MAKE THE PREFERMENT:

1. Grab your bubbly starter, and add the lukewarm water. Mix them together thoroughly. Next, add the flour, and mix it in for about another minute or two. It will be very shaggy. Cover the dough with plastic wrap sit at room temperature for about 12 hours.

MAKE THE DOUGH:

1. Grab your bubbly pre-ferment, and add the lukewarm water. Use your hands to mix them together thoroughly. Next, add the all-purpose flour, and mix it in for about another minute or two. The dough will be very shaggy and may stick to your hands a lot. Use a bench scraper or silicone spatula to scrape off all dough. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let it sit for an hour. This rest period is called the autolyse.
2. After an hour, sprinkle the salt over the dough. Use wet hands to grab and pinch the dough until the salt is mostly mixed in.

THE FOLD-AND-STRETCH:

1. Now we begin folding. Wet hands to keep the dough from sticking to your fingers and palms. Reach down the side of the bowl and grab a corner of the dough. Pull it up and push it down on top of the dough. Rotate the bowl a bit and do it again. Repeat this stretch-fold-rotate process 15-20 times, then cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes. NOTE: Be careful not to stretch the dough too far. You’re building strength here, and want to avoid tearing the dough.
2. Every 30 minutes, for about three hours, you’ll repeat this stretch-and-fold process, until you’ve done it 10 times. With each stretch and fold your dough will get easier to handle. As your dough gets stronger, be more and more careful with your stretching. You’ll notice your dough will begin to rise a little throughout this process. That’s a good thing. Once you’ve finished your final fold-and-stretch, cover the dough and let it sit for 30-45 minutes.

SHAPING THE DOUGH:

1. Now, it’s time to pre-shape your sourdough loaf. Turn the dough out onto a a lightly-floured surface gently so as to avoid losing any air bubbles. NOTE: If you’re making more than one loaf, divide the dough accordingly. Use a scale to make sure all your loaves are the same size.
2. Cover your hands with flour, to avoid sticking. Carefully pull the corners into the center of the dough, create a loose circle. Using a bench scraper, flip the dough over so the seam is down and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, prepare your proofing basket by dusting it with a generous amount of rice flour or all-purpose flour or a combination of both. If you don’t have a proofing basket, lay a tea towel flat and sprinkle it with flour. Use your hands to spread the flour into the entire surface of the towel and transfer it to a colander or medium-sized mixing bowl.
4. After 30 minutes, dust the top of your loaf with flour. Flip it over with a bench scraper so that the floured side is against your work surface and the sticky side is up. Grab the edge of the dough at the bottom, pull it gently up allowing gravity to stretch it a bit, then fold it over onto the center of the dough, pressing it down stick to the center of the dough. Repeat with the right and left side of the dough. Lastly, grab the edge of the top of the dough and press it into the center and carefully roll the dough over so the seam is now down and the smooth side is up. If it's not quite a round, cup your palms around the dough and rotate it against the counter to shape it into a round loaf. This next step is best shown visually—you can watch a video of it in our IG story highlights! Rotate the dough around using the side of your hand to tighten the surface as you go. If you’re feeling wobbly, don’t fret! There are also so many great YouTube videos that demonstrate how to do this. Just search “shaping sourdough”.
5. Once you’ve shaped your loaf, use a bench scraper to carefully flip the dough, seam-side up into the prepared proofing basket or towel-lined colander. Sprinkle the top with flour and cover with a tea towel or by folding the corners of the towel that lines your colander over the dough.

TO BAKE THE LOAF THE NEXT DAY: Let the loaf sit at room temperature for 30-40 minutes and then move it to the refrigerator for 12 - 24 hours.

TO BAKE THE LOAF RIGHT AWAY: If baking today let your loaf rise for about 2-3 hours, until the dough has doubled in size.

BAKE YOUR SOURDOUGH BREAD:

1. Preheat oven to 475°F. Some say to preheat your Dutch oven in the oven. We’ve tried it both ways and find that there really is no difference.
2. Arrange a parchment paper square on a flat surface. Carefully transfer the dough, seam side down, onto the parchment. Using a lame, sharp knife or razor, quickly give your loaf a good slash across the top. Immediately lift the parchment corners and set the loaf in the Dutch oven. Cover, and place in the oven. NOTE: If you wait too long to put your dough in the oven after slashing, it will lose air and you won’t be happy with the results.
3. Bake for 25 minutes, covered. After 25 minutes, remove the lid and bake, uncovered, for another 25 or 30 depending on how dark you want your loaf.
4. Once done, remove the bread from the Dutch oven and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting. Don’t rush this process or you won’t be happy with your results!

NOTE: Loaves straight from the fridge are easiest to work with. If baking more than one loaf, keep the other loaves in the refrigerator until ready to use.