard to indent, let it rise longer. If it feels loose, runny, or indents too easily or doesn't spring back, it is most likely over-proofed (bake it anyways).
• Line a high-sided bowl with parchment. This brand of parchment does not stick to the bread- but if you are unsure about yours, spray oil your parchment lightly before putting the dough in it. (If you are a seasoned bread baker, you do not actually need parchment -this is only for easier transport only, bread will not stick to the inside of a dutch oven.) I like using a high-sided medium-sized bowl versus a flat or shallow bowl to help shore up the sides. You can also use a rice-floured Banneton (bread proofing basket) if you have one.
• (Watch 2nd video -Stretch and Shape video). Loosen the dough from the all edges of a bowl with using your wet fingers, a wet spatula or wet plastic dough scraper, sliding down the sides of the bowl. With both wet hands, carefully pull the dough straight up, in the middle and lift it, stretching straight up in the air- about 1-2 feet (see photo) and place it back down, gently folding it on top of itself. In this first stretch, the dough may feel quite loose and runny. This is OK. It should firm up as it stretches and folds. (Note: If your dough breaks here, it is probably over-proofed, bake it anyways. If your dough won't stretch like the photo and feels too tight or firm, it needs to proof longer). After the first stretch, give the bowl a quarter turn, wait 30-60 seconds, wet your hands again and stretch it up high again, folding over itself in the bowl. Wait 30-60 seconds. (You could repeat this one more time, 15 minutes later). Then, the third time you lift and stretch, you will lift it all the way into your parchment-lined bowl, folding over itself like you've been doing. (Alternatively, lift it into your floured proofing basket seam side up. ( If seam up, pinch the seam closed). Sprinkle top with seeds and flour (get the sides too) gently rubbing it to even coat -and add seeds if you like. If using a banneton, sprinkle the seeds in the banneton before adding the dough.
• and PREHEAT OVEN: Place the bowl in the refrigerator for one hour uncovered which will firm up the bread, and make scoring easier and help boost "oven spring". It won't rise in the fridge. (You could also keep it in the fridge for 3-4 hours if you want to bake later.) Preheat the oven (for 1 FULL hour) to 500F with your dutch oven inside and lid on (see notes). If you have convection- use it. You can also bake the bread at 45oF or 475F. You want your oven as hot so don't skimp on the preheat. I usually preheat for 1 full hour.
• When ready to bake, place dough by the stove. Pull out the dutch oven, close the oven, remove lid. Score the bread in the bowl, using a very sharp knife, lame, razor blade, (or try scissors dipped in cold water), score the dough swiftly and deeply, at a 45-degree angle, 3/4- 1-inch deep. One deep slash is just fine. Or criss-cross, or crescent shape. (Or feel free to add other designs, for ideas -google "scoring bread"). You want to score where you want the dough to puff out from. You can also cut with wet kitchen scissors. Carefully lift the parchment by the corners and place both bread and parchment directly into the dutch oven. Cover quickly. It is OK if parchment peaks out. You want to score and transfer as quickly as possible. (Alternately, if using a proofing basket, cover the basket with parchment, carefully flip the dough into the parchment in the palm of your hand and then center the parchment and dough into your dutch oven, then score).
• . Place dutch oven in the middle of the 500F oven for 20 mins with convection on, 25 minutes w/no convection (or 28 minutes at 450F). Remove lid. It should be puffed and just lightly golden and internal temp close to 200F (if not, put lid back on for a few more minutes). Lower heat to 450 F, continue baking 10-15 minutes until deeply golden and internal temp reaches 204- 208F. No pale loaves please, let them get golden! (For a less "crusty" loaf, increase covered baking time, lower uncovered baking time. You can play with this for desired results.)
• It will smell heavenly. Remove from the dutch oven, let it cool 1 hour on a rack or tilted up on its side, before slicing so you don't let the steam out and don't smash it- be patient. This is the hardest part. ????. Take a picture! Feel proud. You did it!
• This type of bread is always BEST, served toasted! Then lather it with butter, ghee or olive oil. Add mashed avocado and salted tomatoes, almond butter, honey or jam. A piece of toast can turn into a great meal. See this Mushroom Toast!
• Store the bread wrapped in a kitchen towel for the first day or two to keep the crust nice and crispy, then move it to a zip lock bag to keep it moist for longer. Bread can also be sliced and frozen. Make sourdough croutons with leftover bread- great in salads and soups!

ARTISAN SOURDOUGH NO-KNEAD BREAD

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, stir 1/4 cup starter into purified water.
• Add combined dry ingredients and stir until well incorporated.
• 2 stretch and folds at 15 minute intervals.
• Cover bowl and let sit roughly 10-12 hours at room temperature.
• Follow video instruction for coil folding and placing dough in well floured proofing basket.
• Cover proofing basket and let rise about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Proofing times can vary quite a bit based mostly on your ambient room temperature. Experience will be your best teacher when it comes to judging when your dough is ready to bake.
• Preheat your baking vessel to 500ºF for 30 minutes.
• Bake your dough with the cover on for approximately 17 minutes.
• Remove baker cover and continue baking an additional 17 minutes.
• When internal dough temperature reaches 200-210ºF, remove from oven and let cool completely.
• Consume bread, be happy.

NO-KNEAD SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• Mix together the dry ingredients in large non-metalic bowl.
• In measuring cup mix together water and sourdough starter.
• Mix in liquid until the flour is incorporated. The consistency should be firm and shaggy.
• Cover with plastic and let sit on the counter for 16-18 hours at room temperature, about 70°F (Note: At 70-75 degrees the bread leavens well and has the distinct sourness and flavor of sourdough. At more than 75 degrees the dough becomes too acidic which inhibits the wild yeast and leavens poorly. At much less than 70 degrees the dough leavens well but has a mild flavor. ).
• With plastic scraper remove dough from bowl and gently place on floured surface.
• Gently flatten dough into rectangle and fold the ends inward (like a letter).
• Fold the sides inward and form a dough ball.
• Place dough, seam side down, on parchment paper bowl or frying pan (helps to hold shape and cover loosely with a towel and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
• If using proofing basket,spray the basket with non-stick oil and dust with flour or wheat brand and place dough directly in the basket.
• Cover with towel and let rise about 1 1/2 hours.
• Dough is ready when it will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
• Thirty minutes before baking, place cast-iron Dutch Oven or La Cloche (with lids) in oven and preheat to 500 degrees.
• With serrated knife place slits in top of loaf.
• Remove pot or La Cloche from oven and carefully lift dough with parchment from bowl and transfer to La Cloche or Dutch Oven.
• Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.
• Replace lid and return to oven.
• Turn oven to 475 degrees and bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove cover; reduce heat to 450 degrees and bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until golden brown; interior temperature should be 200 degrees and the bottom sounds hollow when thumped.
• Remove from pan and cool completely on rack before cutting.